High Tea @ The Langham’s Aria Bar
Miss A and I went for high tea last year at the Park Hyatt. It was all very nice but when she told me the Langham was having ‘Magnificent Macarons’ until the 28th of November. We then made the executive decision to have high tea once a year. I made the booking online via the website, and it was followed up promptly by a confirmation reply. I received a reminder call a few days before we were due to indulge.
We went on the weekend which features the added bonus of The Langham Chocolate Bar.
The Chocolate Bar features intricate chocolate creations from as far a field as Yucatan, Costa Rica and Madagascar. Chocolate is sourced from the finest Chocolate houses including Lindt and Sprüngli, Callebaut, Belcolade,Valrhona, Cacao Berry, DGF Royal and Australia’s very own Haigh’s.No high tea would be complete without the three tiered tea stand with classic smoked salmon and cucumber finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream.The Chocolate Bar is served with hot chocolate, leaf tea or expresso coffee.
Enjoy Tiffin with a French twist during August and September, with ARIA’s delicious selection of macaroons from our very own Pastry Chef Marcus Böhm. Bon Appetite!
– Taken from The Langham’s website
We arrive and are ushered to our table, walking past the Chocolate Bar. I feel like a fat kid in a candy store, wanting to try at least one of everything. But wouldn’t you feel the same?
We have a lovely table by the window, and can spy Eureka Tower. Our waitress explains high tea to us as we have never been before; we will be getting the three tier caddy, a souffle and a hot beverage of our choice.
Lovely teapots contain even lovelier (is that a word? meh! I say it’s a word) tea. In fine bone china teacups, perfect for sipping on tea and catching up on girly gossip.
Our caddy arrives shortly after:
YUMMMMM!!! Let have a closer look:
Top tier: delicious sandwiches: smoked salmon, cucumber ribbon, egg mayonnaise and cress as well as cream cheese and chives. The best part? They come around throughout the service with free sandwich top-ups! We declined, needed to keep stomach space for that chocolate bar.
Middle tier: thick, lucious clotted cream, and gorgeous raspberry jam. I wanted to ask which brand of jam they used as it was just amazing.
Bottom tier: the most delicious scones you will ever have. 2 fruit and 2 plain and both so, so good. Possibly the best scones I’ve ever had, coming in at first place with Mum’s lemonade scones with blueberries.
Does that halogen oven look familiar? It’s the same ones you’ve seen on those bad infomercials at 3:30am! My grandma has one, but I’m not sure she knows she can cook souffles in it… must tell her the good news!
Our souffle smells like marshmallows, and heaven. I love the melting chocolate bits when you dig in. It’s rather sweet and both of us can’t finish it….plus, the chocolate bar is calling our names.
Macarons as promised! Flavour are: violet, chocolate and pistachio. They all look so perfect with their smooth shells and macaron feet.
Some of the other goodies on offer include:
- Valrhona chocolate and Malibu rum souffle
- Alpine rocky road
- Lime and bitter trifle
- Hazelnut chocolate eclair
- Almond florentines with yoghurt chocolate
- Jaffa chocolate torte
- Chocolate truffle marquise
- Strawberry chocolate vacherin and elderflower cream
- Amarascata roulade with cocoa nibs
- Chocolate biscotti
This is chocolate bar attempt 1. Macarons were good and chewy, with my favourite flavour probably being the chocolate, closely followed by the violet. Didn’t think much of the pistachio. Loved the hazelnut chocolate eclair and and jaffa chocolate in a shot glass. Delicious, big strawberries, and the lime and bitter tart was lovely and tart.
Of course I went back for seconds, a little less on my plate this time. More strawberries, some of my favourite florentine and rocky road treats I tried on pudding making night. Lovely berry tart, and one more macaron for the road.
We had a lovely high tea experience at The Langham’s Aria Bar, and I wouldn’t hestitate to recommed it anyone!
Monday to Friday
Served with a classic High Tea stand
$35.00 per person
Saturday and Sunday
alongside our famous Chocolate Bar
$59.00 per person
Magnficient Macarons available until 28th November 2010.
kristy @ ksayerphotography
Oooh yum all of those sweets look delicious!
