Afternoons can be full of baggage from long hours at work. With the best high tea in Calgary, you can enjoy hot beverages as you unload and trade stories with your friends.
Traditionally, high tea was a heavy meal of vegetables, meat, fish, potatoes, and salads paired with hot and filling tea served to labourers in high-backed chairs. Nowadays, it has become synonymous with British afternoon tea.
The best high tea in Calgary serves cakes and pastries to match your hot beverages. So, if you’re looking for a relaxing ambience with a cup of tea with your friends, then here’s the list of where you should go.
Table of Contents
1. Café du Centre
| BEST FOR | Ambiance and design |
| MENU | https://www.cafeducentre.ca/brunch-dine-in |
| WEBSITE | https://www.cafeducentre.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 509 22 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0H5 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 764-7474 [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Wednesday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Saturday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Located at the heart of the Mission district, Café du Centre offers the best high tea in Calgary paired with a scenic interior that makes you feel like you’re in a Parisian cafe.
Café du Centre has an assortment of teas and desserts made from locally-sourced ingredients. The café also caters to hungry customers with its sandwiches, croissants, and desserts.
And if you want to enjoy high tea with your loved ones, you can even rent the café’s premises for your private events.
Highlights
- Teas and desserts made with local ingredients
- Parisian aesthetic
- Venue rental
Customer Reviews
Aside from the beautiful interior, Café du Centre also has a well-presented menu. Read these reviews to know more about how Café du Centre provides the best high tea in Calgary:
“The best cafe in town. Amazing high tea, specialty coffee, the food and desserts are incredible.”
“Celebrated a birthday there yesterday and it was great! Very cute (although small) venue that is beautifully decorated. The high tea was beautifully presented, and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. They have a gluten free option as well, which my friend LOVED.”
2. Hawthorn Dining Room & Bar
| BEST FOR | Varying menu |
| MENU | https://www.hawthorndiningroom.ca/menus/ |
| WEBSITE | https://www.hawthorndiningroom.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 133 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2M3, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 260-1219 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Breakfast: 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM daily Dinner: 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM daily Saturday Brunch & Tea: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
Hawthorn Dining Room and Bar is a vintage-inspired restaurant offering a rotating menu and wine list. Its family-friendly menu is only made of the finest ingredients from local producers.
The restaurant’s afternoon tea menu is filled with sandwiches, scones, and pastries and is available on Saturdays from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM. You can also host your events at Hawthorn’s premises.
Hawthorn Dining Room and Bar also has packages such as the Christmas Turkey To Go and Hawthorn At Home choices for an at-home experience.
Highlights
- Rotating menu and wine list
- Scheduled afternoon tea
- Local ingredients
- Take-home menu packages
Customer Reviews
Customers love the atmosphere and desserts that Hawthorn Dining Room and Bar serves. Here’s a review from one of its customers who enjoyed the restaurant’s take on high tea:
“Tried the afternoon high tea for the first time. The environment was extremely nice and classy, perfect for afternoon tea. Everything was presented nicely and the tea was very high quality. I found the savory items were a bit generic, but the desserts were very good! The chocolate filled globe was a nice touch for someone’s birthday!”
3. Deane House
| BEST FOR | Parkside patio area |
| MENU | https://www.deanehouse.com/afternoon-tea |
| WEBSITE | https://www.deanehouse.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 806 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S2 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 264-0595 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Thursday – Friday: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
Deane House has different kinds of menus from brunch to afternoon tea. The afternoon tea menu offers nine tea choices and a variety of sweets, savoury, and scones.
Its menu is a celebration of regional cuisine made from fresh local produce. Deane House’s reservations for high tea is open for 6 – 40 guests, perfect for small and large events.
The restaurant is located at the junction of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, a place where indigenous peoples gathered for hunting activities. With its patio area and historic placement, Deane House offers the best high tea experience in Calgary.
Highlights
- Patio with view of the park
- Desserts and savoury food options
- Private dining rooms
Customer Reviews
Deane House is loved by many Calgarians for its historical significance, light music, and filling meals. Here are the reviews from customers who had the best high tea in Calgary at Deane House:
“One of the best restaurants in all of Calgary. Last time we had the ‘Sunday Supper’ which was an amazing wild boar pork tenderloin and some coffee roasted carrots (amazing). We were also greeted with an awesome Jazz band that plays live every Sunday”
“We had our anniversary dinner at Deane house and it was fantastic! The outdoor patio and flower garden is a beautiful setting to eat dinner, especially given these socially distant times – you feel absolutely safe and no close contact with other diners. The food was incredible, every dish we had was delicious and the chef is truly talented. Would highly recommend!”
4. Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
| BEST FOR | Personal events |
| MENU | https://www.bvrrestaurant.com/afternoon-tea-menu/ |
| WEBSITE | https://www.bvrrestaurant.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2J 5E8 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 476-1310 [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Tuesday – Friday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM |
Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant is part of the sights to see at the Fish Creek Provincial Park. With its naturally beautiful location, tea time with friends is always a delight at the Bow Valley Ranche.
The high tea menu in Calgary is available at The Bow Valley Ranche from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The restaurant serves homemade preserves, creams, scones, and marmalades with a selection of coffee and loose leaf teas.
Besides enjoying the best high tea in Calgary at Bow Valley, you can also book the venue for private events to fully enjoy the place and food.
