Where to Go for High Tea in Your Traveling Destination in 2025?
High Tea has been many things to many people over the years. From working-class dinner to old school treats and modern indulgence, this is one culinary tradition that seems to be everyone's cup of tea. In Melbourne, high tea has really found itself a home – the city has loads of great places where you can sample some mini delights with friends and family, or simply treat yourself to a little finger food. If you're wondering where to go, check out our four favorite High Tea Hot Spots in Melbourne. Tea is served!
If you're heading to Melbourne on your holidays, don't forget to book flights and accommodation over at Trip.com…
1.High Tea Melbourne: The Melba Restaurant, The Langham Hotel
The Langham is famed as the ancestral home of afternoon tea. So it's no surprise they pull out all the stops at the Melba Restaurant, with a range of different packages available. There's Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood, Twilight Tea with Wedgwood, The Greatest Mother's Day High Tea, and even Spa and Afternoon Tea. Served in tailor-made "Langham Rose" Wedgwood china and paired with a wide range of bespoke teas, this is the quintessential high tea experience that's is not missed. After a brief seasonal hiatus, Afternoon tea returned to the Melba from February 21 onwards. Book 4 places and the fifth person dines for free.
Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
Availability: Monday to Thursday, with sessions at 10am and 4pm only.
Figure 1 With a wide array of specialty teas on offer, the Langham is famed as the home of high tea in Melbourne
2.High Tea Melbourne: Park Hyatt Melbourne
Served in the Tea Lounge overlooking Trilogy Gardens, Park Hyatt Melbourne presents a five-star high tea experience called The Art of Afternoon Tea. And there's more to this elegant degustation event than meets the eye – local chefs and local ingredients combine to give the proceedings a uniquely Melbournian flavor. Try their finely cut sandwiches, scones and pastries, and you'll feel like one of the locals. The Tea Lounge is a peaceful enclave where you can savor a quintessentially English dining experience, with a distinctively Australian feel. Try the finely cut sandwiches together with freshly baked scones, served with a selection of jams and double cream, all topped off with a delectable selection of afternoon pastries. Yum!
Address: 1 Parliament Square Off, Parliament Pl, Melbourne VIC 3002
Availability: Monday to Sunday, 2.30pm to 5.30pm
Figure 2 With a few brushstrokes from local chefs, Park Hyatt Melbourne has turned high tea into a culinary work of art
3.High Tea Melbourne: Conservatory, Crown Metropol Melbourne
Famed as one of the best buffet experiences in Melbourne, the Conservatory is the city's take on a classic Parisian tearoom. Located right in the heart of the Southbank region, this elegant hotel benefits from gorgeous views, marble floors, and lavish décor – all in all, this is where you dress to impress and dine with style. The stately atmosphere also infuses the food, with hand-crafted chocolate desserts and beautifully garnished pastries. Try the spiced wagyu sausage roll, seafood vol au vent and mushroom pie – just a few of the many highlights to be enjoyed in this uplifting high tea hot spot. Basic afternoon tea packages start at AUS$70, but splash out an extra $15 and you'll get a glass of Moet and Chandon into the bargain too.
Address: 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006
Availability: Saturdays 3pm to 4pm, Sundays 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Figure 3 With gorgeous views, marble floors, and lavish décor, the Conservatory is an irresistibly elegant backdrop for a spot of high tea in Melbourne
4.High Tea Melbourne: The Hotel Windsor
Since it first opened way back in 1883, the Hotel Windsor has served high tea to over two million guests – that's a lot of finger food! To celebrate 130 years of snacking in style, the hotel has put together a guide to the intricacies of tea drinking etiquette, along with a history of high tea itself. Their menu is also a travel through time, which stops off at various dishes that have helped to make this culinary tradition a timeless classic. There's cauliflower and cheese pie, caramel log, mandarin mousse, and, of course, the Hotel Windsor's very own homemade scones, served with clotted cream and jam.
Address: 111 Spring St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Availability: Thursday to Sunday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Figure 4 With over 130 years of service, Hotel Windsor offers the definitive Melbourne high tea experience
No trip to Melbourne would be complete without a stop in one of the many elegant hotels and restaurants that offer high tea. Make your visit even more memorable, by checking in and extending your stay at one of our recommended Melbourne hotels: Best Western Melbourne City, Mercure North Melbourne and Causeway 353 Hotel.
FAQs about high tea in Melbourne
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Why is it called high tea?
The British tradition of High Tea began in the mid 1700s as an afternoon meal usually served between 3 and 4 o'clock. Initially, it was a meal for the working man, taken standing up or sitting on tall stools, thus 'high'. Tea with cakes, scones, even cheese on toast would have been served.
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Are high tea and afternoon tea the same thing?
Not exactly. Back in the day, ‘afternoon tea' was light snacks, served in the early afternoon, whereas 'high tea' involved more substantial dishes and was served later in the day. That being said, the modern version of ‘high tea' is usually a bit of both.
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How is high tea usually served in Australia?
When you visit a tea house, café or restaurant in Australia and ask for high tea, don't expect to be served meat pies, pickled salmon, baked beans, and cold cuts (as is the English custom). Instead, expect to get a nice pot of tea paired with some delicious pastries and cream.
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What should I wear for high tea?
The standard high tea attire is 'smart casual'. This means no trainers, t-shirts, shorts or other sportswear. A typical outfit for high tea for men would be smart trousers and shoes, with a button-up shirt
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When is the best time for high tea?
High tea is normally served between 5pm and 7pm, but you can enjoy it whenever the moment takes your fancy!