Collins Coffee House High Tea: A Family Tradition in One of Melbourne’s Finest Heritage Buildings
By Nadine Cresswell-Myatt
My English-born mother relished high teas and lived until 95. With so many Mother’s Days and birthdays to celebrate during her lifetime, I became the dutiful daughter, forever searching out Melbourne’s best high teas.
When she passed away in 2015, I thought my three-tiered-cake-stand days were over, but my family had other plans. They had grown up loving the high tea ritual, and my son can demolish a Devonshire scone in record time. So we still find ourselves setting aside afternoons for teapots, finger sandwiches and each other.
After years of sampling high teas across Melbourne, I’ve developed a mental checklist of what separates the memorable from the merely expensive.
So, how did the tiers at Collins Coffee House stack up?
Old-World Grandeur
The strongest recommendation is the setting.
Collins Coffee House occupies a ground-floor corner, a spectacular Gothic Revival landmark at the intersection of Collins and Queen Streets.
Built between 1891 and 1903 during Melbourne’s boom years, the building is one of the city’s architectural treasures. Its dramatic façade and slender corner tower complement the equally striking ANZ Gothic Bank across the intersection.
Step inside the foyer and the grandeur continues. A marble entrance, vaulted ceilings and soaring freestanding Corinthian columns create an atmosphere of opulent elegance.
Before the first teapot arrives, the building already feels like somewhere high tea belongs.
Accessibility note: There are four steps from street level to the entrance.
First impressions
As the first in my party to arrive, I had time to absorb the room.
Tucked into the street-corner portion of the building, the café initially feels intimate rather than expansive. Then you glance upwards and discover soaring ceilings, cathedral windows and intricate Gothic detailing.
Dark timber panelling completes the old-world charm.
The little touches
It’s often the smallest details that distinguish a memorable high tea.
Fresh daisies decorate every table. Vintage Bormioli Rocco coupe champagne glasses sparkle in the afternoon light. China cups and saucers accompany bowls of raspberry preserve and Chantilly cream. Victorian-era velvet chairs complete the sense that you’ve stepped back in time.
Only one detail jarred slightly.
The thin paper serviettes felt out of place among such elegance. Linen napkins would have seemed more in keeping with the surroundings.
A calm corner of the CBD
The more I reflected on our afternoon, the more I realised Collins Coffee House serves several different audiences.
Weekends are clearly designed for celebrations, with live violin music providing the soundtrack while guests can enjoy a Bottomless Bubbles High Tea.
But our visit was on a Wednesday.
Only a handful of small groups lingered over tiered stands while office workers popped in for sandwiches, quiches and coffee.
There’s also usually a seasonal package with a midweek discount and smaller offering, like the Winter Warmer package we saw, which had two finger sandwiches, two savoury tarts and a freshly baked scone for $25. View the current offerings here.
I struck up a conversation with the lady at the next table. She wasn’t there for high tea at all—just enjoying a peaceful coffee before meeting a friend for an afternoon of shopping.
It occurred to me that if I ever wanted a quiet refuge from Melbourne’s bustling CBD, Collins Coffee House would be exactly where I’d come.
A birthday worth celebrating
Our visit formed part of a series of celebrations for my son’s mother-in-law’s birthday.
Having previously enjoyed high tea here, she remained on Collins Coffee House’s mailing list and received a complimentary birthday bottle of Prosecco when booking a high tea for three or more people during her birthday month.
Being on the mailing list clearly has its advantages.
With my daughter home from overseas, we had the perfect number.
When booking, I’d mentioned the birthday, and our three-tiered stand arrived decorated with a pink Happy Birthday plaque and a candle.
Service with grace
The staff reflected the elegance of the surroundings.
Immaculately presented in crisp white shirts and black waistcoats, and not a hair out of place.
On this quiet weekday there were only two staff members. The more experienced employee remained behind the counter while our waitress looked after the tables.
She regularly topped up our glasses, explained each offering and, after taking our first family photograph, happily volunteered to take more throughout the afternoon.
Being something of a history enthusiast, I asked whether she knew much about the building.
She smiled apologetically and admitted she’d only recently started work.
For a fleeting moment I wished part of staff induction included a little of the building’s fascinating story.
As we were leaving, my daughter noticed the inscription above the arched entrance.
“The Bank of New Zealand.”
Only then did we realise we’d spent the afternoon enjoying high tea inside what had once been one of Melbourne’s grand banking chambers.
Make a day of It
One of the pleasures of booking a high tea at Collins Coffee House is that you’re already in the heart of Melbourne’s historic precinct.
Within a few minutes’ walk you can explore the Block Arcade, Royal Arcade, Regent Theatre and Bourke Street Mall, or wander through the surrounding laneways lined with heritage buildings and independent boutiques.
Further up Collins Street Il Mercato Centrale, Melbourne’s vibrant Italian food hall is housed in the restored McPherson’s building.
If you’d like to discover more about the city’s history, consider using the Melbourne Greeter Service where knowledgeable volunteers offer free personalised walking tours introducing visitors to Melbourne’s history, laneways and hidden corners.
Terrie has reviewed the experience here.
Getting there
One of the pleasures of this high tea is how easy it is to reach.
Collins Coffee House is located at 395 Collins Street, within Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone and an easy walk from both Flinders Street Station and Southern Cross Station.
Collins Street is served by tram routes 11, 12, 48 and 109.
High tea bookings
Bookings are recommended, particularly for weekends and celebrations.
Current menus, seasonal packages, takeaway hampers and online bookings can be found at:
https://www.collinscoffeehouse.co
Reflections
As we wandered back onto Collins Street, I found myself thinking about Mum.
She would have loved the grandeur of the old banking hall, admired the fine china and, without question, spread the cream before the jam.
I wish we’d discovered Collins Coffee House while she was still with us.
Then again, perhaps we did. Every high tea we’ve shared since has carried a little of her with us.
The faces around the table have changed, but the ritual remains the same. Each generation has made the tradition its own, while carrying a little of her with us.
Perhaps that’s the true measure of a memorable high tea. Long after the last scone has disappeared, it’s not the cakes or the bubbles that stay with you, but the people who have shared your table.
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