THE GENERAL CAFE OF KANGAROO VALLEY

Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

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About

Brunch-goers needn't despair- The General cafe has a ever-changing menu of seasonal, local and organic eats and the best brew in town. Sit out on the back veranda, snuggle up inside and enjoy a chefs omelette with toasted hazelnuts or the chefs wife stoneground organic sourdough baked that very morning with some freshly made jam. Grab a kombucha to go: the cafes house-made blends are one of a kind and not to be missed. These two chefs have done the hard yards with owning their own 2 hatted and best regional fine dining restaurant for years, now they have re-emerged, dropped the hats and offer their new community a more casual food affair.

CUISINES

Cafe, Australian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

178 reviews

Excellent

119

Very good

37

Average

12

Poor

4

Terrible

6

Mary E

Sydney47 contributions

We loved our stop at the General

Oct 2020 • family

We loved our stop at the General Cafe. The light fluffy omelette with broccolini was superb - the chef confided the trick was the cream :) Warm service, great COVID safety, and local healthy food to warm the belly and delight the senses. Don’t miss this spot.

Written October 9, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Renae Leith-Manos

Sydney1763 contributions

A fabulous foray into local Australian produce

Sep 2020 • family

Tucked unexpectedly on a country road in a town with a population of just 800, this cafe is a delight. All day breakfast and lunch includes a menu packed with clean, healthy, delicious food. Korean style woke Friday eggs, black rice porridge with coconut milk, salted peanuts and lime leaf, omelette with broccoli I, olives and hazelnuts were our favourites. There is a cute, leafy outdoor section, seats out front and indoor seating and other wooden floors and natural light. Local delights can be purchased from the front section too. Just check the opening hours as they are limited.

Written September 27, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John d

London11 contributions

Breakfast Delights

Apr 2021 • none

Enjoyed a most enjoyable breakfast with my wife and daughter on a busy Saturday morning. It was so good we returned the next day. Eggs Fu Yung and the Tartine were the stand out dishes with the bacon and egg roll not far behind.. Great coffee and tea complimented our experience. Grabbed some Miso sourdough and scones for home on the way out. The bread was delicious and the scones almost, almost as good as mums! Service was attentive and engaging on both occasions. Looking forward to visiting again.

Written May 27, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicky M

3 contributions

Terrible Experience

Jan 2021 • none

light brown hair that manages, and might own the place, treated us terribly. She is an extreme micromanager which was projected onto their kind young wait staff and ultimately a burden to their customers. Firstly, the cafe was near empty when we arrived but the manager denied us seating in the place we initially requested (watching us like a hawk) and instead sat us somewhere else... but fine. We ordered drinks first and asked to be moved to outside seating when something opened up. A friendly waitress told us a table had freed up and we could move there with our drinks. We got up to move and the manager told us to wait, we stood with drinks in hand for a few minutes and then she started helping other new customers that arrived, completely ignoring us. After some waiting my partner went to sit on the table bench outside while we let them sanitize the table. Meanwhile the manager told me "Everything works better when you just listen to me!" I was shocked as she kept repeating "you didn't listen to me." I told her she could still sanitize the table and we'd happily wait but she said "there's a process and the seats need to be sanitized as well." Note, they never sanitized the seats at our first table. She then told me "we weren't gelling" and I needed to pay and leave! We had barely started on our drinks and planned to order food but she kept insisting we leave as we calmly tried to reason with her. Her attitude towards us was appalling, I've NEVER been treated so poorly and embarrassed like that at a cafe or restaurant. Do NOT support this behaviour.

Written January 2, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sunny6692

Melbourne107 contributions

12% Surcharge on Weekends

Jan 2020 • couples

Called in for lunch yesterday and the place was very busy. Lunch was freshly prepared albeit there is limited choice. I just don’t get charging 12% surcharge on weekends. This is a slap in the face to customers. Work out the cost of wages over the year and price your menu to suit. Surcharges are annoying.

Written January 25, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amandalaurawray

24 contributions

A cafe with no food. Travelling

Mar 2020 • none

A cafe with no food. Travelling from Batemans Bay to Sydney we took a detour via Kangaroo Valley purely to lunch at The General Cafe, on the basis of its write up in Good Food. Advertised as open from Wednesday to Sunday, we arrived on a Thursday to find there was no food in the place. We were told that despite the sign on the footpath advertising Cafe Open, the kitchen was closed for the day. They were only serving coffee. When asked why the kitchen was closed there was no explanation- just a sheepish grin. Needless to say we will never go back. One star is one too many as there was no food!

