High Tea at the Victoria Room

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Scones with jam and cream, dainty sandwiches with the crusts cut off and a bounty of petite and sweet desserts... What's not to love about high tea?

Tuesday night saw the launch of High Tea at the Victoria Room, a book by Jill Jones-Evans and Joe Gambacorta, featuring both recipes and the history of high tea. Guests mingled over mini cupcakes, flaky pork and apple sausage rolls and delicate lavendar shortbread rounds in the ambient surrounds of The Victoria Room--"colonial chic in the British Raj style" as self-described by Jones-Evans.

With more and more people getting back into the kitchen, hosting your own afternoon tea is now easier than ever. Thanks to the kind folk at The Victoria Room we have a Freebie Friday giveaway for Grab Your Fork readers, and yes, this has been bumped forward to Thursday because tomorrow is Easter Friday.

This giveaway includes both the book AND a Royal High Tea for two, so now you can have your cake and eat it too!

THE PRIZE:

A copy of High Tea at the Victoria Room (RRP $29.95) and
A voucher for a Royal High Tea for Two (RRP $105.60) which includes

afternoon tea sandwiches of: chicken and wild herbs, cucumber, creme fraiche and dill; and smoked salmon, rocket, lemon capers, watercress, celery, walnuts and goats curd
date and plain scones served with organic strawberry conserve and chantilly cream
assorted sweeties of: dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse, cream and fresh raspberries; classic baked lemon cheescake; strawberry and vanilla shortbread tart; and red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese icing
teas - English Breakfast supreme, Scottish Breakfast, Earl Grey premium, Queen Mary, Prince of Wales, Russian Caravan, Assam, Darjeeling and China Sencha
herbal/fruit infusions - lemongrass and ginger; chamomile; spearmint; rose garden; Turkish apple and chai
coffee any style
and a glass of Viticoltori Ponte Sparkling Rose Prosecco from Italy.

Total prize value: $135.55

The high tea voucher is valid for six months.

HOW TO ENTER:
All you have to do is fulfil the requirements below:

Leave a comment on this post and tell us: what would you eat first if you won the Royal High Tea, and what would you save until last?
And then send an email to grabyourforkfreebiefriday@yahoo.com.au with the subject heading "High Tea" and include your full name and a copy of your published comment from this post.

The winning entry will be decided on honesty, creativity or entertainment value. Don't be shy! You gotta be in it to win it! Readers may submit one entry per day as long as each answer is different.

The High Tea at The Victoria Room competition closes on Monday 26 April 2010 at 5.30pm AEST. The winner will be announced on Grab Your Fork on Tuesday 27 April 2010.

EDIT: This competition has now closed. Congratulations to the winner announced here.

>> More Grab Your Fork competitions to enter:

Win a copy of The Salt Book (Entries close Tue 4 May)
Win a place at a masterclass with Tetsuya Wakuda (Entries close Tue 4 May)
Win one of five magic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs umbrellas (Entries close Mon 24 May)
Win two tickets to a pasta-making masterclass with Ashley Hughes from Alio (Entries close Sat 29 May)

The Victoria Room

View Larger Map

The Victoria Room
Level 1, 235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9357 4488

Related Grab Your Fork posts:
High tea at the Victoria Room, Darlinghurst
How to host your own afternoon tea

53 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 4/01/2010 02:23:00 am

53 Comments:

At 4/01/2010 6:19 am, Lisa Walton said…

High tea is my idea of heaven. I wouldn't eat at all that day as I would need to work my way through the menu. Starting off with the savoury delicate sandwiches and ensuring my little finger is daintly poised at all times. I would then persevere through the scones and of course leave room for the cakes. It would all need to be washed down with herbal infusions first and maybe a glass of champagne to settle everything. I would then retire to a lounge and ruminate.
At 4/01/2010 6:33 am, Annie Yu said…

I would definitely be taking my husband who would be saving the best for last (assorted sweets) where as im the opposite, eat the best (sweet) FIRST! and since im usually a fast eater, i know i will be ending up eating some of my husbads sweets which he has saved with a please? and a sweet smile.
Great company, food and double happiness for me!
At 4/01/2010 8:20 am, Nicole said…

I would definitely save the Red Velvet Cupcake topped with Creamed Cheese Icing for last, for it is that little cake that should forever last! To start the experience I would have to choose the Smoked Salmon, Rocket, Lemon, Capers. Watercress, Celery, Walnuts & Goats Curd sandwiches, how scrumptious it sounds I might even go for two rounds. Who can I take, now that's the hardest decision to make :)
At 4/01/2010 10:17 am, lifeis2munch said…

what is high tea if you don't eat the scone (plain) with strawberry jam first?! that is definitely how I will start. red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing will be the icing of the whole afternoon. It will be one of those 'once on your lips forever in the hips' moment but hey, it will be worth it. or i will be in too deep in my sugar coma to notice...
At 4/01/2010 11:17 am, Steph said…

High Tea is my favourite treat,
Delicacies galore and all things sweet,
And where better to enjoy than on Victoria Street?

