20 Of The Best High Teas In Sydney Right Now
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
There’s nothing quite as posh—or delightful—as high tea in Sydney/Eora. Think warm, fluffy scones slathered in cream and jam, dainty cucumber sandwiches, and bite-sized pastries perfectly presented on tiered towers. Pair that with a pot of loose-leaf tea (or a cheeky glass of champagne) and the Urban List team reckons you're in heaven.
Sydney has some seriously unique high tea experiences—from sky-high spreads with sweeping harbour views and quirky renditions on spinning Ferris wheel stands to a hidden indoor waterfall high tea in the CBD.
Here are the best high teas in Sydney right now.
How we choose: Sydney high tea experiences that balance thoughtful menus, quality ingredients, and comfy settings that have you planted all afternoon.
The Best High Tea In Sydney At A Glance
Jump to:
- The Best High Tea In The Sydney CBD
- The Most Affordable High Tea In Sydney
- More Of The Best High Tea In Sydney
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The Best High Tea In The Sydney CBD
The Grounds Of The City
Shop RG12, The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Grounds Of The City | Website
The Grounds Of The City is already a knockout Sydney CBD brunch spot, but it goes the extra mile with its City High Tea. Munch on an assortment of delicate delights, including finger sandwiches, mini truffle tartlets, caviar-topped smoked salmon rillettes, warm scones with house-made jam, macarons, and more.
Each guest gets to choose between a complimentary cup of tea, coffee or juice, with more drinks available to purchase as you go.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: The menu can be adjusted for vegetarians.
When: Thursday–Saturday, 2pm–4.30pm
Cost: $65pp
High Tea On Level 36
Shangri-La Sydney, 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks
Image credit: Shangri-La Sydney | Facebook
The five-star Shangri-La Sydney takes high tea to new heights—36 levels higher, to be exact. You'll get to devour three tiers of sweet creations, finger sandwiches and warm savoury morsels, all while taking in the most breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour from above.
While menu changes seasonally, you can expect bites like cucumber sandwiches with lemon myrtle crème fraîche, mini grilled chicken bánh mì, wagyu and mushroom pie, honey cheesecake and cinnamon apple choux, paired with tea and coffee.
Elevate the experience with free-flowing Australian sparkling wine for $30pp extra or French champagne for $70pp extra.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A vegan menu is available too.
When: Monday–Thursday, 12.30pm or 2.30pm seatings, Friday–Sunday, 11am–2.30pm seatings
Cost: From $88pp
Aperture
Capella Sydney, 24 Loftus Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Aperture | Instagram
If you thought LODE’s pastries couldn’t get any better, wait until you try them paired with a pot of tea at Aperture. None other than Federico Zanellato—the culinary force behind Lumi, Restaurant Leo, and LODE—has kicked off Capella Sydney’s new chef-in-residence series, teaming up with Executive Chef Gabriele Taddeucci to reimagine the hotel’s afternoon tea.
“It’s an honour to be the first chef in residence at Capella Sydney,” says Zanellato. “Gabriele and I have known each other for many years, and this collaboration allows us to create something truly special in the beautiful surrounds of Aperture. I can’t wait for guests to taste the unique flavours of LODE Pies in such an iconic setting.”
Expect refined bites like lobster vol-au-vent with yuzu mayo, truffle chicken mousse on toasted brioche, and smoked trout finger sandwiches topped with salmon roe. On the sweet side, there’s a hazelnut and coffee lamington, cherry and chocolate profiterole, yuzu meringue tartlet, and that famous LODE croissant cannoli with mascarpone cream and rosella jam.
The Details
Insider Intel: $95pp includes your choice of The Tea Centre tea or St Ali coffee. Elevate things with a 200ml bottle of Saicho Premium Darjeeling Tea ($35), a glass of NV Ruinart Rosé Champagne ($55), or a decadent 10g serve of Capella Kaluga caviar ($65).
When: Daily, 12:30pm–4pm
Cost: From $95pp
The Charles Grand Brasserie
66 King Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Charles | Supplied
Crafted by Head Pastry Chef Rhiann Mead (previously at Harrods Food Hall, Bennelong and Quay), every offering at The Charles afternoon tea is an indulgent affair.
“They’re beautifully refined and elegant, but also bring a sense of nostalgia,” says Mead. "Something you’d never see on an afternoon tea menu elsewhere”.
