6 spots for the most exquisite high tea in the Blue Mountains

By Megan Arkinstall
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Top off your afternoon with one of these Blue Mountains high teas, whether you seek a luxurious setting with sprawling mountain views or a cosy teahouse complete with fireplace.

When we think of high tea, we may think of a glamourous affair where we dress in our best, sip Champagne and eat dainty sandwiches. But high tea can be just as sweet in a humble teahouse that bakes scones as nanna once did or served with cocktails instead of Devonshire – and the Blue Mountains offers them all. However you take your cuppa, these six high teas in the Blue Mountains will hit your tastebuds.

1. The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic, Medlow Bath

This grand afternoon ceremony at the Hydro Majestic could be considered the most luxurious Blue Mountains high tea. The daily afternoon tea offering is served in The Wintergarden, which is elegant with white tablecloths, golden-hued velvet dining chairs, decorative carpets and heavy curtains that frame a sweeping vista of the Megalong Valley. In the winter months, the fireplaces keep the restaurant cosy.

an aerial view of The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic, Medlow Bath in Megalong Valley

Sweeping views of the Megalong Valley surround the Hydro Majestic Hotel. (Image: Destination NSW)

There are four high tea menus to choose from, all served on three-tiered silver stands. There’s the traditional high tea with petite sandwiches and scones; an eastern high tea featuring steamed dumplings and rice paper rolls; a gluten-free option and a children’s high tea where sweet treats and pikelets are served.

Couple enjoying the views at Hydro Majestic Wintergarden High Tea

Take your pick from a variety of themed high teas at the Hydro Majestic. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Choose to pair with tea, Australian sparkling wine or French Champagne. Tea Blossoms are also available; delicate floral arrangements that unfurl in hot water like works of art. Bookings are essential as this is a popular experience.

the white building exterior of The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic, Medlow Bath in Megalong Valley

Step into the opulent Hydro Majestic for a delectable high tea experience. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. AVALON, Katoomba

Nestled on the main street, the dress circle of the 1930s Savoy Theatre has been converted into one of the most charming restaurants in Katoomba, AVALON Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. Every weekend the Art Deco dining room – which is filled with an assortment of antiques and theatre-themed curios – is host to a high tea from midday, where petite sandwiches and fluffy lemonade scones are served up with views of Leura and the Jamison Valley.

the interior of AVALON, Katoomba with views of Leura and the Jamison Valley

Take in views of the Jamison Valley while eating fluffy lemonade scones.

Choose from the sparkling high tea that comes with a glass of bubbles, prosecco or Moscato as well as premium local tea or coffee, or mix things up with the Gin & Tea in the gin parlour, located in the theatre lobby, where teapots are filled with gin cocktails.

the high tea venue inside AVALON, Katoomba

Partake in an indulgent high tea experience in the Art Deco dining room.

3. Victoria Tea Rooms, Mt Victoria

Located in Mt Victoria, just north of Blackheath, the high tea at Victoria Tea Rooms is hosted by owner Jacqueline Cairney who is also a member of the CWA, which speaks volumes for the fluffy scones that are pulled fresh from the oven every 40 minutes.

The homely tearoom is filled with eclectic furniture and bric-a-brac and there’s a roaring fireplace for the cooler months. Indulge in the famous scones, finger sandwiches that are fat with fillings along with pots of Devonshire tea. Bookings are essential at least 24 hours in advance.

4. The Restaurant, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, Leura

The Fairmont Resort in Leura is known for its extensive guest offerings, from a golf course to a day spa to an array of kids’ experiences. And, of course, this all-encompassing resort also has a daily high tea service. The afternoon dining experience is served in The Restaurant; the venue is simple in style, but all eyes are on the panoramic views of the sprawling Jamison Valley and the Blue Mountains’ iconic sandstone escarpments beyond.

Autumnal trees surround the Fairmont property in Leura

The Fairmont Resort delivers the perfect setting for an elegant high tea. (Image: James Horan; Destination NSW)

The delectable high tea offerings are served on tiered trays, with the choice of sparkling wine, Champagne, loose leaf La Maison Du Thé or Vittoria Coffee. The traditional high tea is a mix of finger sandwiches, English scones and other pretty sweets and there’s a children’s menu as well. There are two seatings available daily and it must be pre-booked at least 48 hours in advance.

a close-up of food on the plate at The Restaurant, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, Leura

Follow up a delectable high tea with indulgent food offerings at The Restaurant, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains.

5. Bygone Beautys, Leura

In the charming village of Leura, Bygone Beautys is so much more than a tearoom – it’s also a treasured teapot museum, filled with some 5500 teapots that span five centuries and were collected mainly from Australia but also from other parts of the world.

