Observatory Hotel, Kent St, Sydney

Observatory Hotel, Kent St, Sydney
Sunday 5 August, 2007

Another day another High Tea - I'm on roll with these lately and today the aptly named Divas of Cuisine came together for an afternoon of indulgence.


The Observatory Hotel is widely considered Sydney's best hotel so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that their High Tea would not break the bank. From 2.30pm daily you can experience a relaxing afternoon in The Globe Bar. The description states,


"Celebrate the art of afternoon tea in classic style at The Globe Bar which embodies all the romance of a bygone era. Sink into leather armchairs, or lush velvet sofas and savour a selection of cucumber sandwiches, scones with freshly prepared jam and clotted cream, mini crème brulees, and other treats, including your choice of 20 unique tea blends. $39.00 per person or $49.00 per person including a glass of Moet & Chandon Rosé."

We had a prime table in the middle of the Globe Bar and we literally sunk into the leather chairs for the afternoon. The decor is conservative with a library of books and antiques on display - there's dark panelled wood, fresh flowers and glass cabinets. It's not everyones cup of tea however to me it is the epitome of High Tea.

We ordered the traditional high tea and waited. The lack of service was quite extraordinary - we literally had to flag down a passing staff member to get anything and not once did a staff member approach our table to ask if we needed anything. I was floored that a hotel of this standing would have such poor service.

The tiered silver tray arrived and we admired the array of food:

- variety of sandwiches (e.g. egg, salmon, cucumber) with the crusts cut off

- mini creme brulee, chocolate mousse, almond slice, fruit cups

- variety of scones with clotted cream and jam (a rhubarb & strawberry combo)

We sat there for hours soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the food. My favourites were the mini creme brulee and chocolate mousse - they were rich however the portion was just right to savour the sweetness. The coffee was so good we ordered another round and sunk even further into the leather chairs.

When we were ready to leave it took us about 10 minutes to get the attention of a staff member. We flagged down one of the passing staff and he promptly forgot us so we spent the next 5 minutes in the service void. If you take the lack of service out of the equation, the Observatory Hotel is a lovely high experience in the perfect setting.

Observatory Hotel - 89-113 Kent St, Sydney - (02) 9256 2222

http://www.observatoryhotel.com.au/web/osyd/osyd_afternoon_tea.jsp