AN AFTERNOON WELL SPENT, high tea at Adelaide Casino

Don’t you love catching up with the girls? Sharing food, drink conversation and a few laughs is good for the soul, but what happens when the friendship circle is small, or even non existent? How do you go making new friends? It’s tough getting outside of your comfort zone but on Sunday I had the most delightful time at Adelaide Casino doing just that.

Time for a Styling Curvy Community Catch-up.

I was lucky enough to host a Hendrick’s Gin High Tea at Madame Hanoi bistro and bar with five ‘Styling Curvy’ readers, what a terrific way to kick off a Styling Curvy Community Catch-up. These ladies didn’t know each other but boy did they get along, and they were so welcoming and accepting of each other. There were no barriers, age/size/jobs/health….none of that stood in the way. I would love to share a photo of all five lovely ladies but unfortunately the waitress is way better at serving fabulous mocktails than taking photos. So, here’s the mocktail instead. No name as it was designed that day and you could call us all very happy taste testers 🙂

It was lovely to just sit and chat, listen and learn from each other. There were laughs too, plenty of them. Of course there was also the amazing high tea. I mean whoever has heard of a GIN high tea? I hadn’t before partnering with Madame Hanoi at the Adelaide Casino but now that I have experienced one I want to do it again…and again.

Hendrick’s Gin plus tea, spiced honey, fresh lemon and orange served at body temperature with a slice of lemon and a slice of cucumber is one of the loveliest and most refreshing drinks I have had in a long time. The bonus is that it was served from a lovely pot into a an even lovelier teacup by delightful staff. Decadent!

Turns out you don’t raise your pinky finger when sipping tea but wearing flashy gemstone and mandala rings is totally fine.

The service at Madame Hanoi was friendly and flawless, not too much hovering but just enough.

We chose to have our afternoon upstairs but this option isn’t always available. The setting is incredible, the Adelaide Casino building has a Chicago feel mixed with French/Vietnamese inspired menu that also caters for vegetarian, gluten free and vegan.

We went all in and enjoyed crispy pork banh mi, grilled Tasmanian salmon, confit duck cold roll, soft shell crab in squid ink brioche slider, coconut tapioca (the best!) and macaroon.The food was a feast for the eyes and just as tasty.

look at that crispy pork!Couldn’t get it in my gob quick enough…in a ladylike way of course.

Crab in squid ink brioche

I mean, a macaroon on a teaspoon if you please…

The ladies are loving the food and the setting.

Check out the artwork on the wall, it has my heart. So much so that I even a photo of it as a screen saver on my phone.

Lovely flower table settings for the guests to take home made by the team at Minnow on Seaview Florist. I could look at that rose forever, perfection!

They also created this amazing flower crown too. Well technically it’s on a wide alice band because that is way more comfy and easier to keep on my noggin. I felt beautiful wearing this crown which surprised me because I usually think they look a bit ‘over the top’ BUT, it was a special occasion and a ladies afternoon so I thought ‘why not?’ Because I know you will ask my dress is by Frankie+ Dash (size down in this style), Sara heels from Frankie4 Footwear.

Little parcels filled with organic skincare and a specially made rose candle from The Little Vintage Body were sent home with my guests, gotta love a party favour right 🙂

Just writing this blog post has me wanting to do it all again. Catching up with friends is good fun but connecting women via a Styling Curvy Community Catch-Up is pretty darn great too, I plan to do more of them.

Would you like to experience a Hanoi Hendrick’s High Tea at Adelaide Casino?

If you would like to experience a Hendrick’s Gin High Tea visit Madame Hanoi located outside the Adelaide Casino on North Terrace. Hanoi Hendrick’s Gin High Tea is available Mon-Fri 12-5pm and Sat/Sun 2-5pm and costs $45pp.

When and where did you last catch up with a friend? Got a favourite cocktail/mocktail?

til next time,

Jen x

this is a sponsored post in collaboration with Adelaide Casino who kindly had us as their guests, thankyou.