The best high tea servings in Cape Town

Afternoon Tea at the One&Only Cape Town is anything but normal. Hosted in the Vista Bar & Lounge, guests are greeted by giant sashay windows overlooking the wharf.

If you prefer, you can choose to enjoy high tea at the water’s edge or take it inside, where you’ll be seated in the lounge area. I suggest you choose the latter. It’s a great place to do some movie star gazing. Don’t be surprised if you happen to spot Mr. Denzel Washington. Rumour has it that the hotel is a favourite for him when going incognito in the Mother City.

High tea is served daily from 2pm to 5pm. Expect a delectable sweet and savoury delights, all handmade by the chef on the day. Classic afternoon tea is R550 per person. Moët & Chandon afternoon tea is R2500 per couple.

Address: One&Only Cape Town, Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

If Lady Violet Crawley were to have a classic high tea, Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, would be the perfect venue.

Quintessentially English, scones and cakes come with all the bells and whistles and then some. Served in the Lounge, guests can choose from more than 60 fine loose teas sourced from around the globe.

Tea at the Nellie is iconic in these parts and theatrical. Cakes, pastries, and sandwiches are stacked in tiers, much to the delight of any Downton Abbey or Bridgerton fan. Bookings are essential. The cost is R595 per adult, R350 per child under 12, Monday to Sunday, 11am-3pm, with seating slots by the hour.

Address: 76 Orange St, Gardens, Cape Town

Time Out Tip: Put in your song request to the pianist as soon as you arrive. You can sway to the gentle chords of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata while eating your scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town’s Tea Tides is a Sunday afternoon tea set against the backdrop of crashing ocean waves and the melodic sounds of an acoustic guitar.

What Tea Tides does differently is to elevate the art of making tea. You choose your tea, and the server delivers it still brewing in the teapot, along with a sandglass timer. 

Tea Tides at Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town runs every Sunday, from 2:30pm to 5pm until March 2026. Guests can choose between two packages: one built around tea (R550) and another with bubbles (R950).  

Address: 100 Beach Road, Granger Bay Blvd, Mouille Point

Tea by the sea at the Twelve Apostles is a treat for the eyes and your IG Reels. 

Renowned for its wide selection of warm scones, macarons, and finger sandwiches, patrons continue to return for the selection of fragrant teas and coffees. Vegan options are available on request for the plant-based enthusiasts.

High tea is hosted at the hotel’s two venues: The Leopard and The Conservatory from R575 per person. Bookings are available Monday to Sunday, 10am, 12.30pm amd 3pm.

Address: Victoria Rd, Camps Bay

A newcomer to the high tea scene, Labotessa decided to take things in a different direction by welcoming guests on a journey of the senses.

The tea experience, inspired by Diptyque fragrances and TWG teas, is accompanied by delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, homemade brownies, and artisanal macarons.

Diptyque Boutique is open daily from 8am until 8pm. Reservations are essential. The Diptyque Tea Experience is R850 per person, minimum of two guests, maximum six guests. Seatings are available at 11am and 2pm.

Address: 5 Church Square, 37 Parliament St, Cape Town

Parade named the Silo as one of the best afternoon tea experiences around the world, and it’s hard not to argue with that.

Every Thursday to Sunday between 2:30pm and 4pm, the luxury boutique hotel hosts Royal Tea at The Granary. The menu caters to sweet and savoury tastes. Mango and passionfruit profiteroles and Boerenkaas cheese puffs are perennial favourites on the menu.

Priced at R575 per person, you get your money’s worth, including a welcome drink. For those opting for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or lactose-free Royal Tea offering, the price is R650 per person. 

Tea and delicacies aren’t the only things being served. Situated on the 6th floor, The Granary serves lewks for days which will make your pals click like and share on your posts.

Address: Silo Square, V&A Waterfront

I have heard that the classic coronation chicken with fresh cilantro is chef’s kiss. Then again, so is everything else on the menu, from the pulled lamb cannoli with sundried tomato and feta to the garden pea and mint tart with prosciutto crisp.

You can choose to go classic with a selection of teas and coffees or make a celebration of it with bubbly. Cellars-Hohenort’s classic high tea is on Saturdays and Sundays, 11am to 1pm, and 2pm to 4pm. Guests have a choice of reserving a table in the Greenhouse, on the Hohenort Terrace, or the Greenhouse Bar.

Prices start at R485 per adult, and R265 for kids 12 and under. Please note that the establishment is cash-free.

Address: 93 Brommersvlei Rd, Constantia Heights

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