The Fanciest (And Tastiest) High Teas In Perth

Who doesn’t enjoy the sophistication and sumptuousness of a high tea?

Perth is known for its stunning beaches, but it is also a haven for culinary lovers. The coastal city has plenty of elegant high tea options, from traditional experiences and particularly opulent affairs to quirky high teas with a twist and even ‘high cheese’– a high tea for cheese lovers. Here are nine of the best high teas to enjoy in Perth.

In short

If you only do one high tea in Perth, make it at the Cape Arid Rooms or Hearth. Both offer an unforgettable experience in their aesthetic and refined settings, with premium food and bubbles.

Cape Arid Rooms, Perth

Best for: An opulent experience

Located in the iconic State Buildings, and resting above the official marking of Perth’s Point Zero, the Cape Arid Rooms are the warm and inviting home of one of Perth’s most celebrated high teas.

The space is adorned with intricate paintings by renowned WA artists Alex and Philippa Nikulinsky, whose Cape Arid Collection is what the rooms are proudly named after. The revolving high tea menu itself is inspired by WA’s natural produce, with each edition spotlighting a different area and its local producers and ingredients. You can choose to pair your food with Champagne or beautifully brewed tea.

Address: 1 Cathedral Ave, Perth WA

Opening hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12pm – 5pm

C Restaurant

Best for: High tea with a view

C Restaurant is Western Australia’s only revolving restaurant, more than 30 storeys high in the middle of the CBD and offering sprawling views of the city and Swan River. Its popular high tea, widely regarded as one of the best in Perth, includes a selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours and freshly baked scones, alongside a selection of nine tea blends, coffee and bottomless sparkling and Champagne options.

Address: Level 33, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 12.30pm – 2.30pm; Saturday and Sunday, 1pm and 2pm

Haven Lounge at The Westin, Perth

Best for: Traditional high tea

The plush Haven Lounge at The Westin offers a seasonal high tea experience, with each menu edition uniquely crafted with fresh produce and meticulous finesse. The talented chefs change the themes each season, with each running for up to eight weeks. Moët & Chandon Champagne is included with your four sweet treats, four savoury treats, a scone and unlimited tea and coffee – plus you can choose to enhance your experience with a special edition cocktail in the theme of the seasonal menu.

Address: 480 Hay Street, Perth

Opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 11am and 2.30pm

Santini at QT, Perth

Best for: High tea with a twist

The uber-hip city QT hotel hosts a memorable high tea in its Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Santini . Guests enjoy a three-tiered stand of mouth-watering treats, with sweets and savouries that each feature a unique QT twist. Think pancetta, mushroom and thyme tartlets; prosciutto, tomato and basil bruschetta; and whipped ricotta and pistachio cannolis. It’s all topped off with a glass of fizz and Seven Seas Tea.

Address: First Floor, 133 Murray Street, Perth

Opening hours: Saturday 1pm – 3pm

TWR at Crown Towers

Best for: Cocktail lovers

The Waiting Room at Crown Towers offers a unique twist on a traditional high tea with its luxurious Chambord Birdcage High Tea. Three tiers of carefully curated hors d’oeuvres are paired with free-flowing tea and coffee, and an expertly crafted Chambord cocktail – either a Fleur de Celeste or a classic French Martini.

Address: Crown Towers, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday, 11.30am – 3pm

Hearth Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton, Perth

Best for: A taste of luxury

For those who are keen for an unforgettable high tea, a trip to Hearth at the opulent Ritz Carlton is a must. The venue is right on the riverfront in the glistening Elizabeth Quay, with river views from the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The two-course high tea includes savoury and sweet treats featuring the finest local produce. You can choose whichever beverage package suits your style, from coffee and tea from Margaret River’s Seven Seas Tea , to a two-hour Champagne package with Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage.

Address: 1 Barrack Street, Perth

Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 12pm – 3pm; Saturday and Sunday 12pm and 3pm

La Vie Champagne Lounge, Burswood

Best for: Cheese lovers

La Vie’s indulgent High Cheese is a high tea experience that celebrates cheese in all its forms. You start your journey with a four-tier stand featuring decadent cheese combinations – including a dramatic Grand Marnier flambé of Barossa Valley Camembert with caramelised apple, maple-glazed bacon and pecan. You then move on to your sweets, which is the finest selection of cheeses paired with fruits, quince paste and a honey nut medley, to goat cheese-inspired pudding and passionfruit crème brûlée. Pair it with a flute of Moët & Chandon Impérial Champagne, or go all out with a tasting flight featuring four types of Champagne.

