What a great little spot to have high tea. We had finger sandwiches followed by scones, cream and…read moreJelly. You pick 2 tea served in a really pretty tea pot and a strainer. I had Buddha's finger. It was a delicious tea. Service is impeccable. Wish we had one closer to us. Just a real neat place.

Located in historical block arcade. They do a great job with the display case. The tea room has a…read moretourist clientele as Tour groups passed through this area, which is how I spotted it. However, out of several dessert spots this is fine, but not a place I would return. I would prefer shops that are less crowded and frenetic. Although the tea room is quaint, seating is tight and service has more of a diner feel. Melbourne has some other great dessert shops, which I prefer.

This lovely place is full of pretty teapots, teacups and tea. I'm a huge tea drinker so I couldn't…read morehelp but wander in for a look. They have a number of premium teapot brands, from classic Japanese pots which feel like they weigh a ton, to the traditional British 4 cup. You'll also find all sorts of tea related trinkets: strainers for loose leaf tea, teaspoons and tea towels. And, of course, tea. I asked the sales assistant for some help finding a few new teas, and she was more than happy (even excited) to oblige. I gave her a few criteria and like magic she suddenly had three large tins of tea in front of me to smell. She did a great job at describing them all, and from my experience in drinking the tea I purchased from her, her knowledge and recommendations were spot on. The tea is reasonably be priced for premium tea, and is worth the little bit extra just to get the expert opinions. If you're looking for an awesome malty black tea to have with milk and sugar, try the Assam Dimakusi BOP. It's smooth, has a lovely aroma and isn't at all bitter. It's replaced Yorkshire as my favourite cup of tea! Just note that this isn't somewhere to sit down and have a cup of tea - The Tea Centre is purely retail. If you're hankering for a cup of tea and a scone, head down a level to The Tea Salon.

Took a break from Boxing Day sales frenzy to have a quick brekky here…read more Delivery boxes, half unpacked. Tables dirty and un-cleared. No customers inside. I had to poke my head in to make sure they were actually operating. But once we were seated, the service was friendly and warm and we opted for fruit salad and pancakes. The pancakes were a little flaccid and chewy, not fluffy and light as expected. However the macerated berries it came with was nice. Once the pancakes soaked up the berry juices it was much nicer. Fruit salad was a generous portion too and came with what tasted like a balsamic reduction and some yoghurt. Wasn't bad. Overall it was an "OK" place, nothing to blow your mind. Fine for taking a break from shopping, though not sure if service / Wait time differs when it's actually busy.

Gorgeous little tea room in St Collins street…read more Food: We had lemon tart and an orange mousse cake which I can't remember the name of. Both were really high quality with lovely flavours. I felt my orange cake was really delicate and light, very enjoyable. The presentation was exquisite and all the cakes looked equally beautiful. The decor and gorgeous teapots give a real feel of an English tea room. Atmosphere: Great relaxed atmosphere. We were seated outside - inside looked like it could get a bit crowded when busy. Lots of people enjoying coffee and a catch up or a relaxed brunch. It has the great advantage of being In a quiet arcade so much less of the hustle and bustle of the busier laneways. Service: We were greeted promptly, given a couple of minutes to browse the window display (which we requested, and I was pleased the waiter went away and didn't hover over our shoulders). Greeted again and shown to a table as soon as we started looking around for someone. Staff were friendly and seemed to enjoy being there which always makes a big difference. Only thing I would improve would be labelling the cakes in the window - it was impossible to match them up with the menu items and the cafe layout makes it awkward to point at items in the window. Would I go back: Yes definitely. I enjoyed both my cake and tea and there were lots of other cakes I'd like to go back and try. While there are other cafes that probably have the edge on Runya's in terms of their cakes, the relaxed atmosphere - and particularly the seating on the mall make this a very viable alternative.

Love this place to get a matcha fix! Great for a cool or hot drink and the cakes to match!…read more Don't forget to try the black sesame ice cream too! In a cone or a cup, it doesn't matter because the taste is awesome!

This place is a real taste of Japan! Several tea flavoured gelato along with other flavours like…read moresesame and red beans. Three types of cone flavours to choose from too. There are all sorts of desserts featuring green tea, beautifully designed and some available for take away. The star of the show is matcha and they make a mean latte. Super rich and creamy. It's like sipping heaven. Love!!

This was one of those really fancy tea houses in a pretty fancy Melbourne shopping centre. Since I…read moredo enjoy my tea I decided that I would check it out one lunch time. Well, they certainly had a huge selection of teas available, though the problem was that like many places they seemed to assume that we all want our tea really, really strong. In fact it was so strong that I honestly wasn't able to drink it (though I did). Yeah, I wasn't really all that impressed.

Possibly the only people drinking coffee in The Tea Salon but it went a treat with the delicious…read morescones that we devoured. The scones initially seemed a little on the petite side but with the cream & jam were actually just enough. The Salon has a top 10 list of scones & we sampled 3 (Date & Orange; White Chocolate & Cranberry; Lemon, Pistachio & Currants). I wouldn't hesitate to head back again for more of the same!!!

This is the real deal. Finer quality and fresher teas than T2…read more I love their teas and really love the shop design. It's like an old school apothecary. They have an online store but you should go in to browse and smell the tea. The staff are a little reserved, but certainly open to answer all your questions.

OVERWHELMED BY TEA! In an effort to not buy at T2 since it joined the Unilever corporation a couple…read moreof years back, I've been tagging smaller enterprises and doing my best to trial their wares. Lupicia was on my to-do list in Melbourne for a while anyway, thanks to some rave reviews. Lupicia stores actually exist across the world, which is pretty cool, and each store has a couple of locale-based blends. I didn't try the Aussie ones, however, and went straight for one I had on my to-get list and another two I couldn't resist. Each tea comes in a beautiful tin so no need to worry about finding storage for it when you get home. I recommend discussing your favourite tea flavours with the staff, who are all too happy to help with recommendations, despite first appearances coming off as a little gruff. Once they know you care about tea, you're in.

I'm a big fan of T2 and the Emporium Melbourne shop is a wonderful addition. Of course you'll find…read moreall the normal T2 teas and wares but in the middle of the shop is a really amazing brew bar. They serve up hot teas and iced teas in great combinations to get your imagination going! There are even some chocolate and little nibbles to buy as well. The layout is gorgeous, clean, and colorful and encourages exploration of all that's on offer. This shop makes you want to buy way more tea than you ever thought you needed. They staff are friendly, knowledgeable and very proud of this jewel in the T2 crown. Stop by and have them brew up something special for you!