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

Orbit Revolving Restaurant

Date of Visit: 15 January 2012
Location: SkyCity, Auckland City
Website: http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/Restaurants/Orbit.html
Cost: $30 pp

High tea at Orbit is not for those afraid of heights. At 190m above the ground, this high tea is surely the highest high tea that can be found in Auckland. However the location of the high tea is probably the biggest draw card of the occasion.

A friend and I came here to check out one of the 'Big Three' high teas in Auckland. Parking was easy as we just parked in the SkyCity carpark (complimentary for all Orbit diners). Arriving at 2.45 pm for a 3 pm reservation, we headed straight up the Sky Tower to the Main Observation Deck. We were lucky as it was one of the few sunny Sunday afternoons that Auckland had seen in a little while.

The tea selection was average. A choice of six teas were offered of which one could purchase at every chain supermarket if they wished. I had the Lively Lime and Orange Fusion Black Tea which was quite good. The tea menu looked like it had aided a few too many patrons in choosing their teas, and had black smudges on it which evoked the question, surely it is not too hard to print out new menus?

Overall, the food selection was good, though nothing unexpected or surprising. The lemon tart was very good, the lemon honey having just the right amount of tartness. A slightly odd aspect was the savoury tart made with sweet pastry, not a particularly good combination!

Dining is strictly for one hour for Orbit High Tea, and the attentive service ensures that you are conscious of this. Because of the short sitting time, service is prompt and efficient. Once our tea orders had been taken the high tea quickly appeared from the kitchen. Once the high tea had been consumed, the plates were quickly removed and replaced with the bill.

The seating of Orbit is arranged around the windows to make the most of the revolving restaurant, making one complete turn in one hour. We had a window table which was fabulous! The only let down here was the china. My dining companion's saucer and the sugar bowl had small chips out of them. Not only is this a health hazard (it is generally understood that chips/cracks harbor more bacteria/germs) but it just looks tacky. Generally when you pay to eat at a restaurant you would expect that they would serve you using un-chipped china

Overall, high tea at Orbit was a good experience. Come here on a sunny day to enjoy the amazing outlook over Auckland. This is arguably the best value high tea in Auckland as it includes parking, entry to the main observation deck and high tea all for the cost of $30.00. Without the view and the atmosphere created by the revolving restaurant however it could have been a very average High Tea experience. The biggest let down was the chipped china (described above). When you come here, make sure you utilise the free parking and head down to Wynyard Quarter, up to Albert Park or check out the Auckland City Gallery after your reservation. My friend and I agreed that this would also be an amazing dinner location...

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

Overall: 3.5/5

Prohibition Restaurant

Date of Visit: 29 October 2011
Location: Prohibition Restaurant, 108 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Website: www.prohibition.co.nz
Cost: $34 pp

As described on the Prohibition website, high tea that is served in restaurants and hotels today was traditionally called 'Low Tea' as it was served at low tables next to armchairs in a parlour. High tea was in contrast eaten after work and served at high tables.

We came here for a friend's birthday, so there were about 12 of us in total. The venue is decorated in a 1920s style and had quite dim lighting in contrast to how bright it was outside. We had a reservation, so they were ready for us when we arrived. My only complaint here was that they had one oblong table next to two circular tables for us which didn't really make for easy conversation down that end of the table.

I loved that we got to choose two teas which were served at intervals during the high tea. I had Jasmine Green Tea (a choice from their Savoury Tea list) and Apple Nut Tea (from the Aromatic and Dessert Tea list). I especially loved the Apple Nut Tea. This is probably one of the best tea selections I've ever seen at a High Tea. For those who don't like tea, there was also a choice to have coffee instead.

Onto the food. They had a good selection here, and probably some of the best scones I've ever had! The bruscetta sandwiches were tasty, and the kitchen was happy to cater to the various dietary requirements of our group (prawn allergies, no ham/pork) which was great. As I said, the scones were delicious. There was a sweet and savoury scone, with jam and cream on the side. The sweet selection was average to be honest. I think they did a better job on the savouries.

The service was generally attentive and able to keep track of all of the different tea orders and dietary requirements. Again, I only have one complaint, and though only minor, it was just one of those moments where they should have known better. When clearing the tables, one of the waitresses reached in front of me to remove the dishes. In my opinion, high tea is more about the experience and atmosphere than the actual food, etc (though it should be good), and this detracted from what had been an enjoyable afternoon.

The bathrooms cannot escape mention here. They are 1920's themed (though using 21st century technology) and have an American 1920's prohibition track playing in the background. They were a little difficult to find, up the stairs and to the left at the end of the hall past the kitchen, so directions were needed.

The general layout was functional, it would appear that they only serve high tea in the main room downstairs, with the other rooms being used when the restaurant serves dinner. Each room was elaborately decorated in a generally tasteful 1920's style.

I recommend coming here with a group no bigger than around 6-8. The 1920's atmosphere is fun and guests are free to try on the 1920's hats hanging around on coat stands (they make good photo ops!). The tea selection is brilliant and you leave the venue feeling generally satisfied. In terms of cost, $34 seems to be fairly standard, and you do get two different teas/coffees all included in the cost.

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

Overall: 4/5