Yes, indeed. Where else but in Melbourne, the coffee capital of Australia.
I wanted to try something different. And coffee as the main beverage instead of tea for the High Tea concept is definitely unconventional.
There’s one place here in Melbourne that serves just that. The Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto. It showcases the exotic aromas of blender Stefano Manfredi’s signature coffee, Espresso di Manfredi.
The luxury 5-star hotel is located at the ‘New York end’ of the famous Collins Street, where the financial hub is situated. As oppose to the ‘Paris end’ of the same street, where prestigious boutiques and high-end retailers are nestled.
The exterior of the hotel is a sight to behold. Magical, even. The heritage building is a 19th century Victorian Gothic architecture.
Before I proceed, I have to point out that the first picture above was only borrowed from the Internet. My one wasn’t that vivid. The weather that time was dark and gloomy, not to mention very wet.
The interior is the opposite. It was like stepping into another time. The light-filled glass atrium looked sleek and jazzy. The whole place is a fusion of classic and contemporary, old and new.
We were ushered to the Market Lane Bar where we were to have our high coffee experience. The lounge gave us a spectacular view of the whole dining area.
As we sat comfortably and started chatting about, our friendly server, who rather looked a lot like Gwyneth Paltrow, presented us with an Espresso Martini each. I enjoyed it thoroughly, though as I took one sip at a time, I was calculating the few hours of sleep I would only be getting before I would wake up for work the following day.
Our stands of goodies arrived. One downside of the service was we weren’t introduced to each of the component on the plates, and there
was no menu to describe each of the item. I guess we had to rely on our taste buds. My palate hasn’t reached that ‘Masterchef’ level yet so I had to Google the menu. I took bites while perusing my iPhone. Not so elegant, eh? 😉
The sandwiches, savouries and sweets were chosen to complement the star of the show: Coffee. They did.
The bottom tier consisted of wagyu beef, cucumber relish and watercress panini; roasted chicken and avocado with bush tomato relish roll; and smoked salmon on rye with mascarpone and lemon myrtle. The wagyu beef was my favourite.
While we were enjoying our sandwiches, we were given Cafè Freddo. Straight espresso kept in the freezer and served as icy slush. Or iced coffee. My thoughts went again to the already-dwindling hours of sleep I would be having. Nevertheless, the coffee was delish. So worth it!
Before I could start with my scones, two plates of savouries arrived. I immediately tried the pie (Good ol’ Aussie pie!). The homemade beef and burgundy pie I nearly enjoyed, except for the burnt part at the bottom. The prosciutto and asparagus quiche was flavoursome but a bit rubbery. And the feta and olive mini muffin? The less attractive-looking among the three, was divine!
The long-awaited scones! Fruit and plain scones served with double cream and homemade strawberry jam. I was quite disappointed! Taste-wise, very good, but they weren’t as fluffy as I expected them to be.
To accompany the sweet morsels, I ordered a cup of Mochaccino, I completely abandoned the idea of ever sleeping at all that night.
The one that best complemented my mochaccino was the vanilla and raspberry panna cotta, and my pick among the rest of the sweets. Then the pistachio macaron. Yum! The couveture chocolate and macadamia nut slice with Chantilly cream was delicious too. My mini pavlova didn’t have enough passion fruit sauce on top.
Overall, the gourmet experience was lovely as well as the company.
I did get to sleep that night, soundly, surprisingly. I guess I ate too much carbs that they counteracted the effects of caffeine in my system. I felt full and exhausted when I got home, skipped dinner, and just slept the rainy night away. 😊
Price: 55 AUD
Place: Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto
Date: April 2014
Bookings are recommended.
My Teascapades... 