Parnells on the Rose Garden

Date of Visit: 16 June 2012
Location: Parnells on the Rose Garden, 85 Gladstone Road, Parnell
Website: http://www.parnells.co.nz/index.php?page=high-teas
Cost: $35 pp


High tea at Parnells on the Rose Garden is lovely – I can’t think of a better word to describe it. The day was one of those crisp and clear winter days – some of my favourite winter days. The large windows overlook the gardens and the gas heater kept everyone warm and toasty inside.

I came here with my Mum after I found a voucher on ‘Grab One’ last month. I haven’t heard of high tea being offered here before so wonder if it is a new thing? I made a reservation a week and a half in advance, and the date I originally wanted was fully booked. This is probably because everyone was using their vouchers before they expire in July… Regardless, it was a full house when we arrived.


There was a selection of six teas on offer, all loose leaf and served in individual teapots with extra hot water on the side. I had the strawberry and cream tea which lived up to its name. It was a nice tea, though I don’t think that I would choose it again. My Mum had the Breakfast tea which she said was fine.

Everything was served in matching rose patterned bone china. There were also vases of roses around the restaurant and one in the bathrooms – it’s amazing how a vase of flowers can really lift a room. My only real gripe was the size of the table – it was a square table and hardly felt big enough to hold everything on it, everything felt a little cramped.

The food was really quite good. Parnells on the Rose Garden excelled in their savoury selection. I would go as far to say that this was the best savoury selection I’ve had at a high tea. There were three delicious sandwiches, but also a mini quiche, a spinach and feta roll and a salmon choice. The spinach and feta roll was a bit unusual (I haven’t seen the popular spinach and feta combo presented in this way before) but really yummy. I was really impressed. Their sweet selection was good, though nothing amazing. The fruit tart was quite tasty. The unusual thing that I noticed was that instead of the usual two scones, there was a date scone and a mini chocolate muffin. Wasn’t so keen on the muffin, a plain scone may have been a better complement. Also new to my high tea experience was the rum baba. Luckily I had Mum with me to explain what it is, it’s basically a yeast cake soaked in rum (check out this Wikipedia link if you’re curious).

The food however, is only one part of the experience. The service here impressed me. They were a little slow at first (I wondered at one point if we'd been forgotten?), but there were a lot of people arriving at once. Once they got into their flow, they were attentive and friendly. There was only one incident that reflected badly on the experience. When the high tea plates were brought out, Mum noticed a hair on one of the rum babas, which the waiter straightaway took away and replaced it (as he should). He was very apologetic and dealt with it in a highly professional manner.

Really enjoyed this high tea. As usual, it is the setting that really makes a high tea, and this restaurant really has it made when it comes to this. It’s difficult to describe, but the atmosphere felt how a high tea should – that touch of elegance and tradition mixed with a welcoming familiarity. On a side note, the venue also does weddings and conferences. When you come here, make sure you book in ahead and request a window seat, which is away from the bathrooms. Make sure you have enough time to go for a stroll in the Rose Gardens afterwards, especially if the weather is as good as it was when we went.


Service: 3.5/5
Food: 4/5
Tea: 4/5
Atmosphere/Ambiance:  5/5
Layout (of restaurant): 4/5
Setup (of table):  3/5


Overall: 4/5