Scones be gone! High tea goes to the next level

An afternoon of high tea is always fun but, faced with another tiered tray of scones and finger sandwiches and soundtracks of classical standards, you run the risk of doiley ennui.

Fortunately, there's an effervescent wind blowing through the tea rooms of Melbourne and things are taking a very tasty left turn. Sandwiches are reinterpreted into wasabi blinis or pork rillettes on pretzel buns, sweet treats are roaming the wilds of sour cherry toadstools and backing tracks are more likely to be Motown than Mozart.

A classic case in point is Adriano Zumbo's newly minted Fancy Nance, an irreverent clash of industrial warehouse and fairytale whimsy. Situated behind the Zumbo store on Claremont Street, it's a roomy space decked out with pink flamingo murals, crazy mirrors and white factory pipes overhead, with an equally tradition-bucking menu (including a vegetarian and gluten-free one). Choosing between the Pretty Flamingo menu or the deluxe "I'm So Fancy" menu, you can daintily nibble on macarons – natch – as well as choux buns filled with tarragon ice-cream, cured salmon on rye and osso buco with pea shoots – all presented with Zumbo's renowned celestial imagination. (For major dessert fans, look out for Pierre Roelofs' Thursday night sugarganzas during winter at Fancy Nance.)

Anyone who's dined on Christy Tania's unforgettable sweet creations at Om Nom at the Adelphi will have some idea of what to expect at Om Nom's weekend high tea. Set within a sleek and moody dining room, the menu features savouries such as the pulled pork Adelphi slider and mind-bending chorizo and goat's cheese macarons, but it's the dessert element of this high tea where things get really wild – think chocolate-coated passionfruit meringues with popping candy and the mega-Instagrammable sour cherry "toadstool".

On the third Sunday of every month, Bursaria turns on the tunes, the teas and the good times in the atmospheric Abbotsford Convent. A soul DJ spins Motown on vinyl and entertainers Bravo Darling mingle with guests sipping prosecco or home-made lemonade through striped paper straws. Silver tiered trays on flower-prinked tables hold seasonal bites like lentil, beef and fig pies or miso salmon on wasabi blinis. The scone factor here comes in the form of a mini herb scone with Russian salad, while the "roving desserts" include swoony vanilla panna cotta with pink moscato jelly, Persian love cake and mini doughnuts filled with bitter chocolate and blood orange custard. I repeat – mini doughnuts filled with bitter chocolate and blood orange custard.

For many, the finest pastries are French – ergo, the finest afternoon tea must be made by French ex-florist turned macaron queen, Josephine, at her beautifully breezy, bright white Brunswick cafe. Her French menu includes a seasonal soup if it's chilly, as well as mini gruyere quiches, and a cheese choux filled with whipped goat's cheese and pesto. On the sweeter side, there are classic French desserts like mini creme brulees and caneles and a suite of sensational macarons in flavours such as orange blossom, violet and chestnut cognac.

Of course, Melbourne wouldn't be Melbourne if it didn't take a high tea and add a hefty jolt of the city's signature caffeine. At the Market Lane Bar in the InterContinental, you can indulge in "high coffee", which kicks off with an espresso martini, followed by coffee of your choice to accompany savouries like Millawa goat's cheese with Rooftop honey or prosciutto and asparagus quiche. Tango with the honey and chocolate scones before jitterbugging on to sweets like seasonal sorbets and pistachio macarons.

Wondering what high tea at a hatted restaurant might taste like? Find out by taking a weekend drive to the Royal Mail in Dunkeld, where executive chef Robin Wickens has created a gorgeous menu with a "Grampians twist", showcasing produce grown or produced on the property. Quince panna cotta, anyone?

But for those who are adamant that high tea is all about the scones, head to The Tea Salon at Emporium – you can dine in on scones flavoured with rose or lavender or rosemary, leek and parmesan, or you can take a box home for afternoon tea on home turf.

If you're a fan of Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio, you'll find some of Darren Purchese's edible wonders being highlighted in a series of collaborations with the Langham's high tea menu. And if you're looking to join the Scone High Club or put the "high" in high tea, lash out on a Peter Rowland-catered high tea in your own private cabin on the Melbourne Star observation wheel. Now that's some sweet luxury.

Fancy Nance, 21 Daly St, South Yarra. $45-$65. Scones with beverage, $15. Wed-Sun 11am-6pm

Om Nom Kitchen and Dessert Bar, 187 Flinders Lane, CBD. $65 (min two people). Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm

Bursaria, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford. $55. Third Saturday of the month 2pm-4pm .

Macarons by Josephine, 365 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. $42. Wed-Sun. Bookings essential.

High Coffee at InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto, 495 Collins St, CBD $55. Wed-Sun 2pm-5pm.

Royal Mail Hotel, 98 Parker Street, Dunkeld. $45-$58. Fri-Sun.

The Tea Salon, Emporium Melbourne, lvl 2, 295 Lonsdale St, CBD. Daily. $43-$55

The Langham, 1 Southgate Ave, Southbank. $59-$84. See website for dates.

Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, 101 Waterfront Way, Docklands. $777 for two in exclusive cabin.