Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea is served in the Lounge, situated amongst the art adorned walls and enhanced by the hotel's Dale Chihuly glass sculpture and a live harpist. This Umstead tradition is a welcoming and elegant way to spend an afternoon socializing.
Advance reservations are required. Kindly speak with our reservations team at 919-447-4050 to arrange for your table. To provide quality of service, please inform our reservations team of any allergies or dietary restrictions at the time of booking. Any changes requested the day of are subject to availability. Same day reservations are not available.
For parties of seven or more, please contact our catering department to make alternative arrangements in our event space.
Reservations: 919-447-4050
Hours
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AFTERNOON TEA
Wednesday - Sunday: 2:00pm - 3:30pm - Adults | $70 plus tax and gratuity, Children | $40 plus tax and gratuity
Menus
The Lounge
The Lounge can accommodate parties of up to six guests. For parties of seven or more, please contact our catering department at 919-447-4041 to make alternative arrangements in our event space.
2026-04-05
Easter Brunch in Herons
Celebrate with us this Season
Join us at Herons for a refined Easter Sunday brunch designed to welcome the season in style. Executive Chef and four-time James Beard semifinalist Steven Devereaux Greene presents a thoughtfully crafted four-course menu with seasonal selections that reflect renewal and the artistry of spring.
2026-05-10
Mother's Day Brunch
Celebrate her at Herons
This Mother's Day, celebrate her with an elegant brunch in Herons. Our four-course menu with choices highlights the freshest flavors of spring, offering a gracious and heartfelt way to gather and create beautiful memories together.
2026-03-25
Umstead Uncorked Wine Tasting
An Evening in Germany & Austria
This month, Uncorked turns to Germany and Austria, two countries whose wines are defined by precision and remarkable food-friendliness.
In this relaxed, guided tasting, we’ll pour benchmark selections that show why these regions continue to shape the global conversation around cool-climate wine. Expect wines with drive and freshness, built on acidity and structure, and made to shine at the table. Whether you’re revisiting old favorites or exploring these regions more seriously for the first time, this is an easy, engaging way to understand what makes German and Austrian wines so compelling.
2026-03-18
The Art of Flowers: A Design Workshop with Steve Taras
Join us Wednesday, March 18th from 6-8 pm in the Salon for a hands-on floral workshop with Steve Taras, owner of Watered Garden Florist and longtime floral designer for The Umstead. Inspired by the North Carolina Museum of Art’s annual Art in Bloom exhibition, this special evening celebrates art in the form of floral design.
Working with seasonal blooms from near and far, Steve will guide guests in creating a modern, Umstead-inspired arrangement to take home. Enjoy charcuterie and cheeses along with other assorted heavy hors d'oeuvres and wine as you explore learning the beauty of floral composition.
2026-05-18
Artist Reception with Jennifer McCurdy
The Umstead Hotel and Spa is pleased to present Inside the Curve, an exhibition featuring new works by renowned ceramic artist Jennifer McCurdy. Known for her sculptural porcelain vessels inspired by the natural world, McCurdy’s work captures the movement of wind, water, and flame through intricate carving and fluid form.
Working with translucent porcelain, McCurdy shapes each piece on a potter’s wheel before cutting and manipulating the clay to create a sense of motion that continues to evolve during the firing process. The resulting vessels reveal dramatic shifts of light and shadow, with many finished in luminous gold leaf interiors that reflect warmth and depth.
2026-04-14
SALTY Chef Dinner: An Evening of Avant-Garde Cuisine
herons x esmé x caffè nazionale
We are honored to welcome SALTY Magazine on April 14th for an extraordinary evening featuring Executive Chef Steven Devereaux Greene alongside two internationally acclaimed guest chefs: Chef Paolo Griffa of one Michelin-starred Caffè Nazionale in Aosta, Italy, and Chef Jenner Tomaska of one Michelin-starred Esmé in Chicago.
Together, these celebrated chefs will present an evening that merges the worlds of art and cuisine. Set within The Umstead’s art-filled dining room, the evening promises a rare opportunity to experience the intersection of fine art and collaboration.
2026-04-05
Easter Brunch in Herons
Celebrate with us this Season
Join us at Herons for a refined Easter Sunday brunch designed to welcome the season in style. Executive Chef and four-time James Beard semifinalist Steven Devereaux Greene presents a thoughtfully crafted four-course menu with seasonal selections that reflect renewal and the artistry of spring.
Brunch Details
- Sunday, April 5th
- 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- $125 per adult plus taxes and fees
- $39 per child ages 2-10 plus taxes and fees
- Full payment is due at the time of booking. Reservations are non-refundable but transferrable to another guest.
Please note that Herons will be closed for breakfast that morning. For In-House guests or those without a Herons reservation, a breakfast buffet will be available in the Bar & Lounge from 7:00–10:00 AM for $35++ per person.
Reserve your table and experience an elegant Easter celebration at The Umstead.
2026-05-10
Mother's Day Brunch
Celebrate her at Herons
This Mother's Day, celebrate her with an elegant brunch in Herons. Our four-course menu with choices highlights the freshest flavors of spring, offering a gracious and heartfelt way to gather and create beautiful memories together.
