Do you have a sweet tooth? I do so felt it was perfectly natural for a little indulgence over the weekend when Miss N and I were invited to a high tea at Passiontree Velvet , Macquarie Centre with a girlfriend and her two daughters.
We were promised an indulgent high tea with Passiontree Velvet blending the feel and taste of an English tea house, a Parisian patisserie and a Belgian chocolatier to create their own style and unique experience. My mouth was watering just perusing the menu. Scones ….. mmmmmmm……..
Passiontree Velvet is located in front of Coles in Macquarie Centre. I was a little perplexed by this – high tea in a shopping centre? We were all surprised by how lovely it actually was when we arrived. The shop front is delightful and when we were shown to our table we realised how intimate the setting can feel if you choose the right place to sit.
So what did we order? For the adults we enjoyed the Duchess High Tea (ribbon sandwiches, macaroons, freshly baked scones, cakes and Belgian chocolates) and for the kids we ordered the Teddy Bear Picnic option (ribbon sandwiches, macaroon, biscuits). We had alerted the chef with our booking that one of the children had a nut allergy which they assured us could be catered for on the day. We deviated from the traditional high tea ordering a coffee for my girlfriend L, juice for her two daughters, a raspberry iced tea for me and a raspberry soda for Miss M.
Our drinks arrived promptly to our coohs of surprise and awe. Our raspberry soda and raspberry iced tea arrived on individual wooden serving plates. Miss N’s raspberry soda instantly hit me with nostalgia and took me back to my childhood neighbours from Austria who grew their own raspberries and treated me quite regularly to their own concoction of soda and raspberry juice. I think Passiontree Velvet have been in cahoots with my former neighbours as they have somehow recreated the recipe. The glass came filled with soda. A little white jug sat next to it filled with raspberry juice. Miss N was prompted to slowly pour the juice into the glass to taste. She started with a little, sipped, poured a little more and repeated until she had the taste she was after. Whilst my iced tea was delicious, I was a little disappointed that I had not ordered a soda with its little white jug. I’m told many of the drinks have a similar concept (you must order it when you go).
Shortly later the kids Teddy Bear Picnic arrived. Once assured that there were no ‘nuts’ they started working their way through their food. A little nibble and gushes of excitement as they all realised they each had their own setting! They paused as the adult tower arrived. Wowza! It looked amazing. Our brilliant hostess explained each layer from the gorgeous ribbon sandwiches, through the scones and right up to the rich cakes and chocolate on the top tier. How were we going to finish all of that!
Opulence. I think that encapsulates a good high tea. Whilst you do use your fingers, each mouthful automatically has you closing your eyes to allow your taste buds to enjoy the sensory experience alone. Passiontree Velvet’s cakes had me doing exactly that each time the spoon met my mouth. We felt extremely spoiled. It was a struggle to finish everything and luckily the kids were keen to sample some of the items on our tiers.
If you are in Sydney a drive to the Macquarie Centre is worth it just to sample one of Passiontree Velvet’s eclairs or macarons. Everything is so scrumptious and yummy. Need a little spoiling? Book one of their high tea experiences. They even have tasting plates if that’s more your cup of tea. Speaking of tea, Passiontree Velvet has a full selection of Harney & Sones teas (they supply London’s Dorchester Hotel and the Ritz Claridges) perfect to compliment your menu option. Or, you might take our lead and choose one of the soda’s – they’re so delicious!
Head to Passiontree Velvet’s website for their entire menu or to make a reservation.
Thank you to Passiontree Velvet for inviting us to enjoy their gorgeous high tea!