the curiosity shop

We have went to the store a few times, each at a different location. We have not yet visited the Graniteville location. We loved going there, and they have lots of neat and different items to see and purchase.

Just be advised that the Aiken store is now closed. The new address is: 50 Canal Street Suite 6Graniteville, South Carolina 29829. It's in the middle of nowhere, but the store is much bigger and I'm sure the rent is cheaper. My wife and brother-in-law went recently and everything they brought to the counter rung up with a higher price than what the sticker price was. Luckily, my wife has a good eye and caught this. The owner changed the prices, but seemed irate and put off to do so.

It is now in two locations. We prefer the Graniteville one. It is easier to park and I am sure a boon to the town. The tea is still good and the service much quicker!

We stopped vased on the reviews but were a bit disappointed. The downstairs in primarily a lunch cafe and food store. The shelves were not full and found items past their "best if used by date". Prices were high for the same items we have seen elsewhere.Upstairs is the gift shop. Has a lot of books, a children's section, jewely cases, some apparel, Irish items, and a limited and over priced selection of gifts.We went in with good expectations looking for a gift for some English friends but left without a purchase.

Found this gem of a store/restaurant on a recent trip to quaint downtown Aiken. We love tea and scones and theirs compares with the tea that we have had in England and at the Ritz Carleton hotel in Ireland! Great sandwiches and the store is so fun to browse with many unique and hard to find items. Great atmosphere and wonderful service!

If you are as interested in your Irish and/or Scottish heritage as I am, then Curiosity Shop will likely do the same for you. Even if this does not apply to you, I recommend at least one visit for the opportunity to experience somewhere different, and a variety of objects to browse through. You can visit their website and "shop by country" to also find out what your native country has for sale. To conclude this review: my absolute favorite part was the tartans you can order if you know which clan you belong to, especially that they are shipped to the store directly from Scotland. Concerning The Dickens Cafe on site, I recommend a Highland salad and The Finnegan sandwich, although everything except the Minna sandwich was appealing (just not a big fan of Nutella spread).

The CURIOSITY Shop located in beautiful downtown Aiken South Carolina was opened in 1998 and has continued to evolve over the years. They carry a wide variety of items - almost a department store - with two floors of goodies (they have an elevator). If you are in Aiken it is very worth a drop-by for they have curiosities abound.