Iron Chef Shellie
They were as delicious as they looked I’m happy to say!
Esz
I went to the Langham High Tea – All the choc things were nice but they were much too sweet for me and I was craving a lot more savoury. Thank goodness for those sandwich top ups – my fave were the chicken sandwiches.
I would highly recommend the Park Hyatt high tea – not as much chocolate but they have a greater variety of savoury and I dare say, their scones are better. No clotted cream though, just vanilla flecked whipped cream.
Almostalwaysravenous
oooo scones at park hyatt… yummie
one more thing to add to my already very long wishlist
Iron Chef Shellie
The chicken sandwiches were my favourite too! Ahhh.. perhaps I forgot how good the scones were… might have to go back 😉
Honey @ honeyandsoy
You had me at chocolate bar… What a spectacular-looking spread! I also loved the look of the jaff chocolate layered in the shot glass. And lovelier IS a word 😉
Iron Chef Shellie
LOL! mmmm chocolate bar!
penny aka jeroxie
Awesome epic post! I remembered when I wrote this post, I was salivating all over my keyboard.
Iron Chef Shellie
Thanks! haha yes, I was craving scones whilst typing away!
delicieux
Yum, yum, yum!!!! I LOVE high teas and wish we had more quality places that served High Tea in Brisbane. I am SO jealous as everything looked fabulous.
Iron Chef Shellie
You’ll just have to come to Melbourne and we can take you on a high tea tour! … hmm.. that might get expensive.. 😛
Sarah
ooh sooo yummmmy! I went to the high tea there a while back and it was seriously delicious – although I went into sugar melt down not long after from my overdose! Those macarons look lovely!
Iron Chef Shellie
haha yes, there were salt cravings later on in the day!
Hannah
Oh heavens, this post is pure torture when I have to wait for over an hour before I can go for lunch! What I wouldn’t give for handfuls of violet macarons…
Iron Chef Shellie
awww sorry! I would love a handful of macarons now myself!
Ladybird
Oh lovely! I LOVE high tea, just went recently too! 😀
Iron Chef Shellie
Oh lovely! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
hollypop
oh my god!
so cheap!
so lovely.
i wish i could eat that stuff.
xoxoxoxo
Iron Chef Shellie
We need to find you a gluten free high tea!
April @ My Food Trail
Oh wow, that’s awesome! Perfect for the sweet tooth as all those desserts at the chocolate bar look divine!
Iron Chef Shellie
Yes, and I have a very sweet tooth! hehe
Ellie (Almost Bourdain)
What a fabulous place for high tea!!!
Iron Chef Shellie
Sure was! Great for lunch and dinner too!
Anna Johnston
I love, love, love high tea. My girlfriends & I havent done this for ages now…, must do!!!! The photos are mouth watering.
Iron Chef Shellie
hehe thanks! Love high tea too!
Almostalwaysravenous
I’ve been eyeing high tea at langham for a while now… one day i will eventually get there…
Iron Chef Shellie
You should get there sooner rather than later I say!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
It looks great! I went to the Langham Auckland’s Alice in Wonderland Afternoon tea and it was so pretty! 🙂
Iron Chef Shellie
Oh how I love anything Alice in Wonderland themed!
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
omg is that a flavorwave? HA! Hard to tell without a dozen massive pork chops inside 😀
This looks truly amazing. I get sad when I read high tea reviews that seem a rip off, with tier space taken up with garnishes or not-very-nice items, but this seems like great value with the sandwich top ups and the chocolate bar! Brilliant work on going back for seconds too, I am most approving.
Iron Chef Shellie
It’s so true, so many places over charge for a few sandwiches and scones! I can do the same thing at home!
Gabriel Hummel
I sincerely hate you Shellie.
Let me get this straight, you got smoked salmon sandwiches, scones, macaroons, and biscotti?
My life < Your Life, at this very moment.
Iron Chef Shellie
awwww you don’t hate me….. 😛 okay I would hate me too if I didn’t experience it!
Anita
Wow!!!! This looks amazing!!!! Wish it was in Sydney.
Iron Chef Shellie
Oh but you have a billion other awesome places to eat in Sydney!