It’s quite exciting to be sitting in a tea shop in downtown Wollongong. It’s only a block from the main CBD shopping mall with its franchised eateries and retail outlets, but a world away from the shopping hub. More cafe than tea shop, even though the name says otherwise, the cafe is simple yet comfortable, and the Devonshire Tea of two scones and a pot of tea is a bargain. However, they say you pay for what you get, and in this instance it surely sways this way. I try both a plain and a date scone, which are both pleasant but rather more like commercially produced sweet bread rolls. The jam is the cheapest sachet variety (fine at a breakfast buffet…just), and the cream is light, aerated and sweet. The saving grace is the tea selection so expect a long tea menu to pour over. Teas can be purchased and are in no-nonsense packaging and well-priced, although the shelves are quite bare when I visit. Closed on Sundays.

Scones: 

Jam: 

Cream: 

Tea: An extensive menu of loose-leaf teas to satisfy all palates served in a good-sized pot.

Price: $$

Overall: An alternative from the main shopping hub.

Location: Shop 3, Unit 3, 163 Keira St, Wollongong NSW 2500 Ph: 02 4225 0999

Reviewed in November, 2014