There’s no need to travel across the pond to enjoy a refined afternoon tea service. In fact, you can even experience this quintessentially British ritual right in the heart of Texas.
There are many lovely places in Austin to savor a pot of tea accompanied by elegant sandwiches, scones and cakes. Afternoon tea also makes for a special way to celebrate a birthday or bridal shower, honor your mom or elevate a bachelorette party, especially when it’s in one of the following fabulous spots.
Austin Proper Hotel & Residences
Book a weekend tea experience at this design-forward, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star boutique hotel in the flourishing Second Street District. Austin Proper’s afternoon tea takes place in Goldie’s, a picturesque, guests-only bar, and features a notable selection of artisanal teas plus a curated list of champagnes and sparkling wines. But the real star of the show is the tiered silver tray of handmade macarons, tortes, gougères, canapés, scones and more — with Devonshire clotted cream, of course.
The back tearoom of Michelle’s Patisserie is a speakeasy of sorts, where wonderland meets royalty, thanks to a pink-and-white checkerboard floor, floral tablecloths, vintage dishware and plenty of feathers, beads and tassels. It is here that the Austin English Tea Company offers private afternoon tea parties, as well as open tea service on Sundays (three time slots are available for groups of two to 10 people) that’s appropriate for all ages. The tea room’s menu includes Michelle’s Patisserie’s fresh-baked pastries, vivid towers of macarons and platters of colorful doughnuts and cookies, plus dainty tea sandwiches with various classic fillings.
Afternoon tea at 1886 Café, the French-inspired bistro inside Austin’s most historic hotel, is a long-standing weekend tradition, beloved by locals for celebrations and special occasions. You’ll get to sip on premium loose-leaf Zhi teas and sparkling wines while noshing on three courses of inspired sweet and savory finger foods — like prosciutto and honey ricotta on focaccia, herb deviled eggs with caviar, devil’s food roulade with orange cream and seasonal scones with housemade apple butter, cinnamon honey butter and clotted cream.
This 289-acre luxury getaway in Dripping Springs has a sister property (The Old Bell Hotel) in England, so it is only fitting that it crafts a traditional British tea service on Mondays through Fridays. Reserve in advance to bask in a tiered presentation of housemade items like mini beef Wellingtons with charred horseradish mash, shrimp rolls and Camp Lucy’s whiskey-butter bread pudding. In addition to a curation of teas and sparkling wines, you can also choose from a menu of tea-infused cocktails (see: espresso chai martini).
This Four-Star downtown hotel hosts a daily afternoon tea between 1 and 3 p.m. in Live Oak, the lobby-level bar and lounge overlooking Lady Bird Lake. The theme varies through the year, but the Roses and Rosé A-Tea-X (through May 24) incorporates botanical elements and plenty of rosé, alongside colorful teapots and tasty reimagined culinary offerings such as tuna tartare crispy rice cakes, fried plantain and olive tapenade tostones, and white chocolate-dipped strawberry mousse pops. There are also inventive tea cocktails, like the Bridge Builder’s Flask (Toki Japanese whisky, Cocchi Americano, oolong tea, orange bitters, star anise and orange zest).
This cozy North Austin tea house offers a traditional English afternoon service in its main dining room featuring savory tea sandwiches, housemade pastries and scones with butter and jam, all served on mismatched vintage china. Seating times are Thursday and Friday at noon and Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 and 2 p.m. In lieu of tea, kids can choose from a juice box, chocolate milk or hot cocoa. A private room can also be rented out for parties up to eight.
