Where can you find Brisbane’s best High Tea? I put my taste buds to the test for this lineup of high tea options, but don’t worry, it was no hardship!
Give me scones and jam and a good cuppa, and I’m happy. Put a high tea in front of me, and I’m transported to heaven. This is one of my favourite ways to dine out, as it turns something simple into a real event. Whether it’s a birthday treat, a mother-daughter bonding session or a luscious gals celebration, high tea always seems to be a fun frolic.
High teas and afternoon teas come in many different forms, so I’m sharing the best ones that I have found in Brisbane. All personally taste-tested with my tips on why they are a cut above the rest.
Kerry Heaney and Lee Mylne get ready to High Tea at Motion Dining, Marriott Brisbane
Zen Garden High Tea, Brisbane CBD
You’ll find this Japanese interpretation of a high tea delicately styled as a zen garden at Bar 1603 in Hotel Indigo, Turbot Street. Served on a shareboard, it includes fresh-caught Kingfish, Salmon, and Tuna Sashimi, Pork Gyoza, Tamago Sando, Rice Balls, and Karaage Chicken. Desserts include Matcha Mousse, Macarons, Gold Chocolate Nuggets, Mochi with Ice Cream, Biscuit Crumb, and Matcha Sponge Cake. And to top it all off, indulge in a completely edible Chocolate Cherry Blossom Tree.
Price: From $89. It’s available between 11 am and 3 pm on Friday to Sunday from May 19.
Why eat here? The idea of a Japanese High Tea is intriguing, and the food at Izakaya Publico is excellent.
High Tea Afternoon Buffet, Zuma Restaurant, voco Brisbane City Centre Hotel
Zuma Restaurant’s new two-hour Afternoon High Tea Buffet features a plentiful collection of indulgent bites with a classic savoury selection and a large selection of sweets and bottomless tea and coffee. Don’t skip past the Chocolate Fountain centrepiece with a flowing fountain of milk chocolate accompanied by a selection of marshmallows, fresh fruit and churros. It is a chocolate lover’s dream! Fancy a refreshing tipple? Level up your buffet with two hours of free-flowing prosecco from the Pimp My Prosecco Bar for $32 per person. Enjoy De Bortoli Prosecco with a variety of juices and fruits.
Price: From $69 (Adults), $59 (Seniors), $49 for kids (8-12 years), $29 for kids (4-8 Years) . It’s available from 2:30 pm-4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday.
Why eat here? The range of pricing and the opportunity to pick your own from the buffet make this a family-friendly high tea. Plus, who doesn’t love a chocolate fountain? Book at voco Brisbane City Centre.
Dandelion & Driftwood High Teas, Hendra
When it comes to high tea, Dandelion & Driftwood are specialists who create a memorable experience. Their high tea includes plenty of pretty things served on a three-tiered stand with their signature ribbon sandwiches, a selection of mini assorted savouries, pretty pastries and mini-filled croissants. On the middle tier are two signature light and fluffy scones with The Grainge raspberry jam and double cream. On the top tier resides a delightful selection of sweets, including mini lemon curd tart, mini caramel tart, specialty cupcakes. I have sampled their Bridgerton Cocktail High Tea as a ladies lunch as it was a fabulous event. Read more about Dandelion & Driftwood.
Price: From $60 with options for prosecco, cocktails or champagne.
Why eat here? It’s simply delightful and its suburban location means the parking is very easy.
High Tea at Bacchus, South Bank
Lovers of fine white china will enjoy the petite treats served on William Edwards fine bone china (you can taste the difference in the tea) in the elegant dining room at Bacchus, South Bank. The savoury options include chicken croquettes, smoked salmon and egg and tuna sandwiches, and a savoury egg and bacon tart. For sweets, the lineup includes lamingtons, amaretti biscuits, cannolo, macarons and scones with jam and cream. It comes with continuous Harney & Sons fine teas or barista coffee. Bacchus offers a champagne high tea as well as a children’s version. High Tea is available Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm. *I have not tried the high tea recently, but their food is always of a high standard.
Cost: From $49, $35 for children.
Why eat here? If you want to play ladies, this place is a great fit.
High Tea at Wild Canary, Brookfield
High Tea at Wild Canary is sure to be a delicious delight! Their special selection of miniature sandwiches and savoury options, along with Wild Canary’s freshly baked pastries, and delicious sweets. It comes with Allpress Coffee and Teilka loose leaf Tea. High Tea is available Monday to Friday between 9 am and 11 am or 2 pm and 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday between 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm. Note: A minimum of 10 people is required, and bookings are essential. *I have not enjoyed High Tea here, but I have tried their cakes on many occasions and can fully recommend them.
Cost: $65 per person
Why eat here? Enjoy the beautiful garden setting and even pick up a few plants at the garden centre before or after you eat.
High Tea at Spicers Balfour, New Farm
Once a month, Spicers Balfour Kitchen & Bar turns on one of their delectable high teas. You can expect an extensive range of sweet and savoury treats will be served in the restaurant, on the stylish verandah, or in the frangipani-shaded courtyard. High tea is available from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm with sittings at 11.30 am, 12.30 pm, and 1.30 pm.*I have not enjoyed High Tea here, but I have tried their food on many occasions and can recommend it.
