3-tiers of treats

Explore these 9 Austin afternoon tea experiences for the perfect bridal party

The Driskill Hotel, 1886 Cafe and Bakery, afternoon tea in Austin.

1886 Cafe and Bakery at the Driskill Hotel offers a premium afternoon tea service.

Photo by Jane Yun

Finding a restaurant or bakery that offers a traditional English tea experience mixed with Texas' hospitality can be tough, especially for someone like this writer, who has been on the hunt for a friend's bridal party.

Austin brides (or anyone else in the wedding) planning a whimsical party should look no further than one of these nine unique afternoon tea party experiences our great city has to offer. For this type of event, we considered restaurants or bakeries throughout the Austin area that can accommodate reservations for a minimum of six guests.

Readers will find popular destinations like Tillie's or the Driskill Hotel on this list, but consider looking into some of the hidden gem locations like Rose Haven.

Afternoon tea to-go

Julie Myrtille
Julie Myrtille's "High Tea for six" package is the ideal option for bridal party planners who want to host a stress-free, intimate afternoon tea party at home. Each person will receive a three-piece tea sandwich, a scone, jam and butter, two madeleines, and two cups of their choice of tea or coffee. Julie Myrtille's afternoon tea offering is the most affordable one on the list, at $22.50 per person ($135 total). Orders for free local pickup or delivery (with an added fee) can be placed at juliemyrtille.us .

Greater Austin afternoon tea experiences

Rivery Coffeehouse
This picturesque coffeeshop in Georgetown enables reservations for groups up to 10 people, and serves its afternoon tea daily with a 24-hour notice (which is perfect for any last-minute plans). Guests will get to choose their own loose leaf tea to accompany their three-course menu of tea sandwiches, pastries, and delectable cakes. Rivery's afternoon tea service is $39 per person, with a $10 deposit that will be applied to the check. Reserve via Tock.

Tillie's
Located in Dripping Springs, this prominent restaurant's afternoon tea is inspired by its cousin property, the Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, England. The menu features classic English scones with clotted cream and jam; a mini beef Wellington with a shrimp roll and deviled egg; bread pudding and an orange ricotta olive oil torte; and nine varieties of tea to choose from. Guests can also order tea-infused cocktails or sparkling wine at an additional cost. Tillie's serves its afternoon tea on weekdays from 11 am to 3 pm, and it costs $65 per person. Reserve via OpenTable.

Tillie's, afternoon tea, Camp Lucy, Dripping Springs The mini beef Wellington at Tillie's is a modern take on its afternoon tea menu.Photo courtesy of Camp Lucy

Austin afternoon tea

Austin English Tea Company
Austin English Tea Company's whimsically decorated space is perfect for unique, small bridal parties. The Instagram-ready space inside Michelle's Patisserie in Northwest Austin can be reserved for 2.5-hour-long private parties hosting between 15-30 guests. Tearoom tables are decorated in beautiful chinaware, and its three-tiered serving stands are packed to the edge with delicious sandwiches, large scones, and tasty treats like French macarons and millionaire's shortbread. Private party rentals are $55 per person, and inquires can be made via the Austin English Tea Company website.

Brentwood Social House
For a cozy and laid back afternoon tea service with all the classic fixins', Brentwood Social House will allow guests to rent its Quiet Room for intimate parties of up to eight guests. The counter service cafe only serves afternoon tea Thursdays through Sundays, and prices start at $40 per person, not including a room rental fee (if applicable). Reservations can be made via Tock, and inquires for parties greater than nine guests can be made on its website.

1886 Cafe and Bakery at the Driskill Hotel
Austin's famous Driskill Hotel has everything you need for an upscale afternoon tea in the heart of the city: A mouthwatering spread of classic dishes, endless tea from Zhi Tea (or sparkling wine), and a beautiful setting in the 1886 Cafe and Bakery. This service also offers a children's afternoon tea menu for a bridal party's little ones that would like to tag along. The Driskill's afternoon tea begins at 4 pm on select dates, and costs $45 per child and $90 per adult. Reservations can be made via hyattexperiences.com.

The Driskill Hotel, 1886 Cafe and Bakery, afternoon tea in Austin This historic hotel's afternoon tea uses flowers in its plating for extra eye-catching elegance.Photo by Jane Yun

Four Seasons Hotel Austin
The Four Seasons Hotel is taking spring seriously with its fanciful Roses and Rosé A-Tea-X service, offering a floral-inspired take on its classic afternoon tea every day from 1-3 pm. Guests can enjoy savory and sweet bites alongside a special-tea infused cocktail, or stick with a classic hot tea beverage. The Roses and Rosé A-Tea-X experience is $65 per person. Reserve via OpenTable.

