Whether you’re not sure how to celebrate your Mum on Mothers Day, you have an occasion you want to make elegant and unique, or you just want to do something distinctive and relaxed with someone you cherish, check out these spectacular Auckland locations that serve up High Tea.
Once reserved for royals and aristocrats, high tea is now available to everyone who wants to treat themselves. After all, who doesn’t love cupcakes, finger sandwiches, mini-quiches and scones? Wash it all down with some delightful tea or get super posh with a glass of bubbles. A flawless day out, darling!
In true Auckland fashion, restaurants and hotels around the city are flaunting off their foodie talents with the best of local, artisan produce. Indulge in handmade scones, macarons and an array of baked treasures. Be surprised and delighted with French and Roaring 20s’ inspired high tea, or those where you sip on champagne or divine teas from around the globe.
Cocktail aficionados need not worry because we have also discovered option with boozy cocktail flight to match! We have opportunities for you to take in breathtaking views of Auckland City from all angles or if you prefer to get away from the action, you can even have high tea in a rainforest or vineyard!
Discover the best high tea experiences in Auckland below. We have placed all our favourite options, but if you are in a hurry, we have summarized a few of our top picks at the end.
High Tea At Batch Winery
For those who want to escape Auckland for the day, the Batch Winery on Waiheke offers an exceptional high Tea complete with a welcoming glass of bubbles made onsite. The views were extraordinary out to Auckland and beyond, and some nice bushwalks for afterwards.
Ideal in the mid-Afternoon fun, if you are willing to take a ferry, this relaxed island-style high tea will make it worth your while. Ask about the courtesy bus schedule to meet your ferry and save you a rather expensive taxi time.
Tea time: Friday – Sunday from 11 am til 5 pm. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: The Pavlova.
Price: $86 for two.
High Tea At Bellini
High tea, the most important meal between lunch and dinner! A contemporary take on a classic, the Bellini cocktail bar at Hilton has a fabulous high tea includes bubbles and sweet and savoury treats. Located on the end of Princes Wharf with the stunning Waitemata Harbour at your feet, feast on mini tartine, scones, pound cake and plenty more.
Forget club sandwiches and linen napkins; the Hilton has injected a bit of life and a whole lotta fun into the traditional high tea. There are various options, including ‘refined’, ‘mixologist’s’, or ‘bubbly’ high tea, all of which are tea-licious!
Tea time: From Thursday – Sunday 12.30-3.30pm. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Dark Equateur chocolate marquis infused with wasabi, served with whipped banana cream and a cacao nib tuile.
Price: From $49 per person.
High Tea At Bluebells Cakery
Yes, Auckland’s top boutique bakery that specialises in beautiful hand-iced, cupcakes and celebration cakes is getting in on the High Tea game. And, as it turns out, this is the best way to enjoy a little bit of everything that Bluebells Cakery has to offer.
Hosted at all of Bluebells Cakery Cafes, so Commercial Bay, Kingsland and Hillsborough, they are not licensed so there are no bubbles at this high tea, but there is Supreme coffee, juice or Harney & Sons Tea to choose from. They also offer a takeaway high tea option with a disposable stand and everything you need for a sunny picnic in the park, an office treat, or just to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
Tea time: Sitting times can be booked any day of the week. 24 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Mini Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart.
Price: $45 per person.
High Tea At Cordis
Auckland’s Cordis Hotel is renowned for their service and attention to detail, so it’s only fitting that they also delight patrons with a signature High Tea. In the ever-so-tranquil and elegant Crystal Lounge, you can enjoy a timeless experience to be savoured amid delightful décor and the company of friends and loved ones.
Served on a grand three-tier stand, each delectable treat is handcrafted to delight your senses, and completed by your choice of fine tea or coffee. Add a flute of award-Champagne for a special touch. Home to one of the best hotel swimming pool in Auckland, and an award-winning day spa, there are countless ways to continue your indulgent day of luxury afterwards.
It’s no wonder this exquisite experience is consistently named Auckland’s Best High Tea.
Tea time: Various seatings, Monday to Sunday.
Favourite Treat: Goat cheese, gingerbread and beetroot trifle with honest made on their rooftop.
Price: $59 on weekdays, $69 on weekends + bubbles.
