Delight In The Best Brisbane High Tea

Throw your pinkies in the air for dainty delicacies at the best places to experience a Brisbane high tea.

Fluffy finger sandwiches, itsy bitsy cakes, flowing bubbles, and fragrant brew – I am endlessly enchanted by the art of high tea. And I’m not alone. Dating as far back as the 1840s, the dining experience is still ridiculously popular, and Brisbane plays home to an abundance of sittings. From the confines of luxurious hotels to standalone destinations nailing new takes on the traditional, Brisbane high tea is always a special occasion – and I’ve created your go-to list.

In short

If you only try one Brisbane high tea, make it Strangers’ High Tea at Parliament House for its unparalleled portal into a bygone era. Think live classical music, nineteenth-century bones and delicious homemade treats.

1. Tea & Bubbles High Tea at Naldham House, Brisbane

the exterior of Naldham House, Brisbane — Step into the European-inspired Naldham House for Tea & Bubbles High Tea. (Image: Dexter Kim)

I love any excuse to step inside the heritage-listed Naldham House but the multi-level venue’s high tea, staged inside its European-inspired Brasserie, is a standout experience. The space is intoxicating, carpeted, moody and wall-lined with books at one end while thick red curtains dial up the drama to almost theatrical heights. What of the towers themselves? The sweets are all baked on-site, the finger sandwiches are cloudlike-fluffy, and they do a smoked mortadella croquette. Need I say more? It’s staged on Saturday from 2:30pm until 4:30pm and prices start from $65 per person before adding bubbles. I recommend just saying yes to the two-hour bottomless Taittinger package for an additional $80 because, well, Taittinger.

Address: 33 Felix St, Brisbane

2. Strangers’ High Tea at Parliament House, Brisbane

delightful bites at Strangers’ High Tea, Parliament House, Brisbane — Wash down these delightful bites with an indulgent tea offering. (Image: Strangers’ Restaurant)

Dine where the very highest of society frequented at Strangers’ High Tea , staged inside Queensland Parliament’s acclaimed Strangers’ Restaurant on select Tuesdays from 11:30am. It’s exceptional for its live classical music and ornate nineteenth-century designed space, once exclusive to male members of parliament. I love the bites, too, which include stalwarts like buttermilk scones and chicken and cucumber sandwiches, plus creations finessed by the Brisbane high tea’s parliamentary chefs like raspberry Opera slice, pumpkin and feta tarts and more. Prices start from $65 per person and I recommend booking well in advance as spots are snapped up quickly. Stay across the website for dates.

Address: Parliamentary Annexe, 69 Alice St, Brisbane

3. High Tea at Lennons Restaurant & Bar, Brisbane

pastries and high tea at Lennons Restaurant & Bar, Brisbane — Satisfy your sweet tooth with decadent pastries. (Image: Mitch Lowe)

Smack-bang in the centre of the CBD, Lennons Restaurant & Bar does a Brisbane high tea to write home about. Found inside the historical Lennons building, erected in 1884 and once one of the tallest structures in the city, the experience delivers decadence with a side of city views while the vibe inside is traditional-bistro and very family-friendly. The menu changes by theme and often with the season, but in December 2025 there was a wonderful ‘Season of Sunshine’ roll call of scones with raspberry Chantilly cream and jam, pineapple meringue, mango choux buns, pea and mint arancini with goat’s cheese and more. It’s staged on Saturday and Sunday from 12:30pm until 3pm and prices start $65 excluding booze (but including tea and coffee, naturally).

Address: 72 Queen St, Brisbane

4. Champagne High Tea at Customs House, Brisbane

Inside yet another noteworthy Brisbane icon, Champagne High Tea at Customs House offers a sensational sitting across several days of the week, making it a great, accessible pick for that reason alone. Staged on Tuesday at 3pm, and Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30am until 3pm, the 1.5-hour sessions offer views across the river and Story Bridge, making for one of the most scenic Brisbane high teas, to boot. Expect finger sandwiches, miniature cakes, macarons, and a glass of Taittinger bubbles for $90 per person.

