High Tea @ Rydges Capital Hill

Winter is certainly coming with temperatures hitting lower each day and gradually seeing the transition from autumn to winter reflected in the beautiful trees of Canberra. High teas are nice around this time of the year because that cup of lovely tea will just warm you up! Not to mention all the delicious finger foods and tea cakes that comes in that beautiful two or three-tiered cake stands. Having read in the magazine that  Rydges Capital Hill (Corner of Canberra Ave & National Cct, Forrest) was bringing the tradition of British High Tea to Canberra, i became utterly excited and made a booking for the grand opening day!

Upon arriving at High Tea, we were immediately greeted with a smile by a friendly staff. We were seated next to the window which was really great for taking photos! All the tables were nicely laid with white tablecloths and pretty floral plates; the atmosphere was nice, relaxing and with beautiful music played by a harpist.

We started our afternoon High Tea by choosing our teas from the selection of fine teas that they had. We decided to go for Earl Grey and Green Tea & Jasmine tea. The three-tiered set selection of sweet cakes, savoury pasties, finger sandwiches, homemade scones came not too long after the tea. Here is the selection of food that we had:

Egg & Chive Finger Sandwich
Classic Salmon & Cucumber Finger Sandwich

Spinach & Tomato Quiche

Chicken & Brie Petit Tart

Buttermilk & Fruit Scone with Jam and Cream

Fresh Fruit Tart
Elegant miniature Tea Cake
Indulgent Chocolate Petit Four
Dainty Cup Cake

I liked the sultana scones as they were nice and soft and they obviously complemented really well with the jam and cream. I also liked the chicken & brie tart combination and would have liked it more if it was served warm. The passionfruit cupcake was lovely and not too sweet.

I found that there wasn’t a good balance of sweets and savouries. There were way too many sweets (i know some people wouldn't mind this) and i would have preferred to have a bit more of savoury bites. I would have also preferred the quiche and the tart to be served warm as supposed to cold. Apart from those things, i had a good time and the service was great.

Since it was High Tea at Rydges Capital Hill’s grand opening, we were given a little box of truffles as a thank you gift. High Tea at Rydges Capital Hill is available every Sunday from 12pm to 4pm for $38 per person. If you do happen to go to Rydges for High Tea, don’t forget to read the little section on ‘High Tea Etiquette’ at back of the menu...i found it interesting!