High tea, anyone?
Warm, fragrant scones capped with whipped cream and strawberry jam. Soft, fresh bread sandwiched with smooth cream cheese and finely sliced cucumber. Flaky, buttery pastry cases filled with dark chocolate ganache and succulently sweet berries. You’ll find mouth-watering treats like this on the Afternoon Tea menus of some of South Africa’s poshest hotels since High Tea started trending around the country and across the world.
High Tea
High tea (also known as “meat tea”) was originally an early evening meal, served and eaten between 5pm and 7pm. The meal was eaten by middle and upper class children on their return from school and by labourers after a long day of work. High tea is traditionally a hot meal which includes meat (such as shepherd’s pie or a fish dish), along with bread, butter, jam and cakes. How the times have changed!
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is High Tea’s earlier, lighter sibling. Customarily it’s a snack eaten between 2pm and 5pm along with a cup of tea. Labourers would have their tea with milk, sugar and a sandwich, or baked food, like a scone. For the wealthier classes, tea was accompanied by more “gourmet” snacks. This is where the typical crustless cucumber sandwiches (ironic considering it was eaten by the upper ‘crust’), scones with jam and cream, cakes and pastries come from.
These days, Afternoon Tea is often a buffet spread of sweet and savoury breads, tarts, cakes, pastries and fine teas.
Where to go for Afternoon Tea?
Generally speaking, most hotels that host a high/afternoon tea provide traditional afternoon tea fare.
The Oyster Box (Umhlanga)
The Oyster Box has this to say about their High Tea:
Our generous sumptuous buffet of delicious delicacies includes a vast selection of teas, home-baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, delicate finger sandwiches, gorgeous cupcakes, dainty pastries and cake. These are served daily in the magnificent Palm Court, accompanied by the beautiful sounds of our pianist.”
The Oyster Box’s High Tea is not only for ladies of leisure. It’s popular for meetings too. Afternoon meetings over High Tea tend to be less rushed than morning meetings, the dining experience is sophisticated and privacy is made possible with comfortable seating and a wise choice of location.
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h00
- Venue: The Palm Court
- Price: R155 per person
Mount Nelson (Cape Town)
According to the hotel, “No visit to Cape Town is complete without Afternoon Tea at Mount Nelson Hotel”. Their tea invitation:
Enjoy delicate finger sandwiches filled with rare roast beef and rocket, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise or cucumber, followed by delectable dark chocolate cake, lemon meringue and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves.
Adding a special local flavour is a typical South African milk tart, called “melktert” in Afrikaans.”
Did you know the signature Mount Nelson Tea is blended from six teas? Darjeeling, Kenya, Assam, Keemun, Ceylon and rose petals from their very own garden. There is also a selection of leaf and flowering teas.
- Date and time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R185 per person, R85 per child under 12
- Dress: smart casual
Cape Grace (Cape Town Waterfront)
One of the fabulous things about Cape Grace’s Afternoon Tea is its price. At R80, it’s almost half the cost of most hotel afternoon teas!
Afternoon Tea is served in the warm, cosy library overlooking the marina. Here’s an idea of the Afternoon Tea menu:
Savouries: Salmon and cream cheese circle, egg mayonnaise slice and the ubiquitous cucumber sandwich, crustless of course.
Petite Sweets: Black cherry and poppy seed and banoffee macaroons, lavender and chocolate mini meringue, pink-iced petit four and a light as a feather buttermilk and chocolate mousse with tangy passion fruit centre.
Scones: Herby mustard seed and cheddar-topped scone and a traditional plain sweet scone with butter, jam, cream and finely grated mature cheddar.
Tea: With advice from Tea Master, Mingwei of Nigiro Teas, eight special teas are offered. They range from Ceylon, famous for its sweet woodiness to the classic Early Grey accented with bergamot and a beautiful red strawberry and kiwi infusion that’s good enough to eat. Really! Once the fruit has re-hydrated in the water it tastes so delicious, you could add them to your breakfast muesli.”
- Price: R80 per person
One&Only Cape Town
The One&Only’s Afternoon Tea is highly regarded and a much sought-after experience. Look at this scrumptious selection of treats!
Afternoon Tea features a rich selection of teas and coffees, presented with carefully selected “sweet pleasures”. The confectionary selection includes chocolate delice, baked vanilla bean cheese cake, caramel and gold leaf éclairs, tea loaf and macaroons, to name but a few, which are accompanied by individually prepared tea sandwiches of complementing flavours and fine buttermilk scones served with traditional clotted cream and strawberry preserve. All items are prepared in the unique style of the One&Only, originating from the classic French art of patisserie, with our local innovation and inspiration.”
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R145 per person
The Westcliff (Johannesburg)
During the week, The Westcliff offers both a morning and afternoon tea with all the delicious, traditional afternoon tea trimmings. On Sundays you can treat yourself to high tea.