Brunch Details
- Sunday, May 10, 2025
- 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- $125 per adult plus taxes and fees
- $39 per child ages 2-10 plus taxes and fees
- Full payment is due at the time of booking. Reservations are non-refundable but transferrable to another guest.
Please note that Herons will be closed for breakfast that morning. For our In-House guests or those without a Herons reservation, a breakfast buffet will be available in the Bar & Lounge from 7:00–10:00 AM for $35++ per person.
Reserve your table and experience a beautiful Mother’s Day celebration at The Umstead.
2026-03-25
Umstead Uncorked Wine Tasting
An Evening in Germany & Austria
This month, Uncorked turns to Germany and Austria, two countries whose wines are defined by precision and remarkable food-friendliness.
In this relaxed, guided tasting, we’ll pour benchmark selections that show why these regions continue to shape the global conversation around cool-climate wine. Expect wines with drive and freshness, built on acidity and structure, and made to shine at the table. Whether you’re revisiting old favorites or exploring these regions more seriously for the first time, this is an easy, engaging way to understand what makes German and Austrian wines so compelling.
The tasting will be held on Wednesday, March 25th in the Fireplace Lounge and begin at 6:30pm. Charcuterie plates will be paired with the wines. Please call if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies. Tickets are $75 plus tax and service charge and are non-refundable.
[ This Experience is Fully Committed. ]
2026-03-18
The Art of Flowers: A Design Workshop with Steve Taras
Join us Wednesday, March 18th from 6-8 pm in the Salon for a hands-on floral workshop with Steve Taras, owner of Watered Garden Florist and longtime floral designer for The Umstead. Inspired by the North Carolina Museum of Art’s annual Art in Bloom exhibition, this special evening celebrates art in the form of floral design.
Working with seasonal blooms from near and far, Steve will guide guests in creating a modern, Umstead-inspired arrangement to take home. Enjoy charcuterie and cheeses along with other assorted heavy hors d'oeuvres and wine as you explore learning the beauty of floral composition.
[This experience is fully committed.]
2026-05-18
Artist Reception with Jennifer McCurdy
The Umstead Hotel and Spa is pleased to present Inside the Curve, an exhibition featuring new works by renowned ceramic artist Jennifer McCurdy. Known for her sculptural porcelain vessels inspired by the natural world, McCurdy’s work captures the movement of wind, water, and flame through intricate carving and fluid form.
Working with translucent porcelain, McCurdy shapes each piece on a potter’s wheel before cutting and manipulating the clay to create a sense of motion that continues to evolve during the firing process. The resulting vessels reveal dramatic shifts of light and shadow, with many finished in luminous gold leaf interiors that reflect warmth and depth.
We invite you to join us for an evening with Jennifer McCurdy as she shares insights into her creative process and the evolution of her work. Guests will have the opportunity to hear directly from the artist while viewing the exhibition, followed by an artist lecture and Q&A session and a chance to explore the newly-created pieces available for purchase.
Monday, May 18
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wine and passed hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Reservations can be made by phone or online.
2026-04-14
SALTY Chef Dinner: An Evening of Avant-Garde Cuisine
We are honored to welcome SALTY Magazine on April 14th for an extraordinary evening featuring Executive Chef Steven Devereaux Greene alongside two internationally acclaimed guest chefs: Chef Paolo Griffa of one Michelin-starred Caffè Nazionale in Aosta, Italy, and Chef Jenner Tomaska of one Michelin-starred Esmé in Chicago.
Together, these celebrated chefs will present an evening that merges the worlds of art and cuisine. Set within The Umstead’s art-filled dining room, the evening promises a rare opportunity to experience the intersection of fine art and collaboration.
Chef Steven Devereaux Greene leads the culinary vision at Herons, the Michelin-recommended and Forbes Five-Star signature restaurant at The Umstead Hotel and Spa. Since 2009, he has guided Herons to international acclaim, earning one of only 83 Forbes Five-Star Restaurant distinctions worldwide and five-time James Beard Award semifinalist recognitions for Best Chef: Southeast. Greene’s cuisine is rooted in the seasonal bounty of the Piedmont region, often highlighting ingredients grown just moments away at The Umstead’s organic farm, where produce helps shape the rhythm and direction of each menu.
Chef Jenner Tomaska is the Executive Chef and Owner of Esmé in Chicago, a Michelin-starred restaurant celebrated for its immersive approach to hospitality and collaboration with artists. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Tomaska previously served as Executive Chef at Next Restaurant under Chef Grant Achatz. Through Esmé and his newest restaurant ventures in Chicago, he continues to redefine contemporary dining through creativity and refined technique.
Chef Paolo Griffa is the chef-owner of Paolo Griffa al Caffè Nazionale in Aosta, Italy, which was awarded a Michelin star just three months after opening. Griffa trained in some of the most renowned kitchens in Europe including Combal Zero, Piccolo Lago, Septime, and Le Chateaubriand. His cuisine draws inspiration from the landscapes and culture of the Italian Alps, presenting refined dishes that celebrate both tradition and artistic innovation.
Guests will enjoy a collaborative tasting menu created by the three chefs, each bringing their unique perspective and culinary philosophy to the evening.
Reservations for this exceptional experience are $375 per guest, exclusive of tax and service, with an optional wine pairing available for $150 and can be made online or by phone.