High Tea at Gardener's Lodge Cafe, Sydney

 

Over the weekend, we headed over to the Gardener's Lodge over in Victoria Park for a spot of high tea. Having studied at the University of Sydney, that part of town was very familiar to me, but this was my first visit to the Gardener's Lodge, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it.

We decided on an outdoor table, so we could see the pond and keep an eye out for cute dogs going by. It was a mix of a hot sun and cool breeze, resulting in a warmish kind of day, perfect for relaxing with some tea and munchies!

Cute little flower cans at every table, each holding some cutlery and paper napkins, as well as a menu for those interested in ordering breakfast or lunch.

When we got there, they looked a little swamped and we were asked what kind of hot drink we wanted without being given a menu. I got my usual, chamomile with a side of honey, and Mr Prince got a flat white. We did get this on one of those daily deal sites, and as such, we were actually entitled to two drinks a piece, and Mr Prince did get another flat white after our meal.

Things kicked off with buttermilk pancakes, drowned in syrup and berries! A very yummy beginning and a nice way to start things. 

Heavily glazed pecan and caramel tarts for dessert, the crust was absolutely divine! I will admit that after about 2 bites of this, my teeth started to ache a little, but I really wanted to eat it all!

We had some feta and spinach tarts (again, great buttery crust!) and some smoked salmon rolls as the savouries, something different for high tea.

We did start with these tasty lamb kebabs, not generally what you'd see with high tea, but definitely very yummy!

It was overall a very nice experience, given that it's located in a park, and therefore, great for people watching. We also managed to pick a nice day for things, and while the waitress was lovely, the service was a little mixed in that there were no plates brought over when the tier arrived, and I had to ask them twice (although the lovely waitress did apologise for this) and that we were asked for our drink order when we arrived without being shown a menu was a little... odd.

I got the impression that they were starting to trot out some high teas to gather some interest, but they tend to be a bit more of a general breakfast and lunch cafe? Lacking scones and ribbon sandwiches, it's not your usual high tea, but whatever the case may be, I thought it was tasty anyway!

We had a lovely time out there, and for people in the area, this is certainly a nice spot for lunch or a spot of alternative high tea. 

Overall, I would rate this:

7.5/10