We’ve recently found ourselves longing to sip some tea in a most elegant setting. For a little something special, a fancy afternoon tea service is just the thing to take a break from the same old routine and to connect with friends or family in a luxurious experience. For a list of places to put pinkies up and enjoy tea time, check out these local spots…

Please note that many of these lovely tea services require reservations about a month in advance.

— Hotel Ella
The very stylish Hotel Ella near the UT Austin campus, includes a lovely restaurant, Goodall’s Kitchen, that serves a very delightful afternoon tea service on Saturdays and Sundays from 3-5 p.m. with advanced reservations required. Choose from a wide selection of teas  served with an assortment of traditional tea sandwiches, pastries, and delicious sweets! Curried chicken salad on toasts, currant scones, walnut cream puffs, chocolate truffles, too! Because all of the food is made in-house for the tea service, a pre-paid reservation of $30/person must be made in advance to prepare such towers of treats. More info on their website, and you can read about our previous experience here.

Fond memories of great tea time at Hotel Ella!

— Austin English Tea Company at Michelle’s Patisserie
For an authentic English tea party, you can book a Sunday afternoon tea service at Michelle’s Patisserie in North Austin. For $40/person your tea service comes with an assortment of tea sandwiches, pastries, sweets and tea in a charming setting. Reservation book out about a month in advance, so click here to view dates of upcoming tea parties.

Photo from Michelle’s Patisserie website

— Fluff Meringues & More
This charming modern bakery in the Rosedale neighborhood of north/central Austin offers two afternoon tea options: Light and Full. With the Light Tea, guests can enjoy a selection of scones with homemade clotted cream & seasonal jams, and assorted house pastries. If you can also opt for the Full Tea experience which includes an additional selection of cheese and charcuterie with house made crackers and local honeycomb.  Pricing starts at $59 + up, and note that they offer special tea time seasonal events such as a Valentine’s tea with to-go options.  More info on booking your reservation.

Photo from the Fluff Meringues & More website

— The Driskill
Austin’s famous historic hotel offers a an afternoon tea for special occasions. The three-course tea service includes endless cups of Austin Zhi Tea plus sparking wine, classic French pastries, petit fours, and delicate finger sandwiches. Seating times start at 3 p.m. and cost $80/adult and $45/child. Reservations can be made by contacting [email protected].

The Driskill Hotel; photo by Heidi Okla

— The Steeping Room
At The Steeping Room, tea time can be anytime. No need to dress up in your most elegant attire (although feel free if you wish). No need to spend a fortune on the experience, either. The Steeping Room on North Lamar  is a simply decorated, modern tea room full of natural light and a very calming environment. Their menu is huge, offering an expansive array of  tea-inspired treats. For the best deal around, and for those who might prefer a slightly more casual setting, The Steeping Room offers three tea time offerings: a full tea service for $24, a scone set and pot of tea for $12.95, and a delightful children’s tea service for $12.95 that includes one tea sandwich from the “kid’s choice” list, scone, jam, tea cookie, and fruit with choice of apple juice, hot chocolate, lemonade or hot/iced tea.  More info, and please note that they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

The Steeping Room offers a cute, less formal tea party setting

— Brentwood Social House
This local tea & coffee shop is a favorite of ours where the kids can play in the fenced backyard while we sip a warm drink. But did you know that you can order tea service boxes to go? These require at least 48 hours’ notice with a minimum order of 2. The afternoon tea boxes includes 2 sandwiches, tea scone with clotted cream and jam, 3 desserts (baker’s choice), and your choice of tea in a to-go box. They cost $30/adult and $20/child. More info here.

Photo from the Brentwood Social House Facebook page

— Afternoon Tea at Goldie’s
Austin Proper Hotel and Goldie’s Sunken Bar presents a new offering beginning on Mother’s Day and running every Sunday following from 12-4pm for $60/person. With an elegant setting as a backdrop, Proper Tea at Goldie’s takes inspiration from Southern tea rooms with an elevated twist, offering classics such as cucumber sandwiches, egg salad canapes, French macarons alongside a curated selection of teas. More info.

Goldies, photo from the Austin Proper Hotel website

Where do you like to go for tea time? Feel free to send us your suggestions to [email protected].

*header image from Hotel Ella’s Facebook page, credit: Kaylee Dismuke