Taking a French approach, this CBD high tea features smoked salmon madeleines, warm gougères (French cheese puffs) with Brillat-Savarin cream, and a roving dessert trolley loaded with a 28-layer Russian honey cake, macarons and more, of which you can select three items from, paired with flowing tea and coffee.
The details
Insider Intel: You can fully splash out by adding on a glass of Chandon Blanc de Blancs for $20pp or a glass of Moët for $31pp.
When: Monday–Saturday, 12pm–5pm (last bookings 3pm)
Cost: From $79pp
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QT Sydney
Gilt Lounge, Level 2, 49 Market Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: QT Sydney | Instagram
Australia's dessert king, Adriano Zumbo, has teamed up with fun-loving boutique hotel group QT to offer a whimsical high tea reminiscent of a Mad Hatter's tea party. Expect patterned china, gold cutlery, colourful quirky sofas and best of all, Adriano's elevated take on high tea classics.
"Traditional high tea is kind of a standard offering – you pretty much know what you’re going to get. We add some surprise", says Zumbo. "People don’t expect the creative food that’s on offer at QT Sydney. We steer away from the traditional sandwiches and strawberry tarts."
On the drinks front, you'll be sipping free-flowing loose leaf tea, with the option to add on cocktails, mocktails and champagne as you go.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: Qtea also does a top-notch plant-based and gluten-free high tea.
When: Saturdays and Sundays, 11am–3.30pm
Cost: From $99pp
Hyatt Regency Sydney
161 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Hyatt Regency Sydney | Facebook
High tea is served with a twist—literally—at the Hyatt Regency. Held in the hotel’s elegant lobby lounge, this boozy high tea pairs botanical gin cocktails with a tower of mouth-popping bites and boutique loose-leaf teas.
The Details
Insider Intel: A children's menu is available for $55pp (6–18 years).
When: Saturdays, 2.30pm–4.30pm
Cost: $95pp
Loftus Lane
Shop 3/38-42 Bridge Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Loftus Lane | Instagram
Loftus Lane does things a little differently by serving high tea on spinning Ferris wheels and carousels with fresh flowers, French tableware and custom decor. Feast on mini sandwiches, brioche sliders, assorted macarons, seasonal pastries and scones with cream and jam.
For drinks, select between a non-alcoholic beverage package, a signature colourful cocktail for $16pp extra, unlimited house wine, spirits, and tap beer for $60pp extra or unlimited cocktails for $100pp extra.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A vegetarian menu is also available.
When: Monday–Friday, 6.30am–2.30pm and Saturday–Sunday, 8am–2.30pm
Cost: From $69pp
Park Hyatt Sydney
7 Hickson Road, The Rocks
Image credit: Park Hyatt Sydney | Facebook
Park Hyatt’s Afternoon Tea is nothing short of special. It pairs mouth-watering bites with breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House from The Living Room, the hotel’s chic waterfront dining room.
Savoury eats span Murray cod croquettes and mini Tasmanian brie, orange and local honey tartines, accompanied by sweet treats like burnt vanilla scones, apple crumble cake and a passionfruit, caramel and banana dome.
Coffee and Byron Bay tea are included, but you can also add on NV BLÅ Sparkling Tea from Copenhagen for $10pp, NV Taittinger Cuvée Prestige for $30pp, or NV Laherte Frères Rosé de Meunier (pink champagne) for $45pp.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: Book ahead and request a window seat for the best views of Sydney Harbour.
When: Friday–Sunday, 12.30pm–3pm
Cost: $95pp
The Tea Room QVB
Level 3, 455 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Tea Room QVB | Website
If there were a place made for the perfect high tea experience, it would be the QVB’s historic Tea Room. A delectable selection of petits fours is presented on polished dinnerware alongside loose-leaf teas poured from Royal Albert fine china.
There’s an array of high tea menus to choose from, including a traditional high tea and bottomless high tea, as well as sandwich plates, light and Devonshire teas on weekdays.
Make your afternoon a bit fancier by upgrading to Australian sparkling wine, a fancy cocktail, or half a bottle of French champagne.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A gluten-free menu and children's menu ($55pp, 5–12 years) are also available.
When: Monday–Sunday, 10am–5pm
Cost: From $75pp
Intercontinental Sydney
Image credit: InterContinental Sydney | Instagram
If you’re after a high tea experience that oozes sophistication, The Bar at the InterContinental Sydney in Double Bay delivers in spades. Expect tiers of delicate savouries, warm scones with jam and cream, and beautifully crafted sweets—all prepared in-house with seasonal ingredients.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: Choose from the Traditional High Tea ($75pp), a Moët & Chandon upgrade ($85pp), or go all out with Dom Pérignon ($199pp). Dietary preferences can be catered for with notice.
