Toronto’s best afternoon tea experiences

Whether you’re an Anglophile, a 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, petits-fours and—for when orange pekoe isn’t enough—glasses of bubbly. Here, 17 splendid tea services sure to add some pomp (and maybe even a spoonful of circumstance) to your afternoon.

Auberge du Pommier

This French icon in North York has finally embraced afternoon tea—only 921 years after the Norman invasion and a mere 37 since the restaurant opened. Offered the first Saturday of each month, the service gives British tradition a dose of French finesse. Finger sandwiches are reimagined as croque monsieur bites and saucisson en brioche. Scones and clotted cream survive the conquest, though, “as a nod to the Commonwealth,” says chef Kane Van Ee. Teas from Sloane include Oolong Crème and Peaches and Cream, poured from silver teapots in the dining room or, weather permitting, on the terrace. Feeling un peu extra? Add on Pomme, a $34 showpiece of almond sponge, apple compote and white chocolate mousse. $95 per person. First Saturday of every month, 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Dorset

Afternoon tea at the Dorset is what Mary Berry might call a proper treat. O&B’s upscale British concept at the Well serves a nostalgic no-fuss menu of classic finger sandwiches, jammy dodgers, profiteroles and warm scones made using chef Ryan Lister’s grandma’s recipe. (Kids get their own, raisin-free version, because he remembers the trauma.) The charm is in the details: tiered stands, glass teapots and a curated collection of vintage teacups set the scene. It’s the kind of tea Lister’s grandma might have served on England’s south coast—if she’d had access to a pastry chef. $59 per person. Two Sundays a month. Price and menu change for holidays, including Mother’s Day.

Holts Café

High fashion meets high tea at this designer-obsessed destination inside Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship. And in an era when Canadian heritage retailers are vanishing from our streetscapes, spending an afternoon sipping tea in this department store feels like a refined act of national pride. The café’s usual offering is a traditional British tea, but it’s often replaced by limited-edition collaborations with luxury beauty brands. This spring, the café is teaming up with Guerlain for a honey-kissed lineup of treats—think clover honey mousse, candied bee pollen financiers, and dainty saffron-and-orange-blossom scones. Each menu sticks to the classic format: four to five twee sweets, a pair of scones with clotted cream and jam, and finger sandwiches like prawn cocktail on brioche or truffled egg mimosa. Starting at $75 per person. Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

Clockwork at the Fairmont Royal York

With its sepia glow and railcar-inspired banquettes, Clockwork channels the golden age of train travel. (A pianist playing Gershwin helps complete the illusion.) There are no windows, but there’s plenty to gaze at—from the glinting brass bar to the regal gold-rimmed bone china. Service begins with a pot of Lot 35 loose-leaf tea (the creamy earl grey is a standout), followed by warm scones and a Cubist-style tray layered with treats. The savoury lineup includes Fogo Island shrimp and lobster rolls with yuzu and roe, truffled egg salad, and a punchy take on coronation chicken. Desserts—like a raspberry choux laced with Pop Rocks—deliver drama and delight. $95 per person. Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Kasa Moto

For this afternoon tea, hold the earl grey. Kasa Moto’s Tokyo-meets-Toronto service swaps hot brews for cold booze—a cheeky nod to the tradition of serving liquor in teapots after last call. But forget the beer-in-a-teapot trick: this version is far more refined, with chilled sake sangria ceremoniously poured from ceramic vessels. Savoury snacks arrive on a sculptural wooden stand stacked with Nikkei bites: Wagyu sliders with wasabi aïoli, inari sushi, tuna-topped crispy rice, and a rotating selection of maki and nigiri. Dessert is a dainty yuzu tart dusted with raspberry powder. $95 for two. Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Kitten and the Bear

Kitten and the Bear delivers its goodies—including afternoon tea—straight to your door. Somehow, 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 a selection of 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. Available Friday to Sunday.

Astor Lounge at the St. Regis Hotel

They don’t take extravagance lightly at the St. Regis. Every evening begins with the hotel’s signature Champagne Sabrage Ritual (performed daily at 6 p.m.), and in the afternoons, refinement arrives on a tiered tray. This season’s tea is an ode to flowers. On the menu: hibiscus, red currant and orange scones; blueberry and lavender macarons; coconut-rose panna cotta; and a strawberry-rhubarb tart as dainty as a silk glove. Savoury snacks include smoked salmon rillettes and a foie gras pâté served with figs. The experience can be classed-up even more with Perrier-Jouët champagne cocktails or, for the true tea connoisseur, a vintage pu’erh—one rare variety, harvested in 1980, adds $95 to the bill but promises the depth of a well-aged wine. $98 per person. Daily, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

W Hotel

This artsy Bloor Street hotel has traded in its makeup box–themed afternoon tea for something sleeker. The new service is all polish and pastry: truffled egg brioche, smoked salmon with trout caviar, and dainty sweets like kalamansi meringue tartlets and hand-painted bonbons. It’s all paired with premium teas, botanical cocktails or a prosecco upgrade. $85 per person. Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 3 p.m.

