High Tea

Until July 1st, 2012 I’d never had a High Tea.  It was something I’d been wanting to do for a long time.  Mel and I went to Harry’s Bar at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Melbourne. 

Included in the special price of $49 for the two of us was a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne, one of my favourite champagnes but one I rarely get to drink. 

It was a cold, rainy day on that Sunday.  We arrived early, got a parking spot in the building carpark next to the hotel and walked in to the hotel.  We didn’t realise we were early so we decided to go for a walk along the Paris end of Collins St.  Some of Melbourne’s most exclusive shops are here such as Chanel, Tiffany and Prada.  It was the latter shop that got my attention.  I suggested we cross the road to do some window shopping, not realising it was actually open.  We went in and were instantly welcomed by some of the friendliest staff.  It was a surprise because some other high-class shops in Melbourne have been getting a bad rap for their snooty customer service in the last year or so.  They showed us some bags and purses.  I wasn’t going to ask how much one particular bag cost but I couldn’t help myself.  The bag was $1600.  OMG!!!  It was made from parachute material and was super, super strong.  It was also a most beautiful shade of red.  Sadly it’s just a little outside of my budget by around $1550 so we left the store and headed back to the hotel for our high tea.

We were seated at a table in the foyer, just outside the bar which was a little disappointing because we didn’t feel the atmosphere of the bar.  The waiters were really nice and friendly and served us our complimentary glass of Moet & Chandon champagne.  It was delicious.  So fresh and bubbly. 

We waited a little longer for our 3-tiered high tea stand.  It was beautifully presented and contained the following:

Finger Sandwiches

• Cucumber with chive butter
• Curried egg
• Smoked salmon with cream cheese (my favourite)

Chicken and brie petit tart

Goat cheese and spanish onion tart

parmesan twist

Plain scones

Orange and date scones

organic strawberry jam and cream

Chocolate truffle

Macaroons de paris

Lemon cheese cake

Citrus and poppy seed cake

elegant miniature tea cake

So much food!!! We couldn’t eat everything but tried most things.  I bought a second glass of champagne because I didn’t have to drive. 

I don’t know if I’ll rush to eat another high tea simply because of the quantity of food but at least I’ve tried it and can tick it off my bucket list.