Review Sofi's - Melbourne

Beautiful ambiance, as soon as you walk in to the Sofitel and this lounge you feel relaxed. We recently enjoyed high tea there and the staff were fantastic, especially with our children. The pianist added to the atmosphere and made the experience even more enjoyable.

Good atmosphere, nice setting and good service. I like the decoration, feels relaxing, no rush. Food was great. You can replenish the sandwiches. Dessert was great, not too sweet and not super rich - just right. I’m not the fan of the coffee though. Good tea selections but it didn’t have lemongrass and ginger tea :( Also good value of money.

Such a nice and delicious High Tea!!! The food, champagne and tea were really lovely and the atmosphere was cozy. The staff is really friendly and professional. We had a good time and we were well looked after.

I was just treated to the most sumptuous High Tea for my birthday today. The atmosphere is cosy and relaxed and the magnificent food arrangement made me feel extremely special. The theme is monochromatic, and to taste and see artwork in food is beyond belief. From the delicate finger sandwiches to the elegant black scones and black roses all with hidden surprises inside - talk about tantalising your tastebuds! The tea flavours also were delightful. All the staff were so friendly and attentive. Thank you so much

We were at Sofi's Lounge for the Escher x Nendo inspired Monochromatic high tea. The atmosphere was relaxing and the presentation was excellent. The teas were disappointing but the nibbles were good. It tied is well over to dinner. Overall, it was a lovely escape from the city hubbub.

Nice big lounge seating, super friendly staff and delicious high tea. The ambience of the room makes you feel welcome from the get go and with plenty of space between you and the next group, you should have no issues in regards to unwanted guests. Would recommend and will be back!

+ Nice ambience. Relaxing atmosphere. Various kinds of tea and can order unlimited tea pot including in package. - The charcoal cones is dry and not special. Overall: worth it. Ideal for catch up or dates

We were having a pre-dinner drink. Fantastic lounge atmosphere. Good drinks from what I saw, but we just ordered one sparkling wine, so that doesn't tell you much. Went on a Sunday, I felt that the service wasn't that good (similar to the restaurant upstairs). For the type of the establishment that they want to be, the service was poor. We weren't greeted, nobody came for our order (I went to the bar), water wasn't offered. They also had a lot of dirty dishes lingering (albeit in their service area, not at the tables), the bar looked untidy. It's a fantastic atmosphere, so I'd probably go back for that. But would not risk it on a date or for a special event. Maybe the Sunday service quality is lower?

An elegant occasion with outstanding service. I highly recommend.

Came here for their Christmas High tea with my girls and it was such a pleasant experience!! Service was phenomenal and ambience was amazing! <br/>I highly recommend this place for high tea. We’ll be coming back 😍😍😍

