High tea in Pretoria is becoming more detailed and delicious than ever with innovative cakes and savoury tarts of all flavours, shapes and sizes served at charming tea gardens across the city. Whether you are having a baby shower, kitchen tea, birthday, anniversary or holding a year-end function, celebrate with a high tea that includes speciality, melt-in-your-mouth, freshly baked treats beautifully presented to suit your occasion.
Anja’s Tea Garden
Feel at home enjoying a high tea at Anja’s Tea Garden, a vintage-style cafe with a contemporary twist in Koedoeberg Road, Faerie Glen, alongside the Tina Skukan Gallery.
Anja Erasmus started her tea garden because she has always been inspired by her mom’s and grandmother’s cooking and baking, and has a love for pretty things. Sit in the garden, on one of the stoeps or inside the dining room at tables set with fresh roses and handmade, embroidered tablecloths made by Anja’s grandmother. The cocktail sweet and savoury treats served buffet style are a feast for the eyes: beautifully displayed on cake stands covered with glass domes.
Start with home-made strawberry rooibos ice tea and cocktail bobotie quiches, smoked-beef-filled pancakes or crumpets with cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and biltong. Taste the chocolate mini cupcakes, snowballs and scones with cream and jam. The team at this tea garden are passionate about providing the personal touch and the cheery staff attend to your every need. You will be comfortable indulging in the freshly baked cakes and savouries in a setting close to nature.
Ouma’s Tea Garden
Ouma’s Tea Garden named after Isie Smuts, wife of General Jan Smuts, is nestled among the lush gardens of Smuts House Museum. Ouma Isie was an intellectual with a humble personality who was renowned for her hospitality, entertaining locals and royalty.
The tea garden was built in 1976 by the General Smuts Foundation to raise funds to maintain the museum. High tea is set at a table with fresh flowers, crocheted overlays, cutlery served in crocheted baskets and tea poured from olden-day tea pots. Choose between non-alcoholic cocktails from home-made pink lemonade to strawberry crush, and tuck into bruschetta options including those with cured beef, goat’s cheese, basil and pine nut pesto or roast chicken, fried halloumi, rocket, honey and mustard drizzle.
Sip on Darjeeling Selimbong or rooibos tea while trying mini prosciutto or roasted garden vegetable quiche and mini lemon cheesecake or the mini carrot cake. The white chocolate and rose mousse or peach flan will melt in your mouth. This down-to-earth tea garden offers a relaxed high tea for family or friends in peaceful surroundings.
See for yourself
Anja’s Tea Garden
012 991 1809
Ouma’s Tea Garden
083 595 7293
Words: Lisa Dewberry
Images: Lisa Dewberry and supplied
