Spots for Afternoon Tea in Dublin: 11 Venues With Prices and Sittings

If you are hunting for spots for afternoon tea in Dublin, the city splits neatly into two camps: the grand hotel lounges around St Stephen’s Green, where a classic tea now costs €79 per person at the Merrion, the Shelbourne and the Westbury, and a handful of cheaper, quirkier options that come in well under €60. Most places need booking, and the sittings fill up fast at weekends and in December.

This guide covers 11 places, ranked by setting, menu and value, with the current price per person, the cost for two and what the champagne or prosecco upgrade really adds to the bill. Every price below was checked in November 2026, on the venue’s own page wherever it publishes one.

• Best overall: The Merrion’s Art Tea, €79 per person, with pastries modelled on paintings in the hotel’s own collection.
• Best for history and people watching: The Shelbourne’s Lord Mayor’s Lounge, €79 per person, on St Stephen’s Green.
• Best mid-price hotel tea: The Dylan, from €55 per person.
• Best budget pick in the city centre: The Iveagh Garden Hotel, €46 per person.
• Best for families and sightseeing: Vintage Tea Trips, €55 per adult and €32 per child (4 to 10) on a 1960s double-decker bus.

Afternoon Tea in Dublin Compared: Prices, Areas and Upgrades

The table lists the standard price per person, the price with a glass of bubbles, the extra you pay for that glass, and the cost of a standard tea for two. The upgrade column is the one most menus leave you to work out yourself, and it varies more than you might guess: €9 at the Iveagh Garden Hotel, €26 at the Fitzwilliam.

Pick an area, a budget and the size of your group to see which teas fit and what the bill comes to.

The three €79 teas sit within a short walk of each other, so if one is full on your date, the other two are easy fallbacks. The InterContinental and the Dylan are both in Dublin 4, a short taxi ride south of the Green.

How We Chose These Dublin Afternoon Tea Spots

We started with every venue that appears on the main Dublin afternoon tea lists and booking platforms, then kept the ones that publish a current menu, price or serving times on their own website. Prices, sittings and dietary options come from those official pages wherever a venue publishes them, checked in November 2026. A venue whose afternoon tea runs only on a few event dates, or whose price we could find only on an old third-party listing, was left off.

The order reflects three things: the setting and what makes the tea different, the value for what is on the stand, and how easy it is to book and reach. Price alone did not decide it, which is why a €79 tea sits at number one and a €39.25 one at number 11.

1. The Merrion, Merrion Street: Best for Art Lovers

Art Tea at The Merrion costs €79 per person, or €99 with a glass of champagne, and it is the one afternoon tea in Dublin built around a theme you cannot get anywhere else. The pastry team models the miniature cakes on paintings in the hotel’s own collection, including works by J.B. Yeats, William Scott and Louis le Brocquy, and you take home a copy of the Merrion’s art collection catalogue.

It is served in the Drawing Rooms at 12:30pm, 1pm, 3:30pm and 4pm daily, and it runs as a two-hour, two-course sitting, so this is a long lunch more than a quick snack. The tea masters and the hotel barista look after the drinks side. A vegan afternoon tea is also on the menu, with its own sandwiches, scones, cakes and pastries.

For the festive version, the Merrion’s Christmas menu runs from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Bookings go through the hotel’s website or by phone on (01) 603 0608. The National Gallery is around the corner on Merrion Square, and it is one of the free museums in Dublin, which makes for a handy pairing.

2. The Shelbourne, St Stephen’s Green: Best for History and a Big Occasion

The Shelbourne celebrated its 200th birthday in 2024, and its afternoon tea is served in the Lord Mayor’s Lounge, looking out over St Stephen’s Green. Classic Afternoon Tea starts at €79 per person and Champagne Afternoon Tea at €102, and the menu credits the Irish producers behind it.

There are three sittings, 12pm, 2:30pm and 5pm, Monday to Sunday, and advance booking is required. The 5pm slot is a decent shout if you want tea before an evening show or a walk around the Green. Bookings go through the hotel website or on +353 1 663 4500.

Fair warning: the Shelbourne is renovating its bedrooms until May 2027 and says some noise may occur. That is aimed at overnight guests more than the lounge, but if you are booking for a special birthday, it is no harm to ask about it when you reserve.

3. The Westbury, Off Grafton Street: Best for a Shopping Day Treat

The Westbury’s tea is served in The Gallery, a few steps off Grafton Street, which makes it the easiest of the big three to fold into a day of shopping. The current menu is the Montblanc Afternoon Tea at €79, or €103 with champagne: finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and preserves, pastries made in-house, and tea poured from silver teapots.