Hidden gems around Austin

Goldie's at Austin Proper Hotel
We'd be remiss to exclude one of Austin's best afternoon teas, but Goldie's experience can only be reserved on Saturdays and Sundays for parties for up to four people. In addition to seven specialty teas, Goldie's menu promises delicious scones with Devonshire cream and housemade preserves, lavish caviar canapés, bright strawberry shortcake tarts, French macarons, and more. Sparkling wine can be ordered at an added cost. The restaurant also offers a vegan afternoon tea menu, a rarity among other restaurants in Austin. Afternoon Tea at Goldie's is $65 per person, and can be reserved via OpenTable.

The Tea Room at Rose Haven
This bakery and event venue in Southwest Austin recently debuted an afternoon tea service in early spring 2024, according to its Instagram. The Tea Room emphasizes that connecting with friends and family is the core of its tea service, which is a crucial element for any bridal party planning (besides serving tea to one another in a darling teapot with a bunny on it). Rose Haven's tea service is available on select dates for $65 per person. Reservations can be made via Tock.

austin restaurants tea weddings bridal showers

Whoops

Michelin goofs on a few restaurants honored in first Texas guide

Kau Ba/Facebook

Houston's Kau Ba has been removed from the Michelin Guide.

Texans' reactions to the first Michelin Guide in the state have ranged from glowing to unimpressed, but a few notable mix-ups are more concrete than differences in taste. The November 11 ceremony honored more than 100 restaurants across the state, but at least two were in error. In Dallas the guide confused two restaurants with each other, and in Houston one of them had closed.

Starting in Dallas: The Guide's release announcing the list of restaurants who'd won awards included The Charles, an award-winning Italian restaurant in Dallas' Design District, as one of 57 restaurants that earned a "Recommended" rating.

The Charles is a surely deserving restaurant that opened in 2018, the first concept from acclaimed food & beverage group Duro Hospitality, which has since gone on to open other restaurants such as El Carlos Elegante, Sister, and Cafe Duro.

But the Guide got the wrong Charles: The real recipient was Mister Charles, a sibling Duro Hospitality restaurant that opened at 3219 Knox St. in early 2024.

The Charles specializes in Italian and Texas-inspired dishes.

Mister Charles features French and Italian-influenced dishes.

It wasn't just an incorrect name; it listed the accompanying (incorrect) address.

A spokesperson for Michelin Guide verified that Mister Charles was the winner and said that the listing of The Charles was a mistake.

“This was an internal error caused by our geolocation process. The problem will be corrected in the most expeditious manner,” the spokesperson said. The Guide website has since updated the list and replaced The Charles with Mister Charles.

Having a difference of opinion about a critic's choices is one thing — but having an error of this magnitude is something else entirely.

And blaming "geolocation" as the source of the error is a curious excuse. Geolocation refers to the ability to track the whereabouts of an electronic device using GPS, cell phone towers, WiFi access points or a combination of these.

The Houston mix-up was also disappointing, but only involved one restaurant: In a press release issued Thursday, November 14, the Guide announced that it had removed Montrose Vietnamese restaurant Kau Ba from the list of Bib Gourmand recipients.

The reason: "Upon further investigation, our team has discovered the restaurant has been permanently closed since our Inspection team's visits occurred," the statement reads.

As has been widely noted in local media, Kau Ba closed earlier this month. The restaurant’s Instagram account now belongs to Alora, which is described as “a fresh Peruvian-Vietnamese fusion concept inspired by travels to Saigon.” It is expected to open soon.

Open since 2018, Kau Ba served an innovative take on Vietnamese fare created by Nikki Tran. The restaurant built on the notoriety Tran had achieved after being featured in two Netflix series: Somebody Feed Phil and Ugly Delicious. It earned considerable acclaim, including a spot in the Houston Chronicle’s top 100 restaurants as recently as 2023 and a nomination for Best Neighborhood Restaurant in the 2021 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

The restaurant went through a number of iterations during its tenure. For three-and-a-half years, Tran partnered with Aya Sushi owners Minette Corpuz and Bruce Kish to oversee operations, but they parted ways in February 2023.

In an email sent to Houston Public Media, Tran expressed regret over Michelin's decision.

“But we understand and respect Michelin’s decision to remove Kau Ba from its selection,” Tran said to HPM. “Exercising an abundance of caution from a legal position, I am not able currently to share further details of our situation but I do hope to follow up soon with more information.”

“Until then, on behalf of the entire Kau Ba team, we want to thank the entire culinary community for the recognition and support,” Tran added. “Kau Ba is proud of the dishes we created and look forward to sharing very soon what’s next.”

Thankfully in Austin, things seem to be going okay. The capital city swept the competition with seven stars (one more than Houston now that the change has been made), and two green stars for sustainability — in fact, the only green stars in the state.

Austin also had four of the first-ever barbecue restaurants to be awarded stars. Houston also had one.

Austin's winning restaurants were Barley Swine, Craft Omakase, Hestia, Olamaie, InterStellar BBQ, John Bates, La Barbecue, Alison Clem, and LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue.

michelin guide awards