I would first have to find my feet,
Maybe grab a glass of the Sparkling Rose as I take my seat,
To start, the lemon cheesecake and strawberry tart are in a dead heat.
They're both just so neat!

And to top off the eating feat,
For no high tea experience would be complete,
Without diving in for some last minute fresh raspberries and cream to round out the high tea suite!
At 4/01/2010 12:04 pm, Phuoc'n Delicious said…

What a lovely competition Helen. I would love to be able to hold a high tea party one day at my place serving delectable petit fours.

I would definately start off with the prosecco - to set the mood for relaxing. I'll make my way through the sandwiches and save the best to last and that is, Red Velvet Cake. Mmmmm...
At 4/01/2010 12:07 pm, fluffy said…

I have this ritual for every high tea I've been to, and I am dying to try it out on the Victoria Room's royal high tea. I would start with one of the sandwiches to give a kick to my tummy, since I normally wouldn't have had anything to eat beforehand to prepare myself for the high tea. After my tummy is awake and getting all ready to churn out the sweets, I would proceed to the sweets selection, with another sandwich as a break in the middle to prevent sugar overload so I could eat more sweets! I would always leave the scones for the last since they can be quite filling and I wouldn't want to be too full to eat the other sweets. Nothing beats the finale of a high tea with scones slabbed with plenty of cream and jam.
At 4/01/2010 1:00 pm, sugarpuffi said…

I would start off with a sip of rose garden tea to moisten my mouth. I usually start backwards with the sweet items first because I love sweet things! The fresh and sweet Cream with raspberries should be first followed by the strawberry and vanilla shortbread tart, sandwiches last but...I think I will save the red velvet cupcake till last because it's too cute to be eaten and I want to observe its cuteness till the end!
At 4/01/2010 2:13 pm, Audz said…

i would save the sandwiches till last. nibbling on the bread corners till they're all gone then taking bigger bites into the cheesey goodness in the middle.
At 4/01/2010 8:26 pm, Nadz said…

Ok I would first scoff all the little classic baked lemon cheesecake. I would eat them all so quick so i will not allow anyone else a chance at tasting one as thats my absolute favourtie dessert. So why save the best for last. My theory is first in best served!!

But for the last will be the scones. I will not discriminate between the scones and the crumbs or icing left on the plate as they too will be devoured in my mouth.

I think I would able to polish of a whole tier in five minutes flat and still have room for seconds!!

I love me some high tea mmmm i am dreaming of the taste of all of this as we speak.
At 4/01/2010 9:15 pm, Chookpea said…

I would definitely start the proceedings with the traditional cucumber, dill and creme fraiche sandwich.

Crisp and refreshing, it is the perfect palate cleanser to the delectable treats ahead.

To end with? A glass of deliciously bubbly Prosecco - a toast to a wonderful afternoon enjoying good fare and of course good company!

(I'm saving the bubbly for last as a glass or two beforehand would render me a tad tipsy!)

Great competition, thanks Helen!
At 4/02/2010 9:24 am, Kristy Sayer-Jones @ Southern In Law said…

If I won the Royal High Tea, first, i'd jump up and down in excitement, then i'd definitely start with scones as that's the one food I always associate with high tea. Then i'd slowly make my way through the assorted sweets, leaving the classic baked lemon cheesecake for last. Starting with a classic, and ending with a classic :)
At 4/02/2010 9:41 am, Min Ai said…

I love high teas and would dive straight in to the sandwiches.. preferably the salmon ones first. I always want something sweet to top off any meal so would definitely finish with the sweet treats - particularly the red velvet cakes! :P
At 4/02/2010 4:51 pm, annie said…

Hi!
I've never been to a high tea so i wouldnt know what to eat first!!!
But being the tea lover I would have to take a sip of Russian Caravan (the name sounds enticing no? or maybe to find out what a Russian Caravan may taste like..) then nibble away on classic baked lemon cheesecake and red velvet cupcake at the same time!!! Who doesnt like cheesecake and sweet cupcakes?!?!