When: Daily, 12pm–4pm
Cost: From $75pp
The Most Affordable High Tea In Sydney
The Tea Cosy
7 Atherden Street, The Rocks
Image credit: The Tea Cosy | Instagram
Hidden in the cobbled streets of The Rocks, The Tea Cosy boasts one of the most affordable high teas in Sydney. The Grandstand is perfect for two and offers three tiers of goodies, including four freshly baked nanna-approved scones, a selection of creams, a hit list of Aussie-made jams like punchy raspberry, lemon curd and golden fig, and dainty finger sandwiches with curried egg and lettuce, and smoked salmon and cream cheese combos.
The best part is: it's also only $30pp, making it one of the most affordable high teas in Sydney. Drinks aren't included but you can easily add a steaming pot of black, herbal or seasonal tea for $7—each one comes snug in an adorable knitted cosy.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A Kids Devonshire Tea is also available for under 12s for $12pp.
When: Monday–Friday, 9.30am–4pm and Saturday–Sunday, 9am–5pm
Cost: $30pp, minimum 2 people
Eternity Cafe
Shop 15–16 Town Hall Square, 464–480 Kent Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Eternity Cafe | Instagram
Sydney CBD is filled with secret foodie spots but have you ever been to this viral, hidden waterfall cafe? Located right outside Exit 5 of Town Hall Station, Eternity Cafe offers one of Sydney’s most affordable high teas, set to the soothing soundtrack of a flowing indoor waterfall.
Dive into sweet and savoury treats like delicate pastries, sliders and finger sandwiches, plus a pot of hot English Breakfast tea or signature sparkling iced tea. Call (02) 9264 7198 to book (24 hours notice required).
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: For more sugary goodness, try the Edible Garden: an Insta-famous dessert disguised as a pot plant.
When: Monday–Saturday, 5am–3.30pm
Cost: $56pp
One Dining
Chinese Garden of Friendship, Haymarket
Image credit: One Dining | Website
To get to this affordable CBD high tea, you’ll wander through the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Sydney’s tranquil inner city oasis. Once you arrive at One Dining, you’ll feast on a fusion afternoon tea for two featuring savoury and sweet bites like crispy tempura prawn bao buns and assorted Chinese pastries. To drink, there’s complimentary premium tea or sparkling wine—all paired with peaceful views over lotus ponds, weeping willows and winding paths.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: One Dining also does a top-tier yum cha on weekdays for $58pp.
When: Monday–Sunday, bookings from 2pm–4pm
Cost: $68pp (including $12 entry fee), minimum 2 people
Gunners Barracks
End of Suakin Drive, Mosman
Image credit: The Gunners' Barracks | Facebook
Cocooned within the bushlands of Georges Head with 180-degree views of Sydney Harbour, the Gunners Barracks is a tip-top place for high tea in Sydney. This heritage-listed venue honours high tea tradition with a menu featuring freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves, finely cut sandwiches, savoury pastries, and petit cakes.
It comes with a grand selection of over 30 different teas, with the option to add on French champagne, Australian sparkling wine, rosé or cocktails. There's also a kids high tea for $55 per child (5-12 years).
The details
Insider Intel: For a lighter morning tea menu, there's a sandwich plate and Devonshire tea packages available from $40pp on weekdays.
When: Monday–Sunday, from 10am
Cost: From $75pp
Lil Miss Collins’ Royal Chai Affair
13 Wentworth St, Parramatta
Image credit: Lil Miss Collins | Supplied
True to the name, the Royal Chai Affair brings Sydney’s first Indian-style high tea, amplifying the classical experience with a colourful and flavoursome twist. Sipping on authentic masala chai, add some spice to your plans with friends this week–all while surrounded by typically florals and pinks, of course.
This experience at Lil Miss Collins offers options of savoury, crispy samosas and sweet, buttery mawa cakes to cure any tiny-sandwich boredom and satisfy experimental cravings. If you’re still wanting some of the classics, however, then don’t fret; the Royal Chai Affair still includes that traditional scone with cream and jam (it's a high tea icon for a reason, after all). Their Mini High Tea package starts at only $29, and the elaborate Royal Chai Affair comes at $59.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A kids' high tea option is also available with fun spring rolls and fairy bread, keeping the little ones happy if you’re looking for a family treat.