The indulgent morning and afternoon tea have become something of an institution where you lazily feast on tantalising delicacies, from fluffy scones served with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious cakes, delicate finger sandwiches and fruit tarts.”
- Date and Time: daily morning tea from 09h00 to 12h00; daily afternoon tea from 15h00 to 17h00; Sunday High Tea from 13h00 to 17h00
- Price: R165 per person (R225 on Sundays)
The institution of high tea, or afternoon tea if you like, is alive and well in South Africa – in all its irresistible, delectable glory. Have you had a high tea/afternoon tea experience? Tell us about it!
The Oyster Box has this to say about their High Tea:
Our generous sumptuous buffet of delicious delicacies includes a vast selection of teas, home-baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, delicate finger sandwiches, gorgeous cupcakes, dainty pastries and cake. These are served daily in the magnificent Palm Court, accompanied by the beautiful sounds of our pianist.”
The Oyster Box’s High Tea is not only for ladies of leisure. It’s popular for meetings too. Afternoon meetings over High Tea tend to be less rushed than morning meetings, the dining experience is sophisticated and privacy is made possible with comfortable seating and a wise choice of location.
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h00
- Venue: The Palm Court
- Price: R155 per person
Mount Nelson (Cape Town)
According to the hotel, “No visit to Cape Town is complete without Afternoon Tea at Mount Nelson Hotel”. Their tea invitation:
Enjoy delicate finger sandwiches filled with rare roast beef and rocket, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise or cucumber, followed by delectable dark chocolate cake, lemon meringue and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves.
Adding a special local flavour is a typical South African milk tart, called “melktert” in Afrikaans.”
Did you know the signature Mount Nelson Tea is blended from six teas? Darjeeling, Kenya, Assam, Keemun, Ceylon and rose petals from their very own garden. There is also a selection of leaf and flowering teas.
- Date and time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R185 per person, R85 per child under 12
- Dress: smart casual
Cape Grace (Cape Town Waterfront)
One of the fabulous things about Cape Grace’s Afternoon Tea is its price. At R80, it’s almost half the cost of most hotel afternoon teas!
Afternoon Tea is served in the warm, cosy library overlooking the marina. Here’s an idea of the Afternoon Tea menu:
Savouries: Salmon and cream cheese circle, egg mayonnaise slice and the ubiquitous cucumber sandwich, crustless of course.
Petite Sweets: Black cherry and poppy seed and banoffee macaroons, lavender and chocolate mini meringue, pink-iced petit four and a light as a feather buttermilk and chocolate mousse with tangy passion fruit centre.
Scones: Herby mustard seed and cheddar-topped scone and a traditional plain sweet scone with butter, jam, cream and finely grated mature cheddar.
Tea: With advice from Tea Master, Mingwei of Nigiro Teas, eight special teas are offered. They range from Ceylon, famous for its sweet woodiness to the classic Early Grey accented with bergamot and a beautiful red strawberry and kiwi infusion that’s good enough to eat. Really! Once the fruit has re-hydrated in the water it tastes so delicious, you could add them to your breakfast muesli.”
- Price: R80 per person
One&Only Cape Town
The One&Only’s Afternoon Tea is highly regarded and a much sought-after experience. Look at this scrumptious selection of treats!
Afternoon Tea features a rich selection of teas and coffees, presented with carefully selected “sweet pleasures”. The confectionary selection includes chocolate delice, baked vanilla bean cheese cake, caramel and gold leaf éclairs, tea loaf and macaroons, to name but a few, which are accompanied by individually prepared tea sandwiches of complementing flavours and fine buttermilk scones served with traditional clotted cream and strawberry preserve. All items are prepared in the unique style of the One&Only, originating from the classic French art of patisserie, with our local innovation and inspiration.”
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R145 per person
The Westcliff (Johannesburg)
During the week, The Westcliff offers both a morning and afternoon tea with all the delicious, traditional afternoon tea trimmings. On Sundays you can treat yourself to high tea.
The indulgent morning and afternoon tea have become something of an institution where you lazily feast on tantalising delicacies, from fluffy scones served with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious cakes, delicate finger sandwiches and fruit tarts.”
- Date and Time: daily morning tea from 09h00 to 12h00; daily afternoon tea from 15h00 to 17h00; Sunday High Tea from 13h00 to 17h00
- Price: R165 per person (R225 on Sundays)
The institution of high tea, or afternoon tea if you like, is alive and well in South Africa – in all its irresistible, delectable glory. Have you had a high tea/afternoon tea experience? Tell us about it!
According to the hotel, “No visit to Cape Town is complete without Afternoon Tea at Mount Nelson Hotel”. Their tea invitation:
Enjoy delicate finger sandwiches filled with rare roast beef and rocket, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise or cucumber, followed by delectable dark chocolate cake, lemon meringue and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves.
Adding a special local flavour is a typical South African milk tart, called “melktert” in Afrikaans.”
