The Grounds of the City

We booked the High Tea for Boxing Day and it was the perfect break from the frenzy of the sales! The atmosphere was so relaxing as we watched the chaos outside and the break gave us renewed energy to dive back into the madness of the Galeries. Our group of 6 really enjoyed our High Tea. The range of included drinks was fantastic - not just tea & coffee. My choice was the Deconstructed Mocha which was a winner! Such generous servings meant that none of us were able to finish everything. The general favourite sweet treat was the Cherry Chocolate Tart but the savouries were all great too! Service was helpful and attentive even though they were very busy and all up it was good value. Recommend! 👌🏻

Fantastic, sophisticated and delightful. Excellent service, even when it's really busy. Gets very crowded, always a good sign. Lovely ambience and setting, with great music in the background. My pork chop was nice - strange, asked me how I wanted the pork cooked. I would've thought anything less than well done would be a high risk of parasites and food poisoning, but I might be wrong. Burger was beautiful. Very cute and popular cafe with a delightful setting.

Had the best experience as a first timer at the Grounds of the City. It was a busy Saturday morning and the place was bustling. It was busy but exciting, I could not wait to try out the deconstructed iced coffee and 'something' from the breakfast menu. I decided on the Lobster benedict and my mum had the eggs florentine. We both enjoyed our meals and promised each other we would go back to try something from the lunch menu. I also ordered a bloody mary, which was amazing, i was asked to choose the spice level which is from 1 to 5 and i chose 3. It was a lovely kick of heat. And i also could choose whether it was made traditionally with vodka, or with tequila etc, it was fantastic. I appreciate the service we received from the hard working staff. They were on the ball! I look forward to returning again next year !!!

A very enjoyable experience overall. The food was delicious and well prepared, and the service was friendly and efficient throughout. The tables were quite small, but the staff made it work and were accommodating, which we appreciated. Being seated outside, it was a little noisy at times, but it didn’t take away from the great atmosphere. A solid spot with good food and service that we’d happily return to.

Food looks prettier than it tastes! The Mediterranean bowl and Avocado toast lacked flavor. The pancakes were good though and so was the kids deconstructed hot chocolate. Maybe try the To-go counter outside to get the taste of The Ground since you’ll be paying higher prices for sit down!

My family wanted to sit at a cafe and have nice drinks at 4:30pm in the arvo, and this was a really great place to choose. They were only serving drinks and desserts, so we ordered a few lattes, an iced chocolate and banana souffle. The iced chocolate was not too sweet and it was super pleasant to drink. And the banana souffle was soooo delicious, the banana taste is subtle yet so flavourful, and the souffle was super fluffy and delicious to eat. The vibes of the space were also super comfy and warm, I almost forgot we were in Sydney (felt so much like Europe). The staff were also so kind, they really helped when we asked for recs.

I’ve been to The Grounds Café in Sydney CBD a few times now, hoping each visit might just have been an off day — but unfortunately, the experience has been consistently underwhelming. We came in early for a Saturday breakfast and were stopped at the door even though our friends were already inside, as the staff “needed to check our booking.” Strangely, a few walk-ins without reservations were allowed in ahead of us. We ordered the pancakes and French toast, and the wait time was noticeably long. While the French toast was decent, the pancakes tasted far from fresh — more like the ready-made supermarket ones, lacking the fluffy texture you’d expect from a café of this reputation. What made things worse was the sense that we were being rushed out. Staff came by several times to “check” if we needed anything else, but it was clear they were trying to turn over the table quickly since another group was waiting. The ambience didn’t help either — dark, noisy, and oddly dim for a breakfast setting. It feels more like being in a bar than a morning café. With plenty of other options nearby, especially around the QVB, you’ll likely find a more relaxed and enjoyable experience elsewhere.

Amazing experience here! The cakes were absolutely delicious, especially the strawberry cream cake and chocolate cake — both fresh, light, and perfectly balanced. Special thanks to Diana and Alex for their outstanding service. They were friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. Their recommendations were spot on and really enhanced our visit. Great atmosphere, great desserts, and excellent service. Will definitely come back again!