Toronto’s best afternoon tea experiences
Including classic services, cake-filled makeup cases and teapot cocktails
Whether you’re an Anglophile, Bridgerton devotee or just a lover of loose-leaf, afternoon tea is the quintessential weekend indulgence. And there’s no shortage of Toronto hotels, restaurants and tea shops offering finger sandwiches, petit fours and—for when orange pekoe isn’t enough—glasses of bubbly. Here, 13 splendid tea services sure to add some pomp (and maybe even a spoonful of circumstance) to your afternoon.
High fashion and high tea converge at this haute couture destination where guests start with Madagascar vanilla–flecked scones and move on to reimagined British classics like elevated finger sandwiches—think smoked salmon with zippy pickled carrots, a dash of dukkah and saffron labneh. But the highlights, especially for this Mother’s Day, are the desserts, including honey-roasted grape cheesecake, blueberry financiers and passion fruit ganache. Holts’s sartorial connections inspire frequent collaborations with fashion houses and esteemed perfume brands, resulting in interesting limited-edition tea services. One recently transformed the essence of Jo Malone’s fragrances—ginger biscuit, orange bitters, and pine and eucalyptus—into bonbons. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Advance booking required.
With its sepia-hued lighting and railcar-inspired banquette seating, Clockwork transports guests back to the golden age of train travel. (A pianist playing Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” helps to complete the illusion.) Although there are no windows to gaze out of, there’s plenty of eye candy to look at. Even the crockery—stunning Japanese bone china rimmed with gold—is regal. Service begins with a pot of Lot 35 loose-leaf tea. There are nearly a dozen teas to choose from, but the creamy Earl Grey is particularly delightful. House-baked scones are followed by the pièce de résistance: a cubist tea tray decked out with goodies. Highlights include Fogo Island shrimp-and-lobster vol au vent, foie gras tarts served with matcha and preserved rhubarb, and a dessert bite of milk chocolate ganache and candied hazelnut. $94 per person. Saturday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Kitten and the Bear delivers its goodies—including afternoon tea—straight to your door. Somehow, owners Sophie Kaftal and Bobby Zielinski have managed to package their special brand of dainty enchantment in a box. Their Afternoon Tea Party Bundle comes with one of their oh-so-flaky buttermilk scones as well as pristine finger sandwiches (the smoked salmon with preserved lemon and herbs is a standout), a three-inch buttercream-slathered tea cake, and seasonal sweets like all-butter shortbread cookies and Victoria sponge bonbons. Anglophiles will appreciate the jar of clotted cream included in every order. $129 (serves four). Friday to Sunday.
The St. Regis doesn’t take extravagance lightly. Even Monday evenings at the hotel kick off with champagne sabrage, and afternoons aren’t complete without some very fancy tea—served, of course, with equally fancy canapés. This spring, the selection includes truffled coronation chicken served on buttery brioche, bites of crab and avocado topped with yuzu pearls, and a hyper-indulgent foie torchon. Over on the sweet tier are the airy-yet-rich rose macarons and matcha éclairs. If a flute of André Clouet or Louis Roederer doesn’t tempt, guests who still want to splurge can switch out their pot of Sloane tea for a rare pu’er, a type of fermented tea that’s left to age somewhat like fine wine. (One of the teas on offer was harvested in 1980 and will add an extra $95 to the bill.) $95 per person. Daily, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This isn’t your dowager aunt’s afternoon tea. On a Netflix scale, it’s more Is It Cake? than Bridgerton. A makeup kit opens to reveal trays filled with confections that look like lipstick, blush, night creams and Jacquemus purses. Don’t be fooled by the cosmetic kitsch—these fun-sized bites are expertly crafted and served alongside more traditional sweets like rose-and-lychee macarons. Those who prefer savoury to sweet will enjoy the fussed-over canapés, in particular the crackle choux stuffed with foie gras and haskap berry. $95 per person, minimum two people. Thursday to Sunday.
