With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to get festive the fancy way.
If you’ve explored Australia’s Christmas markets, there’s another way you can get into the spirit this silly season. Festive high teas are popping up across the country, enticing guests with sweets, treats and irresistible eats.
But there’s more to high tea than getting dressed up and indulging. It’s a way to celebrate a special occasion, and what’s more special than Christmas? Combine two great things and you get something incredible. Now, pinkies up – these are the best places to book a festive high tea experience this year.
1. Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, NSW
When: 21 November – 24 December
Cost: $105; $65 (1–12 years)
You’re invited to Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building this Christmas to have High Tea with Santa! Held in the historic ballroom, guests will be treated to a range of sweet and savoury delights, from freshly baked scones to delicate pastries.
You’re not the only one invited, though. Santa himself is taking a break from his busy schedule to pop in for a bite to eat and a photo! A professional photographer will be onsite to capture happy snaps with old Saint Nick before he jets off to the North Pole again.
2. The Cupcake Co., Southern Highlands, NSW
When: 1 November – 23 December
Cost: $59.95
Curated by a boutique cake and cupcake shop, it’s practically a given that this festive high tea will be nothing short of amazing. Quaint Berrima tea house The Cupcake Co. delivers an indulgent spread of sweets and treats made fresh for you.
Paired perfectly with a barista-made coffee or a pot of fresh loose-leaf tea, it’s an experience worth savouring over a sunny morning. Afterwards, explore the cosy town of Berrima or finish your day ticking off some of nearby Bowral’s best local highlights.
3. Shangri-La, Sydney, NSW
When: 27 November – 6 January
Cost: $98–$178
High above the city, Shangri-La Sydney is transforming its Level 36 bar into a Christmas wonderland this festive season. Indulge in sweet treats like Christmas-tree-shaped cookies, reindeer tarts and Santa-red choux pastries, alongside savoury delights and scones with clotted cream.
Prices range between $98 and $168 per person on weekdays, depending on your choice of beverage (think tea, coffee, bubbles or French Champagne. Come the weekend, tack on $10 for each offering. It’s the kind of high tea that feels like luxury wrapped in a festive bow, capped off with views of the glittering harbour below.
4. Dorsett, Melbourne, Vic
When: 7 & 15 December
Cost: $80; $40 (children)
Indulge in a delightfully festive high tea at the Dorsett Melbourne this year, with just two exclusive dining experiences available. The elegantly curated offering includes unlimited freshly baked scones and sandwiches, plus your choice of premium coffee or tea.
Each morsel has been handcrafted by the luxury hotel’s pastry chef, guaranteeing good times (and great flavours) all round. Guests will also enjoy a complimentary drink upon arrival to kick off the festivities – we’ll cheers to that!
5. Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie, Bellbrae, Vic
When: 22 December
Cost: $71; $30.50 (3–12 years)
Not only is the Great Ocean Road Australia’s top road trip adventure, it’s also home to one of the most mouth-watering pit stops – and this year, it’s hosting a festive high tea worth pulling over for. At the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, guests can tuck into everything from turkey and ham to pastries and a giant chocolate fountain.
If you can’t make it to the coast, the celebration continues at the Chocolaterie’s sister venue in the Yarra Valley. The regional outpost is adding extra sparkle this season with an elf treasure hunt and a chocolate bauble-making workshop – perfect for chocoholics!
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6. The Langham, Melbourne, Vic
When: 24 November – 1 January
Cost: $138; $60 (1–12 years); $148; $70 (Sundays)
Celebrate the most wonderful time of year with The Langham Melbourne, which hosts a dreamy afternoon high tea come Christmas. The banquet is held at the onsite bar and lounge, Aria, a befitting space with plush sofas, marble tables and huge windows draped with wispy white curtains.
Indulge in a mouth-watering arrangement of salty and sweet treats that have been delicately designed and baked to perfection. If you miss Chrissie with the family this year, don’t fret. The Langham’s high tea runs until 1 January, so you can still celebrate with loved ones in style.
7. W Brisbane, Brisbane, Qld
When: 7 November – 28 December
Cost: $80 (tea/coffee) – $99 (Champagne); $45 (children)
If you’re in the Queensland capital this Christmas, head to the W Brisbane for a fun-filled high tea at the Living Room Bar. Devour a teetering tower of treats with your loved ones, paired with your choice of tea and coffee or Champagne.
Afterwards, get hands-on with a build-your-own gingerbread house kit courtesy of the W Brisbane, which you can take home to enjoy. Not only is the five-star hotel one of the best places to stay in Brissie, it’s a fantastic spot to celebrate the silly season.
8. QTea, Gold Coast, Qld
When: 15 November – 31 December
Cost: $69; $39 (5–12 years)
Dive into a sun-soaked Christmas high tea on the Gold Coast, where the usual elegance takes on a festive twist at QTea. Think beetroot-thyme macarons, smoked-salmon roulades, mini pavlovas and more – all within one of the Gold Coast’s most luxurious properties.