Highlights
- Natural and environmental location
- Homemade goods
- Coffee and loose leaf tea
- Venue rental for large private events
Customer Reviews
These reviews will tell you about customers’ experiences with The Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant’s high tea menu and services:
“Took in Afternoon Tea with the boyfriend on a rainy afternoon. Portions are stellar – come hungry! Very unique atmosphere and lovely garden views.”
“We came back for their winter Afternoon Tea – it exceeded our expectations! Fair price point for that quality and selection of small bites. The service was top notch as expected! The only thing we wished was different was the selection of tea as we aren’t big fans of Tazo. I highly recommend it!”
5. Sucre Patisserie & Cafe
| BEST FOR | Baked goods |
| MENU | https://www.sucrecafe.com/pastries/ |
| WEBSITE | https://www.sucrecafe.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 1007 8 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0B5 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (587) 352-5505 [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Tuesday – Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM Saturday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Sucre Patisserie & Cafe is, first and foremost, a bakery selling the best croissants, baguettes, and sandwiches. Pair these products with cleansing tea, and you’ll surely have the best high tea in Calgary.
You can even enjoy some tea and bread with your colleagues because the cafe also offers its products and services for corporate meetings.
Besides its heavy meals of bread, you can also order cakes, macarons, and just about any pastry you want to pair up with your tea. Sucre Patisserie & Cafe also sells coffee beans and baking ingredients.
Highlights
- Bread and sandwiches
- Catering services
- Pastries, cakes, cookies, and baked goods
- Complimentary items
Customer Reviews
Sucre’s high tea menu is commendable because of its reasonable prices and delicious items. Here are some customer reviews:
“Ordered an assortment of sweet and savory items for an afternoon tea from Sucre and everything was delicious. Very happy with the quality of the food, Would recommend!”
“I’ve purchased things from here a few times now and it’s always been fantastic. Most recently they made me a “high tea” to go for a picnic. It was outstanding and very reasonably priced. They have some of the best baked good I’ve ever had. Apple Danish and Raspberry Scones are my favorite.”
6. Bubble Tea Brewers
| BEST FOR | Bubble tea |
| MENU | https://www.bubbleteabrewers.ca/products/ |
| WEBSITE | https://www.bubbleteabrewers.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 800 Yankee Valley Boulevard SW, Airdrie, Alberta |
| CONTACT DETAILS | 403 980 1616 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
If you’re looking for a different kind of tea that’s not served hot, then Bubble Tea Brewers may be the tea shop for you. The cafe serves a selection of milk tea, green tea, and fruit tea flavours complete with boba for an exciting and refreshing afternoon.
Bubble Tea Brewers also has smoothies, floats, and chocolate series drinks. As for food, you can choose to order among Bubble Tea Brewers’ menu of waffles, corn dogs, snacks, and desserts.
You can also order online to enjoy Bubble Tea Brewer’s refreshments while you sit and relax in the comfort of your home.
Highlights
- Bubble teas, milk tea, green tea, fruit tea
- Two locations around the Calgary area
- Light snacks such as waffles and corndogs
- Online orders
Customer Reviews
“I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Went here for the first time recently and was so happy with the food. Their “street food” fried fish cakes are so delicious and I was able to make a strawberry cheesecake bubble tea that was to die for. Will definitely be spending a lot of my money here. They are very reasonably priced for what and where they are as well. Very impressed”—Amber Forget
“The coffee bubble tea tasted freshly brewed. The staff were kind and personable. This is a little gem for anyone heading to the mountains, passing through Cochrane”—Melanie V
7. Reader’s Garden Cafe
| BEST FOR | Private high tea events |
| MENU | http://www.readersgardencafe.ca/menu.html |
| WEBSITE | http://www.readersgardencafe.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 311 25 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5V1 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 234-0065 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Saturday – Sunday: 09:30 AM – 3:00 PM Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM |
Reader’s Garden Cafe is perfectly situated in a historic and scenic garden. It has a varying menu, depending on the available local produce they will get.
Aside from the diversity of meals and drinks, Reader’s Garden Cafe’s menu also has daily specials. So if you’re in for a treat, try out their pastry of the day paired with a refreshing drink.
With sets of beautiful and vintage ceramics and silverware, the cafe also offers private high tea events. Their high tea menu consists of filling sandwiches, mini pastries, homemade scones, cream & jam, and of course, might tea or coffee.
Highlights
- Naturally-scenic view
- Support for local producers
- Vintage ceramics and silverware
- Private high tea events
Customer Reviews
Here are some positive feedback from Reader’s Garden Cafe’s customers:
“High Tea was such a fun gal pal afternoon”—Janice J
“We arrived at the restaurant to tables beautifully set with lovely dishes. We had a window seat, allowing us to watch a wedding in progress in the garden. The finger sandwiches and desserts tasted fantastic. The raspberry jam was the perfect balance of sweet and tart, pairing well with the scones.”Toby M
The next time you’re looking for a venue for you and your friends to meet up, try out any of these shops and restaurants with the best high tea in Calgary. They will give you sweets, savoury, and a selection of cleansing beverages.
But if you want something more caffeinated than tea, then you should try out the best cafes in Calgary. These cafes are perfect not just for catch-up sessions with your friends, but also for some productive meetings.
