High Tea at Tarte Tea Garden in Currumbin on Queensland’s Gold Coast, delivers a whimsical, pastry-led afternoon tea in a lush garden setting.
Tucked behind its sibling Tarte Beach House on the glistening shores of Currumbin Creek, Tarte Tea Garden feels like a delightful secret. Presented by the team behind Tarte Bakery, dedicated entirely to high tea, sweet treats and indulgent sips.
Enter through an arbour entwined with climbing greenery and the shift is immediate: Gold Coast gloss gives way to a calming, almost storybook-like setting. High tea is served alfresco beneath striped umbrellas or indoors, where shelves of garden goods and homewares adds to the experience.
The extensive drinks list is a tempting way to begin, ranging from cloud drinks, matcha variations, specialty tea, traditional lemonade, bubbles and cocktails Tarte’s signature drink is the Parisian Hot Chocolate – a blend of four different high quality European chocolate, topped with handmade marshmallows and torched to order. We opted for The Storm, a layered drink of coconut water, filter coffee and topped with a creamy cloud and my guest chose a matcha sprinkled with cinnamon. The entire drinks list is decadent and delicious!
While the drinks list serves as an early distraction, the main act soon arrives presented on a pretty two-tier modern high tea stand. Tarte’s High Tea offer a variety of sweet treats and savoury favourites as well as themed editions for the holiday season such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas.
We begin with the savoury selection, featuring two miniature bagels, one generously layered with smoked salmon herb cream cheese, the other a vegetarian option topped with juicy tomatoes. There are also fresh chicken and cucumber sandwiches offering a nod to tradition, while a rich truffle, chive and cheese croissant adds a more indulgent touch.
Our visit coincided with Tarte’s Easter High Tea, which meant a playful twist on the sweet selection. The Hot cross bun inspired scones were a standout – lightly spiced and your choice of butter. The salted caramel and nut butter is so good it could easily steal the show on its own.
The sweets lean confidently into Tarte’s pastry expertise. A zingy lemon meringue tart cuts through with brightness, while a cleverly executed crème brûlée arrives encased in a chocolate egg. A caramelised banana cake is expertly executed delivering complex flavours, but it’s the strawberry cream crueller that earns top billing: crisp, airy and crowned with spun sugar in a delicate nest, finished with a miniature Easter egg.
Grab the girls and settle in for a garden party at Tarte Tea Garden. On our visit, the crowd ranged from guests dressed formally to others fresh from the beach in shorts and tees, and somehow it all worked. It’s that rare kind of place that feels equal parts occasion-worthy and completely relaxed. Whether it’s a casual catch-up, a birthday, bridal shower or simply an excuse to indulge, everyone feels welcome here.
Tarte’s High Tea is generous and great value and if you can’t finish, the friendly team will happily box up the remaining bites in a stylish take home box.
Sample High Tea menu:
Sweet
- Speciality Tartes
- Scones with fresh cream and Tarte’s raspberry jam
- Brown Butter Choc Chip Cookie
- Financier with berries & pistachio
- Croissant
- Crueller with Vanilla Bean & Custard, Classic Cinnamon, Dulce de Leche
Savoury
- Salmon Bagel
- Cucumber Sandwich
- Tomato Bagel
- Chicken Sandwich