Did you know the signature Mount Nelson Tea is blended from six teas? Darjeeling, Kenya, Assam, Keemun, Ceylon and rose petals from their very own garden. There is also a selection of leaf and flowering teas.
- Date and time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R185 per person, R85 per child under 12
- Dress: smart casual
Cape Grace (Cape Town Waterfront)
Afternoon Tea is served in the warm, cosy library overlooking the marina. Here’s an idea of the Afternoon Tea menu:
Savouries: Salmon and cream cheese circle, egg mayonnaise slice and the ubiquitous cucumber sandwich, crustless of course.
Petite Sweets: Black cherry and poppy seed and banoffee macaroons, lavender and chocolate mini meringue, pink-iced petit four and a light as a feather buttermilk and chocolate mousse with tangy passion fruit centre.
Scones: Herby mustard seed and cheddar-topped scone and a traditional plain sweet scone with butter, jam, cream and finely grated mature cheddar.
Tea: With advice from Tea Master, Mingwei of Nigiro Teas, eight special teas are offered. They range from Ceylon, famous for its sweet woodiness to the classic Early Grey accented with bergamot and a beautiful red strawberry and kiwi infusion that’s good enough to eat. Really! Once the fruit has re-hydrated in the water it tastes so delicious, you could add them to your breakfast muesli.”
- Price: R80 per person
One&Only Cape Town
The One&Only’s Afternoon Tea is highly regarded and a much sought-after experience. Look at this scrumptious selection of treats!
Afternoon Tea features a rich selection of teas and coffees, presented with carefully selected “sweet pleasures”. The confectionary selection includes chocolate delice, baked vanilla bean cheese cake, caramel and gold leaf éclairs, tea loaf and macaroons, to name but a few, which are accompanied by individually prepared tea sandwiches of complementing flavours and fine buttermilk scones served with traditional clotted cream and strawberry preserve. All items are prepared in the unique style of the One&Only, originating from the classic French art of patisserie, with our local innovation and inspiration.”
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R145 per person
The Westcliff (Johannesburg)
During the week, The Westcliff offers both a morning and afternoon tea with all the delicious, traditional afternoon tea trimmings. On Sundays you can treat yourself to high tea.
The indulgent morning and afternoon tea have become something of an institution where you lazily feast on tantalising delicacies, from fluffy scones served with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious cakes, delicate finger sandwiches and fruit tarts.”
- Date and Time: daily morning tea from 09h00 to 12h00; daily afternoon tea from 15h00 to 17h00; Sunday High Tea from 13h00 to 17h00
- Price: R165 per person (R225 on Sundays)
The institution of high tea, or afternoon tea if you like, is alive and well in South Africa – in all its irresistible, delectable glory. Have you had a high tea/afternoon tea experience? Tell us about it!
The One&Only’s Afternoon Tea is highly regarded and a much sought-after experience. Look at this scrumptious selection of treats!
Afternoon Tea features a rich selection of teas and coffees, presented with carefully selected “sweet pleasures”. The confectionary selection includes chocolate delice, baked vanilla bean cheese cake, caramel and gold leaf éclairs, tea loaf and macaroons, to name but a few, which are accompanied by individually prepared tea sandwiches of complementing flavours and fine buttermilk scones served with traditional clotted cream and strawberry preserve. All items are prepared in the unique style of the One&Only, originating from the classic French art of patisserie, with our local innovation and inspiration.”
- Date and Time: daily from 14h30 to 17h30
- Price: R145 per person
The Westcliff (Johannesburg)
During the week, The Westcliff offers both a morning and afternoon tea with all the delicious, traditional afternoon tea trimmings. On Sundays you can treat yourself to high tea.
The indulgent morning and afternoon tea have become something of an institution where you lazily feast on tantalising delicacies, from fluffy scones served with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious cakes, delicate finger sandwiches and fruit tarts.”
- Date and Time: daily morning tea from 09h00 to 12h00; daily afternoon tea from 15h00 to 17h00; Sunday High Tea from 13h00 to 17h00
- Price: R165 per person (R225 on Sundays)
The institution of high tea, or afternoon tea if you like, is alive and well in South Africa – in all its irresistible, delectable glory. Have you had a high tea/afternoon tea experience? Tell us about it!
During the week, The Westcliff offers both a morning and afternoon tea with all the delicious, traditional afternoon tea trimmings. On Sundays you can treat yourself to high tea.
The indulgent morning and afternoon tea have become something of an institution where you lazily feast on tantalising delicacies, from fluffy scones served with preserves and whipped cream to scrumptious cakes, delicate finger sandwiches and fruit tarts.”
- Date and Time: daily morning tea from 09h00 to 12h00; daily afternoon tea from 15h00 to 17h00; Sunday High Tea from 13h00 to 17h00
- Price: R165 per person (R225 on Sundays)
The institution of high tea, or afternoon tea if you like, is alive and well in South Africa – in all its irresistible, delectable glory. Have you had a high tea/afternoon tea experience? Tell us about it!