And to finish off my afternoon delight, I'd have the chicken and wild herbs sandwich so my stomach can take a break and relax from all that sweetness!
At 4/02/2010 5:21 pm, Cathy x. said…

hi helen! i thought you might be interested to hear about a new cafe/restaurant opening up. it's run by hamish ingham (josephine pignolet 'best young chef' 2004) who was head chef at billy kwong (where i'm working now, and how i know hehehe) for quite a few years. it's called 'Bar H' at 80 campbell st, surry hills ;)
At 4/04/2010 12:17 am, The Ninja said…

I know it doesn't count but Steph gets my vote despite my penchant for slaying rhymes.
At 4/04/2010 12:44 pm, ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog said…

high tea is such an indulgence, if only we can have it everyday eh? :p
At 4/04/2010 1:29 pm, Anonymous said…

I'll have the scones with cream and jam first, coz i can nv resist warm scones with fresh cream, and the last would be cream and fresh raspberries with a glass of sparkling rose refresh the palate ;)
At 4/04/2010 4:43 pm, Trisha said…

I always love the High Tea experience! I may be a tad boring and will just go for English Breakfast tea, my indulgence will be the food - sweets, cakes, pastries, scones, quiches, tarts, and sandwiches? Yes please! The book looks really interesting and pretty too!
At 4/05/2010 9:40 am, Tessa.t said…

With my family it'll be hard to tell,
Who gets to eat what and when without yells.
I'd very much like the strawberry + vanilla tart first,
But that depends if my brat-wurst brother dives in mouthfirst.
He knows I've always loved shortbread's buttery crunch,
But his growling stomach is very likely to beat me to the munch.
As for my last bite, it's most likely to be,
The sad crumbs left of this scrambling high tea.
I'll just have to sharpen my knives and fine-tune fork skills,
If I want to choose what I eat just before the bill.
A smoked salmon sandwich is probably my last target,
The rocket salad will make me think I'm still on my diet. :)
At 4/05/2010 7:30 pm, NADZ said…

NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH
Over at Grab Your Fork news, a reader known as NADZ, was found gulity of gluttony while dining at The Victoria Room in Darlinghurst this afternoon. With her assaliant known only as 'MY BEST FRIEND', she was dressed as a stunning 1920's china doll, with a sharp black bob and a shocking blood red lipstick. Yet it was the indulgent manner in which she ate her High Tea that had fellows diners stunned. It was stated she was seen dancing on the table when her tier arrived and she firstly started eating her Lemon Cheesecake ever so slowly while singing loudly 'Better the devil you know'. As the evening followed she ate the sandwiches, cupcakes and other delicatables while singing a medly of Kylie minogue tunes. But in a finale that ended her being arrested was shen she was found eating the date scones not only on her tier but other diners!!! The shock of stunned onlookers was frightening. Therefore the police where called in and she was arrested for gluttony due to her actions. The only comment she made was a simple "It was worth it".

Back to you Helen.
At 4/05/2010 8:24 pm, am.i.full said…

O wow at NADZ! If only I was that creative hahaha! I would definitely eat the scones first because it is warm and leave the dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse till last - I always have room for chocolate no matter how full I am. Have been to too many high teas but just not Victoria Room!! (she says bitterly...)
At 4/06/2010 5:34 pm, ~t@b!tH4~ said…

I have never really had the opportunity to experience high tea as it is all soo ex! Over the years, I learnt to bake and prepare all the little goodies offered and have bit by bit experienced them. I guess, the first thing I would try is the scones! As I have been recently fascinated with the 5mins recipe and all my friends have been telling me that mine is nice! But I need a solid example to compare! =)
At 4/07/2010 2:56 am, Emma M said…

The British girl and her Italian husband fighting it out on their honeymoon. Not a difficult one to start with, a cup of tea was never a favourite of a sun loving Sicilian and coffee just don’t make the grade for me when you’re dealing with a cream filled jam oozing scone. So I relinquish the Colombian for the assam and move on to the serious business of the division of assets (we’re just married but it’s better to be prepared).
I’m a sarnie girl. I love the simplicity of it all, bread and filling, none of this ‘ jus de pureè de blahblah’ rubbish. A great sandwich beats a posh canapé hands down in my book and they just don’t make them right in Italy. He’s got a sweet tooth, years of celebratory induced cake fests and gelato a go go . So I get first pick from the savoury side with the chicken and wild herbs and he goes for the classic lemon cheescake. We work through the menu slowly for the next 30 minutes, deliberating our next moves with care and attention until the table is almost bare.
I vowed ‘to forsake all others’ and I would, all the others except for the final red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese icing. Translation for cream cheese he asks inquisitively? ‘I can’t explain exactly ’ I purr ‘But it tastes a bit like.......marmite’. I remembered his absolute hatred for the brown spread.
‘Che brutto! mangi tu quello’ he grimaces pushing the divine creation my way.
‘Per te amore tutto’ ‘For you my love anything’ I reply as the cupcake makes a hasty exit from the table to the sound of clinking Prosecco filled glasses.
At 4/07/2010 12:11 pm, erica said…

This comment has been removed by the author.
At 4/07/2010 12:12 pm, erica said…

First, the bubbles: and they would be as effervescent as I would be giddy with delight about what's to come.

