Top five places for high tea in Melbourne

If you’re looking to spoil mum with a decadent high tea experience, these venues will have you crooking a pinky like a pro.

Mary Eats Cake high tea for Vic Stellar 5 to try

Treating your mum (or yourself) to high tea? These 5 top Melbourne venues will have you crooking a pinky like a pro.

The Tea Rooms 1892, Melbourne CBD

A wander through the CBD’s extravagantly beautiful Block Arcade is a treat in itself, but double down on the experience by booking a table at the venue known to many by its longtime incarnation as The Hopetoun Tea Rooms.

The Tea Rooms.

Melbourne’s oldest purveyor of high tea has retained the green botanical wallpaper and ornate mirrors (along with the uncanny feeling that Queen Victoria might be imperiously sipping tea in a corner somewhere), and continues to deliver its triple-tiered stands groaning under the weight of quiche Lorraine, roast beef sandwiches, pâté, smoked salmon pin wheels, fruit tarts, macarons and, of course, scones.

Shops 1 & 2 The Block Arcade, Collins St, Melbourne

thetearooms1892.com.au

The Langham, Melbourne, Southbank

This grand dame overlooking the Yarra delivers the perfect afternoon tea to pair with its endless marble, chandeliers and fountains.

The Langham.

Specialty teas from Ronnefeldt are served in Wedgwood china made exclusively for the hotel, while miniaturised treats from the kitchen include egg and avocado sandwiches (crustless, of course) and chorizo and sweet corn arancini flying the flag for savoury; with blackberry vincotto macarons and vanilla and raisin scones for the sweet life. Two-hour sessions are held daily, and you can also induct the kids into the ritual with a special menu for under-12s replete with fairy bread, cookies and cupcakes.

1 Southgate Ave, Southbank

langhamhotels.com

Mary Eats Cake, Montrose & Brunswick

This high-tea specialist certainly knows its way around towering tiers of cakes and scones, whether at its English-styled country tearooms in the Dandenong Ranges town of Montrose or at the character-filled ‘gritty glam’ shopfront on Brunswick’s Sydney Road.

Mary Eats Cake.

If you’re packing a bottomless appetite, sign up for one of Mary’s packages with unlimited scones with jam and cream (and those with dietaries rejoice over the specialty vegan and gluten-free high teas). So what does Mary eat with her cake? Salmon and spinach quiche, dainty chicken and leek pies and strawberry mille-feuille. Sounds like all the food groups are covered, then.

maryeatscake.com.au

Dzert, Sandringham

The spanakopita puffs might give a clue to the owners’ Greek heritage; so too might the much-anticipated occasional appearance of Greek-themed high teas here.

Dzert.

A vision of snowy white linen and sparkling crystal, this chic salon close to Sandringham beach will take you on a whirlwind trip around Europe with the help of its tiered stands boasting Basque cheesecake, orange blossom panna cotta, French chocolate mousse and cucumber and cream cheese ribbon sandwiches. This is all backed by a good selection of loose-leaf tea and bottomless specialty coffee – and there’s always the option of hitting the sparkling too, of course.

5 Waltham St, Sandringham

dzert.com.au/menu/high-tea

Parliament House, Melbourne CBD

Get the inside running on Victorian democracy over scones and tea at Spring Street’s grand Parliament House. One of the city’s best-kept secrets despite being a fixture since 1924, it’s served only on Thursday afternoons when parliament is not in sitting.

Parliament House.

Hit the Strangers Corridor Restaurant, a 19th-century vision of maroon carpets and dark timber panelling, for scones (both traditional and Yorkshire’s ‘fat rascal’ rock-cake style) with bacon vol-au-vents, lemon meringue tarts and tea in bone china cups. Take a free tour of Parliament House while you’re there, but don’t forget: just like voting, high tea bookings here are compulsory.

Spring St, East Melbourne

parliament.vic.gov.au/visit/high-tea/