14 Sydney high teas that redefine afternoon elegance

A tea party is always a good idea and these are the best high teas in Sydney to fill your cup.

No one needs an excuse to enjoy an elegant cup of tea, but if you’re looking for one, then here are 13 of the best high teas in Sydney that deserve to be tried for their sense of occasion and ritual. From locations that impress with dramatic Sydney Harbour views to beautiful tea rooms with white-clothed tables and standout morsels that take the creative cake, when the clock strikes tea’o’clock, book yourself one of these experiences.

1. Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

The Archibald High Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel.

The Archibald High Tea will run until August.

The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is currently hosting one of the best high teas in the country (until August). Their Archibald High Tea is a celebration of the annual art prize and the nearby Royal Botanic Garden. A beautiful spread swathed in purple tones—reflecting both the Art Gallery’s hue for the 2025 prize and the jacarandas in the gardens—is served alongside world-class service. Be sure to leave plenty of room beforehand, as you’ll be making your way through a generous selection of delicate cakes, cheese, scones and charcuterie to be enjoyed alongside a glass of Pommery Champagne and a curated selection of refined teas. The sweets are the highlight, featuring a light and floral jasmine tea macaron that evokes the soft scent of spring blossoms, and a raspberry choux au craquelin inspired by falling jacaranda petals.

Price: $89 per person with a glass of Champagne; $69 per person without.
Address: Sofitel Sydney Wentworth 61, 101 Phillip St, Sydney

2. High Tea on Level 36

High Tea on Level 36 with Sydney Harbour and Opera views

Enjoy high tea up high at the Shangri-La. (Image: Supplied)

Ascend to decadence when you arrive for your high tea experience on level 36 of the Shangri-La. While the cakes are dainty delights that may include matcha eclairs and passionfruit mango tart, they’ll be competing for your attention against that eye-ensnaring view of Sydney Harbour and its icons.

Price: From $88 per person
Address: Shangri-La Sydney, 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks

3. The Tea Room

the high tea experience at The Tea Room QVB

This QVB classic elevates your high tea experience. (Image: @msannmarieyuen)

The porcelain is perfection and the ambience is elegantly curated at this QVB classic that is all about the art of tea. Finger sandwiches, scones and the choice to elevate your experience with champagne, cocktails or sparkling makes for an afternoon well spent. They also offer a children’s high tea for ages 5–12 for $55 per person.

Price: From $75 per person
Address: Queen Victoria Building, Level 3, 255 George Street, Sydney

4. Aperture Afternoon Tea at Capella

An assortment of pastries paired with the signature Aperture tea. (Image: Timothy Kaye)

Every day from 12.30pm to 4pm pop an array of meticulously crafted morsels in your mouth under Aperture’s delicate lanterns in the Capella lobby. Nibble demurely on treats made by Capella’s pastry chef served alongside a signature Aperture tea blend or add a glass of Champagne for an additional $25. Kids under 12 may enjoy high tea favourites of egg and mayonnaise sandwiches and scones with jam and cream, as well as ice cream cookie stacks at the dedicated Little Stars sitting.

Price: $95 per person for adults, or $125 to add a glass of champagne.
Address: Capella Sydney, 24 Loftus Street, Sydney

5. High Tea Sydney Cruise

Cruise past Circular Quay as you nibble on sweet treats.

For something quintessentially Sydney, opt to take your tea at sea with this fun little harbour-top adventure. This Captain Cook Cruises experience begins with a glass of pink bubbles and carries on with tiers of sweet and savoury snacks, such as prawn blinis and petit fours, all while you cruise by stunning Sydney beaches, architectural icons and national parks. Choose to depart from either Circular Quay of King Street Wharf from Wednesday to Sunday.

Price: $99 per person
Address: Darling Harbour King Street Wharf 1; Circular Quay Wharf 6

6. QTea High Tea

high tea with sugared treats at QT Hotel

The lavish high tea at QT Hotel comes with sugared treats. (Image: Supplied)

Master pâtissier Adrian Zumbo lends his imaginative spins on sugared treats to QT Hotel’s lavish high tea. Of course, being the QT, one shouldn’t come expecting a traditional high tea. Instead, tuck your napkin into your shirt in anticipation of chicken katsu sandwiches, prawn toast and desserts such as ‘Man Goes Coco’, a summery mango and coconut shortbread, and ‘Baubleicious’, Zumbo’s take on red velvet cake with cranberry jelly and sour cream mousse. Served in the Gilt Lounge every Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm, you can also opt in for a gluten-free and vegan menu for the same price.

Price: $99 per person
Address: QT Hotel 49 Market Street, Sydney

7. High Tea at InterContinental Sydney

the dining interior at InterContinental Sydney

Timeless elegance meets breathtaking views at InterContinental Sydney. (Image: Supplied)

With organic Mayde teas and Australian sparkling on the pour in the InterContinental’s elegant 1851 sandstone building, you’re all set for a classy interlude to your weekend. Enjoy three tiers of sweet and savoury treats from executive chef Matt Hart and his pastry team, plus a glass of bubbles, between 11am and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There’s also a children’s menu for $45.

