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Have a delightful afternoon at the 8 best high tea spots in Pretoria!
High tea is a time-honoured tradition in South Africa, with its origins stretching as far back as the 16th century. This delightful little pastime of having a light snack with your afternoon tea is a great way to keep your appetite satiated in the middle of the day.
Thankfully, Pretoria has some truly great spots for high tea, all offering their own unique culinary experiences. When I’m in the mood for some while visiting the Jacaranda City, these are some of the spots I love to go to.
Castello di Monte
Media from: @castellodimonte
Website: https://castello.co.za/product/high-tea/
Address: 402 Aries St, Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria
Phone: +27 12 346 6984
Price: $$
Castello di Monte is a 5-star hotel with an elegant, peaceful high tea service that promises to give you a taste of Tuscany. This spot focuses on pairing luxurious sparkling wine and tea with delectable treats.
Castello’s high tea snacks are a little sparse compared to the competition, with their standout offerings being petit fours. I don’t mind the fewer options, though, as these are finely crafted and taste great.
I’m a big fan of their croissants as well as their sweet, Italian-inspired tiramisu/chocolate petit four bites. They were sweet, buttery, and paired perfectly with their Earl Grey tea.
| Pro tip: High tea at Castello di Monte is better with friends, especially since the hotel has an 8-guest minimum for high tea reservations. |
Chocolat et Cafe
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Website: https://www.chocolatetcafe.co.za/
Address: 383 Graham Rd, Shere
Phone: +27 12 534 3382
Price: $
As the name suggests, Chocolat et Cafe is a little cafe that excels at chocolate treats. That being said, they have a pretty unique style when it comes to high tea because of its customizability.
The cafe offers three high tea menus: the “Chocolate Luxury,” which is their signature and has a menu centred around their sweet, chocolate treats; the “French Country Chic,” which has more savoury options; and the “Rose Garden High Tea,” which has the healthier selections.
If you’re not feeling a specific menu, Chocolat allows you to create your own high tea menu out of their extensive snack options.
I opted for the Chocolate Luxury, and I really loved how refreshing their rose darjeeling tea tasted after snacking on the small chocolate brownies!
| Pro tip: The menus aren’t solely focused on sweet, savoury, or healthy options and have a sizable mix of all three flavours. I really liked the mini beef wellingtons included in the Chocolate Luxury package, for example. |
Ivory Manor
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Website: https://www.ivorymanor.co.za/
Address: 280 Jochem St, Rietvalleirand
Phone: +27 12 110 4380
Price: $$
The Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel is another one of Pretoria’s renowned 5-star hotels, and their high tea at the outdoor dining area is remarkable. With a cosy interior, great views of the business district, and a balanced menu, it offers a comfortable high tea experience.
Their high tea menu has a little something for each flavour profile, with light, buttery pastries, sweet jam-infused scones, and savoury chicken spring rolls. I really loved their salmon roulade and their rose-shaped macarons. They were both really tasty!
I went with their Java espresso, since I was in the mood for coffee that day. It was acidic, smooth, and tasted great, contrasting the sweet snacks and quiches pretty well.
| Pro tip: If you have a taste for it, Ivory Manor’s beef tartar is said to be one of the best items on their menu! |
Rosemary Hill
Media from: @rosemaryhillfarm
Website: https://rosemaryhill.co.za
Address: R964
Phone: +27 12 802 0052
Price: $
Rosemary Hill is a farm on the outskirts of Pretoria, and its rustic, countryside ambience makes it a wonderful getaway from the daily hustle of city life. They host accommodations, restaurants, and cafes, and their high tea is a standout because of its affordability and menu.
This farm has, by far, the cheapest high tea experience on the list, but don’t let that fool you. With the beautiful countryside views, delicious rosemary chicken bites, and outdoor setting, it’s an accessible way to experience high tea while still being elegant and memorable.
