Long gone are the days when high tea was about just a few delicate bites of dessert, crustless cucumber sandwiches and scones. The InterContinental Sydney’s High Tea has always been known for upping the ante. Hosted in The Cortile, one of Sydney’s prettiest historic spaces, the High Tea Buffet is back and it’s better than ever.

That’s right, we said buffet. Unlimited scones, mountains of macarons, piles of petite cakes, countless cookies and even a candy station are await. And that’s just the sweets. Head Pastry Chef Simon Veauvy has pilled out all the stops, with a new more seasonal-based menu. His sweets speak for themselves, each a tiny work of art that’s almost too cute to eat. Almost.

The kitchen tries hard to incorporate seasonal flavours – fresh pineapple and vanilla tarts, raspberry cake, berry slice are all made on site using local suppliers where possible. A lemon madeleine lamington is a fun twist on an old classic; filled with a coconut and lemon compote, it’s a bright yellow cake that brings a bit of fun to the table and melts in your mouth.

These days high tea and macarons go hand in hand – The Cortile’s buffet has a Macaron bar, piled high with flavours like coconut and pandan, or rhubarb and strawberry.

Save some room for the savoury. If you’re like us you went straight for the sweets  – that’s the best part, you can dip in and out of the buffet however you like. Mini gourmet beef bourguignon pies, bite sized smoked salmon wraps and truffled Arancini balls are constantly restocked and all delicious. There’s also a great Aussie cheese platter.

Of course we can’t forget the scones! For some of us, limitless scones is like Christmas! They’re light and fluffy, so you’ll have made your way through a few before you know it. And then there’s the homemade orange crepes…

The key to a buffet high tea is to pace yourself. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine, before perusing the extensive tea menu, and finish off with a strong cappuccino. You will be full, but you won’t be sorry.

For those keen for the full pomp of a high tea stand, you can order three-tiered high tea stands during the week.

InterContinental Sydney
117 Macquarie St, Sydney
T: (02) 9253 9000

Weekend High Tea Buffet:
Seatings 1:00pm – 2:30pm and 3:00pm – 4:30pm
$65.00/person with a glass of sparkling wine; $80.00/person with a glass of Champagne.

Three-tiered High Tea
Monday to Friday, 11:00am – 4:00pm
$60.00/person including a glass of sparkling wine; $75.00/person including a glass of Champagne