Cake and bubbles; it's a perfect combination, it's the reason I still love birthdays. If a dapper gentleman were to knock on my door on my birthday offering cake and fine champagne my day would be complete. If he took me out to high-tea, I may be in danger of swooning!
High tea at Hippopotamus in Wellington is just divine. I am still in danger of coming over all giddy and over-excited at the thought of it. Situated on the waterfront in Wellington the restaurant is on the fourth floor offering glorious views of the mountain range and buzzing harbour. The staff are superb, friendly and professional they were the right balance of chatty and welcoming without being intrusive. Also there isn't even a hint of the sneeriness that can affect those working at high-end restaurants, bars and designer clothes shops....
A glass of Dibon Cava Brut reserve came with high-tea and it was very impressive. Showing apples, fresh bread, almonds and lemons on the nose the flavours follow through to the palate with grapefruit, baked apples and a hint of honey balancing out a rich earthiness. A real creamy mouth feel the cava went perfectly with the little delicacies on offer.
The tea menu for the day consisted of pork belly and apple, filo tartlet with a tomato salsa and parma ham, pesto with cherry tomato, onion jam and peas on bruschetta and a cucumber sandwich for the savoury options. For sweets I had blueberry cheesecake, lemon macaroon, raspberry filled choux pastry and a pineapple ambrosia. The lemon macaroons were the best I had tried outside of Paris, superb!
Once I had my fill of little delights I felt it would be rude not to have a cheeky glass of Cloudy Bay Pelorus NV, possibly New Zealands most famous sparkling wine from one of NZ's most famous producers.
Light and delicate it couldn't have been more different to the Dibon Cava. Crisp and floral with a freshening acidity it was the perfect end to high tea. The base wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are vinified in a variety of vessels; stainless steel, large oak vats and small French oak barrels which give texture and complexity to the finished wine.
The non-vintage spends two years on its lees before release and the final result is one of subtlety and elegance. Fresh citrus, apples, quince and honey combine with a light nuttiness and a slight autolytic and yeasty finish. If big, bold flavours are your thing then the Pelorus probably won't hit the right spot but for restraint and elegance Pelorus gets it just right, just like high-tea at Hippopotamus!
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