Le Beau Cafe - Full Menu

This cafe, now called Common Grounds, deserves its good reviews. It has friendly staff, a great location and an imaginative menu. There are very good gluten-fre... read more This cafe, now called Common Grounds, deserves its good reviews. It has friendly staff, a great location and an imaginative menu. There are very good gluten-free choices on the lunch menu and my choice of corn bread/asparagus and tomato was delicious. Coffee was hot and service was efficient. If you sit on the covered back deck, there is a lovely rural view, including the river, but in cooler weather bring a jacket. I look forward to my next visit.

I visited over Easter weekend, so take that for what's worth -- maybe the staff were rushed and a bit frayed. However, I can only speak for my experience consid... read more I visited over Easter weekend, so take that for what's worth -- maybe the staff were rushed and a bit frayed. However, I can only speak for my experience considering I'd driven over an hour and a half to spend a beautiful afternoon in Morpeth.With that said, the food was quite beautiful too look at and the setting a nice nod to a Parisian cafe. Shame about the flies! The staff were friendly, bordering on overly jovial and carefree. One young waitress dropped a load of dishes and silverware while clearing a table; she joked "i could feel it going". Another gentleman failed to provide my partner with cutlery for her open-faced sandwich. My partner, not making a fuss, ate it as you might eat Vegemite on toast. Upon realizing his mistake, the waiter remarked, "that's amazing; I've never seen anyone finish it like that"I had the lemon curd cheesecake. I found it far too dense and stodgy. I think a cheesecake should retain a creaminess with a fork easily passing through it.Arguably, the biggest issue is the prices. Even removing the 15% Holiday surcharge, chips for $8, fruit salad for $14, salmon bagel at $20, and banana bread w/ ricotta and almond flakes for $8 is a bit rich. For comparison, the banana bread at my goto cafe in Australia Square Sydney CBD (not cheap rent) is $2 a slice.