Leaving for Last, nothing: there would a nibble here, a mouthful there. There would be no restraint of hand or tastebuds - we would pick at what we'd fancy and whichever would catch our eyes, tasting a little of this and sharing a little of that until the last crumb. Then, we'd waddle, slowly, sated, into the afternoon light.
At 4/07/2010 2:39 pm, Eli Reed said…

I would wait until a cold and dreary Sunday afternoon. The kind of afternoon where it feels as if there were nothing to look forward to. And then I would dress in bright dress and go out to afternoon tea.

I would start with the Russian Caravan tea. I would breathe the scent of it in to see if I could pick up the smoky smell of lapsang souchong. I would let the mug warm my hands before drinking.

I would save the dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse for last, to have with a long black. I would place a tiny spoon of chocolate mousse on my tongue and let it melt, before swallowing it, and having a sip on coffee.

I would still be smiling several hours later.
At 4/07/2010 4:07 pm, Amy @ cookbookmaniac said…

A lemon cheesecake would make me so happy right about now
At 4/09/2010 1:26 am, erica said…

Haiku, for Hai-tea

First we'll start with tea
in warm china in warm hands
savour the sweets last
At 4/09/2010 2:22 pm, rhianna said…

start with the red velvet cupcake - oh so indulgent, and finish with the mellow sencha :-)
At 4/11/2010 12:01 pm, Unknown said…

I'd have trouble holding myself back from the scones with jam & cream. They would definitely disappear first.
At 4/12/2010 9:21 pm, Brian Wong said…

I start off with what tempts me the most - the red velvet cupcake. However, I will only eat half of it (matched with a cup of Darjeeling tea) and finish the remainder at the very end. The meal ends the same way it starts. :)
At 4/16/2010 11:11 pm, Sue said…

I'd grab the glass of Viticoltori Ponte Sparkling Rose Prosecco first, to celebrate my High Tea, not for the reason of thirst.
And after all that glorious food, I'd drink my tea, a Queen Mary methinks, so replete, I can relax and extend my pinky.
Lol. Thanks for this post, I drooled just reading it.
At 4/17/2010 8:10 pm, Caroline said…

I like trying, and sharing, new and different food experiences. Chicken and wild herb sandwiches with Viticoltori Ponte Sparkling Rose Prosecco, finishing this experience with lemongrass and ginger tea with strawberry and vanilla shortbread tart.
At 4/17/2010 8:16 pm, mandachic said…

I would start with the scones with jam and fresh cream and finish with the scones with jam and fresh cream as I lick the morsels off my lips!
At 4/19/2010 12:48 pm, Karina L said…

I'll have dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse to start with, and then end with a dark chocolate cup with chocolate mousse.
At 4/19/2010 10:19 pm, suzytherookie said…

I will start with the strawberry reserve and chantilly cream on scones. Being a food rookie from Malaysia, the only thing I know about cream is ICECREAM. For something that sounds so pretty; chantilly cream on sconnes... that will definitely satisfy my first mouthful at the high tea! I will defnitely finish the session with the turkish apple chai to ensure the sweetness of the tea lingers in my mouth the entire day.YUMS
At 4/20/2010 1:10 pm, Shanavyre said…

My high tea experience would be with one of my closest girlfriends, as a thank-you for being the behind the scenes organiser for my recent wedding. I would order a pot of Queen Mary tea, and start my consumption the feast of tasty tidbits at with the sandwich array – they all sound wonderful! I would then move onto the scone selection, though I am most partial to a classic plain scone with strawberry conserve and a dollop of Chantilly cream. I would finish the event with a glass of sparkling, while I perused the sweeties, leaving the scrumptious lemon cheesecake till last, maybe pairing it with a pot of Turkish apple tea if time allowed. During the whole tea session, my girl friend and I would be debating the best of the sweetie and sandwich selection, and deciding whether to throw our own high tea in the months to come!
At 4/20/2010 4:28 pm, charis lee said…