Epoch at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto

Afternoon tea at Epoch is a study in quiet luxury. Bathed in golden light reflected off antique mirrors and outfitted with plush seating, the space exudes refined indulgence—an ideal setting for jewel-box treats. The offering includes a curated selection of premium loose-leaf teas served alongside a tiered tray of savouries including mini lobster rolls, cucumber-mint sandwiches, smoked salmon croissants and chicken katsu sandos. Pastries are playful and precise: strawberry rhubarb choux, caramel cheesecake and yuzu-raspberry tartlets. Cranberry scones arrive warm, with Devonshire cream, strawberry jam and rose petal raspberry preserves. $80 per person. Monday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shangri-La Toronto

Step off University Avenue and into a dream: koi glide underfoot, haute couture gowns glow in glass vitrines and—if you’re lucky—a live harpist may be plucking a tune by Chappell Roan. The hotel’s lobby lounge is nothing if not theatrical, and its afternoon tea rises to the occasion. The current Hues of Spring menu lists smoked salmon vol-au-vent, foie gras mousse on cherry scones and grapefruit rosé jelly with basil mousse. It’s pretty, polished and just indulgent enough to match the room’s surreal sense of escape. $108 per person. Thursday to Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

Joni at Park Hyatt Toronto

Chef Jonathan Williams’s new five-course afternoon tea menu is inspired by hanami, Japan’s cherry blossom festival, and transports diners straight to Kyoto. Spring reveals itself in delicate waves: scallop crudo with umeboshi and sakura tea jelly, tempura asparagus with pistachio miso and lily bulb, green pea custard with ponzu. Suggested Sloane tea pairings are provided for each course, though guests can also choose from more than a dozen loose-leaf options. Get your camera out for the dessert finale: matcha pudding with strawberry, yuzu éclair with whipped sour cream and lemon balm, rhubarb mille feuille with sake pastry cream. The bijou gâteaux are as beautiful as cherry blossoms—and just as fleeting. $94. Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Dbar at the Four Seasons Toronto

With Daniel Boulud’s name above the door, guests may expect something strictly French—and in many ways, this afternoon tea is: refined, indulgent and obsessively precise. But, under the direction of executive chef Maru Cacho, the flavours roam far from France. A stracciatella tartlet layered with tomato compote, balsamic pearls and pistachio crumble leans Italian, and devilled eggs keep with British tradition but go over the top with lobster and Osetra caviar. Head pastry chef Kevin Levionnois brings French rigour to his sweets, though his flavours span continents—think Japanese sponge rolled with strawberry curd or mousse cakes infused with tropical fruit and citrus. $105 per person (includes a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne or a seasonal mocktail). Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

Ladurée

Yorkdale Mall’s Parisian pâtisserie—done up in a Wes Anderson palette and crowned with a crystal chandelier—delivers serious rococo energy. The brand’s afternoon tea may be decidedly un-English, but it’s unabashedly decadent. An order includes an embarrassment of sweet riches: signature macarons, warm financiers and madeleines, plus a slice of cake from the daily selection. The savouries—like delicate tartlets and vol-au-vents—also hold their own. Served with coffee, tea or hot chocolate, with the option to level up with a glass of bubbly or a Royal Ladurée cocktail for an extra $15. $75 per person. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guerlain Spa at Hotel X Toronto

No fascinators required here—just a plush white robe and a blissed-out grin. This Guerlain-branded haven is the only spa in town serving afternoon tea, and it’s the perfect follow-up to any treatment. The spa’s stress-busting services are plenty, but the Royal Honey Repair and Renew Facial takes the crown. Royal jelly and other bee-derived potions from Guerlain work their magic to repair and refresh skin. Keep the buzz going with honey-sweetened green tea and a flute of prosecco, paired with a three-tier tray of bites: chive cheddar scones, croque monsieur–inspired sandwiches, truffled egg salad on buttered brioche, macarons and raspberry tarts. It’s probably the fanciest you’ll ever feel while wearing slippers. $50, serves two. Available Monday to Thursday with any service and Friday to Sunday with a spa package booking.

Reid’s Distillery

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: copper pot stills meet tufted velvet sofas and lush tropical plants. Their Gin High Tea is a playful twist on tradition, featuring scones, finger sandwiches and treats from local favourites like Johnson’s Family Bakery and Delysées, served with Pluck teas. For a bit extra, guests can enjoy tea-infused gin cocktails poured from whimsical teapots. $55 per person. Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Delysées

The Yorkville and Yorkdale Delysées locations turn afternoon tea into a high-gloss, butter-fuelled indulgence, but only on special occasions like Mother’s Day. The spread includes flaky viennoiseries, savoury bites (quiche lorraine, brioche sandwiches) and a lineup of pristine entremets almost too pretty to eat. It comes with a choice of tea, something called a French Kiss mimosa and an espresso-based drink—best saved for the end, when a jolt is required to recover from the pastry coma. $85 per person. Seatings at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

After Tea Queen Shop

This 10-table tea room is tucked inside a strip mall, its entrance nearly obscured by a Longo’s. With floral wallpaper, wall-mounted porcelain plates and a gold-framed portrait of the Queen Mum, the cozy space feels more Notting Hill than Thornhill. Antiques are scattered throughout, completing the Victorian tableau. Tea is poured into vintage English china and served with all the traditional trimmings: scones, macarons, and cucumber and egg salad sandwiches. On sunny days, the six-seat patio becomes a prized perch. $38 to $60 per person. Daily except Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.