I agree with the previous reviewer in that this is easily the best restaurant in Wollongong and is also the only one with a Good Food Guide hat. I have been about 4 times and 2 have been exceptional and the other 2 good but not quite as good as you'd expect. The wine list is extensive and the staff are very helpful. When I wasn't sure which wine I wanted by the glass they brought 2 out for me to taste before I made a decision.

I had a dark hot chocolate here yesterday and as the last time I was there it wasn't quite hot enough, the staff member April who served me offered to heat the chocolate syrup as well as the milk so it would be extra hot. Very good service!

Hoyts Warrawong have recently lowered their ticket prices to $10 each excluding 3D, so much better value than they were before. Be wary of the candy bar prices though. I had a choc top today for $5.50 which is nearly double Gala Cinema's price. The cinemas themselves are quite comfortable since the recent refurbishment and now worth a visit at the new price.

They do a great coffee here and the snacks are good as well. However, in the mornings most of their coffee trade is take-away and if you want to eat-in you can be waiting for 20 minutes for your coffee as you watch all the take-away people come in, order their coffee and leave. Great if you want take-away, or come after the morning rush. Not recommended if you want your coffee on the premises before lunchtime.

I have bought a few plants from here and joined their club membership program. When they had a special day for club members to have a discount off everything, it looked liked all the prices had been jacked up so the discount just brought it down to the normal price. Also, the way they advertise as wholesale direct to the public - the prices are certainly not cheap or any less than you'd pay anywhere else. Other than the price issue, they have a reasonable selection and they can order plants in for you. Just don't expect to pay any less than you would at any other nursery.

I go here often for prescriptions. I used to go to the Chemist Warehouse, but they are a lot quicker here even when there are quite a few people waiting. The prices seem much the same. The staff are friendly and efficient. They have a Rewards card which after only a few months I have accrued $20 worth of points which I cashed in on 2 pairs of free reading glasses. Bargain!

I have had several massages here. You can walk in without a booking and have 20 minutes for $20. It is done properly in a private booth on bare skin with oil rather than sitting up or through your clothes as some other places do the massages. Gwen is very good, and YoYo was great although she has left and they couldn't tell me where she went.

Approximate cost: $20

The Gala is a fantastic asset to the Illawarra. Although it doesn't show as many independent and foreign films as I would like, it still shows some, unlike the big chains. The tickets are outstanding value and the choc-tops are only $3 each. They have a weekly email which tells you the program for the coming week. I hope the Gala never gets "done up" or loses its great value. I would rather support the Gala any day than go to the big cinema chains.

I'm giving this cafe 4 stars for it's coffee. Unlike a lot of places they give you exactly what you ask for, so if you want it extra hot and strong you don't get it still not hot or strong enough. The service is very good. I've never had to wait more than a few minutes for my coffee to come to the table. The cafe has an adjoining interactive toddlers play area which a lot of parents like to visit with their children while enjoying a coffee at the same time. The noise level from the play area can get a bit uncomfortably high though.

The fish and chips here are definitely recommended. Very large servings and they cook them relatively quickly given how long the queues can get. The longest I've waited is on Father's Day when we joined the very long queue at around 3pm and got to eat at about 3.45pm. It doesn't get any busier than that. I have also had a good coffee here and a nice turkish bread burger. My only suggestion to them would be that their cold drinks all seem to be sugary soft drinks - for instance there is no plain sparkling mineral water or small fruit juices.