Taking tea and scones in a charming cottage tearoom at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges.
Our experience
Scones were one of the first things that MoMo & Coco learnt to bake. Easy to mix, quick to bake, faster to eat, there’s not that many reasons to search for scones outside of the home. But, many of the most lovely things in life are the simplest things to enjoy, and a weekend drive to the Victorian countryside is somewhat incomplete without a platter of scones. A little away from the little townships nestled in the Dandenongs Ranges, there’s a little Victorian cottage that has been refurbished into a charming tea room.
Upon entering, a short front corridor is graced by a floral archway and a gallery wall of photos. This corridor leads to a beautiful open space, awash in crisp white walls and floaty white lace curtains, contrasted with chairs of varying wood shades, and with sparkling chandeliers embedded into the ceiling and plush throw pillows scattered here and there. It’s a lovely area for a celebration high tea, engagement party, bachelorette’s afternoon, baby shower, and really, for any other milestone events. If you can look past the front counter’s enticing display of cakes and other sweets, there’s also a small dining area towards the back of the place.
On our visit, the afternoon tea was presented on a quaint array of mismatched floral porcelain. We considered the high tea option, but having had lunch prior, the $52 affair didn’t seem like a good idea to us, nor did it seem particularly inventive or creative (and long-time followers of this dessert blog know we prefer creative high teas). Instead, we ordered the (lighter) Devonshire Tea ($12), which comprised two scones accompanied with two jars of berry jam and lemon curd, and a bowl of cream. The scones were large, one for each person quite sufficed. They were almost perfect – fluffy, slightly moist on the insides, though a touch crunchy hard on the outsides. We also selected a cake ($8.50), of orange blossom and almond. It was slightly too moist for our personal preference, but the flavours were well-developed. For our tea, the “Blooming Tea” ($11 per pot) was a white tea, slowly unfurling its petals during the brewing process. It rounded out a lovely afternoon.
Our verdict
If you are looking for an afternoon tea venue in the townships of Olinda or Sassafras, Fortnums has been our reliable favourite over the years. If however, you would prefer something slightly out of these tourist areas, yet still a short drive away, Mary Eats Cake is a splendid way to spend your afternoon, nibbling on scones, munching on some cakes and macarons, and sipping through a steaming pot of floral tea.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: Mary Eats Cake, 13 Leith Road, Montrose, Vic 3765.
- ☑ Budget: $-$$.
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: Devonshire Tea and High Tea.
- ☑ Must-eat: The scones.
- ☑ The short and sweet story: Taking tea and scones in a cottage tearoom at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges.
Dessert Correspondents 