Address: Crown Metropol, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood

Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 3pm – 5pm

Bar Amelie, Subiaco

Best for: A boozy high tea

The High(ly) Good Tea at Subiaco’s Bar Amelie is strictly a boozy affair – no tea in sight, just bubbles and a delicious selection of sweet and savoury. Start with the savouries, which include smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and roquette mini toasted bagel; then move on to your sweets that feature Portuguese tarts, macarons and baked cheesecake. The drinks packages include 90 mins of cocktails, free-flowing Prosecco, sparkling wine or Mumm Champagne.

Address: 118 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco

Opening hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm – 4pm

Bites by D, Mount Hawthorn

Best for: A thrifty high tea

Over a leisurely two hours, you can experience a refined high tea in this quaint patisserie in the leafy suburb of Mount Hawthorn . It includes a selection of savoury and petite desserts with a beverage of your choice, coffee or a pot of tea from our selection of loose leaf teas. Because the team makes all their treats on-site, they can cater for a selection of dietary requirements. But what makes this a unique high tea experience is that you can BYO your own Champagne to accompany your high tea for a mere $5 corkage per bottle.

Address: 147 Scarborough Beach Rd, Mount Hawthorn

Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11.30am and 2pm; Saturday and Sunday 11.30am, 2pm and 4.30pm

Still hungry? Discover the best restaurants with a view in Perth

The East Kimberley should be on every bucket list, and here’s why.

Livistona palms soar out of chasms the colour of Valencia oranges. Shady waterholes beckon travellers daring to venture off the bitumen. From the air, fruit farms give way to vast plains that meet rolling hills and fascinating geological formations centuries in the making. The East Kimberley is one of Australia’s most treasured wilderness areas, but don’t be fooled by its rust-coloured roads. This north-eastern corner of Western Australia is home to some of Australia’s most iconic stays by Discovery Resorts that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

A group of people enjoy an intimate dining experience at El Questro Homestead. — Dine in the heart of nature.

Your guide to Lake Argyle

The backstory

With rolling hills that glow amber at sunrise and glassy water that reflects the Kimberley’s bright blue sky, a visit to Lake Argyle is nothing short of awe-inspiring. As Australia’s second-largest man-made freshwater lake, travellers flock here to soak in the views from boats, helicopters and Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle .

The latter is a lakeside oasis, a resort where travellers crossing from Western Australia into the Northern Territory (or vice versa) converge. Fifty minutes’ drive south of Kununurra, the property is perched atop a cliff overlooking the sprawling Lake Argyle.

Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle was originally built in the late 1960s to provide accommodation for builders of the Ord River dam, which formed Lake Argyle. In the decades that followed it had several owners, until a Kununurra local took the reins in 2004 and reinvented the property with luxury villas and its now world-famous infinity pool. The iconic property was added to the Discovery Resorts portfolio in 2021, undergoing a major upgrade that took the resort from a beloved campground to an all-encompassing resort with premium waterfront villas.

A boat glides across the expansive waters of Lake Argyle, surrounded by the breathtaking landscapes of the Kimberley. As part of the Discovery Holiday Parks experience, this unforgettable journey offers adventure and relaxation. — Glide across the vast, shimmering waters of Lake Argyle.

The rooms

A lakeside resort like no other, Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle offers something for everyone, from campsites to villas and cabins . The Deluxe Lakeview Cabins have views of the opposing cliff and are surrounded by bush, ensuring plenty of privacy, while both the Deluxe and Standard Cabins are ideal for families, with contemporary furnishings and one, two or four bedrooms. The campsites also come in a variety of sizes.

The facilities

There’s no doubt the biggest drawcard to Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle is the lake, 20 times the size of Sydney Harbour. One of the best ways to experience it is on the Kimberley Durack Sunset Explorer Cruise , during which you’ll see freshwater crocodiles nesting along the banks (it’s home to 30,000 freshies) and even get the chance to swim in their waters. The cruise also takes in Mt Misery, towering above the original and now submerged Argyle Downs Homestead.

If you have young children who need to get to bed early, a great alternative is the three-hour Lunch Explorer Cruise . You’ll tour around the lake’s bays as you learn about the local wildlife before stopping at a remote island for a swim.

