The Block Arcade's Hopetoun Tea Rooms

Sometimes, you really just need to feel like a proper lady. To have the opportunity to sip on blends of exotic tea, nibble on scones, taste little tarts and sample crustless finger sandwiches. And sometimes, like me, you can pretend to be a proper lady while actually stuffing your face with cake...as long as you sip your tea with your pinky finger in the air, no one will be any the wiser.

My wonderful cake-stuffing experience (well, technically it was tart stuffing...but that kind of sounds like i'm turning a hooker into a piñata. Which, I assure you, I was not doing) occurred this week at the beautiful, old world Hopetoun Tea Rooms, established in 1892, to be found in Melbourne's Block Arcade. If you've ever walked through this arcade before, chances are you've seen these tea rooms, with a front window that's practically bursting with cakes that look so delectable they'll have you ditching your diet before you can say 'with extra cream on the side please'. There are moorish looking mousses, tarts piled high with fresh fruit, sumptuous slices and glistening ganaches (the alliterations really are endless), all of which call to the innocent passersby, who can do nothing but stare and gawk...and drool. I hear there's a specific cleaner for the drool. Situated in the Block Arcade, the Hopetoun Tea rooms are surrounded by old world beauty, which is only enhanced on the inside with its patterned green wall paper, gold light fixtures and ornate mirrors. To walk through the doors and be greeted by the suited staff is, in itself, a small delight (and not only because you'll be laughing at everyone in the queue behind you. Suckers!) as you feel as though you've stepped back in time.

The Tea Rooms are open Monday through to Saturday, from 8am to 5pm, so it can cope with the number of tourists, Melburnians and cake-o-philes demanding a table. You can begin your day with breakfast at Hopetoun, with choices like the atlantic eggs or golden crepes, or else lunch like a prince on pan seared ricotta gnocchi or the Mediterranean chicken. Of course there are sandwiches and scones, and if you're feeling super Pride and Prejudicey you can indulge in High Tea (BYO Mr Darcy), served on a three tiered cake stand. The drinks, or more specifically, the teas, are something special too. There are a range of blends like Strawberry Kisses (fruit blend, chocolatea, vanilla and rooibos) and Fiji (a papaya and wild pineapple green tea), that sound like, well, the perfect kind of holiday really. I sampled the Snow White, with apple, raspberry and rose-hip, which was delicately sweet. And, of course, then there are the cakes. With choices like chocolate and fig tart, black forest cake and white chocolate mousse, you may spend a good thirty or so minutes deciding which one to pick. Let's be honest, this is the kind of decision that could be life altering, so it's worth the deliberation time. After much procrastination on my part, I finally decided upon the pecan and chocolate tart, which was deliciously nutty, not overly chocolatey and had perfectly cooked pastry. My Cake Companion in Crime chose the pear frangipane tart, which was wonderfully crumbly and not too sweet. All in all we were both chuffed with our choices...but then, I don't think it's possible to be disappointed with a dessert choice here.

The Hopetoun Tea Rooms tell a story of old world glamor and offer an indulgent experience that should be had by all. So sit up tall, shoulders back and remember to sip with an extended pinky finger....then drop all composure, stuff yourself with cake and be a glutton. You know you want to.