Moments away from bustling Hyde Park, the lovely Gallery Tea Lounge on the first floor of the Sheraton on the Park hotel is celebrating the reign of the British monarch with the Queen Elizabeth II High Tea. On arrival, we were welcomed into the plush, marbled Lounge and served with a glass of Moet champagne to start.
Royal Tea Stand (includes a glass of Moet), $69
Today we were spoilt with a three tiered interpretation of the Queen’s preferred treats, starting with a warm quiche of salmon and spinach. The salty tang of the seafood was tempered with a dollop of peppered ricotta, giving us a nice savoury start to our High Tea. After the quiche, we made our way through each of the finger sandwiches. Our favourite was definitely the sweet prawn mixed with a refreshing lemon and mayo concoction served on white bread. The other sandwich featuring sizzled tuna fillet on rye and avocado smash, egg and prosciutto on multigrain bread was also delicious and was a generous double-tiered serving for a finger sandwich.
We were slightly disappointed with the mini croissant however as the bread was slightly dry, and not helped by the uninspiring filling of pastrami and Swiss cheese with sweet chili sauce. By this stage, we decided that with the savoury dishes done and dusted, it was time to order our matching teas to go with the sweet treats.
The pots come freshly brewed and the boy enjoyed his Darjeeling which had a full body with the slight hint of vibrant fruit. I had the Rose with French Vanilla, which as you would expect, had a heady sweet floral aroma best tempered with a small dose of milk.
The homemade scones were warm, soft, and buttery, best enjoyed with the strawberry jam and light Devonshire cream. I found that the scones were a good size, just enough to satisfy my scone cravings and still leave me with room to get through the rest of the desserts. We were also a fan of the ‘not so traditional’ blueberry with white chocolate chip scone, which was moist and delivered a sweet hit even without the jam.
On the top and final tier, was a beautiful array of tantalising sweets. We picked up the silver spoon to start on the upside down pavlova, which was slightly browned with a torch and floating on a strawberry mix. The two components complemented each other well, without either being overpowering. The Victoria sponge cake reminded me of a fancy melting moment, with the crumbly sponge cake topped with a raspberry and sweet cream filling. The other desserts were more pedestrian affairs however, with the lemon meringue pie, red velvet cupcake and oatmeal cookie sandwich with dark chocolate ganache rounding it off.
Overall, we really enjoyed being able to gaze into the park from the luxurious surrounds of the Sheraton while enjoying an indulgent high tea after an afternoon of shopping in the city.
Excuse Me Waiter dined as guests of Sheraton on the Park
The Gallery Tea Lounge
161 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone:(02) 9286 6000
I love high tea! Must check this place out!