In the adjacent tearoom, which is decorated with an assortment of teapots, your waiter donned in top hat and tail serves your tea with all the pomp and circumstance you’d expect from a traditional high tea of a bygone era. Delivered on a silver tray with fine bone china, the menu includes crustless sandwiches, homemade tea cakes and – of course – scones with freshly whipped cream and strawberry jam. Sip on house tea or coffee or upgrade your experience to a ‘supreme’ version with bubbly alongside hot bites including mini quiches and sausage rolls. Bookings are essential for this quirky and quaint experience rolled into one.

6. Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

Historic homestead turned romantic hotel, Lilianfels serves a daily high tea in both the light-filled Orangery restaurant with its chequerboard tiles and views of the leafy gardens, and the Lounge, which has a rich ambience with a mahogany bar, lounges and fireplaces. The tiered trays are served with housemade scones, petite pastries and finger sandwiches complemented by tea or coffee, or a glass of bubbles or French champagne.

the elegant interior of Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

The grandness of Lilianfels is the perfect setting for a refined high tea.

And while this intimate stay is the perfect place to secret away to with your loved one, children are welcome and are served a special high tea including pikelets and fairy bread. Bookings are essential.

For more inspiration and planning advice, read our travel guide to the Blue Mountains.
Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
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A Japanese-inspired bathhouse just opened in the Blue Mountains

    By Carla Grossetti
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    Memories of a childhood in Japan were the inspiration behind Aqua Ignis, a new Blue Mountains bathhouse.

    A new revolutionary bathhouse in the Blue Mountains is redefining wellness by drawing on ancient bathing traditions from around the world. Aqua Ignis co-founder Taku Hjelgaard says it was the experience of visiting an onsen near his grandparents’ home in Osaka that first inspired this contemporary take on a bathhouse.

    “I remember riding on a bike around the narrow winding streets of Osaka, immersing myself in these giant baths and then lying on my back in the tatami room feeling relaxed and rejuvenated,” says Taku, who was born in Japan, but raised in the UK and Australia.

    “I would ride home with the wind in my hair at night through these beautiful Japanese streets. These memories are etched in my mind and ultimately inspired the creation of Aqua Ignis,” says Taku.

    the front of Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Aqua Ignis is the newest bathhouse to open in the Blue Mountains.

    The name Aqua Ignis draws from the Latin: Aqua (water), which represents the bath and steam room elements; and Ignis (fire), which represents the sauna. Taku says the two words capture the core experience of visiting the Blackheath bathhouse.

    “It’s that interplay between hot and cold, water and heat. One of the things I really love about Japanese bathhouses is that it’s therapy for both the mind and the body. It’s engaging in a hot and cold treatment, soaking up the magnesium, and then having a really restorative rest in our beautiful spaces,” says Taku, who also works part-time as a counsellor.

    Taku’s brother-in-law, Korean-German architect Siki Im was behind the transformation of the old Art Deco property that houses Aqua Ignis. Taku’s business partner, carpenter Lee Nias, was also involved in the transformation of the heritage structure. The building was reimagined as a ‘room within a room’ concept that allows for fluid transitions between spaces.

    inside Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Not only does the bathhouse feature onsen-like baths, but it also has steam rooms and saunas.

    Taku says Aqua Ignis also nods to Turkish hammams with its herbal-infused steam rooms.

    “My business partner Lee’s heritage is a real mix. He’s part Chinese, part Indian, part Irish, part English. Our architect is Korean but lives in Germany. And my heritage is Japanese so it makes sense that we blend a lot of different global traditions together,” he says.

    Both Lee and Taku grew up in the Blue Mountains and say Aqua Ignis is a way of giving back to the community. Taku says the ultimate goal is for visitors to experience a uniquely Australian form of wellness. “It’s wellness that respects diverse cultural practices while creating something entirely new,” Taku says.

    “We are eternally grateful to the Blue Mountains, the people, the landscape, the trees, the water that has shaped us. Our way of giving back to community is by creating this bathhouse, which reflects the country’s rich, complex cultural landscape,” he says.

    Taku says he and Lee have been consulting with a local Gundungurra woman to incorporate Indigenous Australian elements through a eucalyptus cleansing ceremony.

    the sauna at Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    The hot rock sauna is a nod to the European tradition.

    Aqua Ignis has a hot rock sauna, herbal steam room, magnesium mineral bath, cold plunge and rest areas. Together, Taku says the treatments provide visitors with a space to reset.

    You can find Aqua Ignis at 239 Great Western Highway, Blackheath, NSW

    Stretch your legs on one of these hikes in the Blue Mountains. Next, enjoy a restorative session at Aqua Ignis, followed by a stay at one of these cosy Blue Mountains cabins?