The Tea Room QVBQueen Victoria Building
455 George St
Sydney CBD
The Queen Victoria Building is the grand old Dame of Sydney. It oozes style, class and sophistication, and The Tea Room QVB certainly belongs and fits in here.
Its a classy place offering a dignified and elegant high tea as well as plenty of other food choices as well. It's also a big place, seating around 300 for weddings and around 200 for high tea.The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is the grandeur. It has enormously high ceilings that have a row of impressive crystal chandeliers down the middle. It's breathtaking and almost everyone stops and stares. You can't help it. It's like stepping back in time to an era of Lords and Ladies - with us playing the part of these noble gentry.
We were there for their famous high tea so of course it seemed perfectly appropriate to start with some champagne. We conservatively decided on a half bottle of their Vollereaux Champagne - a winery established in the early 1800's and producing champagne since 1923. It was a lovely start to what lay ahead.
Then of course there was the high tea - well two to be honest as we each decided to choose different options to experience more of what was on offer. .
Mlady had the Traditional Afternoon Tea - and it was certainly impressive. The three tiered stand was packed with goodies.
The bottom plate had light and fluffy freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream as well as a pastry wrapped savoury roll.
Moving up to tier two and we found finger sandwiches (strips of sandwich with the crusts cut off), and a few other savoury goodies like a mini quiche.
On the top plate was the sweet stuff - and it was everything you'd expect or hope for in a high tea. These cakes and sweet treats looked beautiful, and tasted just as good. They were indulgent, but hey, that's what high tea is all about!
Mlady had the Traditional Afternoon Tea - and it was certainly impressive. The three tiered stand was packed with goodies.
The bottom plate had light and fluffy freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream as well as a pastry wrapped savoury roll.
Moving up to tier two and we found finger sandwiches (strips of sandwich with the crusts cut off), and a few other savoury goodies like a mini quiche.
On the top plate was the sweet stuff - and it was everything you'd expect or hope for in a high tea. These cakes and sweet treats looked beautiful, and tasted just as good. They were indulgent, but hey, that's what high tea is all about!
Sir chose the Oriental Afternoon Tea - which had plenty of things from the more traditional varieties. However, it also a few replacements that fitted with the theme of this version.
The bottom plate fortunately again had the delicious scone, jam and clotted cream and their very tasty savoury roll.
The middle layer also again had the finger sandwiches, but then added a beautiful scallop and ginger dumpling, a Peking Duck cone, another cone with crab, coriander and lime, a shitake mushroom and chicken pastry and finally a Parmesan shortbread with avocado, tomato and white anchovy.
The top layer again had sweets including a lovely chocolate slice and a fruit and custard tart. It also had a macaron with Asian writing on it - in keeping again with the Oriental theme - and it tasted good too!
The bottom plate fortunately again had the delicious scone, jam and clotted cream and their very tasty savoury roll.
The middle layer also again had the finger sandwiches, but then added a beautiful scallop and ginger dumpling, a Peking Duck cone, another cone with crab, coriander and lime, a shitake mushroom and chicken pastry and finally a Parmesan shortbread with avocado, tomato and white anchovy.
The top layer again had sweets including a lovely chocolate slice and a fruit and custard tart. It also had a macaron with Asian writing on it - in keeping again with the Oriental theme - and it tasted good too!
Then of course there was the tea. There's a huge range - 32 in fact - stretching from varieties we all know and love, like their most popular English Breakfast, through to some very unusual varieties and boutique flavours, like Orange Pekoe, and on into the just plain unexpected - like Royal Gunpowder. Mlady had her favourite English Breakfast Tea and Sir had a great Orange Pekoe.
The Tea Room Queen Victoria Building is all class. If you want a quality experience in a spectacular room then come here. It's a step back in time, and up in standards, that will linger.Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Tea Room Queen Victoria Building and Grand Pacific Group. Thanks to Suzana and Laura and Laura for looking after us. Big thanks also to Hannah Evan of Grand Pacific Group for inviting us and arranging our visit.
