The Ground of Alexandria is one of the highly anticipated cafes-to-go during this Sydney trip. Big thank you to Destination NSW for the cab charge vouchers, we hop onto the cab and reached the cafe at 8.30am, before the crowd arrives. Located in a former industrial precinct from the 1920s, The Grounds of Alexandria is a landmark coffee roaster, café, bar, eatery and kitchen garden known for its abundance of fresh produce and hands-on experiences. The cafe hosts a coffee research and testing facility, artisan bakery, luscious open garden of heirloom vegetables, fragrant herbs, fresh fruit, flowers and a small animal farm.

Before we went around to take photos, we grab a quick breakfast at the cafe. The Grounds provides a wholesome and produce-driven menu that’s fresh, fun, innovative, complimented by the overall vision of The Grounds of Alexandria. The menu is rustic, wholesome and focused on a paddock-to-plate philosophy. The abundant garden is overflowing with fresh produce used daily in the seasonally driven menu with finest coffee and ever changing menu of breads.

Coffee was first served to our table. They roast fresh coffee beans in the Research Facility and has two espresso stations – one for in-house and one for take-aways. A cappuccino and flat white please! Besides roasting their own coffee, the exciting thing about the cafe is that they bake all their own bread in-house and make all their own pastries as well. So much dedication for cooking and growing.

The menu contains elements common to most Sydney cafés, but well executed. The Signature Avocado ($16) is served with thick avocado, heirloom tomato, feta, za-atar, garden mint and micro herbs with The Grounds signature bread. I don’t really love eating avocado in Singapore but this one is so rich and creamy!

I had the visually stunning Grounds Baked Eggs ($18). Served on a wooden board, the dish features two free range eggs baked in a skillet with a rich tomato sauce, buffalo mazzarella, white beans, dried cherry tomatoes and basil. The vibrant red cherry tomatoes provide a nice contrast to the baked eggs. Alternately, you could go for their hearty Chef’s Breakkie Pan ($19), featuring two free range soft-poached eggs, kassler bacon, roast roma tomatoes, button mushrooms, chicken chipolatas, hollandaise sauce and baby italian loaf.

Isn’t this place so beautiful for a wedding photoshoot?

The downside of coming here after 9am, it will get crowded and you probably have to queue. Thank goodness there’s a large outdoor terrace for alfresco eating. It’s roomy and felt like being in a huge farmhouse. How perfect it would be if I can hold my garden wedding here. If you can’t stand the wait, go for The Potting Shed which offers homely and produce-driven food.

Alexandria has always been an industrial suburb but it has definitely gone through some transformation, thanks to The Grounds. Don’t forget to say hello to Kevin the pig or his friend Bradley the sheep, while you drink a cup of icy cold lemonade after brunch or pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers. The service is friendly and efficient, will definitely come back again!

The Grounds

Address: 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia
Phone:+61 2 9699 2225
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 7am – 4pm; Sat & Sun 7.30am – 4pm