I would start with savoury of choice and have the watercress sandwich and I would save the vanilla strawberry shortcrust tart for last because I'm a sweet tooth and always save the best for last to leave with a sweet taste in my mouth :)
At 4/20/2010 5:35 pm, Ditzykitty said…

wow that is a tough choice. *long pause* dilemma dilemma.... i think ... i would sit back and drool at the food then start with a few sips of tea while. I would first eat the scones with a big dollop of cream and jam for a little bit of sweetness to silence my raging sweet tooth. Then continue with the delicate and delicious sandwhiches and finally let my sweet tooth [teeth ;)]tear into that gorgeous chocolate mousse =D or mmmmm cheesecake *really hungry now*
At 4/21/2010 9:14 am, paul said…

hmmm high tea *salivates* I would start with the scones first, not too sweet and definitely not savoury, then work down all the sweets then savouries and finally eat the red velvet cupcake...I just ADORE red velvet cupcakes. Then I would maybe just sleeep until my stomach has finished digesting so much food :D
At 4/21/2010 11:23 am, Anonymous said…

Surely start off with the sparkling - everything looks and tastes better with alcohol :D

After all the delicious food and tea, I'd end my meal with a macchiato, leaving the lovely taste of coffee in my mouth and I don't think you'd be able to fit any more coffee in you than the size of a macchiato.

Double-edged competition: awesome in getting all of us foodies to think about food some more but absolutely evil in leaving us drooling over our computers :p
At 4/21/2010 1:36 pm, Unknown said…

I've come to a conclusion that life is too short, so why not start with dessert? The dawning of my high tea experience would intangibly be considered 'devilish' as i would start with a red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese icing, and end with a dark chocolate cup filled with chocolate mousse. I long for this experience to cure my insatiable sweet tooth.
At 4/24/2010 11:00 pm, fennalia said…

I will start with the sandwiches as they are savoury.
I would left the chocolate mousse to the end as they are normally quite sweet.
At 4/26/2010 1:13 am, piccolanippy said…

I would start with the scones because that would be delicious and I'd finish with the Red Velvet Cake as it would be the perfect taste to leave in my mouth.
At 4/26/2010 8:43 am, Mel said…

The anticipation.
The sheer longing.
A scone.
Desperate for you to bathe it with jam and chantilly cream.
An explosion of warmth and flavour in your mouth.
Finished with a cup of searing hot English breakfast tea.
Happiness.
At 4/26/2010 11:18 am, Sandy said…

For me it's this:
I’d choose 1st delicious sandwiches filled with cucumber or salmon
Thereby ensuring my appetite is well and truly whet
Before finally demolishing the red velvet cupcakes with gay abandon
(by demolish I mean enjoy, utilising best etiquette)
And all washed down with a cup or three of Russian Caravan.
Ah! such bliss....
At 4/26/2010 11:24 am, Unknown said…

Lets just get straight to the good stuff! Its gotta be the cupcake right!!!! Then finish it all off the sandwiches. It always starts with a cup cake.
At 4/26/2010 12:52 pm, Mim said…

There's no other way to start any high tea than with a fresh, warm scone. There's no other way to enjoy a scone than as fresh out of the oven as possible, peeling it open into two rough halves and inhaling what must be the fundamental aroma of baking. Then smothering it with jam and freshly whipped cream, watching the cream whimper and melt a little in ecstacy before taking the very first bite. Delicious.

The dark chocolate cup provide the perfect conclusion to high tea, it's rich velvet imprinting itself on tongue and mind as a memory of this heavenly hour.
At 4/26/2010 4:19 pm, Wendy said…

I would definitely start with a cucumber sandwich (what can I say, I'm a purist at heart)! I'd finish with a scone slatehered with jam and cream - total indulgence!
At 4/26/2010 9:38 pm, cal said…

Sophisticated? I wish
So start at the beginning, enjoy every dish
A chicken butty
A scone to crumble
Then a bit of fruit or my diet'll crumble
A cup of char, English please
Then sparkling prosecco my stuffed taste-buds to tease!
Now I'm not the sort to walk off my tea
It's a Nanna nap that'd call to me!
At 4/28/2010 12:48 am, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Thank you everyone for your fabulous entries. The lucky winner of the Royal High Tea for Two has been announced here.
At 10/25/2013 8:52 pm, Unknown said…

I love the traditional high tea! I try out different promotions at various places whenever I get the chance. Although many establishments have added their own style of finger foods and pastries to the menu, I still find the old-fashioned recipes the best. Rarer still is the conventional tableware; silver trays are replaced with modern porcelain or plastic, but I did visit a place that used antique silver spoons from an assortment of commemorative events. It was a nice touch!