I went to Rosemary Hill for a quick staycation, and I soon found myself really enjoying their high tea. Their strawberry meringues were sweet, tart, and paired really well with the more acidic homemade lemonade.
| Pro tip: This experience is very popular and often runs out of slots, so it’s important to book before you visit! |
Goddess Cafe
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Website: https://goddesscafe.co.za/
Address: Shop 6, Waterkloof Corner Shopping Centre, Corner Main and Crown St, Waterkloof
Phone: +27 12 534 3554
Price: $$
With shades of pink and white adorned across this cafe’s floral space, Goddess Cafe looks like it was ripped straight out of a Barbie playset. This makes for a uniquely loose, playful, and memorable high tea experience that mixes luxury with fun and style.
Their high tea menu is decadent and delicious, with relatively larger portions and an array of classic snacks such as croissants, scones, quiches, and even chicken sandwiches.
Their mini burgers with pink buns are also a highlight, being juicy and filling but not too hearty.
A personal menu choice that endeared me to Goddess Cafe was that they actually served hot chocolate during high tea. It was warm, sweet, and had that classic cocoa flavour, pairing well with the sweeter snacks.
| Pro tips: Goddess Cafe is pet-friendly and has a menu for pets! Their brownies are shaped like a pancake and drizzled with chocolate sauce, and they taste divine. |
Anja’s Tea Garden
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Website: https://anjasgarden.co.za/
Address: 1190 Stellenberg Rd, Equestria
Phone: +27 72 153 6732
Price: $$
Anja’s Tea Garden has a very comforting countryside charm to it, courtesy of its floral decor and surroundings. High tea here is very warm, inviting, and light, and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon!
Their menu stands out with their bottomless pitchers of homemade ginger beer and iced strawberry rooibos tea. As far as snacks go, the selection is a bit smaller with only four sweet and four savoury snacks, but they’re still pretty tasty and filling for an afternoon treat.
I was particularly a big fan of their chocolate mousse cakes as well as their strawberry quiches, which paired well with the beer’s more bitter taste.
| Pro tip: Want a taste of Anja’s Tea Garden to go? They offer takeaway for their high tea menu! |
Afro-Boer
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Website: https://www.afroboer.co.za/high-tea
Address: 1 Meerlust Rd, Equestria
Phone: +27 12 807 3099
Price: $$
Afro-boer is a quaint, quiet family-owned cafe in the outskirts of Pretoria East, and the comfiness exuded by its decor and location is only amplified by its menu. A bakery and cafe, their high tea menu aims to give customers a unique sampling of their baking prowess.
It’s inclusive of at least 9 snacks, alongside a glass of mimosa and a pot of tea. These snacks include tomato tartlets, smoked trout and cucumber ribbons, and half a carrot cake.
I went here with a friend, and we both really enjoyed the chocolate brownie halves, since we both really love chocolate. I thought the butternut flat bread was also a clear highlight, especially with how its tarty taste contrasted with the mimosas.
| Pro tip: If you enjoy their quiches, Afro-boer also sells them at a much larger size! |
Alice in Waterkloof
Media from: @alice_in_waterkloof
Website: https://aliceinwaterkloof.co.za/
Address: 370 Milner St, Waterkloof
Phone: +27 82 444 2888
Price: $$
Much like the book it takes inspiration from, Alice in Waterkloof prides itself on being a whimsical, quirky world away from the stress of urban life. Its bright, elegant decor and insistence on only using fresh ingredients make it a memorable place to have really tasty and fresh high tea snacks.
Their high tea is very extensive, with the drinks ranging from standard tea to iced tea, coffee, and even Milo. Their snacks are also pretty unique, with their breakfast croissant being a particularly filling and delicious snack to have in the afternoon.
I’m also a really big fan of their sweet carrot cake, which was paired perfectly with the refreshing oolong tea.
| Pro tip: Alice in Waterkloof also hosts events, so if you want to hold an Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday party for your kids, then this might be the place for you! |
