Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
Melbourne is infamous for its coffee culture and hipster laneways, where one can spend hours wandering and eating away to their hearts content. It’s no wonder so many Sydneysiders travel over when they’re in need of a short getaway without leaving the comfort of suburbia.
While the debate of whether Sydney or
Melbourne has the better coffee remains at large, it may seem as if the
traditional cup of tea has lost its humble appeal. That’s most certainly not
the case at Hopetoun Tea Rooms.
Situated in the Block Arcade, one of the oldest
arcades in Melbourne’s CBD, lines at the popular but small tea house can get
lengthy at peak times, especially on weekends. It’s best to book ahead or
arrive early to avoid experiencing major food envy while you watch others dig
into their cakes and tea from the glass window out the front.
The interior of the tea rooms exudes an air
of tradition and grandeur, set up by the emerald, baroque-style wallpaper and
dark wooden furnishings.
The page-long tea menu lists classics like
Darjeeling and English Breakfast, as well as quirky twists such as ‘Buddha’s
Finger’ (oolong tea with peach), ‘Fiji’ (green tea with papaya and wild
pineapple) and ‘Colonille’ (French vanilla and Vietnamese black tea). If
savoury is more your thing, there are some tantalising finger sandwiches,
salads and pastries on offer, too.
But, lo and behold, we’re here for the tea
and cakes.
English
Breakfast Tea
Scones
with Hank’s triple berry jam and double cream ($7)
I can never resist going past scones with
jam and cream for afternoon tea. These come with a good amount of berry jam and
lashings of thick, glossy double cream. The scones have a slightly dense crumb,
fluffy interior and golden crust – piled high with the sweet jam and rich cream
each bite is one to savour. Like all good scones, they are a good serving size
and are more than enough to leave us satisfied. Perfect washed down with a cup
of traditional English Breakfast Tea.
Lemon
Meringue Tart
Just one look at that piling of fluffy
meringue, torched to a scalding golden-brown tinge, brings a smile to our
faces. The flavour combination in this tart is a winner – the slightly sharp
lemon curd filling offset by the soft, light as a feather meringue that just
melts in the mouth.
Lamington
This Lamington is a testament to the fact
that sometimes one can forget just how good the classics are. Filled with a
thin layer of jam and a good amount of cream, the cake is moist and flavoursome
– perfect for those times when you don’t feel like something overly sweet or
rich.
Lime
Tart
This lime tart is baked to perfection with
a buttery, short pastry base, sweet but tangy lime filling and slightly
caramelised top. Is there anything that doesn’t
taste better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?
While one might think that offering thirty
plus varieties of dessert may compromise the quality and flavour of each, this
is not the case at all at Hopetoun Tea Rooms. Each of the desserts we tasted seemed
freshly baked and was spot on in terms of flavour, texture and portion size.
The lengthy wait during peak times,
slightly slow service and cramped dining space may get on the wrong side of
some, but if you’re looking for quality English afternoon tea in a traditional
setting, then you can’t go past the long-running Hopetoun tea rooms. Even if it
is just to get a glimpse of that beautiful cake display.
Website:
http://www.hopetountearooms.com.au/
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