Best Gluten Free HIGH TEAS in Brisbane Part II
Well it has involved extensive research and sooo much hard work (it’s a tough gig!) but here it is finally…the next instalment of the best gluten free High Teas in Brisbane! And I have to say…Brisbane has picked up its game. I cannot believe the quality of the gluten free high teas out there now. So get reading and discover one that you will just have to make time for! Jane x
And if you missed Part 1 you can find it HERE!
Bacchus Southbank
Bacchus can be found on the Podium Level of the Rydges in South Bank. It is an elegant enough space, but I have to say that their room does not amaze me. Perhaps it is because I have had a few typical hotel buffet breakfasts there so it has taken the gloss away or that the walled curtain overlooks a not that glamorous patio I’m not sure, but they do endeavor to make the experience ‘feel’ fancy with the very courteous wait staff and the very elegant bone china used for the tea (I LOVE their teapots and cups…William Edwards, the Goring London).
The high tea arrived on the prerequisite 3 tiered stand, and was very pretty to look at. There were the expected finger sandwiches, scones and an assortment of colourful sweet treats. I certainly enjoyed the food, although there were a few negatives. The scones were not scones, they were more like shortbread biscuits in texture and even flavor, and did leave a real bicarb after taste. Smothered with jam and cream it was still nice to pretend I was getting my scone fix, and I appreciate the effort to include scones (they just need to improve their recipe). The sandwiches were tasty and they used a nice soft bread which was great.
The sweet treats were individually very tasty, but they were ALL bouncing off the latest trend in gluten free ‘cake’ design of raw baking, and so were all the same soft texture. There was not a crunchy base or pastry case or actual cake to be found amongst the selection. This definitely became monotonous, and I had food envy for my companions plate of glutinous sweet treats which ticked all of those boxes. I have heard they have since changed this, but maybe worth a check when booking.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience, any excuse to indulge is a win, but I would not rate it above some of the other gluten free high teas that can now be found in Brisbane.
Details:
Cost: $42pp ($57 with Chandon)
When: Tues- Sun afternoons
Parking: In house or at the nearby Convention Centre.
(visited Sept 2017)
Treasury Casino Brisbane City
This was a really lovely experience. Firstly, any setting that involves a heritage building has me won…off to a good start. And grabbing an early drink in the central bar overlooking the Park is a great way to kick off the afternoon. The Lab Restaurant itself is elegantly decorated and a beautiful space to be indulged in, although it has no outlook to speak of…our window had us at street level watching cars and pedestrians go by.
So, lets just start with the UNLIMITED MOET shall we. This, my friends, is Lesson 1 in ‘how to create an atmosphere of indulgence’. I actually had to drive home, so had to limit myself to just 2 glasses, but the extravagance of having your charming waiter regularly drift up with bottle of said Moet in hand casually asking if you’d like a top up just makes you feel that little bit more posh. Maybe organise a pick up or uber home to take full advantage of this delightful perc!
The gluten free high tea itself ticked nearly all of the requisite boxes: yummy finger sandwiches (soft bread), petite fours and a savoury selection. There were no scones however, so that was a bit disappointing. The savoury bites were nice and yum, although sadly no pastry attempted…a few crustless quiches and a mini savoury muffin. The petite fours were creatively presented and included some moist cakes, a chocolate mousse cup (always a favourite) and a macaron. Really enjoyed them.
Overall I would definitely recommend this gluten free high tea experience, and feel it is good value. It is the only one with unlimited Moet included.
Details:
Cost: $45pp ($59 for the Chandon Package)
When: Sat & Sun 1-4pm
Parking: in house parking
(visited Oct 2017)
Customs House Brisbane City
Well. Hold on to your hats and your sparkly handbags and 6 inch heels ladies, because this experience is something else. Lets just say fancy. It does have a fancy price tag to match, at $74 for their Champagne High Tea (soon to be their only option), but if you only get to do it once, it will have been worth the skimping on lattes for rest of the week. I LOVED IT. They are aiming it at the 5 star end of the foodie scene, and they are hitting the brief.
So what makes it so good? Firstly, I didn’t think I would find a more iconic Brisbane setting than the Stamford Plaza’s river-side patio, but I would have to say that Customs House trumps it. Not only do you have a patio with full river views, but you have the Story Bridge front and centre and the historic backdrop of the Customs House building itself behind you. It does not fare well in poor weather however, and diners are then moved to their indoor space, which has just undergone an elegant facelift, although I have not seen it as we were there prior to the work commencing . The weather thankfully co-operated for my visit, and my friend and I enjoyed Brisbane winter time perfection with clear skies, not a breathe of wind and a balmy 23 degrees. The added warmth from the discreet roof top heaters was just perfect.
And secondly, the high tea itself is next level. You are welcomed with a glass of fresh really yum orange juice, and then the Louis Roederer champagne is delivered and you are instantly transported to that happy place of indulgence you were hoping for. The high tea is then brought out on a cute art deco 3 level stand absolutely brimming with gorgeously presented sweet petit fours, canapés utilising premium product very creatively constructed, finger sandwiches and THE MOST AMAZING pretty as a picture gluten free raspberry scones & cream I have ever had. They were fluffy and topped with a to-die-for vanilla cream and raspberry cream, and only the slightest of hints of that bicarb bitter after taste so common with gluten free scones. We were in heaven and instantly on our way to a glorious food coma. When smoked salmon & salmon pearls and Queensland sand crab are put into play you know you are set for a foodie indulgence. And there was a lot of food. So you do get value for your dosh.
