Cathy MerrittEver since I started reading historical romance novels and watching shows like Bridgerton, I’ve been obsessed with the concept of high tea and afternoon tea.
Because of this, I’ve gone to several dining spots offering high tea. It’s always such a fun time, and I’d be lying if I said my friends and I didn’t pretend to be aristocrats looking for a match.
If you’re also interested in experiencing high tea, here are some of my favorite places!
- Casa Loma
- Ladurée
- T-Buds
- Holts Café
- Clockwork at the Fairmont Royal York
- Kitten and the Bear
- Astor Lounge at the St. Regis Hotel
- Epoch Bar and Kitchen Terrace at The Ritz-Carlton Toronto
- Shangri-La Lobby Lounge and Bar
- The Tea Room at Windsor Arms Hotel
- d|bar at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
- Afternoon Tea at Old Mill Toronto
- Delysee Yorkville
- Joni Restaurant
Casa Loma
Address: 1 Austin Terrace
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—9:30 am to 5 pm
Contact Number: +14169231171
Casa Loma is a majestic castle right in the heart of Toronto. It still retains much of its historical design, including chandeliers and sprawling gardens, making it a perfect spot to have afternoon tea.
Unfortunately, the high tea experience at Casa Loma is only available for a limited time, usually in February. But if the opportunity to try this experience arises, be sure to grab it!
The High Tea at Castle is an elevated experience where you can enjoy a selection of premium teas, scones, gourmet pastries, and more inside the castle. You can even tour the place when you’re done eating!
I went here once with my friends, and we had such a blast. We even wore “costumes” (aka normal clothes that we tried to style to look like something that came from Bridgerton).
| Pro Tip: There is a parking lot here, but it’s limited, and the ticket is expensive. I recommend coming here using public transportation. |
Ladurée
Address: Shopping Center, 3401 Dufferin St
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—10 am to 9 pm
- Saturday—9:30 am to 7 pm
- Sunday—11 am to 7 pm
Contact Number: +14166292391
Ladurée Paris is one of my favorite spots for high tea simply because it looks so adorable! The shop is just bursting with pastel colors, including pastries, and the decorations make the whole place look like we’re in a wonderland.
The fact that the pastries and teas served here are delicious is just the cherry on top. I like to stuff my face with an Ispahan (raspberry-flavored macaron) because it’s so cute and tastes decadent. I also eat a savory croissant to balance out the sweetness.
As for my drink, I choose tea, but sometimes, I prefer a cup of hot chocolate instead. There’s just something so satisfying about adding cream to hot chocolate and dipping my croissant in it.
| Pro Tip: If you want, you can add a glass of champagne or Royal Ladurée cocktail to your afternoon tea experience. It only costs C$15 to do so. |
T-Buds
Address: 3343 Yonge St Fl 2, Toronto, ON M4N 2M4, Canada
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday—12 to 6 pm
- Friday to Sunday—11 am to 6 pm
Contact Number: +16473523624
T-Buds is truly a tea lover’s paradise. The shop has many types and flavors of tea available to be purchased, so you can brew your favorite drink right at home.
But this place is more than just a tea store; it’s also a restaurant specializing in afternoon tea. In fact, there are several afternoon tea services to choose from, each having its own unique offerings.
I’ve tried the Classic Afternoon Tea, which is the traditional option. It comes with scones and finger sandwiches. I’ve also tried The Chocolate Afternoon Tea, which is my favorite so far because it contains all the chocolatey desserts (I have the worst sweet tooth).
| Pro Tip: If you’re planning a party, you might be interested in booking this restaurant as your venue. Or if you already have a venue, you can book their catering services instead. |
Holts Café
Address: Holt Renfrew Bloor, 50 Bloor St W
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday—11 am to 5 pm
- Sunday—12 to 5 pm
Contact Number: +14163552832
Most people come to Holt Renfrew to shop for designer fashion and beauty items, but did you know this place also has a café that offers afternoon tea service? Now that you do, you should check it out when you can!
I really like the variety of foods offered during afternoon tea. There are sweet options (my favorites being the chocolate s’mores tart and mango panna cotta), but there are also savory options like a prawn and cucumber finger sandwich to balance things out.
