Friday 13 September 2013

The Grounds of Alexandria

Hi all!


It’s Saturday afternoon and what better to do than write a review :)

I finished uni early the other day and decided to go on a mini food adventure and see what all the hype was about at *drum roll* …The Grounds of Alexandria. I feel as though, with all the hype surrounding this place that it should be in  bold, underlined and size 16 font. We arrived at the place and immediately you feel like you’ve entered a mini escape and a friendly face and whisks you away to the table. I was a little disappointed at how the menus were presented.. just normal A4 paper folded in half, and they weren’t even binded in any form.



Looking through the menu I instantly gravitated towards the Lamb Ragu Pappardelle with Peas ($17), although the Comfit Duck and Pear salad ($17) did look very tempting. My partner went for the Grounds burger ($19). As we were waiting for our food, we just took in the rustic/industrial/modern feel of the place and simply how nice it was to finally try it out. Surprisingly, the food didn’t take long at all to come out.
  

 

I’m not too sure how I felt about the presentation. It kinda looked as though it was just flipped onto a plate with a heap of Parmesan thrown on top. Oh well, that and the Zonuts I had earlier (blog to come soon) wasn't going to stop me from digging in! A twirl of the fork and a blink later, I was analyzing the flavours in my mouth. Perfectly cooked pasta, check. Flavour, check. Soft, tender lamb, check. Although.. for something with the word "peas" in the name I was expecting more peas, and something a little lighter and refreshing in flavour. I was also a little disappointed at how tiny the carrots were cut up - you could barely taste them! I know that might sound really picky, but I imagined this place as a place which showcases fresh produce. 


I also had a bite of the burger, and immediately the smell reminded me of maccas burgers, and one bite confirmed it. We were both really disappointed with the burger. It tasted like something you'd get from a fast food joint but with fancier bread. He didn't even finish it, and he always finishes his burgers. The chips and aioli were really good though! Nice and crispy without tasting greasy. Mmm.. i could go for some more right now!

Overall, really nice atmosphere, which is reflected in the over hyped and overpriced food.. Still a cool place, and will come back another time but for brunch and during the markets they hold during the weekends. ..but yea, i don't think that'll be for a while. A dose for my curiosity should keep me satisfied for quite some time.

The Big 5:
Food - 7
Value - 6.5
Service - 6
Atmosphere - 7.5
Overall - 7.5

Until next time, adios amigos!

1 comment:

  1. It's good to see an honest review of popular places. Thx for the review!

    ReplyDelete