High tea at The Loft - fit for a Queen

With the Queen's birthday coming up, celebrating with a high tea in Her Royal Majesty's honour surely wouldn't be inappropriate.

The Loft on King Street Wharf is well known for its weekend girly Traditional High Tea by the water in the gorgeous daytime bar setting, while for those not tea inclined there's also High Tea with a Twist; an alcoholic one, that is.

High Tea platters at The Loft, Lime Street, Sydney

While I've lost count of how many times I've been to The Loft for cocktails and functions (including a great night on Saturday just passed), this was my first high tea experience there.

The Loft bar

Being more of a savoury than sweets person, my high tea strategy is to go hard on the first savoury plate and ease off as I get to scones and sweets, washing down the latter with lots of hot tea.

Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail (front) and Chandon Rose (back, flute)

The Loft's High Tea with a Twist includes either a Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail or a glass of Chandon sparkling wine.

The bright fizz cocktail is based on Zubrowka vodka, peach liqueur, apple and passionfruit, finished with a light tea and topped with real Maraschino cherries.

Ovvio Black Rose Boudoir organic tea

The Loft uses the all-organic Ovvio range of tea for High Tea, having recently changed from using a better known brand which isn't completely organic.

The Black Rose Boudoir was a black tea fragant with rose petals and vanilla, served with milk on the side.

Ovvio Chai High Spice organic tea

I had the Chai High Spice made on water (rather than milk, which is an option with the Chai). Unlike a lot of commercial chai teas or chai lattes which aren't really chai, this black tea released the real flavours of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in smell and taste.

Ovvio Summer Pineapple organic tea

For warmer days there are also sweetened iced tea options using Ovvio tea. The Summer Pineapple was beautiful with pineapple and lemongrass flavours at the fore, and peppermint, lemon myrtle and licorice root as part of the tea, served on crushed ice with a pineapple wedge garnish.

Ovvio Sencha Green organic tea

It's probably here I should mention that High Tea at The Loft includes endless tea. For a tea lover like me, the opportunity to try a whole range of the Ovvio tea range was such a delight.

The Sencha Green tea was beautifully clean without bitterness, and would be my choice as an all-day, everyday tea.

Savoury platter

To the food, we started at the bottom of the three-tiered platter with a fabulous savoury selection. There were the customary crustless finger sandwiches on white bread, filled with devilled curry egg.

From the others, I couldn't actually pick a favourite as they were all exemplary morsels. From the tiny rectangular tarts filled with smoked salmon and caramelised red onion jam; the juicily roasted button mushrooms filled with ricotta and pesto; the creamy chicken salad served on red witlof leaf boats; or the miniature leek and gruyere quiches with beetroot relish.

It was probably the chicken salad that I liked best for being quite the unusual high tea item but overall, I was quite impressed with the savoury options (which at some venues seem to be an afterthought).

Plain and raisin scones

To the scones there was a plain or raisin-studded variety, both looking very professional and without the often rustic surfaces of home-made versions.

Both scones were light and fluffy inside but I was more taken by the whipped Chantilly cream which was infused with a stunning flavour - perhaps a tea variety.

There was also a house-made strawberry jam which was more a liquid than a jelly, but so intensely strawberry flavoured it was almost a better embodiment of the flavour than the fruit itself.

Sweets (and strawberry jam, centre)

I think the petite sweets platter is the highlight for most people. The sweets included a slightly-too-crunchy macaron (the green one anyway), mini red velvet cupcakes with a lovely crumb and texture within, and a miniature chocolate and salted caramel tart with gold leaf that was the perfect ending, and just the right size too for something so rich.

The view from The Loft balcony

With comfy lounge seats on the balcony, we lounged with pots of hot tea and satisfied bellies. The service during our high tea experience was impeccable and I probably would have lounged until beyond sunset if I hadn't made evening plans.

The Loft morphs into its night time persona around about 5.00pm so an elongated high tea could indeed turn into sunset cocktails, both quite fit for a Queen.

High Tea at The Loft is available every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3.00pm. Bookings are essential - see here for more details.

Food, Booze & Shoes dined at The Loft as a guest.

All about the balls at Meatball & Wine Bar (Melbourne)

Posted by Kath

On a cold, blustery day in Melbourne, it was the bold 'meatballs' sign of Meatball & Wine Bar in Flinders Lane that drew us in like a beacon. A typical Melbourne laneway full of creative and culinary delights, we were excited to discover the wining and dining potential in a meatball bar.

