Open: Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm. Weekends, 8am-4pm
Phone: (09) 963 3628
We spent: $44 for two
Set up & site: At last, a Sunday that lived up to its name, so a long-intended expedition to Browns Bay and its second-hand market seemed perfect. First, however, brunch, to fuel us for the day ahead.
I had heard of relative newcomer Common Ground Eatery (the word "Eatery" seems to be increasingly common in cafe names) but finding it was uncommonly tricky — we'd missed it on the first drive along Clyde Rd.
On discovering the relatively nondescript cafe, we found the interior equally as unprepossessing, a minimalist industrial-style mix of concrete, wood and tiles. The rear of the dining area has a mural of fernery — an enlarged echo of the hanging planters adorning the walls elsewhere in the room. Bench seating lines the wall as you enter CGE, with small tables and a chair for your companion lined up very closely — fine if you want to get to know your neighbours, not so fine for a private conversation. The music was also a tad loud for ease of conversation. To the rear of the cafe are tables for larger groups. We were but two, so were seated in the cheek-by-jowl section.
![Common Ground, 1/63 Clyde Rd, Browns Bay. Photo / Getty Images](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/5D24QBNDYY3QRZVFNZN5TYYLFA.jpg?auth=71f1e9d86d33b64185161fa43e330fdcd3292f4ba37db34a64b0e03fa9d06905&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)