Tea-riffic Delights: High Tea in Adelaide
Adelaide’s high tea scene is where taste meets sophistication. From Madame Hanoi’s unique selection to Lenzerheide Restaurant’s opulent choices, tea time in the CBD is anything but ordinary.
Ready to sip, nibble, and indulge? This article spills all the details!
The Queen of Adelaide
Address: 215 Grote St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: 0492 056 096
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 9:30 am to 3 pm
- Tue to Wed – Closed
- Thu to Sun – 9:30 am to 3 pm
The Queen of Adelaide’s high tea will make everyone in your group feel like royalty.
They have a children’s high tea with finger sandwiches, pastries, scones, and a choice of hot chocolate, soft drinks, or juice.
For the adults, they serve traditional high tea. You get a fixed selection of sweet and savory goodies, including finger sandwiches and scones with bottomless tea or coffee!
| Tip: • Bring your puppers, as they offer a dog-friendly high tea menu. It has treats like doggie donuts and mini paws, all made from dog-safe, human-grade ingredients. |
Lenzerheide Restaurant
Address: 146 Belair Rd, Hawthorn, SA 5062
Contact Details: (08) 8373 3711
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Wed to Sun – 12 pm to 11:30 pm
Lenzerheide Restaurant’s high tea is one of the fanciest and most mouthwatering in town. For $65 per person, you get a glass of Madame Coco Blanc de Blanc or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, upgrade to Pol Roger French Champagne for $85.
And yes, they throw in a glass of bubbles, soft drink, or juice too in case you’re not in a tea mood. For the food, you’ll be treated to assorted sandwiches, like egg salad with cress, and savories, like mushroom arancini and smoked salmon.
And we can’t forget the scones—plain, strawberry, and pineapple, served with whipped cream and jams. They’re best paired with their specialty tea and espresso.
| Tips: • Dine near the windows to see the tree-lined Bel-air Rd as you eat. • Consider delighting a special someone with the gift of a Lenzerheide voucher. |
Mayflower Hotel
Address: 45 King William St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8210 8888
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 1 pm to 4 pm
- Sat to Sun – 1 pm to 3 pm
We elevated our afternoon by trying Mayflower Hotel’s selection of La Maison Du loose-leaf teas, including English breakfast, Earl Gray, Queen Mary, chai, and peppermint.
Our coffee connoisseurs also had a blast with the Vittoria espresso. For snacks, our team gobbled high tea classics like curried egg and watercress sandwiches.
But go for their prestige sparkling high tea for $70 per person if you prefer a fancier package. This gets you a glass of NV Mumm Brut Prestige Sparkling on arrival.
| Tips: • Bookings are essential to secure a spot. •Bring extra cash during holidays. There’s a 15% surcharge. • Send an email to [email protected] if you want to book a private room for baby showers or bachelorette parties. |
Utopia @ Waterfall Gully
Address: 170 Waterfall Gully Rd, Waterfall Gully, SA 5066
Contact Details: (08) 8379 2488
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – Closed
- Wed to Fri – 9 am to 4 pm
- Sat to Sun – 8 am to 5 pm
Utopia @ Waterfall Gully’s Ultimate High Tea experience is something you can’t miss.
This three-hour indulgence for $79 per guest features bottomless freshly brewed tea, coffee, mint, and cranberry pink lemonade.
In addition to the drinks, you’ll enjoy a fully styled, luxury dessert buffet with treats like baked buttermilk scones and homemade vanilla sponge.
And what is high tea without a touch of bubbly? Thankfully, this high tea experience includes one bottle of French bubbly per 10 guests to keep the celebration going!
| Tips: • Go for their utopian high tea if your budget is tight. This will cost you only $45 per person. •Bring your cameras. Lush gardens and a crystalline creek surround Utopia @ Waterfall Gully’s century-old chalet. |
Curiositeas
Address: Level 1/240 Rundle St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: 0434 919 734
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue to Sat – 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
Curiositeas’ trademark vegan-friendly tea, coffee, and homemade scones with jam and cream made our visit worthwhile. In addition, they whip out delish high tea staples like apple pie French toasts, crostini, and baked polentas.
The organic sourdough also complements the refreshing and aromatic drinks.
But if you prefer creamy snacks to go along with your sencha, mocha latte, or camomile, the cheesy shortcrust gallete is where it’s at.
| Tips: • Ask the staff for their daily special blends. • You have to call for same-day bookings. • You can purchase this cafe’s teas online. |
Rising Sun Inn
Address: 60 Bridge St, Kensington, SA 5068
Contact Details: (08) 8333 0721
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Wed – 4 pm to 10:30 pm
- Thu – 12 pm to 11 pm
- Fri – 12 pm to 11:30 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 6:30 pm
The Rising Sun Inn offers pure high tea opulence. They start things off right with a glass of sparkling wine, followed by a spread of small sandwiches and savory bites in fine china.
The star of the show here is the T-Bar tea package, including varieties such as matcha, Earl Gray, and chai. You can sip on that goodness while you munch on freshly baked scones with Chantilly cream and strawberry jam.