When: Monday–Sunday, 9am–1.30pm
Cost: From $29pp
More Of The Best High Tea In Sydney
Midden By Mark Olive
Western Broadwalk, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Midden By Mark Olive | Website
Savour a unique native high tea experience inside Sydney Opera House at Midden by esteemed Aboriginal-Australian chef Mark Olive. This special high tea infuses native ingredients into its menu, including lemon myrtle and pepperberry cured salmon roulades, kangaroo sausage rolls with a bush tomato chutney, wattleseed scones with strawberry rosella jam and a chocolate and Davidson’s plum brownie.
“The land on which the Opera House stands was a gathering place for ceremony and culture for thousands of years before the building itself was ever conceived and I hope the menu we’ve created will give guests a real taste of that", says Olive.
It includes award-winning Indigiearth loose-leaf teas made from sustainably sourced Australian bush botanicals, or you can add on a glass of Lorimer NV Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir Riverina from Wiradjuri Land for $10pp extra.
The details
Insider Intel: This CBD high tea has one of the best views of Sydney Harbour.
When: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–3pm seatings
Cost: From $125pp
Bottega Coco
Shop 1 T3.01/300 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Bottega Coco | Supplied
Bottega Coco triples as an Italian restaurant, cellar and patisserie in Barangaroo, with one of the best high teas in Sydney taking on an Italian twist. The standard high tea will set you back a worthy $90pp, with pastry-chef-perfected treats, mini mille-feuilles, finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and a choice of tea and coffee.
Upgrade to the deluxe offering for a glass of Chandon Brut for $15pp extra, or go all out with 2.5 hours of free-flowing beverages with the platinum high tea for $105pp total.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: Bookings require 24 hours notice; make sure to book ahead for special occasions.
When: Monday–Sunday, 10am–3.30pm seatings
Cost: From $80pp
The Langham
Observatory Bar, 89-113 Kent Street, Millers Point
Image credit: The Langham | Facebook
The Langham is one of Sydney's most luxurious hotels, so it's no wonder that their traditional afternoon high tea is one of the best in town. In the sophisticated Obstervatory Bar, you'll tuck into British-inspired classics like warm scones with whipped Chantilly crème and mixed berry jam, mini shepherds' pies, finger sandwiches and sweet treats, served alongside specialty black, white, green, herbal and iced teas and a mocktail.
Up the ante with a glass of Australian sparkling wine for $13pp extra or Taittinger Brut Reserve NV for $33pp extra.
The Details
Insider Intel: If you book for a group of 10, you'll receive complimentary dining for one guest.
When: Monday–Sunday, 12pm–2pm
Cost: From $95pp
Burnt Orange
1108/1109 Middle Head Road, Mosman
Image credit: Burnt Orange | Instagram
For those searching for a more casual, family-friendly high tea with views of the harbour and surrounding bushland, head to Burnt Orange. You’ll be able to soak up the incredible views while feasting on a charming assortment of savoury and sweet high tea treats, including choux buns, macarons, scones, and quiches.
You'll score a large pot of tea, or you can upgrade to a glass of bubbles for $10pp extra, or cocktails like a Downton Abbey Gin Fizz, Aperol Spritz, and Espresso Martini for $15 each. Bookings are required at least 24 hours in advance, with a 50% deposit.
THE DETAILS
Insider Intel: A children's menu is available for $45pp (under 12 years).
When: Wednesdays–Fridays from 12pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 3.30pm–5.30pm
Cost: From $65pp
Estate Vaucluse House
69A Wentworth Road, Vaucluse
Image credit: Estate Vaucluse House | Website
Set amongst the sprawling, harbourfront grounds of Nielsen Park, Vaucluse House is one of the most picturesque settings for a high tea. You'll dine on the likes of finger sandwiches, pithiviers, savoury tarts, eclairs, buttermilk scones, macarons, cheesecake and more, paired with tea and coffee.
You can add on a glass of sparkling on arrival for an extra $10pp, a choice of Limoncello, Lychee and Aperol Spritz for $14 each or go bottomless for just $30pp extra.
The details
Insider Intel: You can book the semi-private Terrace Room for a group high tea of up to 25 guests.
When: Wednesdays–Sunday, 10.30am–3pm
Cost: From $75pp
Main image credit: Shangri La Sydney | Facebook
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