FOOD REVIEW: Afternoon Tea at Harbour Heights Hotel

Harbour Heights Hotel located in Poole is nestled in boutique and stylish surroundings boasting panoramic views over Poole Harbour and beyond. Total Guide to Poole’s food blogger Kate Silverton recently popped down to review their outstanding Afternoon Tea.

Venue

Set high on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula, Harbour Heights provides a stunning view that has to be seen in person to be believed. It is a real hidden gem with the most spectacular sweeping views across the harbour and during our time there we were lucky to see a magnificent fiery red sunset over Brownsea Island.

The hotel has many different dining options, all showcasing the views, including the large terrace, with multiple tiered seating areas, perfect for enjoying a glass of champagne or a bite to eat from the light bites menu. 

Their Ocean Palace restaurant offers an array of tasty Asian dishes, authentically cooked in the on-site Chinese kitchen. 

The View restaurant offers diners a classic and contemporary dining experience, celebrating local & seasonal food. 

The hotel itself is fairly small, but it has the elegance and luxury of a larger hotel.

Food & Drink

Afternoon tea is a special treat, reserved for special occasions such as Mother’s Day, and what a venue to visit Harbour Heights is for the most English of traditions! We were seated in a lounge area overlooking the terrace and encompassing those gorgeous views of the harbour and beyond.

The table was set beautifully, with simple white china, not overly fussy and with plenty of room for a large cake stand. We opted for a glass of Sette Bello prosecco, which was delicious and acted as the perfect accompaniment to our ‘Traditional Afternoon Tea’. 

We were impressed with the choice of Dorset Teas on offer, it’s always nice to see local produce and a good variety, not just the usual offering of Early Grey. 

So, to the main event, the afternoon tea itself…. Head Chef Simon delivered the array of treats to us and explained the mouth-watering selection on offer. We began with delicate finger sandwiches, served on fresh white bread and tasty wholemeal with fillings including luxurious smoked salmon, cool cucumber and cream cheese, egg mayonnaise, along with sliced ham and wholegrain mustard. 

Then it was onto the scones, my favourite part! These were served warm straight out of the oven and smelled divine.The plain and sultana scones were fluffy and light in the mouth with delicious lashings of clotted cream & fruity jam. 

The last tier on the stand was the absolutely stunning cake selection. We felt it was a shame to eat them as they were so pretty! But we did…. We were treated to their version of the ever-popular chocolatey Bourbon biscuit that was delicious and looked incredibly similar to a real Bourbon biscuit! 

We then sampled a lemon and raspberry cake, this had a light as a feather lemon sponge and was topped with beautiful raspberry buttercream. Next was my mum’s favourite cake of them all. A mango and passionfruit macaroon, they looked perfect, tasted delicious and crisp but chewy with a perfectly balanced filling. We also had an apricot oatcake, which was sweet, fruity and buttery.

Last was my favourite. A vanilla cheesecake with hints of carrot cake flavours. This was very moreish, a buttery crumbly base, with a smooth and creamy vanilla flavoured topping. This was decorated with fruit, candied carrot and fruit purees, making it as rich as a cheesecake but also light in texture and a great afternoon tea indulgence.

Summary

As I may have mentioned, I love going out for afternoon tea. I have worked in the hospitality industry for many years and therefore I believe I can recognise a good afternoon tea when I see it. So believe me when I tell you that this really was fantastic.

Harbour Heights is one of many seaside hotels in Poole. To me, it really stands out above the rest due to the fabulous skyline setting. The whole experience was a delight, from the warm welcome in reception, the efficient friendly service courtesy of the front of house team, and of course the wonderful food and drink that was delicious in every bite. 

I hadn’t visited Harbour Heights for a few years due to the pandemic, which is a real shame as we used to go several times a year, so it was lovely to be back, enjoying the surroundings and feeling very relaxed. We cannot wait to visit again soon.