Comments on: Common Ground Cafe, Katoomba – A Most Unusual Cafe! http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/ The slightly eccentric eating, cooking and travel adventures of a Sydney girl who loves cakes, cooking, Nigella Lawson and eating. She eats, breathes and dreams food and indeed will never get cable TV as she'd quit working and watch the Food Channel all day long. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:19:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Dids http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-225614 Dids Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:37:44 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-225614 I live in the upper mountains and have never eaten at Common Ground. As a vegan, it could be very tempting to be drawn in by the menu and the quirky atmosphere. But my personal ethics prevent me from supporting a cafe with such a questionable religious organisation behind it. The glowing reviews posted are from people who have had a great meal, thought the people are friendly or loved the interior. Unfortunately, there are quite a few accounts from people who have lived within the group that paint a very darker picture of a cult that restricts it's members and separates them from their families. Now, I don't know if it is all true or not but a cute interior is not enough for me to want to put my ethics aside and support this business while there are questions still hanging over the head of the Twelve Tribes religious sect behind it. There are plenty of other great places to eat in Katoomba that pay their workers. I live in the upper mountains and have never eaten at Common Ground. As a vegan, it could be very tempting to be drawn in by the menu and the quirky atmosphere. But my personal ethics prevent me from supporting a cafe with such a questionable religious organisation behind it. The glowing reviews posted are from people who have had a great meal, thought the people are friendly or loved the interior. Unfortunately, there are quite a few accounts from people who have lived within the group that paint a very darker picture of a cult that restricts it’s members and separates them from their families. Now, I don’t know if it is all true or not but a cute interior is not enough for me to want to put my ethics aside and support this business while there are questions still hanging over the head of the Twelve Tribes religious sect behind it. There are plenty of other great places to eat in Katoomba that pay their workers.

]]> By: DA http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-213119 DA Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:17:08 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-213119 I have eaten here and trust me, the food is sensational, the prices are cheap and the ambience and decor one of the best that I have experienced worldwide. I love this place! And go there whenever I visit the area... sometimes they're so full that you have to wait, but the wait is worth it. Their religion? Well, no one tries to sell it to you when you're there, so it's all good. Just eat and enjoy the best of the best in the Blue Mtns! I have eaten here and trust me, the food is sensational, the prices are cheap and the ambience and decor one of the best that I have experienced worldwide. I love this place! And go there whenever I visit the area… sometimes they’re so full that you have to wait, but the wait is worth it. Their religion? Well, no one tries to sell it to you when you’re there, so it’s all good. Just eat and enjoy the best of the best in the Blue Mtns!

]]> By: Asrathiel http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-179018 Asrathiel Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:35:36 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-179018 Love this place ^_^ We live just near it, it's delicious and cheap, and so cool to be in :D Love this place ^_^ We live just near it, it’s delicious and cheap, and so cool to be in :D

]]> By: barefoot botanist http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-92479 barefoot botanist Sun, 21 Nov 2010 08:14:57 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-92479 went to their cafe at the Woodford Folk Festival last year. Their food is beautiful. Had the most delicious and healthy energy drink. It was green, with yerba mate in it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE does anyone know the reipe for this drink? It is so yummy, with an amazing energy. Thanks. went to their cafe at the Woodford Folk Festival last year. Their food is beautiful. Had the most delicious and healthy energy drink. It was green, with yerba mate in it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE does anyone know the reipe for this drink? It is so yummy, with an amazing energy. Thanks.