One of the worst experiences in 2019! Uninterested staff, understaffed place, and overall terrible service from Sofitel. <br/><br/>We decided to celebrate the end of 2019 with a visit to Sofi’s Lounge on 31 December 2019. Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to our expectations. <br/><br/>Arrival - a very confusing affair. The reception counter is placed one-third of the way in the dining area. When we arrived, it was unstaffed. It took more than 5 minutes for any staff to notice us and check our reservation. During this time, we could see the staff chatting behind the bar section and avoiding eye contact. From observation, this was not limited to us - Many patrons seemed to have the same difficulty figuring out how to get the attention of the staff on the day. If Sofitel wanted to make Sofi’s lounge an open sitting area to include non-paying visitor, we’d understand the decision. Yet it seemed not to be the case, so the decision to place the reception far inside the dining area was very perplexing. <br/><br/>Tea - very subjective in terms of taste. We weren’t particularly impressed by the flavour (French Earl Grey and Enchanting Heart) but they have plenty to select from. Again, it came down to the poor service and inefficiency for us. Tea arrived more than 5 minutes after our food arrived. For a place that serves High Tea, we’d expect tea to be served either soon after an order was placed, or at least when food was served. <br/><br/>Food - we went with A La Carte instead of the set high tea menu. We ordered the Sandwich selections and Sharing Dessert platter. Sandwiches were nothing to write home about - a selection of common ingredients including curried eggs, ham, tuna etc. The best description we could give was “inoffensive”. The mini desserts were also “ok” with items ranging from passion fruit layered cake, caramel mousse, to creme brûlée. Notably, our creme brûlée was served in a very shallow sauce dish - the ones you’d typically pour sauce in - we’d probably prefer to either have it served in a bigger portion, or none at all. <br/><br/>Service - as we have alluded before, it was slow, inattentive, and generally out of character for Sofitel. In addition to the issues with arrival and service efficiency, we also had the same dish served twice. The waiter did not seem to care nor notice the mistake. From our observation, it was also obvious tables were left unattended longer than they should before they were cleared. Although there was only one main server on the floor, the place wasn’t busy enough for this to be an excuse. <br/><br/>It was a déjà vu as we were leaving - we were uncertain were to pay or who to speak to - do we pay at the reception counter, or the bar area? We stood by the reception for a good minute or two without anyone noticing us wishing to pay and leave, despite the server walking by us. Since there was again no one at the reception, we ended up approaching the bar to settle the bill. As we were paying, the bar staff flung an empty milk bottle from one end to the other (behind the bar section) all whilst having probably one of the most unpleasant expressions of the day on her face. It was as if she absolutely hated working there on that particular day. <br/><br/>In total, there was one male server on the floor, one female bar staff serving drinks, and one female staff who I assumed was in charge this afternoon - the person in charge was pleasant, but let down by the rest of the poorly trained team. <br/><br/>Our recommendations: avoid visiting Sofi’s Lounge unless you want to experience confusion yourself. If you must visit, consider ordering their set high tea menu as you might receive a better treatment than going A La Carte. Though I’d seriously think twice before setting foot on this particular venue again. Until the management team thinks about how their customer flow can be addressed and improved, I’d advise you look elsewhere to spend your hard earned money and most importantly, dignity.

Such a nice cosy lounge to chill or even have a good catch up!<br/>This has been my go to for hot chocolate, if you have not tried it you have to because it was so so good!<br/><br/>The hot chocolate was so rich and creamy and tasted really good. Definitely not to be missed here

I’ve had high tea at Sofi a few time but this time it’s different because they’ve collaborated with not only National Gallery Victoria and also Dulux in celebration of the Terra Cotta warrior exhibition coming to Melbourne next week. The terra cotta high tea is $99 per head with a glass of sparkling wine, a wide range of savoury items such as sandwiches, fried wontons, rolls and other asian inspired dishes. Followed by a huge selection of asian desserts and of course they have scones. <br/>But let’s save the best for last and that is you get to paint your very own 80g chocolate warrior with edible chocolate paint in which they have worked with Dulux to get the perfect colour. Fun fact! Did you know the terra cotta warriors were actually buried fully painted in vibrant colours. But after 2000 years it has become the terra cotta colour we know them as! <br/><br/>Perfect for those who are going to visit the exhibition and it’s really fun to paint and let’s face it I drank the paint too haha

+ Nice ambience. Relaxing atmosphere. Various kinds of tea and can order unlimited tea pot including in package.<br/><br/>- The charcoal cones is dry and not special.<br/><br/>Overall: worth it. Ideal for catch up or dates

High Tea at Sofi’s Lounge was AMAZING! For $65 we enjoyed delicious treats and free flowing sparkling wine which was a delightful drop. The setting is stunning and makes you feel like you are on holidays somewhere fancy!

Sofitel Melbourne is celebrating the National Gallery of Victoria’s Escher X nendo Between Two Worlds exhibition with a fitting monochromatic high tea where the black and white palette gives absolutely nothing away when it comes down to taste and flavours, and makes for serious photography candy.

Service was prompt and attentive. We were seated on a very comfortable sofa and offered a choice of soft drink or Australian champagne to start, then our high tea was served.<br/>It was explained to us what was on each tier of our trays. My tea included beautiful miniature sandwiches, warm scones and sweets. It was all delicious and the sweets were amazing.<br/>All of the china was beautiful Wedgewood. <br/>We were also given a choice of coffee or tea. The tea selection included black and green teas and chai. <br/>Overall a very pleasant experience.

