Lili J — Restaurant in Wollongong City Council

What a great find. My partner and I were traveling down the coast. Yeaaaaa keep reading, this is my live story and then two sentences about the place itself. ;-)

Coffee (Flat white, long black): Wow that was good. Full of flavour, undiluted, gorgeous latte art and not sour which you get way too often. The long black was almost creamy and the flat white was not overpowered by the milk and full of aroma.

Food (Hasbrown Tacos & Savory Waffle): Firstly, how creative are those dishes? They were absolutely delicious, well balanced and professionally plated. Originally from Germany we are pretty fussy about our hash browns (they are a thing there) and these were hands down the best we've ever had and we don't like Australian potatoes, so that was down right impressive (yea Ozzy tatoes are bland, deal with it).

Sweets (Pistachio almond croissant): YES PLEASE. Super nice with a bit of a fruity suprise inside.

Service: VERY attentive and fast. It's the little things too, like clearing the table and checking in on you or suggesting to heat up you croissant because it's a cold day. Loved it, thanks everyone.

Location: Last but not least, they just finished (we've been told) the deck outside. The place is absolutely gorgeous. Small and cosy feel here with just the right amount of "come and meet us" feel.

Go there seriously go...

This review is long overdue for what is, without a doubt, the best coffee shop I've ever had the pleasure of visiting—and trust me, I’ve been to more coffee spots globally than I can count! Lily J is a gem run by an incredible family, and that warm, welcoming vibe spills over into every cup they serve. I was fortunate enough to have Lily J’s right at the end of my street for two years, and as a newcomer to Wollongong, it became a daily highlight that truly made the town feel like home.

The chat? 10/10. The community vibe? 10/10. The coffee? 11/10—especially when it’s brewed by the legendary El Conquistador del Café, Leroy! 😉☕️ And the food? Just as incredible—10/10.

Sadly, I’ve now moved over 2,000 km away, and I’m seriously considering booking a flight just for another cup of their coffee! So if you love good conversation, amazing food, and coffee that will spoil you for all others, get yourself down to Lily J’s in Wollongong. Tell them Owen sent you—you can thank...

Got there and wasn't sure if I could seat myself or order at the counter. I asked at the coffee maker and he mentioned to take a seat, so I was waiting for someone to take my order but after 10 min I asked a waiter and they told me to order at the counter. The lady at the counter was great, bubbly, polite and fast, coffee came straight out, good considering the place was almost at its full capacity. Great atmosphere, music, some waiters are dragging themselves around, hands in the pocket, not a smile not that nice to see.. I ordered the corn fritters and they were awful: tasteless, pickled veggies tasteless, whipped ricotta tasteless, spinach tasteless, corn fritters and hash browns soaked in oil and tasteless. Great atmosphere, good service, good coffee, but the food isn't good in my opinion. I saw a friend there and he ordered a Piaz, he also mentioned it wasn't good.. I had big expectations, maybe I ordered something a bit bland per...