The Grounds of Sydney – A disappointing overhyped cafe
On a gloomy Anzac Day, we headed to the Grounds of Sydney, the sister cafe of infamous Grounds of Alexandria. We were meeting up with a couple that my partner games with who was visiting from New Zealand and needed a place central to both of our locations. I have heard a lot about the Grounds of Alexandria and decided out of the places that would be open on Anzac Day this place would be worth a try (and it would be easy to find).
I found the entry to the cafe rather odd and impersonal. People lined up to talk to a lady through the window. It was almost like going through a drive-through. She then asked us to pop inside, which took us a moment to find the door. There was a lot of decor on the outside of the building and it took my eyes a few moments to work out where exactly this door was located. Finally, we entered the noisy room. I was glad to learn that we would be seated in a booth, as we would at least have the chance to be able to hear each other clearly. The booth was very cute and suited the old style decor. The lamp added a neat touch to the table, plus some much-needed light.
The Food
I felt delighted upon discovering entire menu devoted to coffee and cake. There was a great selection of drinks and sweet treats. Located on a separate menu was meals. We all selected a bacon and egg roll. This description of the item was that it would come with a pretzel bun. From the description, I was expecting that the bun would at least somewhat look like a pretzel, maybe with some modification to contain the ingredients. At the very least it should have tasted slightly like a pretzel. Unfortunately, this aspect of the meal was quite a letdown. If the description was just that it was a bacon and egg roll I would have been ok with the food. I found the food to be pricey and over-rated.
For coffee, I went with the deconstructed mocha. This was the first time I have ordered anything “deconstructed” and honestly, I think it will be my last. The deconstructed drink was a novelty and I now know that I prefer having my drink fully made. I also found the milk to be quite lukewarm, which given that it was a cold day I was looking forward to a warm drink. However, the cold brew and affogato were a hit with the rest of the table.
The decor of the cafe was very cute and I loved the old style feel. However, the cramped feeling and noisy environment detracted from the atmosphere. The food was ok but very much overhyped and overpriced. I know of many other cafes that be far nicer to visit. Additionally, the entry into The Grounds of Sydney needs improvement so that guests feel welcome and not like they are being churned through a drive-through. Overall I doubt I would return.
PS: Apologies for the poor images, the lighting was quite dull.
Overall score 1.5/5