If there’s one British thing that we’ve accepted as part of our culture, it’s the English high tea. This afternoon ritual from the great isle seems to be striking a popular chord across Australia.
If you fancy an afternoon of freshly brewed tea in plush surroundings of gild, linen, and lace, then a high tea experience is just for you.
Rated as one of the best high teas in Perth, Rochelle Adonis creates an intimate French salon feel with a communal dining table. High tea is served in two courses, savoury treats and then sweets. Every high tea is different – nothing is mass-produced and everything is made in house. High tea is normally served on Wednesday to Friday at noon and 2pm and on the weekends at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm.
Water views are also a feature of the boutique 10-room Villa Howden estate, just a 15-minute drive from Hobart. The estate is open for Traditional High Tea each Saturday and Sunday from 2pm until 4pm. Enjoy Tasmanian delights while gazing across North West Bay from the terrace or as the weather cools, take your High Tea in the light-filled restaurant while listening to the baby grand piano.
The Hotel Windsor in Spring Street is pure Melbourne establishment with its top-hatted concierge and has been serving traditional afternoon tea since 1883. They serve traditional freshly baked scones with jam and cream, exquisite pastries and finger sandwiches and a lavish buffet.
It is hard to beat the historic Gunners’ Barracks Tea Room for afternoon tea. Not only is the food sumptuous, the location is a stand-out with 180-degree views down Sydney Harbour to the CBD and out to North Head and the Pacific Ocean. Make sure you ask for a veranda table when you book to take full advantage of this majestic site near the suburb of Mosman. The Tea Room claims to have the largest selection of Ronnefeldt teas in Australia or you can enjoy a selection of cakes, scones, sandwiches and savouries with a glass of bubbly.
This is a place for the tea fanatics, with three pages of tea on offer at this voluptuous establishment. Velour chairs, high ceilings, white walls and twinkling chandeliers give an air of opulence and lightness that is enhanced by Royal Albert china and delicate treats served from three-tier trays. Located in what was once the Grand Ballroom of the historic Queen Victoria Building in George Street, Sydney, this is one of those experiences not to miss when in town.
For High Tea with a twist, The Tea Room at the National Gallery of Victoria is a treat in every sense of the word. The offerings change depending on the latest exhibition. Gilt-edged mirrors, deep bucket seats and intimate tables provide a dramatic setting for elegant, tiered cake plates. The sweets and savouries are made in-house.
The high tea is served in the Mayfair’s in-house restaurant, Mayflower, and makes for the perfect occasion to unveil your inner posh.
Served every Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 4:30pm, guests are welcomed with a crystal flute of bubbly Petaluma Crosser NV. The traditional menu offers a tasty ensemble of six savoury and sweet items, all of which are served on quintessentially tiered stands of fine china reminiscent of 1920s England. As you sit amidst crisp linen tablecloths and gold gilded mirrors, your palette will be delighted with quiches of spinach and ham, toffee choux buns, and an assortment of macarons. How divine!
Since the 1900s this Ballarat locale has been an institution for high tea lovers, welcoming the likes of former Prime Ministers and aristocrats for decades.
Served every Sunday from 3pm, the high tea offers a delectable assortment of typical treats ideal for the discerning palette. Guests are welcomed with a glass of champagne and seated at a table dressed in detailed Villeroy and Boch china. True to the English tradition, the tiered stands are laden with salmon and cucumber finger sandwiches, fluffy scones with cream and organic jam, and a range of tasty petit fours.
Proudly Australian owned and operated