Chantal experiences high tea fit for royalty.
Whenever I think of ‘high tea’, I picture grandmas polishing their silver cutlery, putting out their best fine china and carefully serving up cucumber sandwiches and earl grey tea.
High Tea at the Hotel Windsor Melbourne
However, high tea at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne is a more regal affair most fit for one particular type of grandma…the Queen.
One of the earliest and most prestigious of Melbourne’s hotels, The Windsor boasts a most exclusive afternoon tea—a famous tradition that began with the hotels original heritage in1883.
Treated like princesses and dressed in our Sunday finest, my friend Kyah and I sipped Louis Perdrier Rose, admired the flowing chocolate fountain and salivated over all those dreamy scones.
If this is what high tea at Buckingham Palace is like, then you can count me in.
Elegance and Ambience
Deliciousness!
It didn’t take long for Kyah and I to settle into our new role as Victorian royalty. The Hotel Windsor’s restaurant has an old-world charm that makes you quickly forget about the bustling city streets just outside the front door.
Decorated in plush furnishings, sparkling chandeliers and featuring attentive waiting staff, we were lost in our lavish surrounds.
For a hotel that is more than 120 years old, it wasn’t hard to imagine Melbourne’s elite in their Victorian best mingling and dining in the very same room from eras before. I don’t think I would have batted an eyelid if Queen Victoria herself had decided to sit beside me.
It’s tea time
Forget the earl grey and English breakfast, with a speciality tea menu sourced from around the world, The Hotel Windsor boasts an amazing selection to choose from.
Just a few of the blends included Orange Pekoe, Darjeeling, Masala Chai, Lapsang Souchong and featuring two ‘Glorious Blooming Teas’ described on the menu as a ‘choreographed ballet of movement in your glass tea pot’.
Three tiers of deliciousness
Each layer more yummy than the last
Putting Grandmas’ cucumber sandwiches to shame, we were treated with a silver three tiered stand adorned with a medley of cakes, pastries and ribbon sandwiches.
The raspberry parfait melted in our mouths, while the poached pear and apple and rhubarb crumble tempted our tastebuds.
With all the delicious smells, sights and flavours we still somehow managed to finish the afternoon with Hotel Windsor’s famous raisin and vanilla scones smothered in southern highland strawberry preserve.
A favourite for brides-to-be, intimate family gatherings and the most special of birthday celebrations, The Hotel Windsor has that elegant and regal charm that makes you feel like you just stepped into your own private palace.
Fit for a queen, or even your own sweet grandma, this is the place to come if you want to feel like royalty, even if just for one afternoon.
Keen to experience High Tea for yourself?
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