Cornershop lollies & childhood faves inspire first-ever High Tea at Kimpton Margot Sydney
Chef Luke Mangan reimagines retro after-school snacks and tuckshop classics into an elevated afternoon tea experience.
Afternoons spent eating Milo straight out of the tin and scoffing freshly-baked scones in his nan’s kitchen are the inspiration behind Luke Mangan’s latest culinary concept: the first-ever High Tea at luxury Art-Deco Kimpton Margot Sydney.
Set in the hotel’s glamorous Wilmot Bar, with its trademark red marble pillars, plush pink and baby blue armchairs, and warm gold lighting, the new High Tea debuts a playful two-tiered selection of mini sweets and savouries inspired by nostalgic after-school treats, iconic canteen staples, and playground lunch swaps.
Working with family recipes as a base, Luke elevates each creation using hyper-local produce (including lemons and herbs from his own garden) and native Australian ingredients like wattleseed, Davidson plum and lemon myrtle.
Sitting pretty on the sweets tier in their grown-up iterations is an Iced VoVo-inspired Tart with Marshmallow and Coconut, a Lamington with Wattle Seed & Davidson Plum Jam, a Milo Tiramisu, and Mangan’s personal favourite, the Darrell Lea Liquorice & Raspberry Bullet - a crisp, bright red chocolate shell encasing a raspberry coulis and liquorice mousse centre.
The savoury tier also brings familiarity, with a mini Cheese & Vegemite Scroll (synonymous for Luke with Saturday morning footy sidelines), a Prawn Cocktail Sanga echoing family Christmas lunches, a Lemon Myrtle-Spiced Chicken Pie, and a Warm Scone served with Lemon Curd Butter made from lemons from Luke’s garden.
A celebration of nostalgic Australian flavours reinterpreted with five-star finesse, Luke’s High Tea recalls a simpler time of slower afternoons around the family table.
"Afternoon tea is a chance to slow down, press pause, and connect. We wanted to create a playful High Tea experience that evokes fond memories of retro favourites from our childhoods, but in an elegant way, served in a beautiful setting,” said Mangan.
The delicious new experience makes for the ideal outing for festive season celebrations, end-of-year family catch-ups, hen’s gatherings, mother and daughter days out, and date afternoons, and can also be purchased as a gift voucher.
High Tea will be available Saturday afternoons starting Saturday 21 November, 12pm-2pm, for $90 per person, for a minimum of two people, with limited seats per session. Add a glass of NV Mumm Brut Prestige sparkling wine for $15, a glass of Perrier Jouet Grand Brut for $32, or Wilmot Bar’s signature oolong tea-infused gin cocktail, The Australian for $27.
For more information, or to book, visit www.lukeskitchen.com.au/whats-on/high-tea-wilmot-bar.
Level up the luxury and add an overnight stay at Kimpton Margot Sydney to conclude the High Tea experience, with the hotel’s new Staycation Package, starting from $450 per room, per night.
KEY DETAILS
Where: Wilmot Bar, Kimpton Margot Sydney, 339 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW
When: Every Saturday, 12pm-2pm, starting 21 November 2026
Price: $90 per person, including coffee and Australian T Totaler tea
Bookings: www.lukeskitchen.com.au/whats-on/high-tea-wilmot-bar
MENU
Sweet
Lamington, Wattle Seed & Davidson Plum Jam
Iced Margot Tart with Marshmallow & Coconut
Darrell Lea Liquorice & Raspberry Bullet
Milo Tiramisu
Savoury
Cheese & Vegemite Scroll
Mooloolaba Prawn Cocktail Sanga
Lemon Myrtle-Spiced Chicken Pie
Warm Scone, Luke’s Lemon Curd Butter
About Kimpton Margot Sydney
Australia's first Kimpton hotel, Kimpton Margot Sydney opened in February 2022 in a heritage-listed 1930s building that evokes the spirit of the Art Deco era, with 172 spacious guest rooms and suites from the original offices of the New South Wales Water Authority, with three-metre-high ceilings and heritage brass windows, flooding with natural light and stylish charm. Acclaimed Australian chef Luke Mangan is at the helm of destination restaurant Luke's Kitchen in the beautiful lobby, while perched high above the CBD streets is Harper Rooftop Bar, a welcoming oasis with summery cocktails and tropical-style snacks.
