The best Mother’s Day High Tea experiences 2025
High Tea Experiences fit for the Queen in your life
Treating your mum, a mother figure, or being celebrated yourself?
Want to show Mum just how much she means to you? Swap brunch for an afternoon of sweet treats, savoury bites and sky-high views at one of Sydney’s top-tier Mother’s Day high teas. From heritage dining rooms to glittering hotel ballrooms, venues across the city are pulling out the fancy china and pouring the bubbly. Whether you’re after a classic spread or something with a little flair, there’s a teacup (and tartlet) with her name on it. We’ve rounded up the most indulgent, scenic and downright delicious high tea experiences to help you celebrate her in style.
🍰 Best for glamour and sparkle
Calleija-Inspired Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at The Bar
If your mum deserves a celebration as elegant as she is, whisk her away to the sun-drenched atrium of the Fullerton Hotel’s The Bar. In partnership with luxury jeweller Calleija – known for their bespoke creations featuring Australian Pink Argyle diamonds – this bespoke high tea draws inspiration from their Violaine ring and Lavender Jade Drop earrings – and yes, it’s as dazzling as it sounds. Expect London Fog verrines, cassis roulades, potted shrimp, and picture-perfect pastries. Add bubbles for extra sparkle.
📍 Fullerton Hotel | Lobby Level/1 Martin Pl, Sydney | (02) 8223 1111
🍰 Best for pampering with pastries
Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at Aperture x Auriga Spa
Looking to really elevate your Mother’s Day plans? Swap the usual catch-up for an indulgent Afternoon Tea at Aperture, the glass-ceilinged heart of Capella Sydney, where light streams in and the striking kinetic sculpture Meadow hovers overhead like a floating garden. Curated by Executive Chef Gabriele Taddeucci and Head Pastry Chef Arthur Carré, the seasonal menu delivers a mix of sweet and savoury bites – think delicate pastries like the raspberry macaron, handcrafted savouries like the signature lobster roll with gem lettuce and orange mayo and picture-perfect presentation, all in one of the city’s most photogenic spaces. And it gets better – each guest receives a $50 credit to Capella’s dreamy Auriga Spa. Book and redeem it by 31 July and they’ll throw in a glass of Champagne post-treatment.
📍 Capella Hotel | 24 Loftus St, Sydney | (02) 9071 5000
🍰 Best high tea for a (Parliamentary) Queen
Mother’s Day High Tea at Strangers’ Restaurant
Fancy a slice of Sydney history with your finger sandwiches? Head to Strangers’ Restaurant in NSW Parliament House for a Mother’s Day High Tea steeped in elegance, heritage, and all the right kind of old-school charm. On Friday May 9 (yep this is one Mother’s Day high tea you can celebrate early), you’ll be greeted with a glass of rosé sparkling before settling in for a refined afternoon of sweet and savoury bites crafted by Executive Chef Vanessa Harcourt and her award-winning team. You’ll also walk away with a copy of Dining at New South Wales Parliament, a cookbook that’s part recipe collection, part keepsake. If you’ve got multiple Mother’ Day events to celebrate this year, this early high tea might just be the ticket.
📍 Parliament House, Macquarie Street | 6 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 | (02) 9230 2124
(Image courtesy of the Team Room, QVB)
🍰 Best heritage setting
Mother’s Day High Tea, QVB Tea Room
An Inner West Mums’ favourite, the Tea Room at the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) conjures up visions of Downtown Abbey with its ornate high-ceilings and glittering chandeliers. And like Downtown Abbey, the service is fit for aristocracy – tiered platters of Royal Albert fine china depart the kitchen in such quick-fire succession you know those scones have to be freshly baked.
For mums, it’s a weekend of celebration with the Mother’s Day High Tea offered from 10-11 May. For early risers, and let’s be honest which new mums aren’t, there’s an 8am traditional high tea sitting so you can get in early and enjoy the city as it wakes up. Kids are catered for as well with child friendly sandwiches, sweets, savouries and hot choc, juice or soft drinks for little ones who aren’t into their tea.
The QVB Tea Room caters for dietary requirements including GF, vegan, vegetarian and nut-free – just mention it when you book.
