Cafe>The Grounds of Alexandria

The Grounds of Alexandria

Address: Building 7A, 2 Huntley St

Alexandria NSW 2015

Phone: (02) 9699 2225

Hours: 

Mon - Fri 7:00am - 4:00pm

Sat - Sun 7:30am - 4:00pm

Breakfast served before 11:30 am 
Lunch served from 12pm onwards

Menu: Everything from Mediterranean to Australian inspired meals to freshly baked breads, cakes and tarts as well as jams and coffee beans to take home! (It is a restaurant, café, bakery and coffee roasting facility after all!)

Main Entrance to "The Grounds of Alexandria

Gorgeous Garden and Communal Tables at "The Grounds"

Atmosphere: What I love most about this place is the fact that it is literally like being in two places at once! Positioned in the busy, grey streets of Alexandria, you would think that it was just another factory building fading into the bland backdrop of brick walls – but what once was an old pie factory (Remember Four’N’Twenty pies!?) has now been transformed into anything but boring and grey! Beyond the bricks is a bright delight of food and flowers with a farm-like flair waiting to be discovered. Once you set foot onto “The Grounds” you will immediately feel like you have been teleported to a mini-town under the Tuscan sun.

On one side is the barnyard fit with a communal tables, a playground, farm and florist with beautifully blooming flowers and ferns cascading over, under and around every corner – creating a relaxing green dream under a rustic roof.

Country-Chic Style Seating Area 

Then there is other side, where the food is served, the bread is baked and the coffee is brewed as the homely, vintage, country-like theme extends throughout the interior of the café/restaurant/wonderland.

Service: Kind, professional but sometimes seem aloof – as if they are counting down the hours until their shift ends (Not sure why, if I worked there I would make up reasons to stay later and sleep under stars amongst the garden beds!)

Price: $6 - $19 for a gourmet reasonably sized meal

               $4 - $8 for drinks both eat-in and takeaway

TJ’s Rating: The reason I keep coming back to this place is not just because I want to try literally everything on the menu but because “The Grounds” is not just a place “to eat and to drink” but it is truly an experience of escapism. It’s not somewhere you go just to have a quick coffee and bite to eat – one, because by the time you’ve found parking twenty minutes has disappeared and two because once you have been seated you may have had to wait another half hour!

But people don’t usually mind the wait as you’re presented with a buzzer and are free to get lost in the garden, sip on a locally roasted latte and curl up next to Kevin until your buzzer goes off!

Our three dishes on a romantic table of flowers and tin-bucket cutlery

Did I mention they have a famous pig called Kevin? They have a famous pig called Kevin! Kevin Bacon to be exact. (I’m not even joking, haha!) Along with Bradley the Sheep and his farm animal friends that caused headlines after being stolen from the farm and just recently returned to their rightful owners of “The Grounds”. Kevin Bacon is always the star of the show as crowds of children and a paparazzo of parents surround the stall, clutching camera phones and ready to snap the latest pics of Kevin and the kids!

Kevin Bacon chilling by his Cubby House

I have to admit I also felt like a serial photographer as I whipped out my iPhone as soon as our perfectly presented plates were served. I came here with two of my food-loving friends on a random weekday for breakfast and we were lucky enough to find parking and be seated within minutes (Sorry, Kevin!).

My friends were feeling fruity so they ordered the Bircher Berry Trifle ($12) and the Seasonal Fruit Salad ($14) with freshly squeezed Orange Juice each ($6.50).

I wanted to try something new and different from the breakfast menu so the “Sweet Pea Falafel” ($17) seemed to tick all the boxes! I also had an Orange Juice ($6.50) as I didn’t want to seem too adventurous for a Tuesday morning.

"Bircher Berry Trifle"

The presentation of the trifle was by far the most impressive out of all the dishes as a glass cup of bircher oats, almonds, coconut and sunflower seeds layered lavishly amongst vanilla yoghurt, summer berries and rhubarb compote. And the taste was equally lavishing and filling!

"Seasonal Fruit Salad"

The fruit salad was served on a board with a shot of vanilla bean yoghurt and side of honeycomb. The presentation was simple and stylish, the fruit was fresh and delicious but the yoghurt was so light, creamy and full of flavour that you just. Wanted. More! (Next time we’ll order an extra five shots of yoghurt on the side.)

"Sweet Pea Falafel" and Orange Juice in a Jar

And then there was my “Sweet Pea Falafel” that was well worth the phone photography before it was devoured. Three sweet little falafels sat comfortably next to two poached eggs drizzled with house made mint yoghurt and an heirloom tomato and herb salad. It all looked so pretty and tasted, well, pretty awesome too! So what to eat first? The falafel or the egg? The two combined created a crunchy yet soft and tasty mix of flavours but it was the mint yoghurt that added that boost of refreshment.

Each juice was served in a cute mason jar with ice and a straw. Again, so refreshing and so cute! (I have never described a beverage as cute before so that’s a first!)

Overall, “The Grounds” is seriously one of my favourite places to go for breakfast, lunch or dessert. Don’t get me started on dessert – if I wasn’t so full from breakfast I would have gladly devoured one of the many slices of heaven!

Cakes, Pies, Tarts, Repeat! :D

There are literally rows upon rows of desserts to chose from that I wouldn’t be surprised if you came here solely for the lemon meringue pie, berry ricotta cheesecake or super-stacked strawberry tart glossing with sugar glaze! (Yum. Seriously. I will be back really soon.)

For an adventure that makes you feel like you are far from Alexandria, or Sydney for that matter, go to “The Grounds”! It will take you on an experience that is tasteful to all the senses and keep you coming back to eat, drink and take photos of the scenery as well as the sensational food. It’s no surprise that valet parking will soon be available at this super-popular, super-cool, super-sheike little barnyard town! (I’m pretty sure it will have it’s own postcode next!)

P.S. Say hi to Kevin for me!

Xxx TJ