]]> By: claudia http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-83742 claudia Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:43:24 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-83742 Hi Yall, Firstly- thanks Ms NQN for holding true to the foodie review and not buying into the religious crap that dogs the fab folk at CGC. I write to divulge some more facts about the cgc as I eat some of their gluten free rice bread for breakfast- They do takeaway! if you can't get a table They do gluten free! and you can call your order in advance if you can't eat in. And they are planning on opening a wood fired pizzeria next door(date to be confirmed) I live around the corner from the CGC (or Toony town as many locals call it.) and I can tell you all that the CGC is probably one of the best places to eat in the upper mountains. . My family is on first name basis' with all the folk at Common Ground and NEVER have they preached to me in the 4+ years they have been up here (they hand renovated the premisies and cafe themselves- they are an extremely hard working crew). They put taste and ethics before profit- which I can attest to up here! is a very rare thing. As proprietors they are exceptional A: they are clean B: the food is great,ethical heathly, their chicken and eggs are free range!- not that you can tell from the price and C: they are nice to boot. With every religion and click represented up here- they are actually the least judgemental and most welcoming on the street. And for those out there that are still gonna hold the religious thing against them... I say this. Your loss and our gain- more CGC food for us... Hi Yall,

Firstly- thanks Ms NQN for holding true to the foodie review and not buying into the religious crap that dogs the fab folk at CGC.

I write to divulge some more facts about the cgc as I eat some of their gluten free rice bread for breakfast-

They do takeaway! if you can’t get a table
They do gluten free!
and you can call your order in advance if you can’t eat in.
And they are planning on opening a wood fired pizzeria next door(date to be confirmed)

I live around the corner from the CGC (or Toony town as many locals call it.) and I can tell you all that the CGC is probably one of the best places to eat in the upper mountains. .

My family is on first name basis’ with all the folk at Common Ground and NEVER have they preached to me in the 4+ years they have been up here (they hand renovated the premisies and cafe themselves- they are an extremely hard working crew). They put taste and ethics before profit- which I can attest to up here! is a very rare thing.

As proprietors they are exceptional
A: they are clean
B: the food is great,ethical heathly, their chicken and eggs are free range!- not that you can tell from the price
and C: they are nice to boot.

With every religion and click represented up here- they are actually the least judgemental and most welcoming on the street.

And for those out there that are still gonna hold the religious thing against them… I say this. Your loss and our gain- more CGC food for us…

]]> By: Bek http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-79830 Bek Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:39:04 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-79830 Just wanted to say that Common Ground is my absolute favourite cafe. I've always loved the atmosphere, the people are warm and generous, and the food is so good, as well as being very reasonably priced. I have also just been put onto a 'no wheat, no sugar, no caffeine, no yeast' diet by my naturopath, and still found plenty of things I could eat there, plus a loaf of buckwheat bread to take home with me! I write this while savouring the last morsel of my takeaway vegan ball, and yes, it's very, very good :) And finally, I think it's ridiculous to judge a business by the religion of the staff. You don't know what religion your local barista subscribes to, and you still drink his coffee. Just wanted to say that Common Ground is my absolute favourite cafe. I’ve always loved the atmosphere, the people are warm and generous, and the food is so good, as well as being very reasonably priced.
I have also just been put onto a ‘no wheat, no sugar, no caffeine, no yeast’ diet by my naturopath, and still found plenty of things I could eat there, plus a loaf of buckwheat bread to take home with me!
I write this while savouring the last morsel of my takeaway vegan ball, and yes, it’s very, very good :)

And finally, I think it’s ridiculous to judge a business by the religion of the staff. You don’t know what religion your local barista subscribes to, and you still drink his coffee.

]]> By: Michelle http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-68226 Michelle Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:22:48 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-68226 I have been to this cafe once before and loved it. I had the oppurtunity to go back to katoomba on saturday with friends and walked through town to get there to find it was closed!! Very disappointed! Should have checked first hey! But when i now think katomba, i think of this cafe! P.S - Although run by a religious sect, they are professional and did not at anytime attempt to place their beliefs upon me. I have been to this cafe once before and loved it. I had the oppurtunity to go back to katoomba on saturday with friends and walked through town to get there to find it was closed!! Very disappointed! Should have checked first hey! But when i now think katomba, i think of this cafe! P.S – Although run by a religious sect, they are professional and did not at anytime attempt to place their beliefs upon me.

