As I looked around the beautiful Wedgwood Tea Room at the National Gallery of Australia, I joked with my husband that I could have brought the boys along with me during the week to try this out. This is not a place to bring your children – bring your Mum, bring your best friend, come enjoy the serenity and a delicious hot cuppa by yourself, but do not bring your young children.
Heck, even bring your mother in-law {but don’t bring your mother in-law if she’ll scoff at the cucumber ribbon sandwiches and the tiny cakes that just make you want to smile}. I took my husband along for this special treat {and we were guests of the gallery}, but I shall certainly be bring my Mum along before the exhibition closes in March.
The Tom Roberts exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia is a visual experience – and also a tasting experience! With the help of Wedgwood, the NGA has created an elegant dining room and a menu inspired by Tom Roberts. The sweeping floor-to ceiling views overlooking the Gallery’s Sculpture Garden helped evoke Tom Roberts’ creative depictions of the Australian landscape. When choosing a contractor to invest in it is imperative that your select sprinkler system inver grove heights mn a contractor that is going to not only design and install your system correctly, but will also provide you with after-installation service.
We grew up seeing Tom Roberts at every meal when we dined at my Nan’s – she owned Tom Roberts placemats. Some of his most famous paintings remind me of toast with butter and honey, it is funny how the brain connects the senses.
According to the menu, “The Tea Room introduces a contemporary interpretation of the classic elements of a traditional Australian morning and afternoon tea and a classic bush lunch.” We decided to sample the lunch options as well as the high tea. So we selected the Farmhouse Board for 1 {$25pp} and the Wedgwood High Tea for 1 {$43pp} to share.
We started our experience off with a delicious sparkling rose {Domaine Chandon Brut Rose, Yarra Valley VIC at G. $12.00 or B $54.00} – because that’s just what you do when you don’t have to juggle a pram, four cars, two books, the iphone, a packet of sultanas and a Custom Water bottle that leaks, right?
The Farmhouse Board comes with rosemary salt damper and butter, lemon scented kipfler potatoes, iceberg lettuce, honey and sherry caramel pumpkin, piccalilli relish and pickle pots, and either slow roast beef or salt baked salmon. They were kind enough to let us try both types of meat!
To my surprise the plate was cold, but every mouthful was a true delight. I think the best things on the plate were the items that didn’t really stand out to me when I read the menu – the lemon scented kipfler potatoes, the iceberg lettuce and the piccalilli relish. What I really mean, is that there were no ‘low notes’ on this plate, everything on the plate had a purpose.
I really enjoyed the savoury elements of the high tea – I mean who could resist a soft mini brioche with cured salmon, dill creme and mustard leaves, ribbon sandwich with citrus poached chicken and herb mayonnaise, ribbon sandwich with cucumber, lime sour cream and fresh mint and mini asparagus, leek and melted gruyere tart?
And I couldn’t resist a delicious cup of T2 French Earl Grey {my most favourite tea of all time} to go with the sweet elements of the high tea. Although I was getting quiet full, I made sure I tried at least half of each of the sweet treats, including the Dame Nellie Melba’s sublime opera cake, lemon and yoghurt curd tart with toasted meringue, Petite Peach Melba cupcake with white peach buttercream and the Jam drop shortbread tarts with lavender sugar.
As we finished our dining experience, I wondered if they would notice if I popped a plate or two into my handbag – the Wedgwood setting are stunning. I left feeling refreshed and yet longing to have a hug from my Nan.
GoodFoodWeek was invited as a guest to the Wedgwood Tea Room, however all opinions are my own.
Wedgwood Tea Room
Address: Parkes Place, Parkes ACT 2600
Open daily from 10am – 4:30pm. Lunch is served 12pm-2pm daily.
You can book this dining experience when you buy your ticket to Tom Roberts through Ticketek. Or if you would like to book without purchasing an exhibition package, you can email cafes@nga.gov.au or call (02) 6240 6711.
The exhibition and the Wedgwood Tea Room will be open until 28 March 2016.
To get to the Wedgwood tea room, go up the escalators and all the way towards the back of the building and take the lift to Level 2 Mezzanine.