Refuel between adventures at the onsite pub-style eatery, The Lake Argyle Cafe. The cafe is the heart of the resort, bringing together friends new and old over a steak, cold beer and live music. Hours vary with the seasons, but rest assured you’ll be able to enjoy a good feed year-round, with a well-stocked general store also open during the day.

Cool off from a day of exploring in the striking infinity pool with some of the best views in the country (you’ll find sweeping views of the lake below). Or enjoy a flight with HeliSpirit, or clear your mind during a yoga class on the lawn.

Two people unwind in an infinity pool, overlooking stunning Lake Argyle at Discovery Holiday Parks. — Take a dip in the infinity pool and soak in breathtaking Lake Argyle views.

Your guide to El Questro

The backstory

One of the most famous stays in Australia is El Questro . A former cattle station, it’s evolved into one of the country’s most recognisable tourism destinations over the past 30 years, and is now embarking on a new chapter to elevate the region’s rich First Nations culture.

The property draws travellers seeking to reconnect with nature and the beauty of this country. Wild in spirit but immaculate in style, El Questro is a 283,000-hectare property like no other; surrounded by dramatic gorges, impressive mountain ranges, thermal springs, secluded waterfalls and even rainforest, it’s the perfect base for adventurous souls.

A person floats leisurely in the river at Discovery Holiday Parks, immersed in nature’s tranquillity. — Float along Zebedee Springs and immerse in nature.

The rooms

Across the sprawling El Questro are three properties catering to the wide variety of travellers who journey this way. The most impressive is the luxurious Homestead , where 10 suites perch at the edge of a burnt-orange cliff, with cantilevered bedrooms over the peaceful Chamberlain River. The adults-only, all-inclusive Homestead is a member of the prestigious Luxury Lodges of Australia collection and offers a backdrop of thick bushland; riverside, you’ll find an immaculate lawn and a shaded pool that lures guests out of their rooms.

At Emma Gorge , travellers will be immersed in the beauty of the Cockburn Ranges, falling asleep to the sounds of wildlife in safari-style tented cabins. This is where you come if you want to completely connect with your environment while retaining a few creature comforts. The Emma Gorge Tented Cabins sleep three or four people and feature private ensuites and ceiling fans.

Families also love The Station , home to simple yet comfortable air-conditioned rooms, as well as a large, leafy campground. Sitting by the Pentecost River, The Station is open from April to October and has a range of accommodation, from unpowered and powered campsites to air-conditioned tents for two people and a Gardenview Family Room for five.

Two people stand beside a suite perched on the edge of a striking burnt-orange cliff, gazing out over the serene Chamberlain River below. — Take a breather with stunning views of nature all around.

The facilities

Located in the heart of the Kimberley, El Questro retains its strong connection with its Traditional Owners, the Ngarinyin people. A highlight of a stay here is the Injiid Marlabu Calls Us experience ; over two hours, guests are immersed in the soul of Country by witnessing ancient healing rituals, listening to generational stories and learning about the land’s ancestral heritage.

Other experiences include bird watching, cruising through Chamberlain Gorge, hiking through Emma Gorge, horse riding, four-wheel-driving and soaking in Zebedee Springs. At the properties, you can also cool off in the pools, and relax in the restaurants or at private dining locations. A bonus of staying at The Homestead is the exclusive service of El Questro’s dedicated reservations team, who will craft a bespoke itinerary tailored to your travel tastes.

A group of people stand beside a tree, with a car parked nearby, taking in the surrounding natural beauty. — Experience thrilling nature activities.

Book your East Kimberley adventure today with Discovery Resorts.

The fanciest (and tastiest) high teas in Perth

Who doesn’t enjoy the sophistication and sumptuousness of a high tea?

In short

Cape Arid Rooms, Perth

C Restaurant

Haven Lounge at The Westin, Perth

Santini at QT, Perth

TWR at Crown Towers

Hearth Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton, Perth

La Vie Champagne Lounge, Burswood

Bar Amelie, Subiaco

Bites by D, Mount Hawthorn

This hotel room just became my favourite in Australia

The best walks and hikes for an active day in Perth

A local’s guide to the best wineries near Perth

A local’s guide to the ultimate things to do in Perth

Inspire your senses with these iconic East Kimberley stays

The East Kimberley should be on every bucket list, and here’s why.

Your guide to Lake Argyle

The backstory

The rooms

The facilities

Your guide to El Questro

The backstory

The rooms

The facilities