Written March 11, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicole S

Gosford177 contributions

Flies in pastry cabinet, rude to customers ordering takeaway and wierd, rude staff

Jan 2024 • couples

We arrived for breakfast and whilst looking over the menu the lovely pastries caught my eye. So did the five flies that were crawling over them. The glass doors of the display cabinet were open on either end. Surely the staff are aware of basic food hygiene practices. I pointed the flies out to my partner and we both agreed on a takeaway coffee only and to go elsewhere to eat. The older woman wearing glasses and greeting customers at the front was weird. I was going to point out the flies but she had such a strange energy that I limited my interaction with her. I don’t think she would have appreciated me commenting on the flies to be honest. Once we ordered our coffees we were told to wait outside. Fair enough, the space inside was small but the way this played out was not great. We waited for quite some time. As someone else pointed out, take away is a low priority. I was seated on a chair outside waiting for the coffees as demanded (I have an injury and struggle to stand for long periods). The older woman with the strange energy came out and told me to move so a trio could be seated. Again, I get it but her delivery was terrible. In hindsight I wish we had asked for our money back and went elsewhere at this point. The coffee finally came, the picture is a large. Tiny! My husband mentioned how strange she was also, he noticed her rubbing another customers arm. I mentioned they must know each other and he said he didn’t think so given the look on the customers face and the content of the interaction. My advice would be to steer clear of this place if you want fly free pastries, takeaway coffees and good customer service. I wish I took a vid of the flies, I almost did!

Written January 29, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

I Am Birdman Oz

Sydney41 contributions

Simply delicious!

Nov 2021 • solo

I was not expecting to enjoy food so much! Stopped in on my way to Jervis Bay. I can highly recommend the Chef’s Omelette with Australian Parmesan, broccolini, olives and hazelnuts. The sourdough is so good and topped off with amazing great coffee. Service was great even though they were busy (all extremely safe and following covid rules too). I will be back!

Written November 19, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jasmine C

15 contributions

A great breakfast!

Mar 2024 • couples

We came for a Saturday morning breakfast. It wasn’t too busy when we arrived but filled up not long after. The staff were friendly and quick to the table. We didn’t wait long for food and drink at all! We sat outside on the deck and loved it! My partner and I both ended up with the scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and fresh made sourdough bread. This was the best breakfast I’ve ever eaten from a Cafe or restaurant. I even enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice. Overall, I think the prices were fair too. I would definitely eat here again!

Written March 19, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joseph I

Sydney29 contributions

General is my specific!!

Feb 2020 • family

Coffee is as good as anywhere in the city. Food is superb. Egg Foo Young is unique. Menu is smallish but its all fine from simple buttered toast to whatever. One of the few places knows how to toast a croissant!

Written February 1, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JetJones

Jervis Bay74 contributions

Little gem of a cafe, doing everything right.

Aug 2022 • solo

This place is a gem. Friendly genuine staff, proudly local using local produce, super tasty food, perfect coffee, smiles and real conversation from all staff, just a delight. Went back two days in a row.

Written August 6, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

anne c

Dubrovnik27 contributions

This Brekky!

Jun 2022 • couples

The French toast here is the best I’ve had. Summer they use summer fruits winter maple bacon. The toast is so light and fluffy. I’ve seriously never eaten better

Written June 12, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SydnTooli

743 contributions

Worst coffee, longest wait, most expensive ever

Apr 2023 • solo

While I realise I had to pay a premium for a holiday weekend, I did expect to be told why I had to pay $6.27 for a soy flat white in my own keep cup. 5 female workers looked busy but somehow I still had to wait 25 minutes for my coffee. Take always didn’t get priority over the cafe orders here. And the staff had the audacity to tell me I had to wait outside. Rude. AND, the coffee was awful.

Written April 7, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nikki2021

7 contributions

BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

Apr 2021 • none

CUSTOMER SERVICE is KEY to any Business and this one holds the WORST I have had in years! The owner was very rude and discriminate and was not accomodating at all. Some staff were friendly but most are not - they dont know how to smile at all. Keep working on your customer service classes please!

Written April 9, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RKatnic

4 contributions

Cute cafe with amazing sourdough

Dec 2023 • couples

Lovely setting in the heart of KV village. Limited hours which was disappointing during our stay in the area but when you can catch them open, the meals are really lovely. The sourdough is truely delish! Should have taken 2 home!

Written February 14, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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