Aria Chocolate Afternoon Tea

There are just some things that are done better with the right company.

For example.

I would never, ever, ever, bring Brad with me to go have high tea. He might have a tea. Might eat a sandwich. But just watch me gorge myself on everything else. We would eat, then we would leave. And that’s not the point of high tea.

However, show up with my TTVN crew (Adrian, Wince and Chris) and we live lush darling. 

We were supposed to meet up one particular Saturday, to drive down to the Mornington Peninsula and hit up wineries.

Then someone suggested that since it was cold, maybe we should get a spa treatment.

Which then evolve to, well we don’t actually have to leave Melbourne to get a spa treatment.

Which evolved to a ‘Did you know for $35 we can go hangout in Langham’s spa?’, which then evolved to ‘oh should we go have high tea too while we’re there?’

Which is how we found ourselves at 10am twirling on courtyards overlooking Flinders Street station (or maybe that was me), relaxing in a warm bubbly jacuzzi, before freshening up and heading down for our 12pm appointment at the Aria Chocolate Afternoon Tea. 

Now, I’ve done a couple of high teas, I’m not super experienced with them, but I have to say, Aria’s Chocolate Afternoon Tea is something else. 

Beautiful set up with gorgeous Wedgwood crockery, which just makes you want to lift them daintily with your pinky out and a glass of bubbly on arrival. 

And then. That dessert spread. Oh my god. What a smorgasbord. Who needs three tiers of sweets, when you have a full chocolate buffet at your fingertips? Lush cakes, mousses, churros, caramel tarts…even a station for freshly made crepes and ice-cream (the strawberry ice-cream was my favourite, so fruity!) There’s a lot to like here and you can eat as much as you want (or can). 

But before jumping into that, you have to order your tea, in which you are given a tea menu with around 20 teas on it to choose from. And once you finish one…well you can order a different tea. Adrian, Wince, Chris and I went through three teas each, each served in gorgeous silver pots. 

Do remember to start with your savouries first though, which come in the traditional three tier stack,  with sandwiches, smoked salmon and prosiuctto and cheese nibbles on the top, warm, creamy and decadent mushroom Vol Au Vent’s at the bottom and gorgeously fluffy scones in the middle. Remember that clotted cream and jam too please!

We initially took our time, savouring the items we had on our tiers…only to be surprised when a waitress came around after with another full of tray of savouries in her hand, asking if we wanted top ups of anything. We couldn’t believe it. We got two rounds of the mushroom Vol Au Vent’s. 

It’s amazing how fast our allotted two hours went by, they unfortunately do have to politely kick you out for the next round of guests, but with the right crowd, it’s certainly not surprising. I had initially thought Aria’s Chocolate High tea was a bit on the expensive side, at $79 a person, but considering everything is free flowing (apart from the bubbly), and it is more of a high tea buffet than a traditional high tea, it’s absolutely amazing value, and in a very lovely setting. 

Aria 

The Langham Hotel

1 Southgate Avenue

Melbourne 3006