So how does the gluten free version compare to the non gluten-free version?
On presentation, it was definitely on point. We certainly did not feel as though less effort had gone into the pretty detail & culinary artistry of the offerings. There were the usual substitutions for the sandwich bread, but the gluten free one used was really soft so all good there. They also substituted a thin biscotti and mascarpone in the mini fruit cup with a disc of white/caramel chocolate, which was not a great trade off to be honest. The ONLY real negative however, were the petit fours sweet treats. The 2 mini cupcakes were really, really dry and the ‘cream’ topping was overly sugary, more like an icing (where is the butter frosting?!), and the only other 2 sweet petite fours were 2 versions of macaroons (sadly NOT the macaron)…sugary coconut biscuits that we can get off the supermarket shelf and are not very special. We didn’t really bother to eat these.
Overall though, we were so full from all of the other delights that the somewhat disappointing dessert petite fours did not take away from the experience. Hopefully they can tweak these items moving forward.
Definitely an indulgence you want to try at least once.
Details:
Champagne High Tea
Cost: $74pp
When: Mon-Sun 10am-2pm
Parking: Emirates Secure Parking special weekend rate $14 all day (mid week very pricey). This one is just a 3 min walk from Customs House. Alternatively you can try Wilsons Eagle Street Pier carpark (5 min walk).
(Visited June 2018)
You can read the full review and see more pics in my separate blog REVIEW: Customs House Brisbane Gluten Free High Tea.
Palazzo Versace Gold Coast
Well…wow! What a stunning setting. The sheer grandeur of the central foyer with its enormous chandelier, and attached Le Jardin Restaurant decked out in Versace designed fabric where the High Teas are served, is just gorgeous and screams indulgence. Definitely dress up and enjoy the atmosphere. We were serenaded by beautiful piano playing wafting throughout the elegant space as we sipped our champagne waiting for our treats to arrive. There was a minor mix up with our seating as the requested area was not available, so we eventually shifted to a table setting to the side of the foyer. It did give us a front and centre view of the stunning central crystal chandelier, but I still would have preferred a spot in the lower area decorated in the blue fabrics. I am IN LOVE with their décor.
And then the 3 tiered high tea stand arrived. What can I say. Stunning. Gorgeous and extravagant plating…we knew we were in for a good time. My companions were both coeliacs as well, so we did not get to directly compare our offerings to those of the glutinous version, but from a distance we certainly didn’t feel short changed.
The savoury options included mini quiches (with pastry cases!), sandwiches with quality fillings, a couple of canapés, and of course some scones, which I am happy to report had a great balance between being not too dense and not too bicarb-y. All seriously delicious.
The sweet treats though were next level. Oh. My Word. Hands down the craftsmanship that went into the sweet petit fours was second to none. The pastry chef herself came out to explain each exquisitely crafted delicacy to us, and it was so wonderful to know that she applied the same attention to detail to the gluten free versions as she does to the normal ones. This is a HUGE step up from the early days of gluten free high teas where you were lucky if you received a cold friand! Really and truely, you need to experience this indulgence at least once. My one word of advice, pace yourself so you can enjoy every mouthful down to the last bite, and be prepared to leave with a serious food coma. Loved it!
Details:
Cost: From $76.90pp
When: 11am-5pm daily
Parking: Complimentary in-house
(visited July 2018)
The Stamford Plaza (update) Brisbane City
So I decided it might be time to have another look at the Stamford’s gluten free High Tea offering as it has been almost 18 months since my last visit (see original review here). And I am so glad I did. I was really happy with the last one, but they have recently given their gluten free high tea a make over and have focused on upgrading their sweet treats in particular. We enjoyed a lovely mild winter’s day on their terrace, which is such a beautiful spot to relax riverside in Brisbane. Service was incredibly attentive and we felt very looked after.
Now to the food. Well to start it was ALL just so picture perfect I couldn’t stop taking photos…so if visual appeal counts for you, you will love it. Seriously it was all so incredibly pretty…verrry Insta worthy! Thankfully my companion is prone to taking a few foodie shots as well, so we were like the high tea paparazzi for a bit there! In short, I loved the sandwiches, the scones were cute and pretty good, and the sweet treats to die for. It is ridiculously good value starting at just $37pp, definitely the best value out there, so this one needs to be a sure thing in your social calendar. They have a few variations to check out, including a take-away option complete with a fold up cardboard 3-tiered stand to be enjoyed perhaps in the nearby Botanic Gardens. What a cute idea!! The Stamford is taking their gluten free high teas very seriously and we love them for it!
Details:
Cost: From $37pp (+$22 for Champagne)
When: Varied, depending on option chosen
Parking: In-house ($45/day, or local parking stations from $22)
(visited July 2018)
And there we have a wrap! Go out and indulge yourself. Find amazing foodie joy, all gluten free, to share with someone special in your world.
I’d love you to let me know in the COMMENTS below what your favourite high tea foodie moments have been!
And if you love this blog, why not SHARE it! 🙂 Jane x
You can READ MORE here about the Best Gluten Free High Teas in Brisbane Part 1
Or for MORE INFO on the best gluten free eats in Brisbane check out Bucketlist Brisbane Gluten Free Eats
and Best Gluten Free Eats at EAT STREET Markets
And if you are keen to access some gourmet gluten free foodie joy but can’t make it to these lovely venues…we have the solution!
Our Gourmet Gluten Free Hampers (with DF + Vegan options) can be delivered to your door! HEAD HERE to see our gorgeous range of Australian made gourmet gluten free goodies.
