Tea towers… with a combination of finger sandwiches and sweets such as hazelnut choo and pecan dessert. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The savoury start… thin slices of Wagyu beef, a small cup of mushroom consommé, asparagus and salmon tart. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The Floriade cocktail… pink gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, sparkling, raspberries and blueberries. Photo: Wendy Johnson

The Bellini… sparkling, Chambord black raspberry liqueur, rosé and hibiscus. Photo: Wendy Johnson

Tea is the focus… The Marion offers 25 varieties covering black tea, green tea, white tea and herbal infusions. Photo: Wendy Johnson

It’s airy, elegant and offers exquisite, sweeping views of the lake and some of Canberra’s iconic locations. The Marion restaurant is open in all its glory, serving a true high-tea experience, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

AT beautiful Regatta Point, The Marion is named in honour of Marion Mahony, Walter Burley Griffin’s wife and her creative influence on the design of the capital. 

The Marion is about luxury. Read the fascinating history of high tea, which has been reigning since before the 17th century, on the inside of the menu.

Tea is obviously a focus. The Marion offers 25 varieties covering black tea, green tea, white tea and herbal infusions, many with names transporting you to exotic locations.

The Marion’s high-tea options begin with the traditional ($70) and move up to sparkling ($80), cocktail ($90) and piccolo champagne ($100). Children’s high tea is $45.

The five of us selected the cocktail, delighting in the Marion Bellini and the Floriade, created by smartly dressed bartenders behind the long, expansive, open-concept bar at the back of the restaurant. The Bellini is created with sparkling, Chambord black raspberry liqueur, rosé and hibiscus. A special touch, before sipping, is a peach mist sprayed on the drink at the table by attentive staff.

Floriade is here, so some of us celebrated by choosing the cocktail by the same name. Think pink gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, sparkling, free raspberries and blueberries, and pretty petals. 

We enjoyed the cocktails with the savoury start to the high tea, served on individual plates with only quality ingredients used. The thin slices of Wagyu beef melted in the mouth. The small cup of mushroom consommé was earthy, memorable and just the right temperature. We indulged in the delicate-looking and delicate-tasting asparagus and salmon tart. 

Next up were the graceful tea towers, with a combination of finger sandwiches (no crust of course) presented on the middle plate. The excitement built with the tiny, gorgeous-looking sweets. The hazelnut choo was light, the apple with cinnamon not overly sweet, the pecan dessert a perfect balance. We loved these and more.

Our tea was served in highly polished silver pots. Our selections included the Oolong peach combines Oolong and black tea with apricot and peach flavour. The Pai Mu Tan and Melon had intricate aromas.

Tableware at The Marion is refined. Our teacups and plates featured thin white and red stripes and rims of gold.

The Marion’s staff are trained to take the high-tea experience to another level, and they did. Attentive but not overbearing. Friendly but not too familiar. Happy to take photos of guests against that amazing view.