I came for the Escher x nendo Monochromatic High Tea with a friend. We had the $55 option - I wish there was a cheaper option for those who did not care to have sparkling at high tea.<br/>Food: Despite how aesthetically pleasing the food was, it didn’t meet my expectations. The top two tiers were interesting gastronomically but not a single item stood out in terms of flavour. The waffle cone on the mini ice cream was also not particularly crunchy. Then, the scones were on the dry side. The bread in the finger sandwiches was dry too but the fillings were delicious. I didn’t really like the sparkling that was provided as it tasted too strong to go with the food. <br/>Service: They casually overlooked us being 15 minutes late and checked that we still wanted to go ahead with the $55 option upon arrival. We were frequently checked upon after our food arrived and reminded that we could have unlimited tea and coffee. It would’ve been even better if they had noticed how quickly we drank our water at the start and refilled our glasses promptly.<br/>Ambience: I expected high tea to be a somewhat fancy event and so decided to dress nicely; however, upon arriving I realised that Sofi’s Lounge is like a hotel lobby cafe and most people were dressed quite casually. The couches we were seated at felt fancy and were so comfortable I was ready to take a nap on them after I was full. The atmosphere was that of quiet chatter, with music playing softly in the background. There was some live music later in the afternoon, but it was on-again, off-again which was a little annoying. <br/>Overall, it was a nice experience but it wasn’t worth the money.

We went to Sofi’s Lounge on Sunday to celebrate a baby shower. The place was nicely setup and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Unfortunately the food was not impressive. It lacked variety and beside the ribbon sandwich which tasted ok, everything else was disappointing. The service was pretty terrible. Our plates weren’t being cleared. Tea & coffee ordered took ages and at one stage they couldn’t serve us tea because there weren’t enough teapots. It was a real wast of money! Such a big disappointment for a 5 star hotel.

Came here for a high-tea event and it surely did not disappoint! The food was superb but the whole experience once you step foot into Sofitel was first class and memorable.<br/><br/>SERVICE: 4/5<br/>Service here is efficient and very attentive, barely ever having to ask for a top-up as they are regularly walking the floor keeping an eye on your teawares. Well-trained, courteous staff here and all the food came out with little wait.<br/><br/>FOOD: 4/5<br/>The scones may look deceiving as they appear a little dry on the plate but after that first bite, you realise just how perfect they are. The right amount of density and lots of flavour before even layering on the condiments. I probably could've had two more. The jam and cream were also just sublime.<br/><br/>I dug into the savoury items next and was happy that the ribbon sandwiches were not dry as some other places. The fillings were also fresh and tasty. The mini wraps with falafel were surprisingly very delicious - I wish I had the tummy space to eat more of it. Lastly the small quiches had a gorgeous buttery pastry casing however I felt the filling fell short. The veggies were on the chewier side and overall would've been best served warm.<br/><br/>The dessert plate on top was gorgeous to look at. The 2 that I tried (as I was much too full by that point) were the chocolate and lime tart and the strawberry mousse cup. Both enjoyable but not eye-poppingly amazing as desserts can be.<br/><br/>DECOR & AMBIENCE: 5/5<br/>Opulent and sophisticated without being pretentious. It has a modern feel to it and the best part is the lower level open air retail space that is very handy for guests.<br/><br/>KID FRIENDLY: Possible. Spacious enough however high-tea is best enjoyed with a group of girlfriends not having to share your scones with little fingers ;)

Came here over the weekend for the high tea, everything was delicious, I didn’t eat too much of the dessert as I had filled up on the savoury foods. However, the desserts did look delicious. I enjoyed the pianist playing in the background. The staff were very attentive.

We came here on a Saturday night for drinks and dessert. The waitress seemed like she would rather be asleep then at work, didn't seem interested in anything. Wouldn't recommend the dessert platter for the price you pay, just tasted like it had been in the fridge for weeks.<br/> <br/><br/>Recommend going up to the 35th floor to The Atrium instead, service is much more pleasant,

Favourite High Tea in Melbourne. My mum and I have been trying out a lot of the high teas in Melbourne and none compare to Sofi's. <br/><br/>It is so relaxing and has the most delicious food and the best service. I have a severe allergy to seafood, so they provided me with my own savoury tower to ensure that there was no cross contamination with seafood products from the main serving area. The tea and coffee are unlimited and the service staff are so attentive.

