Water and Dreams High Tea

Overview

Whether via cakes you can decorate yourself, panna cotta that needs painting or blowing edible bubbles, sitting down to high tea at W Brisbane is never a stuffy affair. The venue's Living Room Bar likes getting its patrons playing while enjoying an indulgent spread. It's also fond of theming its tiered specials — and of taking a few cues from the Gallery of Modern Art across the river.

Until Monday, October 7, 2024, GOMA is hosing the dazzling Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses exhibition, featuring pioneering fashion that thoroughly deserves to be seen in an art gallery. Until Sunday, October 27, 2024, Living Room Bar is serving up its Water and Dreams High Tea, too, which uses the designer beloved by Beyoncé, Björk and Cate Blanchett as inspiration.

Those edible bubbles are on the menu here from 11am–3pm every Friday–Sunday, with W Brisbane teaming up with Bubblelick for the inventive treat. Also on offer as part of a culinary lineup inspired by the water and dreams section of GOMA's showcase: red and white meringues designed to resemble the flow of H2O, a pearl-topped chocolate opera cake and a splash-like crystallised sugar wave. Among the savoury bites, you'll be snacking on salmon caviar and finger lime citrus pops, plus truffled egg and cress finger sandwiches.

That'll set you back $79 per person, with bottomless tea and barista coffee covered by the price. You can also get boozy, however, including with the Couture Cloud signature cocktail — which features almond vodka, rhubarb shrub and coconut soda, plus airfoam to top — for $99. Prefer a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne instead? That's $109.