Cost: $65 per person
Why eat here? Dine in a heritage inner-city Queenslander.
W Brisbane, Brisbane CBD
Designed to encapsulate all things quintessentially Queensland, the Sunshine State High Tea is inspired by the moments and experiences that define life in the subtropics, from the feeling of golden sand under your feet to the powerful tropical storms. The regionally-inspired, edible mementos are created using native ingredients like strawberry gum, macadamia, rosella and wattleseed. Each item on the menu tells its own story of Queensland. Here’s more about the W Brisbane experience.
Cost: $70 per person and available Friday to Sunday.
Why eat here? It’s a lot of fun. You are seated in the lounge area with the bar in the background, so it’s all quite modern and friendly. Parking costs in the city are reasonable on weekends. Try King George Square.
Brisbane High Tea at Motion Dining, Marriott Brisbane
Motion Dining, Brisbane CBD
Delight in a quintessential high tea in the light-filled room at Motion Dining in Marriot Brisbane. High tea is served with an assortment of petit fours, mini eclairs, handmade macaroons, freshly baked scones and an array of scrumptious sandwiches complemented with a glass of sparkling wine. There’s freshly brewed coffee and a selection of teas available. Amp up your experience with a glass of French champagne.
When: Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm
Cost: $69 per person, including Sparkling Wine, $79 per person, including Champagne
Why eat here? Chef Peter Ivanczyk has spent 20 years honing his skills at Marriott Brisbane and has forged strong links with local suppliers. You’ll love the Dello Mano brownie he includes with his perfect macarons.
Brisbane High Tea at Motion Dining, Marriott Brisbane
High Tea Lennons Brisbane
Lennons Restaurant and Bar, Hyatt Regency, Brisbane CBD
It’s Afternoon Tea at Lennons Restaurant in Brisbane, which reflects the broader appeal of their menu. The food is a little more substantial, and there’s enough to suit a hungry man! The sweets include the most delectable pastries and top buttermilk scones with a cake trolly as the finishing touch. Chef Regi Rabanal delights in using local produce at Lennons.
Cost: $55 per person, including coffee, tea and a glass of prosecco on arrival. Gluten-free available.
Why eat here? Sometimes it needs to be a little different, and this afternoon tea with filling food might be just what you are looking for.
High Tea Lennons Brisbane
Belle Epoque, South Bank
Add a French twist to your high tea with the innovative menu at Belle Epoque. There is nothing understated about this café. It’s all gilt mirrors and sparkling chandeliers, with a high tea to match.
What makes this high tea rate high, in my opinion, is the innovative offerings created by internationally-renowned Pastry Chef Charith Arachchige. There are flavours here that you won’t find anywhere else in Brisbane. With a Truffle Chicken Finger Sandwich, Reuben Brioche with Sauerkraut and Mustard and a Sheppard’s Vol au Vent to start, work your way up to the top of the tower where you’ll find deliciously sweet delicacies that Chef Arachchige is known for including an Orange, Coffee & Hazelnut Cake, a Cocoa Crunchy with Cocoa Sable & Milk Chocolate Cremeux and a Coconut Cheesecake at Belle Epoque.
Cost: There are multiple options, starting at $70 per person with tea and coffee and up to $120 per person for two hours of bottomless champagne. It’s available daily after 11.30 am.
Why eat here? This high tea stands out for its excellent food and creative pairings. The atmosphere is delightful, and the service is top-notch. Parking is available at South Bank.
Bonus: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Nut-Free high tea options are available, plus one for the kids to enjoy.
Room with Roses
It doesn’t get more old-school Brisbane than high tea at Room with Roses. Located on the Balcony Level of Brisbane Arcade, Room with Roses really lives up to its name with roses on every table. Everything here is made to a recipe and it’s not just any recipe either. They have been handed down over generations. It’s a gentile dining experience with everything done deliciously right at Room with Roses.
Cost: High tea starts at $46 a person and goes up to $55 for the Chocolate Fondue High Tea. You can add a glass of champagne for $9. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available with 24 hours’ notice.
Why eat here? This is a traditional side of Brisbane that’s hard to find. They have been doing high teas here for a long time and they know just how to get it right. Parking in the city during the week is ridiculously expensive. Catch a bus or take the train.
The Incholm, Spring Hill
Any Sunday from noon you’ll find high tea being served in the dining room at The Inchcolm on Wickham Terrace. This boutique hotel used to be full of doctor’s rooms and has a long Brisbane history of glamourous entertaining as well. The dining room does not disappoint, and you’ll never be stuck for conversation here. There are quirky objects and art everywhere.
The high tea stand comes filled with delicious bite-sized treats including caviar crumpets, egg and cress sandwiches, Fraser Isle crab brioches, madeleines, lemonade scones, macarons and more. You will not go home hungry, and The Inchcolm’s high tea makes a great lunch substitute.
Cost: $69 per person with a champagne upgrade available for $99 per person.