High Tea At Cornwall Park Bistro
In keeping with the traditions of Cornwall Park, the team here offer a delightful High Tea option overlooking one of Auckland’s finest park.
Experience a leisurely afternoon of indulgence as you relish the bespoke selection of modern sweet and savoury treats and fresh out of the oven scones with clotted cream, in a beautifully renovated and contemporary space. The ambience is great, the service flawless and with Cornwall park right outside it is easy for kids to keep themselves entertained.
Tea time: Wednesday to Friday, 10:00am – 11.30am or 2.00pm – 4.00 pm . Saturday and Sunday from 2.00pm – 4.00pm. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Mediterranean cucumber labneh & Dukkah Empanada.
Price: $49 or $59 with a flute of NV Cloudy Bay Pelorus.
High Tea At Eden Garden
Eden Garden is a beautiful garden settled on the eastern slopes of Mt. Eden that most Aucklanders have never heard of. A wonderfully peaceful sanctuary of five and a half acres, the Eden Garden waves garden entry fees to those with a High Tea booking, so what a perfect way to explore this new spot.
A simple and traditional high tea with reasonable food (although usually no hot savouries were included), but the gorgeous setting and lush gardens ensure it stands out as one of the most unique high teas in Auckland.
Tea time: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. 72 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Plain scones with jam and cream.
Price: $45 per person.
High Tea At Fisher House
Located at the historic Fisher House homestead in Highbrook, this simple High Tea adds a hint of wistfulness to your afternoon and is very affordable. The relaxed and well-looked-after garden terrace areas are gorgeous and the perfect place to enjoy the individual pots of teas and many plates of deliciousness with friends.
Their kid’s high tea with Fairy Bread and fluffies is also very cute. One of the more affordable high teas in Auckland, but the service and quality can be a bit hit-and-miss. Champagne is optional, but highly encouraged!
Tea time: Weekdays, 9 am – 11 am or 2 pm – 5 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 10.30 am – 4.30 pm. 24 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: A Flute of Mumm Cordon Rouge NV.
Price: $45 per person + optional bubbles.
High Tea At Grand Mercure
Positioned on the top floor of the Grand Mercure hotel, Vue is a dining oasis within a vibrant metropolis offering high tea with a view. A picturesque setting with a very Instagrammable bird-cage stand and decadent service ensure a thoroughly modern high tea encounter.
Tea time: Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm – 4 pm. Currently closed.
Favourite Treat: Plum glazed duck breast with fig chutney on a vol-au-vent.
Price: $49 per person or $69 for unlimited scones $69 per person (for 2 hours).
High Tea At Hotel DeBrett
The devil is in the details at this 1920s-inspired high tea – with faux pearls, embellished headbands, demure long gloves and bright feather boas., your pinkie finger will be raised in no time. Cocktail enthusiasts are recommended to upgrade to the Tipsy Tea, which takes the substantial Roaring 20’s High Tea stand and adds a classic Cocktail Flight – a whimsical trio of prohibition drinks.
Nestled in the heart of the DeBrett hotel, the space is bathed in natural light from a soaring glass-roofed atrium, and the adjacent Housebar adds to the stylish and glamourous vibes. If you are looking for a slightly offbeat but flawlessly executed high tea in Auckland where the gramophone sounds of the Great Gatsby era will have you tapping your toes — High Tea at Hotel DeBrett is for you.
Tea time: Saturdays and Sundays from 1–4 pm. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Gin & Tonic Cupcakes.
Price: $55, including a “Bees Knees” Cocktail on arrival, or $75 for the Tipsy Tea.
High Tea At Hotel Grand Windsor
Cooke’s at the Hotel Grand Windsor on Queen Street has another high tea that hawks back to the roaring 1920s, capturing the glamour and energy of a gilded age. Located in one of Auckland’s original ‘skyscrapers’, built in 1928, the Cooke’s signature high tea called Vari-tea brilliantly merges the classic English pursuance of afternoon tea and cakes with contemporary offerings, interiors and service.
They also put the tea back in high tea with fifteen selections of organic loose leaf teas from Kerikeri and T2 served in fine bone china. The tradition of tea presentation that is a very much part of the boutique expertise of High Tea at the Grand Windsor.
Tea time: Saturdays and Sundays from 1–4 pm. 24 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Elderflower custard profiterole.
Price: $55 per person + optional bubbles.
