Hopetoun Tea Rooms

Fruit tart

The Hopetoun Tea Rooms (Block Arcade, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia) have been a Melbourne institution for ages - slightly over a hundred years in fact!

I've often walked past and salivated over their window display of cakes, but have never been lucky enough to walk past on a whim and ever score seats - the place is always booked out, and by the looks of their cakes, for good reason. The place itself is an example of 19th century Melbourne and is beautifully decorated.

I was lucky enough to get a reservation one day, and it was a very enjoyable experience - the tea was good, my fruit tart was beautiful, light and delicious - the portion was a medium sized one, but every bite in my mouth was bursting with the different fruit flavours. 

Service was fantastic, even if we were just having cake and tea instead of the other mains that they apparently serve as well. They're famous for their high teas, and definitely a must visit if you have the opportunity.

Make a reservation at http://www.hopetountearooms.com.au/