Brisbane loves a high tea. We will book one for birthdays, baby showers, catch-ups, break-ups, long-overdue gossip sessions and sometimes simply because it’s Saturday and tiny desserts on fancy plates sound appealing. But every now and then, one comes along that actually feels special from the second you sit down. Goldfinch Restaurant and Street Café is that kind of high tea.
Tucked into the ground floor of the Pullman Brisbane King George Square, Goldfinch somehow manages to feel airy and glamorous right in the middle of the CBD. You walk in from the city streets and suddenly it’s all hanging greenery, soft Hamptons-inspired interiors, champagne glasses clinking and sunlight bouncing around the room. If your ideal afternoon involves dressing up a scooch, ordering tea you’d never make at home and spending two hours pretending you’re a fancy lady with no place to be this place gets it.
Then the high tea stand arrives and it. Is. STUNNING.
The whole thing is served in a gold filigree birdcage tower — very on-theme for Goldfinch, very pretty, very destined to appear in approximately 14 camera rolls before anyone actually eats anything. The second I saw it I thought “I’m calling it… this possibly Brisbane’s most aesthetically pleasing high teas.
The menu leans Mediterranean-inspired fare, which gives everything a fresher, more savoury-leaning feel than the usual sugar overload some high teas fall into. First out are warm raisin scones with whipped mascarpone and fig preserve, and the mascarpone swap is such a good move. It’s light, creamy and silky rather than heavy, while the fig preserve brings this deep jammy sweetness that makes the whole thing feel a little more grown up than your standard strawberry jam situation.
The savoury tier is easily the strongest part of the experience. The heirloom tomato and stracciatella tartlets are creamy and bright with little sharp hits of aged balsamic, while the prosciutto, olive and whipped fetta crostini has that salty-crunchy-creamy combination that disappears in about two bites.
But the Lebanese spiced lamb fatayer? That’s the one people will be talking about afterwards. The pastry is golden and flaky, the lamb filling is warm with spice, and it feels substantial and well considered against the other flavours. Beside it sits a smoked salmon brioche layered with labneh, cucumber and lemon zest that tastes incredibly rich but somehow still light and fresh at the same time.
Then comes the tier with the sweets, which thankfully avoids that overly sugary wall of fondant energy some high teas still insist on. The lemon and olive oil cake is soft and fragrant with candied citrus scattered over the top, while the baklava delivers proper crunch and sticky honey sweetness without becoming too heavy.
The prettiest thing on the stand might be the strawberry, rose and pistachio panna cotta, topped with floral cream and toasted pistachios. It tastes delicate and creamy with just enough rose to make it interesting without veering into potpourri territory. Paired with a pot of English Breakfast tea, it’s the kind of dessert that makes the whole table go silent for a minute.
At $65 per person including tea or coffee, Goldfinch sits in that sweet spot where it feels like a proper occasion without tipping into wildly expensive territory. You can upgrade to sparkling or Champagne if you’re celebrating something, or simply committed to the full glamorous-afternoon experience.
Brisbane has no shortage of high teas these days, but Goldfinch stands out because it nails both sides of the equation: the food actually tastes good, and the setting feels every bit as polished as you want it to. Which, for a long lunch involving pastries served in a gold birdcage, really is the dream.
WHAT: A Taste of the Coast, Mediterranean-inspired High Tea Soiree
WHERE: Goldfinch Restaurant, Pullman King George Square Brisbane, Cnr Ann &, Roma St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
WHEN: Weekends only, two-hour sittings from 12pm to 2:30pm
PRICES: $65 per person includes tea, coffee or soft drink; $79 per person includes a glass of The Lane ‘Lois’ Blanc de Blanc plus tea, coffee or soft drink; $85 per person includes a glass of Piper-Heidsieck plus tea, coffee or soft drink. Add $35 per person for free-flowing white wine, red wine and sparkling for two hours.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
