The Grounds of Alexandria

It's taken me a while to get to the Grounds of Alexandria. I'd heard about the animals and the pretty surroundings as well as the food, but I'd also heard about hour-long queues for a weekend lunch which kind of put me off. We decided to wait until the hype died down to pay them a visit.

The (very pretty) Grounds of Alexandria

Well, it turns out that the hype never really did die down, and on the Friday lunch we visited it was as busy as ever. There was still a waiting list for a table, but luckily there are plenty of things around the Grounds to keep us occupied while we wait.

Kevin Bacon! And Bradley the sheep!

We visit Kevin Bacon the pig and Bradley the sheep in their pen at the back, which they share with some chickens. It's a hot day when we visit so Kevin Bacon cools down by chilling out in the water bowl.

Kevin Bacon's house

Kevin Bacon cooling down on a hot day

There's also plenty of outdoor food carts with breads, sweet and savoury pastries, juices and coffee for those who want to grab a bite on the go. On a separate visit we even saw a cart selling jam or nutella filled doughnuts which were freshly fried and tasted amazing!

Bread and pastry cart

It's tempting to buy some of the beautiful pastries on offer but we decide to save our stomachs for the food inside the cafe.

Crushed apple cider - $5; Iced coffee - $6

After about 20 minutes, we're called to our table and we start off with some drinks - a refreshing non-alcoholic apple cider for me and an iced coffee for Sir D.

The "Ground" burger - $19

We see the "Ground" burger being brought around to lots of tables and it's easy to see why it's a popular choice. The burger has ground beef brisket, cheese, lettuce, dill cornichon mayo within a toasted brioche bun, and though it looks a little flat in the picture it is quite filling and flavoursome. Some Beer battered fries are served on the side and while they're not the crunchiest of fries, they still taste pretty good.

Handmade saffron linguine - $19

The handmade saffron linguine is distinctly yellow in colour and the pasta strands have a rustic appearance to them. The pasta is cooked al dente and served with heirloom cherry tomatoes, Queensland prawns and chilli. Some lemon and fresh herbs from garden add a touch of freshness to the dish, and though it is a little oily, the tomato flavour and the sweetness of the prawns shines through and is a nice complement to the pasta.

Pastries on the counter

We're pretty stuffed at this point and unfortunately don't have any room for the pastries sitting on the counter - but I'm sure there'll be a next time at the Grounds when we can get those pastries (and probably some more doughnuts!)

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A, 2 Huntley St
Alexandria NSW 2015
Ph: +61 2 9699 2225
Open Monday to Friday, 7am-4pm
Open Saturday and Sunday, 7.30am-4pm