I wanted to experience the ‘Eclairs with Flair’ promotion at Sofi’s Lounge. I booked for 2 people on Thursday, 26 October at 1:30pm. Unfortunately we didn’t enjoy the experience largely due to the rude and smug service received when I requested that a filthy tea cup served to me be changed. The waitress rudely replied to me over the bar area, "oh, that's just a tea stain." This comment was offered without any apology, service recovery, smile, or consideration for the customer experience. The waitress also expressed herself as though I didn't know what a tea stain was, and forgive me for expecting a clean tea cup in a 5 star hotel. The waitress in question was of Asian descent, (and before anyone jumps up and down, we are of Asian descent) - this comment is made to help identify the rude waitress who is desperately in need of training and a realisation that she should be appreciative to be employed with that kind of rudeness, manner, and lack of service. Based on our experience and the treatment we received, I definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone to Sofi’s Lounge due to their poor standards and service.

We had so much fun trying Sofis gorgeous eclairs with flair at the Sofitel's launch on Friday (to celebrate all things French on Bastille day)!<br/>As of Thursday 27th July, guests who visit the Paris end of Collins street and visit Sofi's Lounge can enjoy a gorgeous plate of 3 of these éclairs as well as a hot beverage for $21. <br/>While a very hard call with such delicious flavours (including Nutella, violet etc) our favourite due to tangyness and flavour was definitely the mango and passion fruit eclair!

Sofi's Lounge, Collins St, Melbourne CBD, cuisine- high tea. Lovely Sunday afternoon get-together to kickoff our women's @leaninorg circle. Meeting some strong successful women and hopefully learning lots on the journey! What a cherry on top to have delicious desserts, sandwiches and spring rolls. We didn't get the high tea buffet but just a few things - however amazing food! The sandwiches, spring rolls and the mini desserts were all delicious! Definitely tempted to go try their high tea soon 👍 lovely tea and coffee too 😊😊@sofitelmelbourneoncollins #rating4 #foodblogger #melbourneblogger #instablogger #foodielife #melbournecbd #collinsst #leanincircle #strongwomen #inspiration #sundayarvo #whowontheworldgirls #winterarvo #sofitelmelbourne #hightea #dessertismylife #cucumbersandwich #lovemylife #melbournefoodie #vegbourne #vegetarian #vegetarianrocks

I consider myself to be a high tea aficionado and I have been to Sofi's on multiple occasions. The weekend offering is buffet style with a generous spread of hot and cold savouries and the welcome addition of a chocolate fountain and freshly cooked crepes. Weekdays are more of a traditional tiered high tea which I enjoy on my latest visit with my mum and sister. Plump fluffy scones served with fresh curds, cream and chunky fruit filled jam. Decadent morsels of indulgent sweet treats including tarts, cakes and chocolate mousse filled cups. Ideal for a girly day with stunning wedgewood serving ware, unlimited tea, a skilled pianist and opulent surroundings. Ambience, elegance and tradition; the ideal place for a spot of high tea <br/><br/><br/>

It was for a celebration with my girlfriend so I decided to try the Sunday high tea session here at sofi's lounge and I really enjoyed it. The service was really friendly, professional and attentive. We kept being asked if we would like to try more tea so we ended up having 5 pots of them😂. The mini sandwiches were all nice and fresh. There were fresh crepes being made on the spot as well👍. The down side was the cakes, they were just average and didn't meet my expectation. The fruits were also quite dry and tasteless so that was really disappointing. Other than those I was really satisfied with everything else. I really enjoyed the fact that the whole session was smooth and relaxing.

We had our afternoon tea there! <br/>Which was very good and really nice people there looking after you. Why I give only 3.0, I know its not the Sofi's lounge fault, but as a guest you will relax and not hearing some random retail job interviews all the time! When a retailer stays in the Sofitel so please pay for a room where you can held your interviews! It is a better option for everyone. How embarrassing is that for the applicant.

