One of Sydney’s most iconic eateries, The Grounds of Alexandria is a foodie’s wonderland. Since its opening in 2012, The Grounds went from one of Sydney’s best kept secrets, to a must must visit destination. I have gone out of my way to go every time I’m in Sydney since I first heard about it in 2014. While maintaining its original charm, detail and level of care, The Grounds has grown exponentially in size, visitors and sites. I visited recently and I knew it was time to share my experience with you.
In Sydney’s industrial suburb of Alexandria, entrepreneur Ramzey Choker, turned a heritage listed warehouse, into a unique venue known as The Grounds. More than just a place to eat, The Grounds almost resembles a miniature village – with a florist, gift shop, market, petting zoo, garden, bakery, patisserie, coffee roaster, café, bar, playground and more.
The Grounds of Alexandria is indisputably the most beautifully styled venue I have ever visited. The rustic, farm-style venue looks like it has have been designed using a magical vintage wand. It is like taking a trip into a fairy tale world – everything you see, feel and taste is fun and interesting.
I haven’t even started telling you about the food yet…
You are spoilt for choice with dining options at The Grounds. For sit down table service, you can have lunch or dinner at The Potting Shed, and breakfast and lunch are served at The Café.
More casual dining is offered at the BBQ, where you can get takeaway burgers and sit down in the beautiful garden courtyard.
Wood-fired pizzas can be purchased from the Soda Barn, where you’ll also find craft sodas, beer, wine, and juices. The pop-up food carts are enough to make any foodie fall in love. You’ll find heaps of stands serving lemonade, doughnuts, pastries, nuts and popsicles. All breads and pastries are baked on site, and the world class coffee is roasted in view of diners at The Café.
Our dining experience at The Grounds involved two visits – on the trips to and from Sydney. I told you I can’t get enough of it!
On our first visit, we went to the BBQ and ordered a burger and chips. They were delicious and so quick – not to mention the abundance of sauces at our disposal!
I couldn’t resist the lemonade stand so I tried the interesting rose flavour. It was pretty in pink and tasted incredible! It was the ideal balance of sweet and sour, with a fragrant touch of rose.
We then treated ourselves to some of the beautiful sweets we had been eyeing off at the pastry stand. The decision was difficult, but we ended up with a salted caramel cronut, chocolate brownie and a strawberry tart – all classic treats but with an Alexandria twist!
When we left Sydney a couple of days later we just had to go back to The Cafe to try the breakfast, and boy we were glad we did. The modern and wholesome take on a country-style menu had many delicious options.
I have a major sweet tooth so I couldn’t resist the toasted Belgium waffles with blackberry & apple compote and cinnamon mascarpone. My partner went with his usual choice of a big brekky – The Grounds style.
We couldn’t believe the generosity in the servings! Half an avocado was served with the big brekky as well as stacks of chorizo, ham, pumpkin, and tomato. My waffles were the perfect size and the flavours were to die for. The combination of the crispy texture with the sweetness of the compote, and the creaminess of the mascarpone was perfection.
Surprisingly, you are not paying a premium for the whole grounds experience. You can visit for free, and if you do buy meals, drinks or sweets, you are paying a good price relative to other cafes.
But eating out at The Grounds, is so much more than just dining, it’s a whole experience. You may be visiting for a meal, but every day at The Grounds feels like a special occasion. You can see and feel how much the team have gone out of their way to make it a wonderful experience for customers.
The staff are charismatic, friendly and knowledgeable. The food is fast – no matter how busy they are – and the whole place is well coordinated.
Everything at The Grounds is done with perfect precision, care and beauty.
This special Sydney gem deserves all of the praise it gets. The uniqueness of The Grounds makes dining out a whole celebration and that’s why it’s one of my favourite places to eat!
Visit The Ground of Alexandria website for more information.
Bronte Mann
Bronte is Eat Canberra's self-professed 'hungry pescetarian'. She is always looking for Canberras next best vego dish, or finding some other excuse to go out for a meal. Aside from her food obsessed life, Bronte is a marketing graduate with a love for travel and adventure.