The 5 Best Places for High Tea in Dubai
Looking for something more substantial and filling for your afternoon snack? If you’re interested, then try having a high tea in Dubai compared to visiting the typical cafe.
With high tea often arriving with its own complement of snacks to choose from, you can be sure to have an experience that satisfies the stomach. To get started, check out some of our favourite high tea spots in Dubai here.
How Much Does it Cost to Have High Tea in Dubai?
High tea sets are typically served for two people so you can at least save some money when eating out with a partner or friend. However, ordering individual menu items could vary wildly depending on the restaurant.
Here’s a sample price list to give you an estimate on how much you can expect to spend on a nice place for high tea in Dubai:
Choosing our Favourite Spot for High Tea in Dubai
Afternoon teas should be quite relaxing so when it comes to choosing our favourite spots to take a high tea in Dubai, we’ve checked out these businesses based on the following:
1. Tania’s Teahouse
| RATING | |
| FACILITIES | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| RESTAURANT | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕FOOD | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕AMBIANCE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕PROFESSIONALISM | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕WAITING TIME | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
Known as one of the most Instagrammable cafes in the world, Tania’s Teahouse offers a very distinct cafe experience thanks to its picturesque decor and good selection of teas and snacks.
Customers get to choose how their tea is prepared, either going iced, hot, or even turned into a latte. As such, we think customers with pickier companions will appreciate the options they get.
In addition to the tea though, Tania’s Teahouse also offers a decent selection of sandwiches and light snacks that you can pair with your tea.
A lot of these are made with fresh vegetables, giving us the impression that it is tailored for the health-conscious diners. Of course, those looking to indulge can always enjoy their sweets as well as their traditional high tea snack set.
The meals are quite filling but not too heavy to make you feel bloated afterwards, in our opinion. They’re served fast enough but some of their sweets did take some time to get to our table.
As far as physical locations though, its parking space is a little limited, at least within the vicinity of the cafe. Some customers may want to try parking somewhere else and walking to the area.
On the other hand, the teahouse does offer a valet parking service for a small price though you may want to arrive early in order to take advantage of this benefit.
Tania’s Teahouse definitely offers a very comfortable experience you’d like to taste and share. Definitely check it out and take as many pictures of your order as you like.
Pros
- Beautiful ambiance in the cafe
- Substantial high tea offering
Cons
- Parking space is a bit limited
- Slight wait for larger orders
Customer Reviews
It’s a wonderful place to hangout with friends & family
“Super cute place!! It’s a wonderful place to hangout with friends & family. The ambiance is just perfect. Everything is so colourful and fresh. I would definitely come back and recommend to all my friends.” – Nida Shaheen
The staff was super friendly and helpful for everything we needed
“Definitely an Instagram worthy venue. I came here to attend a baby shower in the upstairs room that was sectioned off for private events. The staff was super friendly and helpful for everything we needed. The food was great as well!” – Jennifer Cortez
2. Lobby Lounge
| RATING | |
| FACILITIES | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| RESTAURANT | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕FOOD | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕AMBIANCE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕PROFESSIONALISM | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕WAITING TIME | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
Known for their nice beverages, delicious snacks, and attentive customer service, the Lobby Lounge at the Ritz Carlton in Dubai is open for guests to come in and have a fine afternoon tea.
It’s a rather lofty promise but a lot of the customers we’ve spoken to did say that much of it does live up to expectation. Guests can come in and order hot tea alongside their choice of snacks while enjoying the scenery outside.
We were able to find an assortment of sandwiches, sweet truffles, scones, and cakes, and even a few fresh fruits to go along with our tea of choice. Even pickier eaters should find something they’ll like here in our opinion.
Prices are a bit expensive at least when compared to other places but it’s not that high that budget eaters can’t get anything nice. We think their Traditional Treats package is quite affordable for most guests.
As per the brand, service at the Lobby Lounge is quite snappy. Our waiters were quite attentive regarding our needs and they’ve also been able to answer most of our queries in a very satisfying manner.
On some days, live music is played which does add to the romantic feel of the lounge. It is quite loud across the restaurant floor though and it may not necessarily appeal to some people’s tastes in our opinion.
Still, guests of the hotel should give it a shot in our opinion. It’s not a bad place to spend an idle afternoon and you even get to enjoy a nice assortment of treats and drinks.
Pros
- Comfortable atmosphere
- Very attentive staff
Cons
- Place is quite expensive
- Live music may not suit everyone’s preferred ambiance
Customer Reviews
Good for some tea and light grubs
“Awesome place to sit and relax and listen to the band playing somewhere in the background. Good for some tea and light grubs” – Aussie D
I love the ambience and the feel, the service is always great and I often go there to relax and just get my work done on laptop
“Amazing place qmutimw of tha day free breakfast/ lunch / dinner or just a coffee. I love the ambience and the feel, the service is always great and I often go there to relax and just get my work done on laptop.” – Seema Dhall
3. Mashrabiya Lounge
| RATING | |
| FACILITIES | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| RESTAURANT | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕FOOD | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕AMBIANCE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕PROFESSIONALISM | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕WAITING TIME | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
Interested in having your afternoon tea against a nice scene straight from the Caribbean? Then you may want to check out the Mashrabiya Lounge on the Fairmont.
Located near the famous Palm Jumeirah, having your afternoon tea with the beautiful Arabian Gulf acting as your backdrop amongst well-decorated terraces can be quite a memorable experience when visiting Dubai.
Likewise, the food is nothing to scoff at either. You get a decent spread that includes grilled lamb if you want something really heavy to pair with your afternoon tea.
As for the tea itself, we think it’s a good spot to choose if you’re interested in more international flavours. The Lounge offers a good variety of tea from Japan, China, and Sri Lanka which we think should delight most connoisseurs.
