The best high teas in Sydney to book right now

Go for: Tea down by the Quay

What’s for tea? On Level 36 of the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel, this is potentially the highest high tea in Sydney. Tackle the three-tiered snack tower from the bottom up, with seasonal offerings including Moroccan spiced beef cheek sliders, and roast pumpkin and stracciatella tarts. For sweets, there’s a hazelnut pumpkin Paris-Brest, a caramelised apple frangipane tart and a chestnut chocolate mousse for vegans. You can add free-flowing premium sparkling wine to your High Tea experience for an extra $30.

How much? $74-$140

Go for: The incredibly 'grammable display and celebrity curated snacks

What's for tea? The quirky, eccentric chic of the QT Sydney provides the perfect backdrop for dessert legend and celeb chef Adriano Zumbo’s vibrant high tea experience. It showcases a perfect balance of style and substance, with a top-of-class selection of sweet and savoury bites presented on a specially designed cake stand made from an assemblage of black cubes, each housing a delicious morsel. Start on the lowest tier with the luxe likes of a prawn roll, Caesar sliders and dainty goat's cheese tarts, before delighting in the signature desserts Zumbo is most celebrated for. These include a glazed chocolate mousse with pistachio praline in the shape of a heart, a passionfruit tart with a silky-smooth cream filling, and Zumbo’s twist on a scone with Tasmanian strawberry and lemon myrtle jam and clotted cream. Of course, there’s also a selection of multi-coloured Zumbarons – the chef’s singular riff on a classic macaron. You can wash this fancy feast down with a glass of Mumm Champagne, a speciality tea or even a cocktail.

How much? $95-$125

Go for: Vintage leisure and delectable delights

What’s for tea? Adventure to the lower North Shore for a high tea steeped in history at Mosman’s Burnt Orange. Relax on the grand old wooden balcony and cast your gaze over Middle Harbour, while snacking on mini quiche Lorraine and smoked salmon sandwiches with dill and crème fraîche. When it’s time for some sweetness, there are mango lime meringue tarts, vanilla crème choux buns and, of course, freshly baked scones with homemade jams and chantilly cream. Add sparkling wine to your high tea for an extra $10, or bring your little ones for a children’s high tea at $40pp. 

How much? $40-$70

Go for: Hotel swankiness with non-judgemental gluttony

What's for tea? The Intercontinental Sydney has recently undergone a $120 million renovation, and excitingly has launched a fresh new high tea experience in its grand lobby bar, the Treasury. Treat yourself to an array of sweet and savoury treats served beside Mayde teas and either sparkling wine or French Champagne. Gorge on fluffy buttermilk scones with berry preserve and cream, alongside other delights such as a calamansi tart with burned Italian meringue and fresh raspberry, and mountain pepperberry pastrami with smoked tomato relish. There's also a fully vegan and gluten-free take on high tea on offer, which features compressed watermelon with olive dust and micro basil, avocado and dark chocolate mousse, and a strawberry tart with vegan vanilla custard.

How much: $89-$99. Children’s high tea is $45.

Go for: Innovative plant-based snacks

What’s for tea? Plant-based pals, this one’s for you. Dine in vegan style in Alibi Bar & Dining’s glasshouse for a 100 per cent plant-based high tea – think savoury mushroom pastry rolls, creamy vegetable pies and Champagne 'ham' sliders. Alibi also gives dessert a creative makeover with strawberry pavlova, mango and macadamia tarts, and scones with whipped cream and jam. This innovative weekend high tea includes two hours of unlimited Tea Drop tea and St. Remio coffee, with the option to add free-flowing sparkling wine or rosé, along with boozy tea-inspired cocktails.

How much? $70-$210

Go for: Old-world glamour under the chandeliers

What’s for tea? Guests are spoilt for choice, with three pages of tea on offer at this QVB classic. That’s a whopping 26 teas, including their ‘splendid Earl Grey’ blend and a chocolate-lavender harmony tea. You’ll sit up nice and straight on a little velour chair while making short work of sweet and savoury pastries, chubby scones with jars of mixed berry preserves and clotted cream, and soft little finger sandwiches. Gluten-free and vegan options, and a child-friendly high tea are also available. 

How much? $45-$90

Go for: Jaw-dropping, 180-degree harbour views

What’s for tea? The tea selection goes beyond the standard black blends (though the Earl Grey is excellent) to include seasonal green teas and a delicate peach-flavoured white tea. Soak up the enchanting harbour and bushland views while enjoying a daily rotation of timeless finger sandwiches, along with crisp parmesan shortbread and truffle mushroom arancini. The petit four selection may include mango and coconut cheesecakes, lemon meringue tartlets and a thin sliver of chocolate praline that is as light as a chocolate cloud. They accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets (just let them know in advance), and all guests can upgrade their afternoon tea experience with a cocktail or glass of Australian sparkling wine.