Why eat here? I loved this high tea with its attentive service and secluded atmosphere. Located in an old-world building on the edge of the CBD, dining here feels like a special occasion. Parking is available for a cheap Sunday rate under the Novotel next door, or you can probably snag a street park.
Keri Craig Emporium, Brisbane CBD
You need to be in the know to discover this high tea at Keri Craig Emporium on the Basement Level of Brisbane Arcade. There are two sets of stairs in the middle of the arcade, and they lead down to the wonderland of this spacious area filled with homewares, fashion and a delightful café. The high tea is a generous serving with scones, sandwiches, petit fours and a savoury tart. All are served with tea or coffee at Keri Craig Emporium.
Cost: High tea starts at $49.50, and you can upgrade with a glass of Moet Chandon for $15.
Why eat here? I love the quiet, refined atmosphere here. The tables are set far enough apart, so you don’t have to listen to your neighbour’s conversation. They often have Frank Sinatra singing in the background, and there’s a continuous loop of Keri Craig and Jackie MacDonald discussing fashion on the television. If you don’t know who these people are, you haven’t been in Brisbane long enough.
Crema and Cream, Nundah
High tea with an Italian touch or traditional English is what you’ll find at Crema and Cream. Known for its delicious Italian pastries, Cream and Cream presents its high teas on a tiered platter filled with sweet and savoury treats. Expect tiramisu, cannoli, biscotti, frittata and arancini. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy-free diets can all be accommodated at Crema and Cream. *not personally tasted
Price: $36, including tea or coffee.
Why eat here? Easy street parking makes this a very accessible venue, and Italian pastries add a touch of difference. It’s great that you can bring your own champagne.
Middle Eastern High High Tea, Newstead
Mecca Bah has the Ultimate Middle Eastern High Tea Experience with a glass of sparkling on arrival. Treats include a chocolate and Turkish delight brownie, kataifi kanafeh, sticky date and banana pudding, Lebanese ladies fingers, orange blossom cheesecake, turkish delight, lamb boureks, kofte ball, cheese and z’ataar scones and bruschetta. *not personally tasted
Price: $60
Why eat here? Mix up your high tea experience with different flavours.
Champagne High Tea, Brisbane CBD
The elegant surrounds of Brisbane’s Customs House Patina’s restaurant terrace are the perfect location for a special high tea with fantastic views overlooking the Story Bridge and the river. Their art deco high tea stands are filled with delicious savoury items and elegant handcrafted petite desserts. The menu includes smoked salmon on blinis with sour cream and salmon pearls, poached chicken, dill and watercress sandwiches, coronation egg and chive, beetroot cone, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, basil and goats cheese roulade, a mini Queensland spanner crab and celery bun, a warm gruyere and leek tart with roasted cherry tomato, raspberry scones with jam, cream and fresh raspberries, assorted handcrafted petite desserts and macarons. High tea comes with your choice of espresso coffee or La Maison du Thé, a French handcrafted tea selection. Note: Bookings are required 24 hours ahead of dining with full payment. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available. *not personally tasted
Price: $88, including glass of Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Why eat here? On the right day, and Brisbane has plenty of these, the river and Story Bridge views made a fabulous backdrop to the food.
Spirit of Queensland High Tea, Brisbane CBD
The Stamford Plaza, on the corner of Edward and Margaret Streets, has a long-established reputation for fabulous high teas. Their Spirit of Queensland High Tea has a royal touch as it echoes the spread presented to Queen Elizabeth when she toured Brisbane. It’s inspired by Queensland and Australian tastes and incorporates flavours from the red soil outback to the coastal beachfront. Served Saturdays and Sundays from 2 pm to 4 pm, it includes petite Daintree barramundi, a leek and dill mini quiche, the classic cucumber finger sandwich, champagne ham and seeded mustard sandwich, a Mt Cotton chicken, sundried tomato and mayonnaise mini wrap and the Stamford signature curry puff. The scones are Stanthorpe cider apple and raisin, Queensland blue pumpkin, and cheese and vegemite (served with Maleny dairy cream. Sweet treats include a posh retake on the original lamington, The Lord Lamington, with flavours of coconut, jam and chocolate; A Day at the Ekka with a deconstructed strawberry sundae in a glass, the Essence of Queensland created for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with Bowen Mango, Innisfail bananas, Mareeba pineapples, Sunshine Coast finger limes in layers and Redland Bay berries with vanilla pastry cream in a Redland Bay Tart. *not personally tasted
Price: from $59
Why eat here? Take a seat on the terrace and enjoy a river view with your high tea. Afterwards, take a stroll through the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
Garlic Clove, Spring Hill
If you like going outside the square, this Indian high tea with sweet and savoury selections of street food favourites could be just the thing. This adventure comes on a three-level china stand and includes finger sandwiches, steamed dumplings, Bombay burgers, and lentil doughnuts, with chocolate-dipped strawberries and Indian sweets on the top. Expect some bonus plates beforehand and so much food you’ll probably need a doggy bag. *not personally tasted
Price: $49.90
Why eat here? Easy street parking on Petrie Terrace makes this a very accessible venue, and an Indian high tea is certainly different. Book 24 hours ahead.
