[Travelogue] Sydney : Day 2 (1/2) - The Grounds of Alexandria and Gelato Messina | sillyandordinarygirl
By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - July 24, 2021
11th June 2018
It was Queen's Birthday that Monday. And since public holidays are very valuable for part-time workers, especially Indonesian students in Australia, (more about this later!) I understood that I probably would have to roam around the city all by myself. However, all of a sudden, I thought of my ex-student who is currently living and studying in Sydney, and so, I tried my luck contacting him, and guess what, he said yes right away :D
It actually surprised me that he had time that day because, part-timers are usually paid more if they work on public holidays, and I knew that my ex-student was also working while studying then. Later on, he told me that he simply didn't get the shift for that day, and if he were offered, he would definitely take the chance. So I guess, it's my luck! :))
We agreed to meet at Green Square's subway station and have lunch together afterwards. I showed him my Sydney go-to list, and we decided to walk to the closest one in the list: The Grounds of Alexandria, which was only 13 min away from the subway station.
It was quite crowded when we arrived, and it took me by surprise to find out that restaurants charge more on public holidays, like 10-20% more. (it was 15% surcharge in The Grounds of Alexandria), which was also confirmed by my ex-student. He said it is very common in Australia, and this is also probably why part-timers are paid more for working on the 'holiday' shift.
This is something I've never found happen in Indonesia, or maybe it does? but I just never come across it? Hmm, or maybe I didn't eat out often enough?
Well, the Grounds of Alexandria is well known as one of Australia's top instagrammed locations and to be honest, that was what initially attracted me to this place. XD I guess I simply needed to find out what the hype was all about :DD
But we got there, there were so many people, and it was almost impossible to explore and look around while also trying our best to find some seats. We were both first-timers and we didn't know back then that there are several parts in the Grounds and three main spaces: The Garden (a restaurant serving BBQ meals and bar), The Potting Shed (a rustic garden themed restaurant), and the Cafe (bakery, patisserie, and cafe).
The Grounds Farm where we got to meet many resident animals with cool names like Kevin Bacon, Harry Trotter (the pig), Selena Goatmez and Lady Baba (the goats) and many others.
The Garden
The Garden Bar
The Potting Shed
So at first, we thought that the whole place was the Grounds, and we simply sat at wherever available. We were a bit surprised when we saw the name "The Potting Shed" on the menu, and we thought for a moment that we had gotten into the wrong restaurant. But, there were no other tables available and there's even a long queue. We just couldn't risk losing our seats XD
Fortunately though, we could order food from the Garden Bar and bring it here.
Nona's Calzone from the Garden Bar
Honestly, I can't remember what this menu was called. I tried looking it up in the 2018's menu but I still couldn't recall the name, so I hope the picture will do. (They have different menu now.)
Kangaroo Bolognese Empanadas
with Parmesan, piquillos and herbed aioli
Now this is the menu that I won't forget. It's a menu that most likely can only be found in Australia, and you know what, they actually tasted good, which made an even bigger impression in my memory. XD
We didn't get to explore the cafe or the arbour as when we finished our lunch, we even have to elbow our way out with more crowd pouring in. But I personally think, the Grounds of Alexandria is a very beautiful place. I can see why it is popular; it is just so easy to fall in love with the place and considering that it was transformed from a former car park and factories, I must say that whoever behind it has done a very good job. It will be perfect to host events, like weddings, birthdays, family reunions maybe. If I have the chance, I would love to visit the place again, but hopefully next time, with less crowd so I will be able to explore even more and maybe fall in love deeper with the place. *fingerscrossed
In a nutshell, I think it's safe to say that the Grounds of Alexandria is like a complete bundle pack as a space for hanging out. There is no one word that we can use to label it as it is just everything you'll look for. As written in the "About Us" page in their website: "Located in a former industrial precinct from the 1920s, The Grounds of Alexandria is a landmark cafe, restaurant & bar, garden, bakery & patisserie, coffee roastery, animal farm, florist, markets and more."
The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A, 2 Huntley Street
Alexandria, NSW Australia 2015
And oh, if you are interested, maybe you'll want to find out about the Grounds of the City too, which is modeled after Paris bistros and located in the Sydney's CBD!
Building 7A, 2 Huntley Street
Alexandria, NSW Australia 2015
And oh, if you are interested, maybe you'll want to find out about the Grounds of the City too, which is modeled after Paris bistros and located in the Sydney's CBD!
After we filled our tummy with a good lunch, it's time for dessert! Crossing out another one in my Sydney list, we walked for a lil while from the Grounds and stopped by this outlet of Gelato Messina in Rosebery, which is also their headquarter. Gelato Messina is one of the leading names in Australia's gelato scene. To this date, they have 22 stores across Australia selling not only mouth-watering gelatos but also gelato cakes. From what I read, they have their own dairy farm and they even make their own chocolate and other toppings from scratch to ensure the quality of their gelatos. How cool is that? And what's more, let me quote from their website: "In each of our stores, you’ll find a 40 flavour cabinet, with 35 traditional flavours and 5 rotating weekly specials." Isn't it a perfect definition of heaven for an ice-cream avid lover? (Well, YES, for me! :d)
If you're interested and would like to know more about the cool story behind Gelato Messina, click here. And I really love the way they describe themselves :
"At Gelato Messina our job is to make people happy. Yes we make amazing gelato with the very best, real ingredients. And yes our gelato cakes are weird and wonderful, but it's all in the name of putting a smile on someone's face." ❤❤❤
I don't remember which flavours that I ended up choosing, but I loved them and I did come back to other Gelato Messina's outlets throughout the rest of my days in Sydney. :DD
to be continued...
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