While the teahouse offers a decent selection of savoury snacks, we think they could stand to add a few more sweet options. Their current spread is a bit limited in our opinion.
The place can be quite busy on the weekends though, which does lead to some wait time. Still, the staff are able to keep a steady pace and get the orders out in a reasonable time frame during our last visit.
So if you’re interested in having your tea not in a typical garden but beside a nice view of the seaside, then Mashrabiya Lounge is definitely a must-try for you.
Pros
- Good selection of international teas
- Beautiful view of the surrounding area
Cons
- Dessert selection is a bit small
- Quite busy on the weekends
Customer Reviews
Desserts are not too sweet so that we could indulge all the menus to the bottom
“Afternoon tea here is hidden gem here. All foods and deserts taste great and even scones are perfectlly baked & served to the customers. Desserts are not too sweet so that we could indulge all the menus to the bottom. And also was happy to be served by Feri who made our anniversary majestic.” – Hyejin K.
Delicious coffee. Great ambience. Comfortable seating
“Always a delight carrying out casual or official meetings here. Pleasant service. Delicious coffee. Great ambience. Comfortable seating. Love it.” – Saurabh Ail
4. Raffles Salon
| RATING | |
| FACILITIES | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| RESTAURANT | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕FOOD | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕AMBIANCE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕PROFESSIONALISM | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕WAITING TIME | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
From light bites to full-course dishes that you can eat for a full meal, Raffles Salon offers a good variety of dishes that you can pair with your afternoon tea.
Our initial impression of the place is that it seems like a cross between a patisserie and a traditional restaurant with a bit of an Asian twist to it.
You can get freshly baked goods and sweets such as cakes and chocolates to go along with your tea for something more traditional. At the same time, you can also order bento boxes containing more savoury fare like skewers, meat, and vegetables.
It is a bit experimental and may not sit well with everyone but in our opinion, the variety of food on offer can be quite a boon when visiting with a pickier companion.
The tea itself doesn’t disappoint, with classics like Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling, and Peppermint alongside other flavours.
One aspect of service that we liked at Raffles was their willingness to accommodate special dietary requirements even with only a short moment’s notice such as being allergic to nuts and dairy for instance.
In some other places, customers need to call ahead a few days in advance which we think is a bit inconvenient as it might get forgotten later on.
It is a little tricky to visit though. During our first visit, it took us quite a bit in order to find the location within the complex.
The place can also be quite busy so we recommend coming in early. Otherwise, you might experience a long wait time like some customers we’ve spoken to.
Still, if you really want to go for something a bit heavier though, then Raffles should have just the best dish to pair with your afternoon tea.
Pros
- Delicious tea selection
- Quite accommodating for special dietary requirements
Cons
- Some items has a long wait time
- Location is a bit hard to reach
Customer Reviews
They were friendly and ensured all our requests were met in a timely manner
“I must say we were given first class service, attention to detail, they were friendly and ensured all our requests were met in a timely manner. I recommend the treasures of arabia and floral afternoon tea if you’re in town, mouth watering and absolutely delicious. You won’t regret.” – regina_lando
Went for afternoon tea and were treated so well right from the start
“Great experience and service 👌 went for afternoon tea and were treated so well right from the start we both took different tea sets and treats both were awesome but it was the service that made it even better” – Roland M
5. L’Eto
| RATING | |
| FACILITIES | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| RESTAURANT | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕FOOD | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕AMBIANCE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| ⮕PROFESSIONALISM | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ⮕WAITING TIME | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Initially starting as a cake delivery service, L’eto has since expanded across many different malls to offer a unique tea house/cafe experience with their strong selection of food and beverage in Dubai.
In addition to their fruit-based cakes and pastries, L’eto also offers a more restaurant-like menu for those looking for a more substantial meal to go with their tea.
Their regional variants are quite delicious and they’re competitively priced as well. For example, you can expect a good number of pumpkin-based dishes around the fall such as soups and risottos at more affordable prices.
Tea is a bit more straightforward. You can either order your favourites like green tea, Early Gray, or all sorts of fruit teas in the restaurant as a drink or you can even take them home in jars to steep yourself.
L’eto’s multiple branches does give them the advantage of convenience as well. Customers coming in from multiple areas in Dubai no longer need to travel far just for some high tea in the afternoon.
Despite their multiple branches though, we’re happy to report that the service and the food across their multiple branches were consistent for the most part.
In contrast to other places, L’eto appeared to be busiest during the weekdays, possibly due to their close proximity to malls and stores. As such, we recommend coming in early if you want to.
While it’s not a fancy European teahouse per se, we’re quite confident in recommending L’eto as a place to get your typical high tea experience in Dubai either in the store or at home. Definitely check out what they have to offer in their menu.
Pros
- Multiple branches makes for easy access
- Good variety of snacks to go with your tea
Cons
- Can be quite busy on the weekdays
- Some desserts are a little pricey
Customer Reviews
Staff service with bel was great and very accomodating
“PINK everywhere , it’s definitely a photogenic place. Cute furniture , Clean & Organized well . Staff service with bel was great and very accomodating. I love their macaroon taste balance not too sweet.” – Ojos, Via Jehan H.
I highly recommend this place such a relaxing ambiance, their drinks and desserts are superb, a must try
“I highly recommend this place such a relaxing ambiance, their drinks and desserts are superb, a must try! Also, thank you Ms. Riza for you kind service and recommendation. I’ll sure come back with friends.” – Meg Moc
FAQs about High Tea in Dubai
We hope you have both a relaxing and filling afternoon meal! And in case you just need that extra burst of energy to stay awake, check out our list of some of the best cafes in Dubai here.