Fortnums

Fortnums is a daytime restaurant and high-tea venue in Sassafras, with a light-filled conservatory-style dining room and garden surroundings. Its familiar lunch dishes, scones and more formal high-tea service provide different ways to make a meal part of a Dandenong Ranges outing.

Choose between an ordinary restaurant visit and a booked high tea before arriving. The two-course high tea has set sittings and its own price, while lunch and desserts are ordered separately from the restaurant menus.

Conservatory Dining and Garden Surroundings

The dining room’s windows and views give Fortnums much of its character. It suits a leisurely lunch or celebration where the setting is part of the experience, with garden and deck spaces also used for functions.

Allow time to sit down and enjoy the meal rather than fitting it into a narrow gap between distant attractions. For a weekend table or a larger group, reserve ahead and mention any seating or access needs.

The restaurant is at 395 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in Sassafras. Combine a meal with a village browse or a separate nearby garden visit, checking each destination’s opening times and allowing for traffic on the winding roads.

Lunch, Scones and Dietary Choices

The lunch menu centres on familiar comfort food, including roast beef, meatloaf and a beef Burgundy pot pie, alongside open sandwiches, savoury potato pancakes and vegetarian options. It is a sit-down restaurant meal rather than a garden admission package.

As a price guide, pumpkin soup is $17.90, several open sandwiches are $26.90, roast beef and meatloaf are $29.90, and the Fisherman’s Lunch is $36.90. Drinks, sides and desserts add to the bill.

The restaurant publishes a separate gluten-free menu and offers selected vegetarian or vegan adaptations. Describe allergies or other requirements when booking and again when ordering, so the kitchen can explain suitable choices.

Scones and sweet treats can suit a shorter visit than a full lunch. If you want the tiered high-tea experience, book that specifically rather than assuming a tea-and-scones order includes the full service.

The published lunch menu applies a 10% weekend surcharge and 15% public-holiday surcharge. Check the total for the meal or package you are booking, particularly for a celebration with a fixed budget.

The Two-Course High Tea

Savouries Followed by Sweets

High tea begins with sandwiches and savoury items presented on a tiered stand, followed by petite cakes, pastries and Devonshire scones with house-made jam and cream. Fine china and a slower service distinguish it from a casual cafe stop.

The package includes juice on arrival and a choice of tea or espresso coffee. Sparkling wine or cocktails are optional extras. Dietary arrangements can be requested when making the booking.

Prices and Sittings

High tea costs $70 per person on weekdays and $75 on weekends. The children’s price is $38 for ages 10 and under. Bookings are essential on (03) 9755 1200.

Sittings are at 11:30am or 2pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11:30am or 3pm Saturday-Sunday. Confirm your chosen sitting when booking. Leave room around the reservation for a relaxed meal, especially if travelling from another attraction.

Celebrations, Weddings and Private Dining

Fortnums also accommodates weddings and private occasions. Its restaurant, garden and deck offer different settings, with packages arranged around the group rather than a single admission fee.

The separate Garden Room is intended for daytime gatherings of around 15-30 guests. Contact the venue to discuss the meal format, space, access and arrangements that suit your event.

Private functions can affect ordinary restaurant availability. Confirm a booking before bringing a group, and do not assume the garden or a private room is available for an unarranged celebration.

Opening Hours and Reservations

Regular restaurant hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-4pm, with Monday and Tuesday closures. School holidays and public holidays can bring a different schedule, so check your date when reserving.

Call (03) 9755 1200 or email fortnums@bigpond.com. Mention whether you want lunch, high tea or a function, along with the number of guests and any dietary needs.

If steps, pram space or wheelchair access affect your visit, describe what you need and ask the team to confirm a suitable table and approach. A garden setting alone does not establish that every area is accessible.

Fortnums FAQs

Is high tea the same as ordering scones?
The booked two-course service begins with sandwiches and savouries, then follows with petite cakes, pastries and scones. A casual tea-and-scones order is a shorter restaurant choice, so reserve high tea specifically if you want the tiered presentation.

What does the high-tea package cost?
Published prices are $70 per person on weekdays and $75 on weekends, with children ten and under at $38. Juice and tea or espresso coffee are included, while sparkling wine or cocktails cost extra; confirm the full total when reserving.

When can I book high tea?
High tea sittings are Wednesday-Friday at 11.30am or 2pm and Saturday-Sunday at 11.30am or 3pm. Book ahead and confirm your chosen sitting, allowing enough travel time to arrive before the service begins.

Can I visit for an ordinary lunch?
The restaurant serves familiar comfort dishes, sandwiches and lighter options in a conservatory-style setting. Lunch, desserts and drinks are separately priced from high tea, with weekend and public-holiday surcharges on the published lunch menu.

Are gluten-free choices available?
A separate gluten-free menu and selected vegetarian or vegan adaptations are offered. Describe dietary requirements when booking and again when ordering, so the kitchen can explain suitability and preparation for the particular meal.

What are the usual restaurant hours?
Regular hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-4pm, with Monday and Tuesday closed. School holidays and public holidays can change the schedule, so check your date rather than applying ordinary hours to every holiday.

Can I organise a private celebration?
The main restaurant and separate Garden Room suit different gatherings, with the Garden Room intended for about 15-30 daytime guests. Discuss guest numbers, dining format, access and availability with the team before arranging suppliers or inviting the group.