The tea selection is just as impressive. So far, my favorite is Citron Calm, a tea with whole chamomile flowers blended with citrus and honey, giving it a zesty taste with hints of sweetness.
| Pro Tip: Reservation at least 24 hours ahead of time is required if you want to try the afternoon tea service here. |
Clockwork at the Fairmont Royal York
Address: 100 Front St W
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—12 pm to 12 am
Contact Number: +1416368251
Clockwork at the Fairmont Royal York is a swanky dining spot that makes you feel like you’re in 1920s New York. Innovative cocktails are what they’re mostly known for, but you can also experience afternoon tea here every weekend.
The high tea here features a wide variety of house-made buttery scones, savory sandwiches, and delectable sweets. My go-to snacks are usually foie gras tart, banoffee cupcakes, and chocolate hazelnut tart.
As for the tea, I really like the Imperial Breakfast. It’s a breakfast tea that has malt highlights.
Another one that I’d recommend is the Niagara Peach. Its flavor profile is a combination of lush peachy notes and sweet overtones.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant hosts a special afternoon tea during Mother’s Day weekend. Come here for that celebration, and be sure to bring your mother or any mother figure with you! |
Kitten and the Bear
Address: 1414 Dundas St W
Operating Hours: Wednesday to Sunday—11 am to 4 pm
Contact Number: +16479269711
Kitten and the Bear is a cute spot on Dundas Street that specializes in traditional fruit preserves (especially artisan hams, jellies, and marmalades) and buttermilk scones. Eventually, they expanded to include afternoon tea, serving a wide spread of dishes.
The highlights are the scones and spreads. The buttermilk scones are incredibly tender and flaky, and pairing it with a raspberry and cream jam is heaven.
The assorted bonbons are also addictively sweet, and I can never get enough of them.
For the drinks, you’ll have a wide array of Sloane Fine Tea sachets. I usually go for the Earl Grey Classique. It’s a comforting flavor, with hints of Italian bergamot and a citrusy zing.
| Pro Tip: Do you want to host a gathering themed around afternoon tea? You can book Kitten and the Bear’s catering services! |
Astor Lounge at the St. Regis Hotel
Address: 325 Bay St.
Contact Number: +14163065800
Astor Lounge is one of St. Regis Hotel’s restaurants, and its interior is a burst of modern elegance. At night, people come here to unwind with a fancy glass of cocktail or champagne, but on the weekend, from 2 to 5 pm, you can enjoy high tea.
Just like many other afternoon tea spots, Astor Lounge uses the brand Sloane Fine Tea. They do have exclusive flavors, such as Midnight Blossom (it tastes light and smooth with refined floral notes), so there’s something to look forward to.
For the food, you can expect traditional scones that are flaky and buttery. There will also be Devonshire cream and fruit preserves that you can pair with your scones.
Aside from that, you can enjoy opera cakes, chicken sliders, and other finger sandwiches.
| Pro Tip: If you want to experience afternoon tea here, you need to book a reservation beforehand. |
Epoch Bar and Kitchen Terrace at The Ritz-Carlton Toronto
Address: 181 Wellington St W
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—12 pm to 12 am
- Saturday and Sunday—11 am to 12 am
Contact Number: +14165852500
Epoch Bar and Kitchen Terrace is a restaurant within The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, and it’s the epitome of luxury. If you’re going to afternoon tea here, be sure to wear your best clothes!
When I came here the last time, I stuffed my face with smoked salmon on toast with Granny Smith apple and dill crème fraîche and passionfruit and meringue tartlet. I also couldn’t get enough of the cranberry scones, especially with rose petal jam.
To wash everything down, I drank the Chocolate Peppermint Truffle tea. It has such a rich and creamy chocolate flavor with hints of mint. It tastes like Christmas, my favorite holiday!
| Pro Tips: For an additional fee, you can add bubbles or champagne to your afternoon tea experience. Book a reservation ahead of time (at least one day before) if you want to secure your spot. |
Shangri-La Lobby Lounge and Bar
Address: 188 University Ave
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—11 am to 12 am
- Thursday to Saturday—11 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +16477888281
The Shangri-La Hotel is a well-known hotel that hosts themed afternoon teas every season. As a result, your experience is different every time, so you’ll always be looking forward to it!
I love going to the spring afternoon tea simply because I love seeing all the colorful flowers as decorations inside the restaurant. Plus, all the teawares also have floral motifs on them. They’re just so adorable to look at!
For the food, the main highlights were the sweet treats, especially Daisy (a profiterole with orange blossom and sesame halva) and Bee (a honey cake with apples and caramelized white chocolate).