And just when you think you can’t eat another bite, they hit you with small cakes and petit fours to seal the deal.
| Tips: • Make sure to book your high tea experience 48 hours in advance to secure a spot. • Visit on the month’s last Sunday if you want to listen to live music while having your high tea. |
Mirra
Address: 40 East Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: 1300 993 583
Operating Hours: Sat to Sun only – 11 am to 5 pm
Mirra’s blend of high tea classics and innovative meals make it a must-visit cafe. For the traditional bites, they serve strawberry and cream scones crowned with fresh cream and strawberry jam.
There’s also a homemade red velvet cupcake oozing with cream cheese and fresh strawberries on top to hit your sweet spot.
A standout unconventional high tea meal here is the cheese kimchi beef pie, a flaky puff pastry stuffed with kimchi beef mince and mozzarella cheese.
| Tips: • You can customize your cup with fancy stuff like rose petals, jasmine flowers, or lavender. • Check their website or social media accounts for their updated kid-friendly and vegan high tea menus. |
Cielo
Address: Adelaide Arcade, Shop 31, 112/118 Grenfell St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue to Sat – 8 am to 3 pm
- Sun – Closed
Cielo has the tea game on lockdown with their Tecito Classico and Tecito Premium options.
The Tecito Classico offers an all-you-can-sip tea and coffee extravaganza, plus some fancy San Pellegrino sparkling. It also dishes sourdough with deli meats and cheese, all for $75 per person.
Now, if you’re feeling extra fancy, go for the Tecito Premium at 95 smackers per muncher. You still get the unlimited tea, coffee, and San Pellegrino deal, but they’re throwing in an extra 5 savory portions of cold cuts and scones with jam and cream.
| Tips:. • Check their upcoming events, like Sanguchería and Hotdog Saturdays. |
The Promenade Restaurant
Address: Stamford Grand Adelaide, 2 Jetty Rd, Glenelg, SA 5045
Contact Details: (08) 8375 0612
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 Hours
High tea by the bustling and breathtaking Glenelg beachfront is what you’ll be getting at The Promenade Restaurant.
Your cups will be filled with Dilmah tea, while your plates will teem with mini sandwiches and savory and sweet treats, like pulled chicken and scones.
Curry puffs and mini quiche Lorraine also bring the heat to this high tea party. But if you’re pining for a super sweet and fruity nosh, their fruit cones slathered in cream won’t disappoint.
| Tip: • Sit near the expansive windows and watch the seaside sunset unfold. |
Riverside Restaurant
Address: North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8238 2400
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 6:30 am to 10 am
- Fri – 6:30 am to 10 am, 6 pm to 9 pm
- Sat – 6:30 am to 11 am, 1 pm to 3:30 pm, 6 pm to 9 pm
- Sun – 6:30 am to 11 am, 1 pm to 3:30 pm
Riverside Restaurant’s high tea menu is rolling out the red carpet for all the cheese and chocolate aficionados. They have goat cheese with caramelized onion and baked brie for savory lovers.
On the sweet side of things, there’s the dark chocolate flourless cake with raspberry and chocolate macaron with ganache and rose petals.
Also, while the selection of teas and coffee may vary daily, you can always count on sipping a bottle of sparkling wine during your visit.
| Tips: • Stay updated on their seasonal high tea menu. • Inform the staff if you’re going to dine with kiddos (4 to 12 years old) so they can adjust the menu. |
La Boca Bar and Grill Adelaide
Address: 150 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8461 0860
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 5 pm to 9 pm
- Tue to Fri – 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 pm to 9 pm
- Sat to Sun – 5 pm to 9 pm
La Boca Bar and Grill Adelaide are taking high tea to a whole new level with their Argentinean twist.
Forget the usual finger sandwiches and dainty pastries. Here, it’s all about traditional Argentinean beef empanadas, sweet corn empanadas, and choripan with Criolla salsa.
For pastry lovers, Alfajores with Nutella takes the cake. The best part is with every adult ticket, you get a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or a mocktail!
| Tip: • The nearest and most convenient parking spot is in Stamford Plaza Adelaide’s car park on Woodsons Lane. |
Madame Hanoi
Address: SkyCity Adelaide, 125 North Terrace, SA 5000
Contact Details: (08) 8218 4166
Operating Hours:
- Mon – Closed
- Tue to Wed – 4 pm to 10 pm
- Thu – 12 pm to 3 pm, 4 pm to 10 pm
- Fri – 12 pm to 3 pm, 4 pm to 12 am
- Sat – 4 pm to 12 am
Madame Hanoi’s three-tiered tea extravaganza has mouthwatering macarons, Vietnamese kumquat, Saigon chocolate cream, and more.
It also comes with bubble tea with tea custard, lychee syrup, and Hendricks gin iced tea.
If you can’t have enough of their drinks, shell out $40 per person and pick your bottomless bevvie. It’s a hard choice, but we went for Madame Hanoi’s unlimited NV Grace Under Pressure Blanc De Blanc and Madame’s Spritz.
| Tips: • You have to make reservations to get a spot. • If you spend at least $10, you’ll receive free parking at the Festival Car Park. You can access it via King William Rd or Montefiore Rd. |
