Ahhh, Hopetoun Tearooms … beloved cakery in Melbourne’s Royal Arcade.

Home to old ladies of all ages and genders, famed world-wide for its flashy, calorific window display.

Hopetoun Tearooms, it of the incredible green felt embossed wallpaper.

Last watering hole for Bennie’s mum before she headed for the Mercy Hospital up the road.

It’s nothing unusual to see tourists ogling the cake display and even folks queuing for a table.

But, heck, seeing a velvet rope outside and a door bitch coming and going stopped me in my tracks while attending to some CBD business today!