Sugar & Salt: Afternoon Tea Buffet, InterContinental Hotel, Sydney

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing a Valrhona Chocolate Afternoon Tea Buffet at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney. Held in the hotel lobby's Cortile Lounge, the ambiance was warm and inviting from the outset. Nestled in the centre of the lobby, away from the noise and distraction of the outside world, it really did feel like a peaceful escape. With unobtrusive live music playing and gorgeous surrounds, it was the perfect afternoon. I was there for a 30th birthday celebration and I can assure you that everyone left impressed and suitably full!

The Cortile Lounge, Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney. Image found here

The buffet had a splendid array of both savoury and sweet foods. The savoury sometimes gets forgotten at high teas, represented only by a couple of sandwiches - but not at The Cortile. From the Sandwich Selection, I sampled the Tasmanian Smoked Salmon Wrap with Preserved Lemon, Cucumber and Capers and the Chicken, Mayonnaise and Pesto Finger Sandwich. I could easily have eaten more of both, the flavours and textures melding perfectly together in each. Teamed with a glass of sparkling white wine, they were the perfect start to afternoon tea.

From the Hot Canape Selection I had the mini Olive Oil and Feta Muffins - surprisingly light and delicate in flavour. I also had the Aussie Beef Pie because I can never pass on a pie, and this one didn't disappoint. No party pack pie by any stretch of the imagination, the crisp pastry was filled with a delicious blend of meat, vegetables and herbs.

Between the savoury and the sweet, there are also a number of "Extra Delights" and from here I had some cheese, crepes with Nutella chocolate sauce, scones with Hibiscus strawberry jam and Chantilly cream and waffles with maple syrup. I really wanted to go back for another scone or waffle (both had great texture) but I knew I had yet to tackle the sweetest section of the buffet.

I braced myself, ordered a tea and then proceeded to load my plate up from the Dessert Selection. I didn't quite sample everything but I tried my very best. The things I do for this blog! Where do I begin with this tasting plate? Each delicate dessert was obviously made with care and tasted heavenly. From the gooey Caraibe Chocolate Coconut Macaron and the Tim Tam Chocolate Macaron to the tiny sprinkling of candy that I added to the creme brulee, everything was exquisite.

The Dark Chocolate Winter Spice Creme Brulee was deliciously warm and enticing, and different to most brulees you find on menus across Sydney. The cone shaped dessert, a mix of cream and chocolate, was light and provided some respite on a plate laden with rich and heavy flavours (not that I'm complaining). The most decadent piece on the dessert table was definitely the Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar - so rich I almost thought I wouldn't be able to finish it, but I powered on! The ganache atop that bar was simply a chocolate lover's dream. Before all this, I also managed to taste a small piece of the fruit and nut bark that sat grandly on the dessert buffet - also a wonderful treat. Thus, you can imagine how very full I was by afternoon's end and the reason I was able to skip dinner that night!

The service, atmosphere and food were all worthy of a five star hotel and I would definitely recommend an Afternoon Tea with friends at the InterContinental in Sydney. The Afternoon Tea Buffets are held over two sittings on both Saturdays and Sundays (1pm-2:30pm and 3-4:30pm). On weekdays the Cortile offers tea stands between 11am and 5pm. High Coffee is also available Monday to Sunday between 11am and 5pm. The Afternoon Tea Buffet Menu is $60 per person with a glass of sparkling wine included or $75 per person with a glass of champagne included. Bookings are recommended as they do sometimes get quite busy.

Menus are seasonal. Before this gorgeous Vahlrona Chocolate menu in celebration of winter which you can see in full here, they had a menu highlighting Malfroy's Honey for Autumn and coming up they have a menu centred around fresh berries for Spring - I may just have to go back and sample that!