There’s something rather lovely about taking your mum out for high tea. Especially when the setting involves harbour views, warm tea and a table full of beautiful, scrummy treats.
The Nook editor Jess recently took her mum along to La Marée at Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour to experience the new Mānuka Honey High Tea, created in partnership with New Zealand mānuka honey brand Comvita.
Settled into the cosy, refined restaurant by the window, looking out across Auckland’s inner Viaduct Harbour, it’s an easy place to while away an afternoon. The service was incredible from the moment we arrived, with warm Dilmah tea poured alongside a delicious selection of savoury and sweet treats.
At the heart of the experience is Comvita UMF 15+ Mānuka Honey, woven throughout the menu in ways that show just how versatile the distinctly New Zealand ingredient can be.
On the savoury side, the menu includes a honey-glazed ham and Brie de Meaux croissant, confit beetroot tartlet with Soignon Bûchette chèvre, mānuka honey glaze and toasted hazelnut, and free-range egg salad with mānuka honey dressing.
Then, of course, come the sweets. You’ve got caramelised pear with honey and salted caramel, traditional medovik honey cake layered with light yoghurt cream and a mānuka honey mousse paired with silky lemon curd. Buttermilk and date scones to finish, served with Comvita UMF 15+ Mānuka Honey, mascarpone chantilly and house-made jam.
The collaboration brings together Sofitel’s French approach to hospitality and one of Aotearoa’s most recognised ingredients, something Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour General Manager Reto Borer says was central to the partnership.
“Mānuka honey is one of this country’s great gifts to the world, and Comvita New Zealand has set the global standard for quality. Our culinary team has taken enormous pleasure in exploring ways to use the honey, from delicate glazes to rich, layered desserts to produce this special honey-inspired high tea.”
Comvita General Manager ANZ Dylan Hill-Lewis says the experience also gives both locals and international visitors a different way to discover mānuka honey. “We often talk about the provenance and potency of our honey, but there is nothing quite like tasting it in the hands of skilled pastry chefs. Sofitel Auckland shares our commitment to craftsmanship, and this high tea offering showcases mānuka honey in ways that will surprise and delight.”
And while the mānuka honey might be the star of the menu, the whole experience is what makes this one worth loving. Beautiful harbour views, thoughtful service, warm cups of tea and plenty of delicious little things to pick your way through. Even better when you bring mum!
The Comvita UMF 15+ Mānuka Honey High Tea is available daily at La Marée, Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour, for six months from 1 September 2026 and is priced at $79 per person.