The Ritz is synonymous with glitz and glamour. So when DesignAgency (the Toronto-based firm behind the Drake Hotel and Minami) was hired to update the hotel, they leaned in to the brand’s gilded century-long history. Epoch is a space fit for royalty, with antique-mirror insets that cast the room in a golden-hour glow all day long. The service itself is a classic tower of butter scones, finger sandwiches (cucumber, coronation chicken) and three-bite sweets, like a meringue-crowned passion fruit tartlet. $80 per person. Monday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m, and Saturday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For those craving an escape from reality, the Shangri-La’s lobby—where koi fish glide beneath your feet—is the ultimate getaway. The afternoon tea service here embraces the seasons, currently spotlighting locally sourced produce and the honey collected from the hotel’s own rooftop hive. Prepare for delicate delights like asparagus blini and pea-and-ricotta tartlets, all kissed with a hint of honey. But the dessert lineup is where the ambrosia reigns supreme. The beehive honey cake, joined by apple compote and caramelized white chocolate whip ganache, is an appropriately decadent finale. $98 per person. Thursday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We recommend booking the table next to Joni’s hearth—it’s undeniably the best vantage for people-watching at the Park Hyatt, a hotel known for hosting literati and red carpet celebrities. Of the three services on offer, Tea at the Park is our favourite: a lavish multi-course affair. Although guests are free to choose from more than a dozen teas, a suggested pairing for each sweet and savoury course is provided. Nibbles start with dainty canapés, which include sausage rolls and itty-bitty shrimp. A yuzu-grape gelée comes next to clean the palate before dessert descends upon the table. Each bijou gateau is flawless, especially the seasonal ones, like a rhubarb cake infused with jasmine. Luxe add-ons include caviar, oysters, truffle rosti or Wagyu pastrami. Starting at $128. Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
At Dbar, this very British tradition gets a soupçon of French flair courtesy of chef Daniel Boulud. That being said, while everything is very fussed over in true Franco fashion, the menu is global in ingredients and seasonings. Savoury bites include petite beet tartare cups and caesar salad croquettes. And pastry sous-chef Kevin Levionnois’s petits fours are exquisite—all French in construction but bursting with bold tropical flavours like mango and passion fruit. $105 per person (includes a glass of champagne). Saturdays and Sundays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Yorkdale Mall’s Parisian patisserie—done up in a Wes Anderson palette and decked out with a crystal chandelier—delivers some serious rococo energy. The brand’s afternoon tea may be decidedly un-English, but it’s definitely decadent—especially the dessert portion. An order comes with an embarrassment of sweet treats, including macarons, freshly baked financiers and madeleines, and one of Ladurée’s cakes from the daily selection. While the pastries steal the spotlight, the savoury components, which include mini croissant sandwiches, are equally indulgent. Served with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Level up with a glass of bubbly or a Royal Ladurée cocktail for an additional $15. $65 per person. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nothing says grandeur quite like afternoon tea in a Gothic Revival mansion. Or at least that’s what financier Henry Pellatt thought in 1911, when he began construction on his never-to-be-completed-yet-still-incredibly-grand Toronto estate. This Mother’s Day weekend, make like an upper-crust Edwardian—blissfully unaware of the depression poised to wipe out your fortune—and enjoy tea service in the castle’s Library, Conservatory, Oak or Billiard Rooms (insert Clue joke here). Expect a traditional British spread of scones, finger sandwiches (smoked salmon, egg salad, cucumber, coronation chicken) and tiny sweets, including a mini Eton mess. $75 per person. May 11 and 12, three seatings per day.
Afternoon tea in a CrossFit gym turned distillery? Anything goes in Toronto. Reid’s Distillery strikes a balance between industrial chic and British pub elegance. Think copper pot stills juxtaposed by tufted velvet sofas and lush tropical plants. Their afternoon tea service features pastries and sweets from local businesses (Johnson’s Family Bakery, Delysées), Pluck teas and teapots full of cocktails made with Reid’s own gin. $50 per person (cocktails and cocktail teapots extra). Sunday, noon and 3:30 p.m.
This twee 10-table tea shop is tucked inside a strip mall, its entrance nearly hidden by a Longo’s. With its floral-printed wallpaper and wall-mounted porcelain plates, the cozy space feels more Notting Hill than Thornhill. The gold-framed painting of the Queen Mum and the antiques strewn about complete the Victorian vibe. Tea is served in vintage English china and comes with the traditional nibbles: scones, macarons, cucumber and egg salad sandwiches. It’s by-the-book British afternoon tea, and in this case, that is a very good thing. On sunny days, the six-person patio is a coveted spot to sip. $38 to $55 per person. Daily except Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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