Despite friends reporting the extra long waiting time even with a reservation, The Grounds of Alexandria – thegrounds.com.au has been on my ‘must try’ wish list for some time. Their social media and website show a site full of great food, gorgeous plants and even its own menagerie of animal friends. A line would never deter me, especially after spending a month in the USA where a good food venue is marked by a line.
When Miss N experienced a rather difficult session in the dentist chair I decided to treat her to a late lunch and headed to The Grounds of Alexandria. The promise of meeting Kevin Bacon and possibly a few goats put a smile on my girl’s face and a distraction from her teeth. Off we set.
Before you go yourself be prepared for the lack of parking around the site. We spent around 20 minutes circling until we were able to grab a spot around 600 metres up the road. I wonder if it is any different on the weekend when many of the warehouses close.
Of course, as soon as we arrived the bathroom was requested. If this is likely to happen on your arrival you will be pleased to hear that it is easily accessed before you decide which of the food spaces to take your meal. It is dark but it is roomy and easily accessed with a child.
With that taken care of it was time to work out where to eat. I must admit that I found this rather confusing. From my research earlier I knew that there were a number of places to eat: The Cafe, The Potting Shed and The Garden. They are all spread out and I could see no menus at each entrance. When I spotted Fluffy I decided The Potting Shed was the place to start.
The Potting Shed is a spectacular place with hanging plants, pots and a plethora of greenery. Would you believe that we walked right in! We were shown to a lovely space that overlooked the entire space and provided a great view of Fluffy the resident macaw.
The service was fantastic. I was a little worried about Miss N eating as she had spacers between some of her teeth. The waiter sat down and worked through the menu with us, explaining each dish we proposed until we made our choices. He even persuaded us away from the side dishes explaining that we would be way too full for our dessert if we order the extra dishes (he was right!). A few menu accommodations were also made for Miss N.
A Theo’s Pulled Pork Burger for me and a chicken dish with fries for Miss N was ordered. For drinks we chose a raspberry lemonade for Miss N and an Elderflower and Cucumber Soda for me. My mouth was watering just thinking about it!
While we waited we had plenty of time to enjoy our surrounds and watch Fluffy get up to mischief. The meals arrived after a short wait. My burger was succulent, juicy and so amazingly delicious. Maybe I was just hungry but I truly think it was the BEST pulled pork burger of my life! Oh my oh my. Miss N, typically very picky when it comes to her food choices, ate her entire dish too!
For dessert we shared a Strawberry Pot Plant – strawberry curd, pistachio crumble, fresh blueberries & micro basil. You can not imagine our delight when this arrived. I’ve eaten dessert at many places but I think this tops my experience from the cafes I’ve visited. Big call, I know, but it was divine. The presentation was gorgeous and each mouthful, heaven.
I had promised Miss N that when we finished she could go and say hello to Fluffy. What a funny bird. At times he rolled on to his back so we could tickle his tummy. Our waiter came across and brought him closer to Miss N so she could pat him and say hello. She was instantly under the bird’s spell.
Goodbyes were said and we were off to say hello to Kevin Bacon. He was oblivious to the attention we were trying to give him so our attention was turned to the goats. Goats always want attention. Mostly, they just want food. We stayed with the animals for a little while longer before heading for home.
The Grounds of Alexandria is an experience I think you should try if you are in Sydney anytime soon. It’s family friendly, has lots of options for food and the grounds are spectacular and unique. It was busy on a weekday, I’m unsure how busy on the weekend. Click here for reservations.
THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA BUILDING 7A, 2 HUNTLEY STREET, ALEXANDRIA NSW 2015
Thanks for your great overview! We will be traveling to Sydney in a couple of months and your blog has definitely influenced some of our activity choices!
Sydney is such a great place to visit with a family. There is so much to see and do – the only problem is fitting it all in!