The champagne version adds a glass of Charles Heidsieck Réserve NV, served at the table. At €24, that upgrade is the second-dearest on this list, so skip it unless the bubbles matter to you.

Afternoon tea runs Monday to Sunday, 12pm to 5pm, which is the widest window of the three big hotels and handy if you cannot commit to a fixed sitting. Reservations are by email or phone on +353 1 646 3328.

4. InterContinental Dublin, Ballsbridge: Best for Families and a Quieter Table

The InterContinental is a short trip out of the city centre in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, and it rewards the trip on price. Traditional Afternoon Tea costs €62, Champagne Afternoon Tea €82 and a Rosé Champagne Afternoon Tea €87, with a children’s afternoon tea at €24, which is the clearest kids’ price of any hotel on this list.

Tea is usually served in the Reading Room beside the Lobby Lounge, across three seatings: 12pm, 12:15pm or 12:30pm; 2:15pm, 2:30pm or 2:45pm; and 4:15pm or 4:30pm. The staggered start times make it easier to get a table on a busy weekend.

The hotel caters for dietary requirements and has gluten-free options. A family of two adults and two children pays €172 for the standard tea, which is less than two people at the Merrion with champagne.

5. The Atrium Lounge, College Green Hotel: Best for Book Lovers and Dietary Menus

The Atrium Lounge at the College Green Hotel, across from Trinity College, serves a Literary Afternoon Tea with sweet and savoury bites inspired by Yeats, Joyce, Wilde and Heaney. If you are in town for the Book of Kells or the Museum of Literature Ireland, the theme fits the day.

It has the best range of set dietary menus of any venue here: separate gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan afternoon teas, plus a kids’ menu. You can add a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, and there is a Perrier-Jouët afternoon tea as well.

There’s a catch. The hotel does not publish its price online, so call +353 1 645 1000 or check OpenTable before you book. Tea is served throughout the week, 12pm to 5:30pm, the latest finish of the city-centre hotels.

6. The Dylan, Eastmoreland Place: Best Mid-Price Hotel Tea

The Dylan is a boutique hotel on Eastmoreland Place in Dublin 4, just off Baggot Street, and its tea comes in well under the big hotels. Traditional Afternoon Tea starts at €55 per person, and Champagne Afternoon Tea at €75.

The stand is the classic format: finger sandwiches, fluffy scones with cream and jam, and a selection of desserts. It suits a birthday or a catch-up with friends when €79 a head feels like a lot.

A tea for two at the standard price comes to €110, which is €48 less than the same booking at the Merrion, Shelbourne or Westbury. Call +353 1 660 3000 to check sittings.

7. The Fitzwilliam, St Stephen’s Green: Best for a Christmas Afternoon Tea

The Fitzwilliam’s current offer is seasonal. Its Festive Afternoon Tea is €59 per person, made by Chef Catherine, with three ways to upgrade: €70 with a glass of prosecco, €75 with a seasonal cocktail and €85 with a glass of champagne.

It runs Thursday to Sunday, 1pm to 3pm, through the festive season, and the hotel recommends booking. That two-hour window is narrow, so pick a date early in December if you have a group.

The prosecco upgrade is good value at €11. The champagne one, at €26, is the most expensive upgrade on this list. The Fitzwilliam overlooks St Stephen’s Green, a two-minute walk from Grafton Street.

8. Iveagh Garden Hotel, Harcourt Street: Best Budget Hotel Tea in the City Centre

For a proper hotel tea in Dublin 2 that does not cost the earth, the Iveagh Garden Hotel on Harcourt Street is the pick. Signature Afternoon Tea costs €46 per person, and Sparkling Afternoon Tea with prosecco €55.

The menu opens with homemade buttermilk fruit scones with clotted cream and berry preserve, and every item lists its allergens on the hotel’s menu, so it is easy to check before you go. Book through OpenTable or the hotel’s site.

The prosecco upgrade is only €9, the cheapest on this list. The hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the Iveagh Gardens and the south side of St Stephen’s Green.

9. Bewley’s, Grafton Street: Best for a Classic Café Setting

Bewley’s café on Grafton Street, with its Harry Clarke stained-glass windows, is a different kind of setting from the hotel lounges. Bewley’s Afternoon Tea is €49 per person, served Thursday to Sunday, with prosecco, cava and champagne available as add-ons.

Booking is essential, through the Bewley’s website or OpenTable. Expect it to be busier and noisier than the hotels; this is a working café on the city’s main shopping street.

It suits anyone who wants the Bewley’s experience with more food than a coffee and a sticky bun. If silver teapots and a quiet lounge are the point, one of the hotels will serve you better.

