High tea at the Sofitel

Sofitel Brisbane Central
249 Turbot St, Brisbane City
(07) 3835 3535
www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au

High tea is not the most straight forward, casual way of having afternoon tea, but there's just something so relaxing and luxurious about it. It allows us to take some time out in this fast-paced world to graze daintily over food, sip on tea, and catch up with friends or, indeed, have some quiet time to absorb ourselves in our thoughts, which have hitherto been pushed to the back of our minds by other matters, which we had deemed to take precedence. The other thing I love about high tea is that you can take advantage of the elegant, lady-like affair to whip out that girly, frilly dress that you've been dying to wear out but have been too hesitant to do so normally.

 

Of course, it has not always been that way for high tea. This tea-taking practice was initiated back in the 1800s by the Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell. Back in those days, lunch was usually light, as it was simply introduced to keep hunger pangs at bay, during the long stretch of time between breakfast and dinner. However, as dinner started to be taken later and later in the night, this meal no longer provided sufficient sustenance. It was at this time that the Duchess decided to call for light refreshments to take between the last two meals of the day. Her enjoyment of this tea-taking session, which became known as 'afternoon tea', led to invitations for friends to join her, and it thus became popular with members of the wealthy middle- and upper-classes, who had the leisure time to partake in it.

So where does the name 'high tea' come from, you ask? Well, traditionally, high tea was the middle and working classes' equivalent of this slotted-in meal. Work hours were typically long, so high tea was taken later in the day than afternoon tea, and was more substantial, often including meat dishes. I suspect, then, that the 'high' part is related to the quantity of food one took. Needless to say, back in those days, whether you took afternoon tea or high tea was a fair indication of your socioeconomic status. As for why the elegant three-tier stands we are presented with at hotel restaurants and cafés nowadays bear the name of 'high tea', I know not. I can only guess that is has something to do with the fact that the traditional afternoon tea has been phased out for so long that many people have quite forgotten how it came about, and the incorrectly given name of 'high tea' used on its revival in recent years has just been unknowingly accepted and seen as a fancy afternoon tea by the majority of us, who are none the wiser. While it's interesting to know the historical relevance of high tea in society, however, let's not get too caught up with the specifics and forget to enjoy modern high tea for what it really is about at the end of the day: the food, the tea, the overall dining experience. Well, at least it is for a foodie, anyway.    

 

It had been a while since I last went out for high tea (yes, I shall stick with that terminology for now), so I decided to try out the one offered by the Sofitel hotel in the CBD last week. Fitting in with the typical afternoon tea time, it is offered daily from 2pm to 4pm, but it is necessary to book 48 hours in advance or else it depends on booking availability on the day, and the selection of food provided will be at the pastry chef's discretion. Make sure you plan your outing well, too, because their policy requires that you pre-pay with a credit card over the phone first, and no-shows will automatically lead to payment deduction from it. On the website, it says that prepayment is only required for groups of 4 or more persons, but there were only the three of us, and the same rule was applied. Price point was a cut above the other high tea menus I have tried previously at $50 per person on weekdays and $60 per person on weekends.

Held in the Executive Club Lounge on level 30 of the Sofitel, the large windows offer great views of Brisbane City.  

 

The view from the floor-to-ceiling window next to the elevators on level 30

The funny part is that when I requested a table with a view, at the time of booking, the reception staff had said that it depends on availability and that she would try her best to arrange it. When we arrived there, we thought that the Club Lounge wasn't open yet, because it looked empty and quiet inside. Apparently we were wrong though, because after waiting outside for a few minutes, we were spotted by someone inside and shown in. Besides our group, there was literally only one other guest there that we could audibly detect. Needless to say, there were no issues at all getting a window-side table. The Club Lounge was quite spacious and clean, with comfortable lounge chairs and a window bench with cushions and soft, mood-setting lights. The many windows allowed an abundance of natural light to flow in, which helps to create the illusion of more open space.
 

 

We were given the option of a glass of chilled sparkling champagne or a non-alcoholic drink on arrival. Of course, we chose the bubblies. For my bottomless tea, I chose the Jungpana darjeeling tea from the selection of Ronnefeldt loose leaf teas offered.

 

 

The menu looked delicious, but I was initially a bit worried that the apparent lack of popularity (for it was the first time I had had high tea where there were no other diners) might reflect the taste and quality of the food. When the food came out, though, my fears were allayed.

 

The high tea menu and tea list

I liked the modern presentation of the food on black tiles, and the flower garnishes.

 

A contemporary twist on the three-tier cake stand

The scones were tasty, as were the honey madeleines.

 

Bottom tier: Plain and fruit scones with strawberry jam, marmalade and whipped cream; honey madeleines

I liked how the ribbon sandwiches were made with different types of bread - rye, olive and white - and I liked the fillings, especially the Spanish frittata with basil pesto. It was the first time I've seen it used as a sandwich filling, and I've decided I like it - it's different and delicious.  

Middle tier: Various finger sandwiches

Although we didn't get everything on the menu, we still had a nice selection of desserts. However, like with all the high teas I've had previously, not all of the sweets were to my liking. For example, the pistachio macarons were not well-made ones: the biscuit halves tasted like they had not been baked for a sufficient length of time, because their insides were still wet and soft.

 

Top tier: A selection of sweets

The chocolate dessert, which was not as heavy as it looked and had a nice, short chocolate shortcrust base, was quite nice, but my favourite of the lot would be the chilled soufflé mango mousse. It was nice and light in texture and had an unexpected raspberry in the centre.   

 

Chilled soufflé mango mousse with a raspberry heart

There was pretty much only one floor staff, the person who served us being the person at reception, but the service was still pretty good. Overall, I quite liked my high tea experience here. I still like the food at Tea and Niceties better, which is also slightly cheaper and offers a more extensive tea list, but I think for the Sofitel one, you're really paying more for the environment in which you're enjoying your tea. The atmosphere of these two high tea places are very different, but they're both fantastic in their own distinct ways. The one in the Sofitel's club lounge, due to its spaciousness and fewer guests (although, perhaps I just so happened to go on one of their quiet days), allows for more personal space and its quiet surroundings make it suitable for business meet-ups; whereas Tea and Niceties offers a more intimate environment, which is best for catching up with friends, as you could talk and laugh as loudly as you want, without feeling self-conscious.

Conveniently located in the central business district of Brisbane as well, the Sofitel Executive Club Lounge is definitely a gem, seemingly yet to be discovered by the mass of high-tea lovers. I can definitely see myself going on a repeat visit.