Raise Your Pinky for These High Teas in Adelaide

The South Australian capital is host to an array of delectable high teas, both contemporary and traditional. Consider this your tea-to-try list.

Stamford Plaza

Ideal for chocoholics, Stamford Plaza’s Chocolate High Tea Experience starts with a Toblerone cocktail and continues with all manner of cacao-based concoctions such as housemade choc-chip scones served with double cream and dark chocolate shortbread. It’s not all sweet though: an avocado mousse with chocolate dust and the Stamford signature curry puff also wiggle their way into the selection.

$45 per person.

150 North Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8461 1111

Topiary

This eatery keeps things traditional with its high tea – expect pressed white linen and fresh flowers – a given, considering the verdant nursery-garden setting. Every guest will get a taste of everything thanks to a personal, two-tiered stand laden with treats. It features the sweet petit fours (how does beetroot meringue with cream and berry or lavender shortbread strike you?), house-baked scones served with seasonal homemade jams, ribbon sandwiches and savouries such as baby quiches.

$45 per person; a minimum of two guests.

1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully; (08) 8263 0818

The Rising Sun

In leafy Kensington, this 172-year-old former pub-turned-restaurant and bar serves a traditional high tea including cucumber or curried-egg finger sandwiches, an assortment of pastries and petit fours, as well as delicate scones with jam and cream. All are presented on antique porcelain and china, with the cosy setting adding a sense of heritage to your teatime. There’s also a frequently roaring fire so if you’re stuck for an afternoon activity on a dreary day, this could be the ticket.

$39 per person.

60 Bridge Street, Kensington; (08) 8333 0721

Mayflower Restaurant and Bar

The devil is in the details at this high tea establishment – with Wedgwood teas and cut-glass crystal flutes for your Chandon NV, your pinky finger will be raised in no time. Executive chef Bethany Finn’s high tea is an elegant homage to the tradition, with the menu boasting five sweet and five savoury morsels and the opportunity to upgrade to include the Mayfair’s Signature French Gateaux Buffet, which boasts even more confections.

Sparkling high tea, $49 per person.

Mayfair Hotel, 45 King William Street, Adelaide; (08) 8210 8888

Coal Cellar + Grill

A more contemporary take on the classics, Coal Cellar + Grill’s extensive high tea menu includes cold snacks such as baby brioche with smoked salmon and avocado and hot goodies such as slow-braised beef sliders. Rest assured, thought, that scones with jam and cream remain an essential part of the offering alongside the more modern options, such as salted caramel profiteroles and a lime-infused custard and strawberry tart.

$49 per person.

233 Victoria Square, Adelaide; (08) 8237 0697

Udder Delights

A cheese cellar door may not seem like your best bet for a high tea experience but Udder Delights does more than a convincing job of pleasing afternoon-tea fiends. Expect nibbles such as goat’s curd and caramelised onion tarts and truffles, as well as Brie with crackers and sweet inclusions such as orange and cardamom cake. Given Udder Delights is on the main strip of the tree-lined town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, a glass of the region’s sparkling is the natural accompaniment.

$45 per person.

91a Main Street, Hahndorf; (08) 8388 1588

Madame Hanoi

The modern French bistro feel, punctuated with a peppering of cherry blossoms across everything from the walls to the espresso machine, sets the scene for a high tea that’s a little less traditional. The venue’s “Hendrick’s high tea” serves a mouth-watering Vietnamese-French flavour fusion: think a selection that includes both macaroons and mini banh mi layered with crisp pork, chilli and Asian basil. Three tiers of morsels are served with a pot of Hendrick’s Gin tea, an infusion of English breakfast tea, gin, lemon juice, cucumber, orange and spiced honey.

$45 per person.

North Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8218 4166

Ginza Miyako

Once a month, Ginza Miyako offers high tea that beautifully fuses Japanese and French cuisine. Menus change often but savoury morsels might include sushi and sashimi, tempura and soba noodles, while sweet treats might take the form of yuzu panna cotta, umeshu brownie or sesame crème brûlée.

$55 per person, $29 per child.

Level 1, Stamford Plaza Hotel, 150 North Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8221 6147

The Flying Trunk

Most evenings The Flying Trunk is a cool suburban bar but on the third Sunday of the month, this Goodwood hotspot transforms into a quaint high tea venue. The experience begins with prosecco and the seasonally changing menu includes the likes of zucchini, rocket, feta and pinenut pinwheels and chocolate and whisky tartlets.

$45 per person.

70 King William Road, Goodwood; 0448 171 714

Top image: Mayflower Restaurant and Bar