Sip & Savor: TRIBEZA’s Guide to Afternoon Tea in Austin

The Driskill Hotel

604 Brazos St.

Vintage charm with a Texan twang is always in ample supply at The Driskill, and this classic downtown hotel hosts a widely-beloved afternoon tea service in its lobby cafe, the 1886 Café & Bakery. Standard afternoon tea consists of baked goods such as lemon poppy pound cake, savory sandwiches with fillings like shrimp salad and endive and luxurious desserts like buttermilk pie, along with fragrant teas and a glass of sparkling wine. Should you choose to have tea during the holiday season, you’ll be treated to on-theme musical entertainment and even a special guest appearance by Santa Claus. 

Goldie’s at the Austin Proper 

600 W 2nd Street

Design enthusiasts and Instagrammers love Goldie’s, the ground-floor cocktail bar at the Proper Hotel in downtown Austin, for its plush sofas, gorgeously upholstered chairs and chic garden-inspired decor. It’s also a perfect spot for afternoon tea, which is available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. In addition to scones with mascarpone cream, canapés with egg salad, smoked salmon and caviar and French-inspired macarons, guests are offered an impressive variety of teas and can opt to add a glass of sparkling wine.

Austin English Tea Company

12233 Ranch Rd., Suite 114 , 620 N.

Owned and operated by a Brit, the Austin English Tea Company in north Austin serves what might be the most authentic English tea service in the whole city. Scones with clotted cream and jam, loose-leaf Earl Grey tea, antique floral tea cups — you’ll find all that and more at this parlor tucked inside of Michelle’s Patisserie. 

Four Seasons Hotel Austin 

98 San Jacinto Boulevard

“Luxury” and “the Four Seasons” are synonymous phrases, so it’s no surprise that this downtown hotel provides a tea service with unparalleled style. The Four Seasons’ “A-Tea-X” afternoon teas take place in their Live Oak Bar and include unlimited tea, an assortment of savory and sweet bites and a tea-infused specialty cocktail. 

Hotel Ella

1900 Rio Grande

A peaceful and scenic oasis mere blocks away from the University of Texas at Austin campus, Hotel Ella is an ideal locale for afternoon tea for anyone who appreciates historical architecture and tasty bites such as scones, chicken salad toast, cucumber sandwiches, tea from Austin-based purveyor Zhi Teas. Hotel Ella also offers a tea service appropriate for all ages, so if you have a child in your life who loves the “Eloise” books and wants to have an elegant tea party of their own, this is the place to go.

Julie Myrtille Bakery 

1023 Springdale General

Austin Francophiles already know that Julie Myrtille Bakery is among the city’s best destinations for perfectly-prepared croissants, quiches, baguettes and other specialties, but a lesser-known offering at the bakery’s Springdale flagship is their afternoon “high tea” on the weekends. This experience provides attendees with two cups of tea or coffee, a tea sandwich, a scone and two of Julie Myrtille’s signature madeleines. 

Brentwood Social House

1601 W. Koenig Lane

Brentwood Social House on West Koenig Lane seeks to deliver European-style hospitality and baked goods to Austin, and their English afternoon tea fits nicely into that equation. Guests are presented with three-tiered stands loaded up with scones and tea sandwiches and can nosh on these homemade treats while sipping tea from mismatched vintage china. The overall vibes are quirky, quaint and very Austin.