Zioux High Tea.
Zioux High Tea.
Image: Supplied

There are few better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than in a beautiful space, indulging in delicious food and quaffing Champagne, and there are few better places to do so in Johannesburg than Sandton’s Zioux.

The Marble Group’s Champagne lounge and cocktail bar, helmed by chef Moses Moloi, is serving up a decadent high-tea offering, which offers just that. The multi-course menu features a sweet and savoury selection of high-tea treats, which range from the classic to the interesting.

The service begins with a choice of tea service, Champagne not included but recommended, naturally, and a tiered display of the first courses. On the savoury side there is the absolutely gorgeous twist on a lobster roll — a toasted brioche roll filled with a decadent truffled crayfish filling, a Wagyu sirloin katsu, smoked salmon blini and puffed masa flour with black beans, corn and tomato salsa — a nod to Zioux’s Latin American inspired menu.

Crayfish roll with gherkins and truffle crayfish.
Crayfish roll with gherkins and truffle crayfish.
Image: Supplied
Cured & smoked salmon blini with truffle mayo and pickles.
Cured & smoked salmon blini with truffle mayo and pickles.
Image: Supplied

These are served in addition to a selection of sweet treats, created by group pastry chef Meg Meikle, including the likes of rose gold-dusted pecan macarons filled with a pecan buttercream and tres leche, a corn-ear shaped delight of sweetcorn mousse with a passion fruit gel enrobing a génoise sponge and rose Chantilly and yoghurt mousse filled choux and cheeky cherry pate de fruits lips.

Pecan nut macaron, tres leche and sandypecan nuts & Choux puff, coffee and tonka bean cremeux.
Pecan nut macaron, tres leche and sandypecan nuts & Choux puff, coffee and tonka bean cremeux.
Image: Supplied
Cherry bavarois.
Cherry bavarois.
Image: Supplied

Rounding off the course is the classic high-tea staple of scones, here in the form of glorious little mouthfuls to be lathered with hibiscus butter, rhubarb jam and double-thick cream.

Following this sweet and savoury course is a final round of savouries. And while this is perhaps peculiar following the sweets, they are none the less delicious. Bringing the experience to a close are the crispy prawn cigars, superb buttermilk chicken steamed buns, cubed fillet kebabs and sweet and sticky corn fritters.

Fillet kebab and Corn fritter.
Fillet kebab and Corn fritter.
Image: Supplied

The high tea, a partnership with Perrier Jouët Champagne, also includes a supplement charge for a choice of two champagne cocktails designed by group mixologist George Hunter for the occasion, or guests can opt for a glass or bottle of bubbly or wine off Zioux’s superb wine list, or a delicious concoction off the regular cocktail menu.

Ziouz High Tea.
Ziouz High Tea.
Image: Supplied

If I’d change anything about the meal it would be the order of the courses — it seems logical to start with lighter fish and vegetarian dishes, moving onto the meatier main-style canapés and followed by scones and sweets, rather than the mixed order it’s served in currently. Of the overall experience though, it’s absolutely stellar and a whole lot of fun, the over-the-top glamour and service style the restaurant is known for working so well with this type of elevated afternoon-tea offering.

It’s as opulent an experience as one would expect from Zioux, one that lends itself to getting dressed up, gathering a great group of friends and indulging long into the afternoon.

So successful has this offering been that the team has now extended it to both Saturdays and Sundays. High tea runs from 11am-4pm and costs R750.00pp (excluding drinks). Reservations are essential.

For bookings visit the Zioux website

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