High Tea, Gunners Barracks – Mosman

Bianca: There is something special about donning your Sunday best and spending the day whiling away over tea and delicious food. As you know, here at FFS we really don’t need much of an excuse to make a fuss over meals and dining out, it’s one of our favourite past times!

We do enjoy a good high tea, finger sandwiches and little desserts, throw in a gorgeous view overlooking Sydney Harbour and you really have the trifecta. Gunners Barracks is well known for their high tea and the gorgeous heritage listed building has one of the best views in Sydney.

A Saturday lunch quickly filled with a predominately female clientele but don’t be fooled the boys can have just as much fun, ask Alex!

Our Champagne Afternoon tea $70 p.p began with a flute of champagne but for those designated drivers the standard Afternoon tea is $50 with the whole gamut of sweet and savouries and tea or coffee. Coffee’s were decent, no sugar added which is usually a tell-tale indicator for us on the bitterness scale. Our chosen tea (which I cannot find on the current online menu) was delightfully floral with a slight sweetness. The perfect accompaniment to our sweet tower.

Making quite the statement when it hit the table, three tiers of finger sandwiches and mini desserts. And on a separate plate, savoury bites and scones.

Starting with the savoury:

• Roast pumpkin & spinach frittata

• Portabella mushroom & thyme arancini

• Corn beef, mustard mayonnaise, sauerkraut and rocket finger sandwich

• Traditional egg mayonnaise finger sandwich

• Smoked salmon, cucumber, cream cheese & dill finger sandwich

With the Arancini and egg sandwich being our favourites. Particularly the mushroom arancini, with the predominant ingredient being full and plump mushrooms, not rice. We were pleasantly surprised.

It’s always hard to know what to go for next but we went the neutral option going for the Freshly baked scones with homemade jam and clotted cream. These were particularly good. With a nice outer crust and a soft fluffy inner crumb.

And finally the miniature desserts:

• Orange and almond cake, orange curd, candied orange

• Baked ricotta cheesecake, mascarpone, pistachios, rose petals

• Toasted marshmallow macaron

• Gateau opera slice

• Blueberry pannacotta, coconut yoghurt, granola

Our clear favourites were the cheesecake, orange & almond cake and macaron.

A gorgeous spot for a ‘civilised’ meal, people watching and perhaps a waddle afterwards if you’re feeling ambitious.

Bianca

Photos by Alex

*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of Gunners Barracks.