Price: From $99 per person
Address: InterContinental Sydney 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney

8. High Tea at Gunners’ Barracks

high tea with a view at Gunners’ Barracks, Mosman

Feast on dainty sandwiches with a cuppa on a picturesque waterfront setting. (Image: Gunners’ Barracks)

Follow the scent of freshly baked scones to Mosman’s Gunners’ Barracks, where Ronnefeldt tea flows in this waterfront historic setting. Feast on harbour views, dainty sandwiches and petit fours as you work your way through a truly extensive tea menu. If you’re after more than leaves in your cup, choose the sparkling, cocktail or champagne version. Finish with a wander around the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Price: From $75 per person
Address: Suakin drive, Mosman

9. The Langham Afternoon Tea

a Doggy Afternoon Tea at The Langham, Sydney

The Langham offers a Doggy Afternoon Tea to pamper pups. (Image: The Langham)

Moving forward with a tradition that began at The Langham, London in 1865, high tea is served at Langham Sydney’s Observatory Bar daily between 12pm and 2pm. In keeping with the long-observed ritual, things remain decidedly British with soft finger sandwiches, fluffy scones and the Langham Pink Rose made with pink gin compote, lychee mousse and vanilla financier. You may add Aussie sparkling or Tattinger for an additional cost, and kids under four eat free.

Price: From $95 per person
Address: 89-113 Kent Street, Sydney

10. Hyatt Regency Gin High Tea

gin high tea at Hyatt Regency lounge, Sydney

Partake in the Saturday Gin High Tea at Hyatt Regency. (Image: Wes Nel Photography)

Should you prefer your botanicals infused in something a little stronger than hot water, head directly to the Hyatt Regency lobby lounge to partake in their Saturday Gin High Tea from 2.30pm. You’ll sip your way through two G&Ts made with Fever Tree tonic as you work your way through an array of canapes and sweets, such as lobster and caviar brioche, lychee panna cotta and s’mores pudding. There’s also a kids’ version for $55, which naturally does not include the gin.

Price: $95 per person
Address: Hyatt Regency 161 Sussex Street, Sydney

11. High Tea at Burnt Orange

Settle in for sweet treats at Burnt Orange. (Image: Spooning Australia)

Freshly prepared to order by the pastry kitchen, high tea at Burnt Orange is a delicious endeavour of cakes and treats in a stunning, bush-enclosed setting. Gazing across the water, the former 1920s-era clubhouse for the Mosman Golf Club has a deep wraparound balcony, which is the pick of the spots to partake in one of Sydney’s most competitively priced high teas. Kids under 12 enjoy a menu more attuned to their palate, including cake pops, fairy rolls and scones for just $40 per person.

Price: From $60 per person
Address: 1108-1109 Middle Head Road, Mosman

12. Estate Vaucluse House High Tea

the high tea experience at Estate Vaucluse House, Sydney

Indulge in Endless Spritz High Tea and feel like a character from a Jane Austen novel. (Image: Estate Vaucluse House)

Enjoy the meticulously tended gardens of the beautiful Vaucluse House pre- or post-tea when you undertake this most pleasant of rituals. It’s all tradition here with prettily arranged scones and finger sandwiches and an ambience that will have you feeling like a character from a Jane Austen novel. If you’d like to indulge in a manner unbecoming of a Regency-era novelist, then we suggest you go for the Endless Spritz High Tea, which includes unlimited Prosecco, limoncello spritz Aperol spritz or lychee spritz.

Price: From $70 per person
Address: 69A Wentworth Road, Vaucluse

13. The Palace Tea Room

sweet treats at The Palace Tea Room, Sydney

Treat yourself to the elegant high tea on offer at The Palace Tea Room. (Image: Supplied)

Sip tea daily at this lower-level QVB tea room, which is elaborately styled with ornate chandeliers, velvet chairs and artful wallpaper. Fittingly, the high tea is as classic as the fit-out with finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. The children’s menu swaps out the tea for either a milkshake, hot choc or soft drink for $35 per person.

Price: From $65 per person
Address: Shop 20-22, Level 1 Queen Victoria Building 455 George Street, Sydney

14. The Tea Cosy

sweet treats and pastries at The Tea Cosy, The Rocks

Tuck into a cuppa and scones at The Tea Cosy. (Image: Anna Kucera)

Get into the Grandmacore styling at The Tea Cosy with all manner of doilies, fringed lampshades, crocheted tea cosies, mismatched floral porcelain and traditional doorstop-style scones. It’s also the best-priced high tea in the city at just $27 per person. For that, you can tuck into three tiers of delicious goodies, including cucumber sandwiches, scones with butterscotch cream, and fresh fruit. And while that price doesn’t include drinks, tea is just $7 per pot.

Price: $27 per person
Address: 7 Atherden Street, The Rocks

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Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!