There’s also a great variety of teas here. My favorite has to be the Masala Chai, which mixes Orthodox Flowery Black tea with Ceylon spices. The sweetness is undercut by a strong spicy flavor, and I love that so much!
| Pro Tip: There’s a separate afternoon tea during Mother’s Day weekend. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring your mom and bond for the day. |
The Tea Room at Windsor Arms Hotel
Address: 18 St Thomas St
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—12 to 2 pm, 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Contact Number: +14169719666
At Windsor Arms Hotel’s The Tea Room, you can expect to be treated like a royal. With a bright and airy dining space, colorful furniture, and beautiful wares, it’s hard not to get in the mood!
There are many snacks to choose from, so it’s easy to get full after spending your afternoon here. The last time I came here, I loved the quiche with fresh truffle, the smoked salmon with pumpernickel caviar, and the raspberry cake.
The tea selection is just as expansive. So far, I’ve been a big fan of the milk oolong tea, which is smooth and creamy, but I’ve also really liked the Citralicious tea because of its bright lemon flavor with undertones of mint.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant sells gift cards that you can give to a fellow afternoon tea lover. |
d|bar at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Address: 60 Yorkville Ave
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—11 am to 12 am
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +14169640411
Located in the city’s luxurious shopping and dining district, d|bar is fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the street while sipping your tea and eating your finger foods.
The afternoon tea menu changes every season, so you never know what to expect beforehand. The last time I came here was sometime in spring, and I remember being obsessed with the chocolate macaron (it had almonds and cocoa nibs for extra texture).
I also enjoyed the savory options. The oolong tofu lollipops with carrot top pesto stood out to me. I didn’t think I was going to like it, but somehow the oolong and pesto flavors meshed really well.
The tea selection is curated, so you won’t really feel overwhelmed. My favorite was the Imperial Tung Ting, which had a refined oolong taste (fun fact: the leaves for this tea are hand-picked at dawn because that’s when the flavor is at its peak).
| Pro Tip: This restaurant hosts a separate afternoon tea service for Mother’s Day! Check it out when you can. |
Afternoon Tea at Old Mill Toronto
Address: 21 Old Mill Rd
Operating Hours: Thursday to Sunday—3 to 5:15 pm
Contact Number: +14162072020
Afternoon Tea at Old Mill Toronto has been voted one of the best restaurants in Canada several times now, so you can expect a memorable experience when dining here.
When I came here the last time, my favorites off the menu were the salmon croissant with whipped feta cheese and arugula (healthy and delicious) and the coronation chicken with dried apricot and mango chutney (savory and sweet at the same time).
As for the tea, I went for the Oolong Creme and absolutely loved it even though it had caffeine, which was something I didn’t like in my tea. This tea came from the Wuyi mountains of China, and its flavor is smooth, buttery richness.
| Pro Tips: If you want, you can also have cocktails during your afternoon tea. You’ll just have to pay an additional fee. If you don’t consume meat, don’t worry because there are separate menus for vegetarians and vegans! |
Delysee Yorkville
Address: 161 Yorkville Ave
Operating Hours:
- Sunday and Wednesday—4 pm to 12 am
- Thursday to Saturday—4 pm to 2 am
Contact Number: +14169253434
What I love about Delysee Yorkville is that the pastries and desserts look like works of art. Sometimes, I even feel bad having to eat them because it feels such a waste ruining something that beautiful!
During afternoon tea, my favorite treats are the eclairs, which are stuffed with the most decadent cream and topped with gold flakes.
The macarons are also a delight. They’re always so colorful, and the filling is perfectly sweet.
When it comes to drinks, I actually prefer the cocktails here. To be fair, many of the cocktails are tea-based, so in a way, I’m still drinking tea—just with a bit of alcohol.
| Pro Tip: To secure your spot, be sure to book your reservation for the high tea experience in advance. |
Joni Restaurant
Address: 4 Avenue Rd
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—7 am to 10 pm
Contact Number: +16479483130
Joni Restaurant is influenced by Toronto’s vibrant arts and culture scene, which is why it boasts several unique dining experiences. Fortunately, afternoon tea is one of these experiences.
What I love about this restaurant’s take on afternoon tea is that there are different themed tasting menus. It’s always interesting trying to see what makes one menu different from the others, and I’m always curious enough to come back to try the others.
So far, my favorite is the Indulgence at The Park, which also happens to be the most expensive of the menus. It comes with indulgent food items like oysters and caviar, and you’ll also be served with glasses of Dom Perignon.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant gets fully booked fast, so I suggest booking a reservation for the afternoon tea experience at least a day in advance. |