With your choice of tea or espresso, plus optional bubbles or even boozy iced tea, it’s the perfect excuse to gather friends and treat yourself. This sip-sational high tea offering is available until the end of December, running from 11am to 2pm daily.
9. Strangers’ Restaurant, Brisbane, Qld
When: 2–17 December
Cost: $69.50
In the heart of the city with views across the Brisbane River, Queensland’s parliament building may not seem like the most festive of places. But come December, its onsite Strangers’ Restaurant transforms into a twinkling wonderland for its Christmas high tea.
The menu has been curated to include delectable festive-themed eats with warm, comforting flavours. Think everything from chocolate-filled pastries and cranberry scones to prawn rolls and pumpkin tarts – delicious!
10. Cataract on Paterson, Launceston, Tas
When: 14 December
Cost: $75; $35 (children 10 and under)
Cataract on Paterson is one of the best restaurants in Launceston, partly due to its incredible food, and partly due to its very merry Christmas high tea. Start off with a festive-themed cocktail before diving into a range of sweet treats, savoury snacks and bottomless cups of tea.
It’s the perfect family day out, thanks to a mini high tea curated for your mini-me. The team at Cataract have taken the adult menu and shrunk it, turning bigger treats into bite-sized eats. There will also be presents for little ones, delivered by Santa Claus himself.
11. Hadley’s Orient Hotel, Hobart, Tas
When: Throughout December
Cost: $59
Tucked in the heart of Hobart’s charming city centre, this heritage hotel invites you to savour a joyfully festive afternoon tea in its beautifully restored atrium. Hadley’s Orient Hotel will be serving up freshly baked scones, finger sandwiches and Christmas-themed sweet treats, all served with bubbles or tea.
Whether you’re celebrating with friends, family, or simply treating yourself, the venue’s holiday ambience, complete with seasonal decor and tailored table settings, makes for a memorable festive outing. It’s the perfect excuse to soak in the Chrissie spirit before the year ends.
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12. Hearth, Perth, WA
When: 1–31 December
Cost: $87; $49 (children)
Hearth at the Ritz Carlton Perth is going all out this Christmas by giving its signature afternoon tea a seasonal makeover. But it won’t be your usual menu. In true Hearth fashion, this high tea is inspired by Western Australia’s landscape, from coast to country.
Take a culinary journey through sweet and savoury flavours, all elevated by locally sourced ingredients like raw Forest Fresh honey and tea grown in Margaret River. Running seven days a week throughout December, this is one Santa would definitely approve of.
13. Cape Arid Rooms, Perth, WA
When: Until 5 February
Cost: $85; $45 (children 12 and under)
As the days stretch into the warmer months, Cape Arid Rooms invites you to its Spring to Summer afternoon tea in the heart of Perth. Expect savoury bites such as smoked salmon and pumpkin, as well as sweet treats like brownies, tarts, mousse and seasonal fruits.
The tea selection is sure to impress, with 20 blends on offer labelled under profiles like rich and bold, rare and precious, sweet and mellow, plus filter coffee, too. It’s the perfect fit for an Aussie Christmas: fresh, light and inspired by summer.
14. The Q on Hallet, Adelaide, SA
When: 16 November
Cost: $70
Is there anywhere more fancy to have scones and a cuppa than one of Adelaide’s most beautiful art galleries? This year, the Q on Hallett in Adelaide is inviting you to do just that, with Christmas high tea under its twinkling chandeliers.
Devour 10 different treats, half savoury and half sweet, with your choice of Christmas punch or glass of bubbles on arrival, as well as free-flowing coffee and T2 tea! A browse through The Q’s stunning art collection is the perfect way to end the day.
15. Together & Co, Darwin, NT
When: 14 November – 25 December
Cost: $45; $25 (5–12 years)
Starting mid-November and running every day until Christmas, Together & Co at Darwin’s Hilton Garden Inn is hosting a festive high tea of epic proportions. Taste your way through a tantalising menu that features everything from brownies and baked cheesecake to pork sliders and arancini.
Whether you prefer classics like fruit cake or want to try your luck with an eggnog shooter, your taste buds are sure to be thankful. Simply can’t get enough? You’re in luck – make the whole thing bottomless for just $10 extra a pop.
16. Hyatt Hotel, Canberra, ACT
When: 24–25 December
Cost: $79; $85 (weekends, with a 10 per cent Sunday surcharge)
Those in the nation’s capital this December should treat themselves to an indulgent high tea buffet courtesy of the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Set up in the aptly named Tea Lounge, the exclusive experience will be held on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only.
Sit down with your friends and family to munch on savoury sandwiches and sweet treats delivered to your table and paired with your choice of beverage. Too full to journey home? Book a stay and treat yourself to a cosy night at one of Canberra’s top hotels.
Are you looking to take the year off from hosting Christmas? Explore the best restaurants open on Christmas Day in Australia.