Address: 399 Queen St, Brisbane

5. Various high teas at Stamford Plaza Brisbane, Brisbane

tea being poured into a cup on the table at Stamford Plaza Brisbane — The unique flavours of the Sunshine State are infused into the Spirit of Queensland High Tea. (Image: Stamford Hotels and Resorts)

Beloved for putting on three unique versions of Brisbane high tea, Stamford Plaza Brisbane spins its magic on Saturday and Sunday, plus school holidays. It’s all-weekend ‘Spirit of Queensland High Tea’ pays tribute to the flavours of the Sunshine State, spanning tropical fruit, roast Mt Cotton chicken, Maleny cheese sandwiches with ham and Mooloolaba prawn quiche. It costs $79 per person excluding alcohol. Saturday also offers a ‘Chocolate Afternoon Tea’ where more than 17 takes on everyone’s favourite sweet stuff is delivered with baked scones at $69 a seat. Finally, if it’s the school holidays, don’t miss Wizardry High Tea which blends a theme of witchcraft and, well, wizardry (just go with it, your kids love it), with the sweetest of treats.

Address: Corner Edward and Margaret Sts, Brisbane

6. Various high teas at W Brisbane, Brisbane

high tea at W Brisbane, Brisbane — The W brings vibes aplenty with its unique ‘Pretty In Pink’ menu. (Image: W Hotels)

Dripping with the hotel chain’s distinct rock and roll flavour, W Brisbane stages a series of high teas throughout the year within its eclectic Living Room Bar. Amid a sea of metallics, pop prints and soft seating, the themed high teas nod to whatever they’re vibing at the time. Be it the ‘Festive’ menu available in December 2025, staged on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from $80 per person, or versions that tap into the likes of Easter and Mother’s Day, there’s always something delicious going on. Check the website for menus and dates that suit your travel plans.

Address: Level 1, 81 North Quay, Brisbane

7. High Tea at Dandelion & Driftwood, Hendra

You might know Dandelion & Driftwood for its epic breakfasts but the cosy north Brisbane cafe also nails high tea and takeaway high tea box sets. Available at any time of the day, you need to pre-book your seat but get organised because the spoils are abundant. Brioche rolls, thick, fluffy scones, mini tarts and tiny pastries provide all the stomach lining your boozy (or non-boozy) beverage selection needs. Prices start from $65 per person.

Address: 20 Doncaster St, Hendra

8. Zen Garden High Tea at Bar 1603, Hotel Indigo, Brisbane

Serving spectacular afternoon spreads from Friday to Sunday, Bar 1603 inside Hotel Indigo is home to the magical Zen Garden High Tea . A homage to the flavours of Japanese cuisine, the Brisbane high tea caters to both savoury and sweet palettes however that’s where everything you think you know about high tea ends. Forget finger sandwiches forever as you dive into a stream of sashimi, gyoza, Moreton Bay bug rolls, Green Matcha soil (just you wait), mango cheesecake and more. It costs $109 per person and includes a glass of sparkling wine.

Address: 27-35 Turbot St, Brisbane

9. High Tea at Bacchus, Rydges South Bank Brisbane, Brisbane

pouring tea into a cup at Bacchus, Rydges South Bank Brisbane — A high-luxe, high tea scene at Bacchus.

Fine China porcelain and velvet chairs set a high-luxe, high tea scene at Bacchus inside Rydges South Bank Brisbane. Catering to both adults and children on Saturday, this high tea is worthy of your finest frocks as classic indulgences light up your table. The theme changes from time to time, with December 2025 ushering in a Festive menu, but you can expect delights like finger sandwiches, croquettes, prawn cocktails, and all your obligatory scones and sweets. It costs about $69 per person, excluding alcohol.

Address: 9 Glenelg St, South Bank

10. High Tea at The Kitchen, Old Government House, Brisbane

Held on just one Friday per month, High Tea at The Kitchen in beautiful Old Government House, is an utterly lovely dining experience you must do at least once in your life. Located at the bustling Queensland University of Technology campus right near the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, the venue pops together a beautiful selection of delicacies spanning finger sandwiches, handmade sweets and pastries. You’ll need to check the website for upcoming dates, but make sure you book your table in advance. Prices start from $79 per person.

Address: 2 George St, Brisbane

11. High Tea at Spicers Balfour Brisbane, New Farm

High Tea at Spicers Balfour Hotel, New Farm — Indulge in exquisite delights at Spicers Balfour Brisbane.

Get swept away in frangipani trees and ultra-lush greenery at Spicers Balfour Brisbane ’s High Tea, staged once a month on Saturday across two lunchtime seatings. It’s a stunning setting, embraced entirely if you can wrangle a spot on the Art Deco hotel restaurant’s terrace (but the courtyard is equally charming). The Brisbane high tea features mouth-watering sweets, including the likes of mini tarts, macarons, and specialty cakes, plus savoury brioche, smoked salmon on croute, and scones with Chantilly cream and raspberry jam. It starts from $89 per person.

Address: 37 Balfour St, New Farm

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

Elegant spots to savour a Brisbane high tea