The Grounds and afternoon tea go together like jam and cream. At the original Alexandria institution – the most instagrammed cafe in the world – the on-staff stylists responsible for The Grounds fantastical interiors are summoned just to lay the table for you and 5-7 of fellow diners for The Glasshouse High Tea ($89pp), where a private table inside a vintage greenhouse is laid out with florals and candles and laden with dainty sweet and savoury bites. The Patisserie High Tea (also $89pp) overlooks the hardworking pastry kitchen; while at The Grounds of The City the City Afternoon Tea brings some old-world glamour to the CBD. Naturally The Grounds also couldn’t resist going above and beyond for Mothers’ Day itself this year, with special one-off seatings planned for high tea in The Garden at Alexandria, Sunday May 10. 7a/2 Huntley Street, Alexandria; Shop RG12, The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney; thegrounds.com.au

This fresh take on high tea offers a Malaysian-inspired experience that reimagines tradition through a Southeast Asian lens. Each tier on the heaving tower is an exploration of flavour and an exercise in creativity: delicately wrapped siu mai ingeniously stuffed with Hainanese chicken, crisp spring rolls filled with rich satay and chilli crab dumplings bursting with shellfish and spice. It’s a menu that feels both celebratory and comforting, accompanying beverages like matcha lattes, Chinese teas and signature cocktails. And yes, there are sweets, too: aromatic, textural desserts that bridge cultures and round out the meal with elegance. Chatswood Interchange, Level 3 K1 & K2, 436 Victoria Ave, Chatswood | hojiak.com.au/amah/

Beneath the ethereal kinetic sculpture, Meadow, the Afternoon Tea service at Aperture in Capella is one of the most elegant in the city. Between 12:30pm-4pm daily, the good china comes out, with a fine tea menu to match the intricate sweet and savoury bites by chefs Gabriele Taddeucci. For Mothers’ Day Sunday May 10, treat mum to a special menu including the signature lobster roll and bite-size mont blanc tart with blackcurrant jam, and she’ll also leave with a $50 Auriga Spa voucher. 24 Loftus Street, Sydney; capellahotels.com

The aptly-named Tea Room in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building serves the kind of teas that make you feel like a royal, offering Edwardian elegance with every sip of Earl Grey. Clink Royal Albert china in a dining room that feels like a costume drama set piece – all chandeliers, opulence and symmetry – while you indulge in scones that are as soft and warm as a grandmother’s hug, precisely sliced sandwiches and petit fours that practically hum ‘God Save the King. Then, once your teapot is empty and you’ve eaten like a duchess, you can step out of The Tea Room and shop like one. Queen Victoria Building, Level 3/455 George St, Sydney | thetearoom.com.au/

Mosman institution Gunners Barracks isn’t just a favourite wedding venue, it also offers one of the city’s most famed high teas. Book a table with a view over the harbour, then settle in at a white-clothed table to enjoy the house-made cakes, scones, sandwiches and savoury pastries served on traditional silver tableware. Gunners has an extensive tea menu, but you can also order bubbles or a cocktail to give your high tea some fizz. End of Suakin Drive, Mosman; gunnersbarracks.com.au.

The Charles’ opulent dining room is the perfect location for an elegant high tea service. Start with a few delicious savoury bites such as the smoked salmon madeleines or a gougere filled with Brillat-Savarin creme, then dive into the dessert trolley – maybe a passionfruit meringue tart or an Earl Grey and grapefruit charlotte? Follow with a mouthful of chocolate or a macaron. The Afternoon Tea service runs between 2:30pm–5pm Monday to Saturday, from $79pp. Celebrating at home? Order a cake or a box of house-made chocolates to go. 66 King Street, Sydney; thecharles.sydney

Watsons Bay Hotel is gifting you one of the best harbour settings in Sydney for Mothers’ Day this year. On the afternoon of Sunday May 10, the newly transformed Top Deck & Sunset Room will transform into a team room, withs towers of dainty sweet of savoury treats for $75. Add on some sparkling wine to match those sparkling views. 10 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay, watsonsbayhotel.com.au

No one does a pretty, pastel-themed high tea like the team at Loftus Lane. It’s a grown-up kids’ party adorned with flowers, colour and French tableware. Choose from the Ferris Wheel or Carousel setting, and gently spin to find the finger sandwiches, scones and pastries you prefer. It’s even more fun with a signature colourful cocktail. 3/38-42 Bridge Street, Sydney; loftuslanecafe.com.au

For the seventh year of American Express delicious. Month Out, the American Express Card Member offer is back. The month-long campaign has activated across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, giving food lovers the chance to score cashback at thousands of the nation’s best cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars throughout May. To get 20% back on dining, up to $25 per Card, at more than 65,000 participating venues from April 28 to May 31, simply save the offer to your eligible Card*. *Exclusions, T&Cs apply.