A weekend getaway with the girls led us to the beautiful Grounds of Alexandria on a Sunday morning (post big night out). It’s a bit of a mission to get to if you’re not from the area, however we bit the bullet and made out way to South Sydney for a beautiful morning in the gardens.
This is one of the more popular destinations in Sydney, as hundreds flock to the area every weekend to indulge in beautiful gardens, homemade goodies and very tasty coffee.
ATMOSPHERE
The Grounds of Alexandria is located in Alexandria, south of Sydney. Once an old pie factory, the space has been transformed into a beautiful outdoor space showcasing a very rustic, country feel. Keeping with the industrial warehouse feel, each space within the grounds are well thought out and put together. Everything from veggie patches, to live farm animals to lemonade stands all fill the space.
There are a few different restaurants within the grounds as well as some take away pubby type foods and home baked goodies. As soon as we arrived, we put our names down on the list to have breakfast at The Cafe Roastery, which we were told would be an hour and a half wait. We weren’t in any rush and really wanted to check out the space so happily put our names down and started wandering around.
We started our stroll through the beautiful covered shed area with long communal tables and mismatched chairs. The space was already full with people enjoying the morning sun. We grabbed a quick take away coffee while we waited and continued on through the grounds.
We had found the most beautiful florist with such an amazing variety of flowers available. Behind the bright coloured flowers there was a beautiful private dining space that would be perfect for a wedding or engagement celebration.
Continuing on, everywhere we looked was full of lush greenery, flowers and beautiful rustic decor. Everything you would expect from a farmers market was available here. Fresh fruit, lemonade stands and roasted nuts were all available to either enjoy now or bring home for later.
Our buzzer had finally gone off with only waiting for 45 minutes (bonus!). We quickly made our way over to the cafe and were quickly seated.
FOOD
Once seated, we had a quick look through the menu before having our coffee orders taken. The cafe has their own roasting facility onside which produces some seriously good coffee. If you’re not a coffee lover, maybe one of their freshly squeezed juices would be of interest. Presentation of their coffee was beautiful! I opted for a Chai Latte, which was brought out with a cinnamon stick and star anise for that extra bit of flavouring.
By the time we sat down, it was almost lunch, so we had missed the breakfast menu, which we were initially a bit disappointed with, however after looking at their brunch menu, the offerings were quite similar.
I ordered the ‘Signature Avocado’ which had heirloom tomato, feta, zaartar, garden mint and micro herbs all on The Grounds Signature bread. AMAZING! Presentation was beautiful and the flavours were sensational and very fresh. Their homemade bread was amazing with a crunchy crust and a slight crunch to the centre, perfect for an avocado dish.
My girlfriend had ordered the ‘Breakfast Burger’ with bacon, fried egg, avocado, lettuce, cheese, tomato relish & smoky mayo on a brioche bun with a side of polenta chips. This is one of the Grounds signature dishes, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.
Overall the food was fantastic. Keep in mind you will pay slightly more for what you get, however this is your posh style cafe that can charge a premium for their dishes.
For those who are heading to Sydney for a weekend, or live in the area, The Grounds of Alexandria are such a relaxing and wonderful way to finish the weekend. Sit back with a freshly squeezed lemonade, a coffee roasted onsite, or amazing baked goods all in the lush greenery.