One of the best places in Melbourne to have high tea. You get an assorted range of cakes, scones and sandwiches. This is great - since some other high teas I've been to have lacked variety. <br/><br/>It's also well valued when it comes to drinks - a glass of sparkling comes with the high tea. They also have a variety of different sorts of teas too, so it's definitely the place to go if you would like to try a different flavour. <br/><br/>The furniture is also really nice as well. I've been here a few times and never been disappointed and would definitely recommend it.

We had a nice time here.. first time experience.. to have a high tea at Sofie lounge... Lots of.. nice desserts.. and coffees.. and good service and friendly.. surely will come back..

Ordered Devonshire tea and an irish coffee, the coffee was absolutely atrocious. Charging $17 for a shot of whisky, terrible espresso and whipped cream that is served luke warm proved a very disappointing experience. When I asked for a discount on the coffee alone the manager was incredibly rude and was not at all apologetic about it, this really took a shine off the great Sofitel hotel experience that we have had up until this point.

We went on a Friday afternoon and found that it was relatively empty. The lounge is very spacious, and the couches were super comfy, but in terms of the actual High Tea itself, I didn't think find that wow factor I was looking for.

Had a fab high tea with a friend, we were both very impressed in particular with the savoury and the caramel crepes!! <br/>Will definitely come back :)

Had a lovely High Tea yesterday given to me as a birthday present. Excellent presentation and the wait staff were attentive and exceptionally pleasant. Great variety of hot and cold portions and and glass of comp champagne given on arrival. A bit disappointed in the scones and only one jam to choose from. Sandwiches were lovely and they had a chocolate fountain which looked impressive. Would def go again and enjoyed the experience.

I love the relaxed classy interior of this place the live piano playing (soothing). The deserts are amazing especially the creme brûlée (no eggy taste and has a crunch on top). They could have better/more variety of savory food and when they're busy it could take a while to get your drinks. The service was friendly.

A beautiful place to enjoy a spot of high tea.  The few times we've been have been on special occasions eg. mothers' day.  The service was impeccable- very attentive staff, quick to come back with drinks we've ordered.  The afternoon tea buffet was sumptuous with a good range of sweet and savoury offerings.  The atmosphere is refined and elegant, just as one would expect for high tea.

They had delicious scones and beef wraps. However, while the price did include a glass of champagne, which was lovely, it is not my favourite high tea place in Melbourne. I have now tried the Windsor Hotel, the Austen Tea Rooms and now the Sofitel, but Austen Tea Rooms is still my favourite. Best value and most high quality items. Their scones were easily the best along with the best savoury treats. Windsor did have great atmosphere and beautiful food, but is the most expensive I’ve had.

I think it was last year or year before was when I first heard of this term ‘LOL’ but not the average ‘Laugh Out Loud’, it has another meaning and it is ‘Lady of Leisure’. How cool is that! I’d love to be a lady of leisure, not have to work and just spend my husbands money (no no I’m not getting married anytime soon) hahaha but I would still like to be this type of ‘LOL’. So even though I’m not quite a full time ‘Lady of Leisure’ yet, I sure know how to be one on the weekend, I ditched Mr Bao and Cupcake for day. First I had brunch with a girlfriend then I organised to have High Tea with another girlfriend Kaylee. We are both High tea fanatics, when we were both in Hong Kong we use to go all the time, I’ve lost count the number of times we’ve gone to high tea. I’m pretty sure this is the first time we’ve had High Tea in Melbourne together, so I decided to choose something nicer and came across Sofi’s Lounge at the Sofitel Hotel . I’ve heard mixed reviews about their high tea so wanted

I've never had scones with fruit curd before, but it was super delicious with the lemon curd!

...hosted a specially-themed Egyptian high tea during selected weekends...a worthy afternoon tea venue...

It is a lovely affair and a good chance to spend time with your best friends or family. It is meant to be special and enjoyed over a huge amount of time ie. two hours.<br/>Don't forget the invitations.

Overpriced for what it is!. Quite expensive for what you get. Sandwiches were stale. Service not very good at all, understaffed on a busy Saturday and therefore hardly saw they staff. They poured the glass of champagne on arrival then didn't see them again. Definitely not the standard you would expect from a hotel like sofitel. There was also a mix up with my booking initially the staff member had told me on the phone that the high tea session started at 5pm which I thought was very strange luckily I called back to double check. Not impressed at all!