How much? $50-85

Go for: Luxe high tea treats made 100% from scratch in-house by an acclaimed pastry chef 

What's for tea? Tuck into three tiers of handcrafted sweets, savouries and scones from the new High Tea menu at the Four Season's Mode Kitchen & Bar. Every little part of the High Tea offering is made 100 per cent in-house by the hotel’s pastry chef, Quentin Zerr. Matching French technique with Australian flavours, the current seasonal selection features a delicious egg and truffle finger sandwich; a tomato and stracciatella tart; tiger prawn brioche; and Mode’s signature pavlova. Gluten-free, dairy-free and other dietary preferences are also catered for, and there's also a kids' high tea for mini socialites. Mode's High Tea is available Friday through Sunday from 2 to 4pm. Book via OpenTable.

How much? The Traditional High Tea is $99 per person 

Go for: A period-style high tea

What’s for tea? This picturesque and historic mansion in the Eastern Suburbs dates back to the 19th century, around the time when high tea became fashionable in British culture. You’ll be delighted to find classic finger sandwiches and delicate tarts on the bottom tier of your high tea pedestal, while caramelised apple eclairs, chocolate truffles and passionfruit macarons decorate the upper tiers. Along with organic teas and coffee, you can add a glass of Australian sparkling or a lychee prosecco cocktail for $10, or premium Champagne for $22.

How much? $60-$82

Go for: A fromage-based spin on the traditional high tea

What’s for tea? Sydney’s premium Champagne parlour in the QVB gives the traditional high tea a savoury twist. Kings and queens can enjoy a high cheese in Reign’s opulent, blush-pink dining room. It features three selections of cheeses, lavosh oat crackers, grapes, quince, chutney, dried fruits and nuts. It’s pretty much like a bougie cheese board in high tea form. Pair your high cheese with NV Kilikanoon Brut Vouvray from Loire Valley in France for $90.

How much? $36-$126

Go for: An impressive roving dessert trolley

What’s for tea? The grandest Champagne afternoon tea awaits you on the mezzanine of this opulent European brassiere. Begin with a glass of NV Moët & Chandon on arrival alongside scones; smoked salmon on toasted brioche; Brillat-Savarin gougères (French cheese puffs); and a cauliflower and bacon muffin. Then, roll out the red carpet for the Charles’ impressive dessert trolley. They’ll spoil your sweet tooth with a choice between a 28-layer Russian honey cake; tarte aux pralines (pink praline tart); marjolaine (nutty meringue layer gateau); or stonefruit and frangipane tart. There’s also handmade chocolate and macarons to complement your cake. For those who want to splash out, the Charles also offers a bougie caviar service starting at an additional $140. 

How much? $75-$420

Go for: Unbeatable views of Sydney Opera House

What’s for tea? Sit back in the Dining Room at this luxury hotel and enjoy multiple courses of impressive, bite-sized delights. The savoury offerings are five-star delicious, with spanner crab donuts and white soy trout roe pikelets. But also save space for the warm buttermilk scones with lemon myrtle jam and clotted crème. Wash your afternoon tea down with an Ovvio Paddington tea – lemongrass, licorice and ginger. It’s like a hot toddy without the booze. Or go all out with a glass of NV Tattinger Cuvée Prestige.

How much? $109-$140

Go for: A reason to stickybeak around the swanky Crown building

What’s for tea? Casually opulent lobby bar TWR (aka the Waiting Room) is set on the ground floor of Barangaroo’s Crown monolith and opens up onto bright, harbour views over the cove. TWR's high tea features a variety of sweet and savoury delights, including a lobster bon-bon, crab salad sandwich, yuzu meringue tart and mandarin cheesecake Mille Feuille. Just make sure you save space for the scones, which come out after the tiered snacks in two varieties – plain and apricot – along with a generous lather of clotted cream and a pot of jam.

How much? $105-$150

Go for: High tea inside the Parliament of New South Wales 

What's for tea? Overlooking the gorgeous greenery of the Botanic Gardens, each Friday a high tea is put on for the public from 12-3pm. They serve up black sultana scones with homemade jam and cream, dainty strawberry and pistachio éclairs, mini croque monsieur croissants and chilli beef empanadas, among two other tiers of impressive treats. Go traditional with tea and coffee, or start your weekend early with a glass of sparkling wine or rosé.

How much? $65-$80

Go for: A seriously affordable high tea experience

What’s for tea? The scone specialists at the Tea Cosy pay tribute to Britain’s age-old tradition with a grandstand of treats made using recipes from three generations of their family. Pump up the jam with a sampling of freshly baked scones, plus finger sandwiches filled with pastrami, cucumber or housemade maple butter. Although drinks aren’t included, you’re spoilt for choice with house blend black and herbal teas for $6 per pot, all served in fine china teapots and dressed in cute knitted tea cosies. You can also go down the boozy route with a smooth Bailey’s hot chocolate, peach Bellini or glass of sparkling. 

How much? $56 for two people (+ $28 for each additional person) 

Go for: An inclusive, accessible tea

What’s for tea? If you're going for the traditional high tea, one of the La Maison Du Thé teas or Vittoria coffee will be served at your table in true style, alongside a delectable selection of sweet and savoury delights. If you choose the gluten-free and vegan high tea, they'll swap out the chicken curry puffs and triple layer chocolate mousse cake for creamy vegetable pies and sticky date pudding with caramelised nuts and candied orange peel. Let your little ones feel like royalty for the day with Radisson Blu’s Kids in the City high tea, which features mini sausage rolls, vanilla sprinkle cupcakes and chocolate chip scones.

How much? $30-$75