Delightful High Tea @ Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne

I have a soft spot for high teas, ever since my first afternoon tea experience in London almost a decade ago. Hopetoun Tea Rooms is an institution of the Melbourne tea scene, and one of the city's most famous and oldest cake shops, so it was only a matter of time before I would enjoy high tea there. Hopetoun Tea Rooms was one of the two options for hubby and I to celebrate our anniversary, but I discovered that this place is so popular that it is booked out for months in advance, and I could not secure a reservation for our anniversary celebration. So I looked ahead to the next special occasion date three months later, and saw availability in my younger sister's and my birthday month, so I proposed to my sister that we jointly celebrate our birthdays with high tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms. My suggestion was enthusiastically accepted, and I went ahead with booking a date, with a special note of our joint birthdays and the fact that my sister was also pregnant. Just prior to our high tea date, I came across news that the owners of the tea house were facing some issues with the owners of the Block Arcade, so I entered the venue with the knowledge that it would possibly be my only opportunity to enjoy high tea there. However when the lovely lady owner came by for a chat with us, she assured me that the tea house would not be closing down soon. I suppose time will tell if Hopetoun Tea House will reopen for business after the government lifts the current Covid-19 restrictions on cafes and restaurants.

The window display of gorgeous cakes and tarts beckon tantalisingly next to the entrance:

The high ceiling and striking Victorian-era wallpaper were fitting for the slightly subdued atmosphere inside:

There was a queue of people outside waiting for tables when we arrived, and I felt fortunate that I had secured a table for us months ago. My sister and I were warmly welcomed and shown to our seats. Approximately a third of the tables were set aside for high tea reservations (indicated by the table cloths), and the remainder were available for walk-ins. Hopetoun Tea Rooms supplied a specially prepared plate of savouries for my sister that were void of any ingredients that would be unsafe for expecting mothers to consume, and my sister appreciated the thoughtful touch. We thoroughly enjoyed every sip of our coffee and tea, and savoured every morsel of our 3-tier high tea set. Our experience at Hopetoun Tea Rooms was delightful, and I hope that I can bring hubby here next time so he can experience it as well.

Our table:

My sister enjoyed one of 25 organic teas available at Hopetoun Tea Rooms:

Cappuccino for me:

My sister also indulged in an affogato during high tea:

The 3-tiers of high tea goodies:

Savouries included quiche lorraine, roast beef sandwich (sirloin with cheddar cheese, gherkin, horseradish mayonnaise and roquette in dark rye bread), pinwheels (Champagne ham, egg, with grain mustard and mayonnaise in white bread), classic devilled eggs en croûte (hard boiled eggs whipped with English mustard and mayonnaise), and vegetarian quiche:

My sister's pregnancy-friendly plate had a ham-free sandwich:

Sweets contained an assortment of signature petit fours. This is heaven on a plate for any sweet tooth:

A plate of fresh fruit for a boost of healthy amongst all the indulgence:

My favourite part of any high tea - fresh baked scones! These were accompanied with Hanks triple berry and double cream:

Hopetoun Tea Rooms
Shops 1 and 2
Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9650 2777