10. Vintage Tea Trips, St Stephen’s Green: Best for Families and First-Time Visitors

Vintage Tea Trips serves afternoon tea on a 1960s double-decker bus while it drives you around the city, which makes it part tea and part sightseeing tour. It won Best Food Tourism Experience at the 2025 Good Food Ireland Awards. Tickets cost €59.50 for VIP top-deck seats, €55 for adults, €42 for youths aged 11 to 16, €32 for children aged 4 to 10 and €15 for infants aged 0 to 3, with the infant ticket covering a drink and a scone.

The trip lasts 70 to 80 minutes and leaves from St Stephen’s Green North. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. The menu has sandwiches, wraps, cakes and warm scones, and you can choose traditional, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or halal.

A few practical catches: the seats are smaller than a modern coach at 89cm by 37cm, and there is no storage on board for luggage, prams or buggies. Same-day bookings are sometimes possible on 01 255 1777. If it is your first time in the city, it slots neatly into a two-day itinerary for first-time visitors.

11. Castleknock Hotel, Dublin 15: Best for the Lowest Price

The Castleknock Hotel is out in Dublin 15, near the Phoenix Park end of the city, and it has the cheapest hotel afternoon tea we found. Afternoon Tea is €39.25 per person Monday to Friday and €43.00 at weekends and on bank holidays.

Advance booking is necessary, with 24 hours’ notice. For something different, the hotel also serves Hendrick’s gin cocktails in teapots, at €35 per teapot, each teapot serving two people two cocktails each.

It is a fair drive or a bus ride out of the centre, so it makes most sense if you live on the north side, have a car or are staying nearby. A weekday tea for two comes to €78.50, roughly half the price of the Merrion.

How Much Does Afternoon Tea in Dublin Cost?

A standard afternoon tea in Dublin costs €39.25 to €79 per person across the 10 venues that publish a price. The top hotels have settled on €79 (the Merrion, the Shelbourne and the Westbury), the Dylan, the Fitzwilliam’s festive tea and the InterContinental sit at €55 to €62, and the Iveagh Garden Hotel, Bewley’s and the Castleknock Hotel come in under €50.

The upgrade is where the bill climbs. A glass of champagne adds €20 at the Merrion, the InterContinental and the Dylan, €23 at the Shelbourne, €24 at the Westbury and €26 at the Fitzwilliam. Prosecco is the cheaper route: €9 at the Iveagh Garden Hotel and €11 at the Fitzwilliam.

Two venues publish a children’s price: €24 at the InterContinental and €32 for ages 4 to 10 on Vintage Tea Trips. The College Green Hotel has a kids’ menu, priced on request. Service charges for groups are not always listed, so ask when you book for six or more.

Booking Afternoon Tea in Dublin: Sittings, Dietary Needs and Timing

Book at least a week ahead for a weekend tea at the Merrion, the Shelbourne or the Westbury, and further out for December, when the festive menus are on. The Merrion and the Shelbourne both use fixed sittings, so choose a time first and plan the rest of the day around it.

• Vegan: the Merrion has a dedicated vegan afternoon tea; the College Green Hotel and Vintage Tea Trips also offer vegan menus.
• Gluten-free: the College Green Hotel, the InterContinental and Vintage Tea Trips all list gluten-free options.
• Halal: Vintage Tea Trips is the only venue here that lists a halal afternoon tea.
• Late start: the Shelbourne’s 5pm sitting and the College Green Hotel’s 5:30pm finish suit an evening plan; our guide to things to do in Dublin at night has ideas for afterwards.

If you are building a trip around it, a tea on St Stephen’s Green fits easily into a 3-day Dublin itinerary between the museums in the morning and a walk through Temple Bar later. On the north side, the Clontarf Castle hotel also serves afternoon tea; check its current price directly before you book.

Afternoon Tea in Dublin: FAQ

Do You Need to Book Afternoon Tea in Dublin?

Yes, for almost every venue. The Shelbourne requires advance booking, Bewley’s says booking is essential, and the Castleknock Hotel needs 24 hours’ notice; walk-ins are only realistic at quiet times midweek.

How Long Does Afternoon Tea in Dublin Take?

Allow about two hours at a hotel. Art Tea at the Merrion is a two-hour, two-course sitting, while the Vintage Tea Trips bus tour lasts 70 to 80 minutes.

Is Afternoon Tea in Dublin Suitable for Children?

Yes. The InterContinental Dublin has a children’s afternoon tea at €24, Vintage Tea Trips charges €32 for children aged 4 to 10 and €15 for infants, and the College Green Hotel has a kids’ menu.