Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town

We booked the afternoon tea. Excellent! We love. Thabisa was in charge of us and she was nice and friendly! Highly recommended!

We had an exceptional afternoon tea at The Nellie! Our waitron, Ntombi was friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. The sommelier also came to discuss our tea choices. A belated birthday celebration for my daughter and niece, which we thoroughly enjoyed . Highly recommended #proudlyCapeTown.

The Belmond Mount Nelson was one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had. We came here at the very end of a trip that started with a safari in Botswana, and it was the most luxurious, gracious way imaginable to close things out. It's the kind of place that makes you slow down and savor the last few days rather than count them down.

A quick note before I get into it. So many of the reviews here are about the High Tea, and rightly so. It truly is exceptional, and you should absolutely do it. But please don't let the tea be your only experience of this hotel. The Mount Nelson is so much more than a beautiful afternoon on the veranda, and it would be a shame to come all this way and only scratch the surface.

The property itself is full of character and perfectly designed, with that famous pink palazzo charm on the outside and interiors that feel elegant without ever feeling stuffy. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite and it was spectacular. The ceilings are enormous, and windows on three sides flooded the rooms with light and gave us views of the hotel grounds, Table Mountain, and the pool. The layout was ideal for our family of four: a generous living room sitting area with room for two twin beds that never felt in the way, a huge separate bedroom, a large full bathroom, and an additional powder room. I originally booked three nights and added a fourth. I was so glad I did, and honestly wished we'd had even more.

But the true star of this property is the service, which went above and beyond at every single interaction. Two people made our stay unforgettable. Michael, the Guest Experience Manager, went out of his way to make us feel special. He arranged thoughtful, personal gifts for both our daughters and for us, the kind of gestures that clearly came from actually paying attention to who we are rather than a standard checklist. And Sim, in the Planet Bar, took the time to get to know us personally and was so sweet to our two girls. By the end of the stay, it felt less like being guests at a hotel and more like being looked after by friends.

This is also a wonderful hotel for families. Traveling with two girls, ages 9 and 13, we were a little unsure how a property this elegant would suit kids, and it could not have been a better fit. The staff genuinely welcomed our daughters and made them feel just as looked after as the adults, and there was more than enough to keep them happy and engaged. They loved the food across the board, from the tea to the breakfast, and the resident cat became a genuine highlight of the trip. The grounds give kids room to roam, and the whole atmosphere manages to feel special and grown-up without ever being precious about children being there. If you're wondering whether to bring the family, don't hesitate.

The breakfast buffet deserves its own mention. It is incredible, with so many outstanding options that you'd genuinely need all four days to get through it, and we tried.

We cannot wait to come back and visit again. If you're staying here, do the tea, but stay a few nights, wander the grounds, get to know the team, and let this remarkable place show you everything it has to offer.

High Tea at the Mount Nelson is a must do in Cape Town. Pastries, scones and cakes of all flavours and a tea menu second to none with 63 options. Our server Thuli was a wonderful guide on how best to self indulge!

Thabisa really knew her teas! We had a taste of many varieties and with the excellent pastries and sandwiches we experienced a true taste of old South Africa

Lovely service with a smile..,enjoyed our high tea...thank you

Ntombi was the best hostess! The whole experience was marvellous. Will highly recommend the high tea experience.

5* afternoon tea - fantastic venue, fabulous staff and gorgeous food (and tea)

Special thanks to Ntombi who was our tea expert and took so much time to explain the teas to us. We had 8 out of 84 do more to try at another time!

Joined for high tea, which was incredible. And Emma was such a treat, the most amazing host! Highly recommend 👌

Lovely high tea. The beautiful Zona made us feel welcome with her friendly smile. Everything was prepared with the utmost of care and visual appeal. Highly recommend this experience.

Excellent service and presentation. The food was good at worst and excellent at best. The tea sommelier was knowledgeable and very helpful. Our server, Andiswa, was pleasant and lovely; she was also very attentive and welcoming. She was a big part of the experience being great.
Would recommend this for anyone looking for a nice way to spend an afternoon

We had a beautiful afternoon enjoying the high tea! Was absolutely delicious with an amazing selection of teas!
And was made even better by our wonderful waitress Emma! Thank you Emma!

The hotel is exquisite and setting is very special. The staff are very friendly and our waitress Asanda was wonderful.
Overall the food was lovely and well presented. However, having been to the MntNelson high tea several years ago, it is not as impressive as it used to be. The cake buffet at the end was very disappointing. I had the chocolate raspberry cake, and it was like a cheap supermarket cake.

We went for the high tea, and everything from the moment we arrived was amazing. Such a treat, we were served by Thuli and she made sure we were well taken care of from start to finish. She is an absolute gem!

Thuli was an amazing host. She took real good care of us.

We had a wonderful vegan afternoon tea at Mount Nelson. The food was absolutely delicious, with a fantastic selection of sweet and savory treats. A special thank you to Thuli, who provided such warm, attentive service and made the experience even more enjoyable. We would definitely recommend this afternoon tea!

Thuli was so friendly she took us through the experience with high professionalism and we came with a child she was patient with her as well. 10/10

We had high tea at the Mount Nelson’s Lounge and it was a proper treat. The setting was stunning.

The food was excellent.

Special mention to Nomkitha, our waitress. She was so warm, amiable, and on the ball without being intrusive.

Thuli din an Amazing service! Friendly, helpful, and very attentive. Thank you for making our dining experience so enjoyable

We came for the afternoon tea and enjoyed it so much! Thuli made sure we were looked after at all times, thank you! Make sure you come with an appetite, as there is so much delicious food served :)