High Tea At Ostro
The modern bistro feel, punctuated with stunning views of the Ports and Waitemata Harbour, sets the scene for a high tea that’s a little less traditional.
The venue’s Sunday High Teas in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot serves a mouth-watering New Zealand-meets-the-world flavour fusion: think a selection that includes both vanilla bean scones and Matcha macaroon along with Crayfish and caviar on toasted brioche or marinated eggplant with tomato pesto and pecorino remano.
The complex taste sensations and sunny Britomart rooftop space make this high tea matchless in the city. So swap out your cups of tea for glasses of chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne and get ready to sparkle n pop.
Tea time: Sundays from 12–4 pm. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: All of the above.
Price: $56.50 per person + optional bubbles
High Tea At Sofitel
Afternoon tea is a tantalising tour de force, and this luxury hotel in the Viaduct embraces its French connection with a ‘art-de-vivre’ (the art of living) high tea served in modern elegance. A tantalising assortment of delights will be set before you, linger over layers of savoury and sweet indulgence while you take tea, or in true French style, raise a Champagne flute with your companions.
A high tea in Auckland with a point-of-difference, the tempting three-tiered delights on offer are served on Parisian wrought-iron tables either in the tranquil water-surrounded lobby setting or basking in the sun out on the Terrace.
Tea time: 12 pm-3 pm daily. Currently closed for renovations.
Favourite Treat: Shaved smoked chicken and gruyère cheese croissant.
Price: $49 per person, $59 with champagne.
High Tea At Stamford Plaza
The Stamford like keeps things traditional with its high tea – expect pressed white linen and fresh flowers – a given, considering the attention to detail this hotel is renowned for.
Every guest will get the white-glove service with an elegant 3 tier stand laden with treats and staff who can help you pick tea perfectly matched to your tastes due to their collaboration with Dilmah. For those who like their high tea to be a bit boozy, there is a Dilmah Elixir cocktail of the day to try.
Tea time: Every Day 11.30am – 4:00pm. Currently closed.
Favourite Treat: The chocolate cupcake with Valrhona chocolate mousse.
Price: $45 per person, of $55 with a Dilmah Elixir cocktail.
High Tea At The Brigham
A charming little spot offering a simple high tea in West Auckland. A hidden gem in Whenuapai popular with weddings and functions, the high tea here is one of the most affordable, with all your classics and a pleasant outdoor setting.
It’s not exactly white-glove, but if perfect for a relaxed spot to come together with friends and family.
Tea time: Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am till 3 pm. 24 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Smoked Salmon Blinis.
Price: $32 per person, or $35, including a glass of bubbles.
High Tea At The Wintergarden Café
In the leafy Auckland Domain, this heritage cafe overlooking a duckpond serves a traditional high tea on the first and third weekends of every month.
A non-fussy experience, you’ll enjoy a tiered stand of scones, savouries, sandwiches and sweet treats served alongside premium leaf teas by Webster’s. There really isn’t anywhere else that can compare to the Wintergarden Café in Auckland, and the sublime location with both indoor and alfresco seating will ensure a memorable time.
Tea time: First and third weekend of every month. 48 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Chicken Caprese finger sandwich.
Price: $39 per person; with a glass of bubbly, $48 per person.
High Tea At Waitakere Resort & Spa
The Waitakere Resort and Spa specialise in (quite literally) elevated high teas. With stunning views overlooking native rainforest and out to the Waitemata Harbour, Rangitoto Island the high tea here is a fun day trip out West, though you can also stay over the night for an ultimate of indulgent experiences.
Add to the this the colonial stylings and lush forest surrounding, you’ll find a glass of the sparkling stuff is the natural accompaniment.
Tea time: Sunday from 2 –4 pm. 24 hours’ notice required.
Favourite Treat: Lemon souffle cheesecake and lemon cream.
Price: $42 per person; with a glass of bubbly, $49 per person.
Ooh la la, there were so many options here to get outta the house and feel fancy! It is impossible to choose a favourite, but our top places for high teas in Auckland would have to be Cordis for a traditional experience, the Hotel DeBrett for a boozy, nostalgic time and Batch Winery for the sheer delight of a day trip to Waiheke.
For the most innovative food, we simply have to give you vote to Ostro, and Bluebells Cakery also gets a commendation for allowing us to fake our way through a high tea at home.