📍QVB Tea Room | Level 3, Market Street End, Queen Victoria Building 455 George St Sydney | (02) 9283 7279
🍰 Best sky-high indulgence
Mother’s Day Buffet High Tea at the Shangri-La, Level 36
If your mum’s idea of a perfect Mother’s Day includes Champagne, indulgent sweets, and panoramic views, this elegant sky-high high tea ticks all the boxes. Hosted on Level 36 of the Shangri-La Sydney, with front-row seats to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, it’s a luxurious setting for an afternoon of spoiling. Executive Pastry Chef Kumiko Endo has curated a three-tier tower of sweet and savoury delights — from chestnut chocolate bites and fig & pecan tarts to roast pork banh mi and wagyu mushroom pies. Naturally, scones come warm and fluffy, served with Southern Highlands clotted cream and house-made jam. Go classic with tea and coffee, or level up with free-flowing sparkling or Champagne. Views this good deserve bubbles.
📍Level 36, Shangri-La Sydney | 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney | (02) 9250 6000
🍰 Best for amazing views
Mother’s Day High Tea, Gunners Barracks
Want a high tea with a view you can savour along with your freshly baked scones? Gunners Barracks, nestled in leafy George’s Heights on a headland so spectacular that many have said ‘I do’ at this location, is the place for mums who like their high tea with a side of Sydney Harbour to gape at. That’s Camp Cove and Watson’s Bay that you’ll see – if you’re lucky enough to snag a seat on the balcony. But rest assured, even from inside, there’s plenty to keep mums happy – starting with tiers of fine bone china resplendent with perfectly cut-finger sandwiches (crustless too!), tea served in mirror-like silver pots, and best of all – swathes of lush, green lawn where little ones can burn off all that sugar!
Mother’s Day high tea sitting are available from 8am – perfect for those early risers – on 10 and 11 May.
Want to make a day of it? Go on a self-guided Talking Object Tour of George’s Heights where QR codes posted on objects scattered throughout the headland bring history to life on your phone.
📍Gunners Barracks | End of Suakin Drive, Georges Heights, Mosman | (02) 8962 5900
🍰 Best for Blue Mountains Charm
Mother’s Day High Tea at The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic
For a truly grand gesture, whisk mum away to the mountains for high tea with a view. The Wintergarden Restaurant at the iconic Hydro Majestic offers an elegant Mother’s Day experience set against the sweeping vistas of the Megalong Valley — a timeless setting that’s just as spectacular as the treats on your plate. Expect all the high tea classics done right: delicate finger sandwiches, petite sweets, fluffy scones and a glass of bubbles to toast the day. Want to make it extra special? Opt for free-flowing sparkling wine and settle in for the afternoon.
📍The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic | 52-88 Great Western Hwy, Medlow Bath NSW | (02) 4782 6885
(Image courtesy of Novotel Sydney Darling Square)
🍰 Best for celebrating with little ones
Mother’s Day High Tea at Novotel Sydney Darling Square
The Unforgettable High Tea Experience for Mum at the Novel Sydney Darling Square is perfect for larger families looking for a Mother’s Day experience with the fun and activities of Darling Harbour a stone’s throw away. Step inside the light-filled Pier St. Grill dining room and mums are treated to a glass of sparkling on arrival with a mini bouquet of flowers just because. Once high tea is done and dusted – and with faves like delicate finger sandwiches and sweet treats sliders and on the menu it won’t take long – kids can hit the Chinese Gardens or Darling Harbour playgrounds.
For the little ones, kids 12 and under eat for half price — and Accor Plus members enjoy a 10% discount! Keen to try a staycation at the Novotel Sydney Darling Square? Read our review here.
📍Novotel Sydney Darling Square | 17 Little Pier St Sydney | (02) 8217 4000
(Image courtesy of QT Sydney)
🍰 Best for foodie mums (or Zumbo devotees)
QTea Mother’s Day High Tea, QT Sydney
That’s Zumbo, as in Adriano Zumbo, King of the Macaron, not Zumba – the dance exercise class that had most of us in a spin (literally) pre-Covid. Whilst you may not be whittling your waist at QTea Mother’s Day High Tea, thanks to a menu that includes Chicken Katsu Sando, Banoffee Pie Verrine, not to mention a handful of ‘Zumbarons’ – you’ll certainly be indulging your senses.
This moody hotel of dark-hues and opulent jewel-tones screams playful glamour. It’s a grown-up experience with a DJ in the corner spinning sexy beats and a free flowing Perrier-Jouët champers option (get out of here) to make you or your mum’s Great Gatsby dreams come true. Got a fur-baby too? This is one of the few pet-friendly hotels in the CBD so bring Bowser along for the ride.
Want more? Read our full review of the QT Sydney’s high tea here.
📍QT Sydney | 49 Market St, Sydney 2000 | (02) 8962 5900
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Got a high tea experience that you love? Let us know – leave a comment below or email us at info@theinnerwestmums.com.au so we can add it to our list.
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