With a name like The Pancake and Crepe Shop, it’s quite obvious that the cafe specialises in the above, but one can’t miss the big sign out the front for Devonshire Teas. Located in another heritage-choked town along the Convict Trail, Oatlands is hard to miss with Australia’s third oldest mill dominating the skyline. Carrington Mill is now open to visitors after a recent restoration, and is conveniently located across from The Pancake and Crepe Shop. It’s cold out so the two small dining rooms are tight and we are lucky to squeeze in to a corner table. A shame about the weather as the row of tables out the front surrounded by window boxes of spring flowers would be lovely if it actually were spring weather. I love the bright fun tea ware and serving spoons as it creates a sense of excitement of what’s ahead. I normally wouldn’t complain, especially if the scones are sensational and the jam and cream superb. But why three large-ish scones? It’s rather excessive considering there’s not a great deal of tea to wash them down with and the super duper light cream is lousy. The homemade berry compote style jam has chunks of berries that would be perfect on a Pavlova. Just call me old fashioned, but I prefer a spreadable jam on my scones. To top it off, the scones are a bit overdone and are dry on top. Coupled with an inadequate amount of jam and cream, my excitement quickly moves to disappointment. Once again, I have to remember not to judge a book by its cover! Open Wednesday to Sunday.
Scones:
Jam:
Cream:
Tea: A range of teabags served in a small teapot/cup duo.
Price: $$
Overall: An adorable gingerbread house style restaurant with a couple of cosy dining rooms.
Location: Ph: 03 6254 0070
Reviewed September 2019