]]> By: Petal http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-66558 Petal Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:25:15 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-66558 I have been 3 times as I love everything about the place and took a food cynic with me yesterday. We shared the Energy drink and it had great benefits after, letting us both have a clear thinking day(good after my flu bout). We also had the Salsa Chicken and lovd it. I am not bothered by the religion, just love the nurturung feel the staff convey and the quality of the service and food. I think it will get very popular and be hard to get in to soon. Its also closed on Saturday for religious reasons I believe I have been 3 times as I love everything about the place and took a food cynic with me yesterday. We shared the Energy drink and it had great benefits after, letting us both have a clear thinking day(good after my flu bout). We also had the Salsa Chicken and lovd it.
I am not bothered by the religion, just love the nurturung feel the staff convey and the quality of the service and food.
I think it will get very popular and be hard to get in to soon. Its also closed on Saturday for religious reasons I believe

]]> By: Ruby http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-63126 Ruby Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:52:55 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-63126 I wonder if they offered you water? They have a lovely water jug at the front but they only offer it to certain people. The food is deliscious but I couldn't help but think I may be drugged and put to work as a slave by these always smiling cult people I wonder if they offered you water? They have a lovely water jug at the front but they only offer it to certain people. The food is deliscious but I couldn’t help but think I may be drugged and put to work as a slave by these always smiling cult people

]]> By: Liv http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/12/29/common-ground-cafe-katoomba/#comment-59426 Liv Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:36:36 +0000 http://www.notquitenigella.com/?p=19230#comment-59426 Lorraine - thank you so much for reviewing Common Ground! I was up in the Blue Mountains this past week for a training & team building conference...we didn't think we'd have time to go anywhere in Katoomba, but we made it to Common Ground!! :) We shared desserts, and got a drink each. I had a strawberry shake - it was delicious! Real strawberries...no syrup in sight! Loved it!!! The others at my table had coffees or hot chocolates. We tried each others' desserts - the carrot cake was nice, not too dry, and the thick layer of cream cheese frosting (icing) was great! The blueberry & apple slice was quite dry - it crumbled and fell to bits when we divided it, but it wasn't too bad. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was that the blueberries were dried. One of the girls ordered a Guarana Energy Fudge Ball - I can't have guarana, so it was divided into 4. All who ate it agreed that it was a good idea that it was split, as it was a bit too rich to eat the whole thing! And the girl who ordered it said that it tasted a bit weird (maybe because of the guarana?). And then we got a couple of the Vegan Balls and divided them up. They weren't bad, but we couldn't really taste anything other than coconut (it would've been nice to taste a bit of the maple syrup and maybe more of the almond, which wasn't too noticable)! But, hey, I'm not complaining! It's got a great atmosphere, and the decor is cute! We sat upstairs at the little booths...we were a group of 9, so we had to sit at 2 separate tables..but we were fine with that! :) I'd love to go again and try a main meal. Lorraine – thank you so much for reviewing Common Ground!

I was up in the Blue Mountains this past week for a training & team building conference…we didn’t think we’d have time to go anywhere in Katoomba, but we made it to Common Ground!! :)

We shared desserts, and got a drink each. I had a strawberry shake – it was delicious! Real strawberries…no syrup in sight! Loved it!!! The others at my table had coffees or hot chocolates. We tried each others’ desserts – the carrot cake was nice, not too dry, and the thick layer of cream cheese frosting (icing) was great! The blueberry & apple slice was quite dry – it crumbled and fell to bits when we divided it, but it wasn’t too bad. The only thing I wasn’t too keen on was that the blueberries were dried. One of the girls ordered a Guarana Energy Fudge Ball – I can’t have guarana, so it was divided into 4. All who ate it agreed that it was a good idea that it was split, as it was a bit too rich to eat the whole thing! And the girl who ordered it said that it tasted a bit weird (maybe because of the guarana?). And then we got a couple of the Vegan Balls and divided them up. They weren’t bad, but we couldn’t really taste anything other than coconut (it would’ve been nice to taste a bit of the maple syrup and maybe more of the almond, which wasn’t too noticable)! But, hey, I’m not complaining!

It’s got a great atmosphere, and the decor is cute! We sat upstairs at the little booths…we were a group of 9, so we had to sit at 2 separate tables..but we were fine with that! :)

I’d love to go again and try a main meal.

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