Front window of Meatball & Wine Bar

True to it's name, and as our waiter put it, Meatball & Wine Bar was "all about the balls" - meat or otherwise - and of course, the wine.

Deceptively narrow looking from the outside, we were please to find quite ample seating inside and, most importantly, respite from the chilly weather outside.

Boar meatballs, mash and peas

We got straight into the food with the meatballs of the day: a wild boar offering - and we couldn't resist having boar balls. Served atop a bed of mashed potatoes mixed with juicy green peas, the boar meatballs were tender and full of flavour, covered with a savoury jus.

Aside the balls was a meaty, slow cooked lamb rib which just fell away from the bone, and made the meal quite a substantial one.

Rare beef sliders and broccoli (in background)

A great share plate on the day's specials were the rare beef sliders, with sweet onion relish, melty cheese, leafy greens and slices of beef so soft and pink that they almost melted in the mouth.

While it might be all about the balls and meat at Meatball & Wine Bar, it's worth mentioning the market vegetable of the day: a beautiful and simple plate of steamed broccoli seasoned with salt, lemon and whole lot of butter which made this a real highlight.

Table setting and wine

What I liked about this wine bar, apart from the delicious food offerings and comfortable surroundings, was the fact that the wine selection wasn't overwhelming or unapproachable.

Whoopie Mac

To finish off we couldn't resist the Whoopie Mac; a build-your-own ice cream sandwich of sorts. Diners can choose whichever combination of cookies and ice cream that take their fancy.

We chose a soft and chewy chocolate cookie and a sugary and crisp pistachio meringue to sandwich a giant scoop of house-made fig and almond ice-cream, and had no regrets whatsoever.

Neon sign in restaurant

With both the meatballs and wine ticked off, I was certain that we we much better equipped to deal with the cool weather and life generally. After all, it's just all about the balls.

Parlour Lane Roasters: A hidden weekday lunch gem

Hidden off a particularly busy section of Market Street in the heart of the city, Parlour Lane Roasters is a bit of a weekday lunch haven away from the hubbub of rat racers and shoppers.

Entrance to Parlour Lane Roasters, Market Street, Sydney

Located right next to the QT Hotel street level entrance, and just up from the State Theatre, Parlour Lane Roasters is a café by day and wine bar by evening with an art deco meets 1950s diner feel.

Sauvignon blanc and sparkling water

It's a substantial space with quirky diner style mashing with the unique QT boutique styled lift lobby which both certainly up the ante on weekday work lunches. The brief wine list helps too.

Counter stool seating

Cakes and pastries

The café offerings run from espresso coffee, cookies and cupcakes to ready-to-go, refrigerated sandwiches to made-to-order salads and winter warming hot dishes.

Ready-to-go sandwiches

The selection of five pre-made sandwiches all looked and sounded pretty good, and make for a easy grab-and-go option for quick desk or park lunches.

Our Reuben roll

Parlour Lane Roasters' version of the Reuben is set on a brown rye roll with several slices of corned beef joined by sauerkraut, pickles and seeded mustard. I probably should have accepted the toasted option but I sure did miss the cheese of a typical Reuben.

Chicken soup

Current hot menu items have been updated for the beginning of winter, with minestrone, sausage rigatoni and lasagne on offer, among other plates that far surpass my usual work lunches. But I couldn't help but order the chicken soup with matzah or matzo balls, which I've never tried up until now.

The twice-cooked organic chicken broth was sweet but rather buttery in flavour while the matzah ball soup dumplings were light, fluffy but ultimately pretty bland. There were sweet, organic carrot sticks in the soup but none of the promised sorrel.

Parlour beef burger with fries

The burgers are another lunch great option, either beef or chicken on a brioche bun, served with fries or salad respectively.

The appropriately petite beef burger, somewhere between a large slider and standard burger in size, had a juicy pasture-fed beef pattie with melted cheese and rather classic additions of fried onions, shredded lettuce and tomato slices.

With house made cucumber pickles and fries on the side, it was the complete meal and a very decent burger at that.

Counter seating

While the space is absolutely perfect for post-work drinks, aperitivo and watching passersby, Parlour Lane Roasters is also a fabulous hidden gem for weekday lunches a few steps up from the norm.

Food, Booze & Shoes dined as a guest of Parlour Lane Roasters, with thanks to The Mint Partners.