High tea in Christchurch usually means one of two things: a hotel doing a competent version of an English tradition, or a café putting three scones on a tiered stand and hoping. Both are fine. Neither is especially interesting.
We built ours differently, because the traditions Dhi trained in are not English ones.
What makes it a fusion high tea
Our Full High Tea Experience runs French pastry technique through Italian elegance and Brazilian soul. That is not a marketing sentence — it is a description of where the recipes actually come from. Every element is handcrafted on site by our pastry team rather than bought in, which is the part that changes the result.
A three-part journey
The savoury selection. It opens savoury, not sweet, drawing on the bold flavours of Brazil and the refined traditions of Europe. Signature Brazilian cheese bread alongside an assortment that changes constantly — technical French-inspired tarts, mini savouries with a South American twist — all prepared fresh for your arrival.
The signature patisserie. The centrepiece: a curated run of our most celebrated desserts reimagined for the high tea seating, made with real chocolate and seasonal fruit, including items we do not offer anywhere else.
Bottomless tea. Organic loose-leaf Zealong throughout your sitting, included — grown in the Waikato, the only tea plantation in New Zealand. Specialty drinks can be added: dessert-inspired thickshakes, fair-trade organic coffee, or our luxury chocolate drinks.
The practical details
- $65 per person
- A relaxed 90 to 120-minute lunch, not a rushed sitting
- Book up to 10 people online. Larger groups and private weekday events go in The Welder's bigger events space — get in touch for a quote
- 48 hours' notice minimum. For a weekend, ask one to two weeks ahead — spaces are limited and it books out
- Changes can be made up to 48 hours before, through the links in your confirmation email
A vegetarian menu and a no-added-gluten option can both be selected at booking. Two honest notes: our kitchen is small and without exclusive production areas for all of our different recipes, so traces may occur and nothing is guaranteed safe for severe coeliac disease, and our desserts use bovine gelatine, which is pork-free. Allergens present include soy, almonds, nuts, eggs and dairy — tell us in advance if it matters.
Why 48 hours matters
Nothing on the menu sits waiting. A high tea booked on Tuesday for Thursday is baked, assembled and finished for that seating. It is why we cannot take walk-ins for it, and it is also why it tastes the way it does.
Who books it
Baby showers, birthday celebrations and bridal parties, mostly — and the sort of sophisticated afternoon catch-up that deserves more than a coffee. It works particularly well for Mother's Day, which books out early every year.
If your group would rather do something than sit still, our Mini-Cake Decorating Challenge runs at the same price for four to twelve people — that and the other group formats are set out in our piece on group activities in Christchurch.
Giving one as a present
A high tea makes a considerably better gift than an object, because the recipient has to bring someone. Gift cards start at $15 and let them book a date that suits — which avoids the classic problem of gifting an experience on a day nobody can make.
If you want the food without the sitting
Much of what appears at high tea exists in other forms. Our mini desserts are in the cabinet Tuesday to Saturday, our artisan savouries cover lunch, and petit fours can be ordered for an event with seven days' notice — see our guide to dessert catering.
How to book
Book online at least 48 hours ahead, and earlier for weekends. Full details on our high tea page, with the wider list on our experiences page. We are inside The Welder at 20–26 Welles Street in the central city, with parking across the road and behind the building.