Sliding down hill. 5 or so years ago I loved this place for buffet style hightea, but in my recent visit I felt it had gone downhill.<br/>The ambience is nice enough, but I picked out a few too many cons that will put me off returning especially for the price you pay per person which iround $70 odd dollars.<br/><br/>Pros:<br/>-nice, relaxing, mostly female environment<br/>-fancy table ware<br/>-pianist providing background music<br/>-nice bubbly<br/>-competent prompt service<br/><br/>Cons:<br/>-4 hot dishes, quiche too salty & savoury muffins unnapetising<br/>-4-5 sandwiches, pretty but dry<br/>-chocolate opera was dry and had a fridge taste<br/>-mango passionfruit mousse cake was bitter and rubbery<br/>-chocolate fountain was boring<br/>-scaled down variety was predictable, average & not great quality for $70<br/>-buffet tables were scratched, dinted & tired<br/>-small children running about with no shoes <br/>-scones were sweating in an enclosed bain marie which rendered them soggy & stale<br/>- all up an unimpressive & dissapointing return after a few years

Nice atmosphere, food was good but would have been nicer at tables than on couches and with stand of food at your table rather than Buffett. Service not great had to get up to ask waiters for tea, wine. Probably wouldn't go again

Ambience was relaxing and lovely with piano man playing. Waiters helpful and attentive. Food was average. Savory items were average. Finger sandwiches (salmon, cucumber, egg), mushroom quiche, tomato flan and beef wrap. Nothing hot just warm and cold. Pikelets and Crepes were ready made and just warmed up. Sweets were not replenished from 4pm and that left little fruit to choose from by then. Desserts were ok and not alot in selection for the choc fountain. Tea was served in a large pot so you couldn't really order more until you finished it which we didn't. Though the glass of champagne was nice. Pity there wasn't macaroons. We were there from 2:30-5pm and when we asked for the bill, we were told to pay at the register at the back of the room. Not very fancy at all as we queued up behind other ladies awaiting payment. Overall a nice relaxing place for catching up with friends but not worth the price. Thankfully we got a one for one deal with the Ebook. Will not be back though.

High Tea at Sofi's. I went to Sofi's for a friend's 40th birthday. I organised the booking. From the first moment I made the booking, I was impressed with the service. Nothing was too much trouble. My friend was even given a birthday plate and we all sang Happy Birthday with the piano man playing the tune. The food was fresh and delicious and so much of it. The chocolate fountain was to die for. A beautiful and special way to celebrate a milestone. Bonus Entertainment Book offer as well!

Sofi's had an amazing lunch buffet! It had me eating foods that I usually, would never eat. <br/>The service was excellent, could not have wished for better and we even seen some really famous people!!<br/>I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!! <br/>There is no doubt we will be going back there because it was such a gorgeous experience.

Service was slow, my cutlery was dirty and the sandwiches were dry. There was nothing "high" about it except for the grand piano.

In comparison to other high tea experiences this lacked quality and variety and was also very over priced.

So my girlfriend and I have a tradition of attending High Tea at least once every couple of months and this time around we decided to try Sofi's. <br/>Good points: They offer gluten free, the ambience was lovely and the pricing was reasonable (for High Tea).<br/>The Bad: servings of jam and cream to go with our scones were tiny. We asked for a top-up more that once and by the time we received it our scones had gone cold (and dry) - even though the place was near-empty. My sandwiches were dry (though plentiful) and the whole meal bordered on sickly-sweet.<br/>Honestly, it could have just been a bad day but I wasn't overly impressed. I'd say give it a go and make up your own mind- hopefully your experience will be better than mine!

On the weekends Sofi’s offers a High Tea buffet for $69 per person which is the weekday offering plus a crepe station, hot and cold savoury morsels and possibly a greater choice of cakes and pastries. However, based on my experience I’d hesitate to paying even more money to try afternoon tea there again.

Unfortunately the afternoon tea that followed did not live up to the swish surroundings.