This year, try do something different. I don’t mean you have to turn your third bedroom into a pottery studio, or move to Alaska to study snow. I mean trying out an afternoon of high tea.

Let’s have a little look at high tea. It’s been around since the 1700’s. Back in the day, it was a meal for the working man and was had standing up or sitting on tall stools, hence the word ‘high’. Lovely little nibbles would accompany a cup of tea – cakes, scones, even cheese on toast would be served. Then the Ladies and Gentlemen of the ‘Leisure Classes’ took notice. They would have high tea before going to the theatre. Tough life.

And there we have it folks. The one degree of separation: we in Cape Town like our leisure time (after all, work is a sideline, live the holiday) thus we can say we are part of the leisure class. Thus we should be high tea-ing regularly.

The top spot to do this in the Mother City is at The Mount Nelson Hotel.

In summer I suggest you take your tea out on the terrace so you can feel the summer breeze:

Or, if it’s a perfect day, just take the whole darn thing outside…

Thankfully, they hold a high tea every afternoon (1:30–3:30pm and 3:30–5:30pm) that you can attend.

You can make a reservation HERE