Common Grounds Coffee and Roastery CS — Restaurant in Jakarta

I recently visited this restaurant, and unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. I have specific dietary restrictions due to an autoimmune condition, so I was extra cautious with my order.

When I asked whether the mashed potatoes contained dairy, one staff member initially dismissed my concern with a “it’s just mashed potato, no milk” comment. I wasn’t convinced, as many mashed potatoes typically include cream. After insisting, another employee went to check and confirmed that cream was indeed used. This inconsistency in staff knowledge was disappointing.

I ordered a chicken salad and mineral water, intending to eat a small sweet potato I have brought for my important carbs- a necessary part of my diet since I cannot consume most grains, shaded potatoes, dairy, or soy—due to my autoimmune. However, an employee informed me that bringing outside food wasn’t allowed. I understand the rationale behind restaurant policies, but enforcing a strict “no outside food” rule without considering individual special case dietary needs can be quite counterproductive. The staff’s inflexible approach led me to cancel my order entirely which was both disappointing and a loss for both parties. If there is a gluten free or grain free carb available there I would definitely order, in which they don’t.

I hope the management considers training their staff better on ingredients and offering more flexibility to accommodate special dietary needs. A little empathy and creative problem-solving can go a long way. It is just a small sweet potato for an autoimmune survivor to go along with their...

This is our usual go to during weekends due to convenience, and every single time we visited and ordered avocado toast they will return to us and claim its out of stock. In this very recent visit, we asked for the availability of avocado toast before sitting down and they claim to have it, once decided our orders the waiter came back to us and claim they ran out of bread! Disappointed yet again, i went for the breakfast platter, within just 20secs after the waiter left, i went up to him again to change my order to waffles, he was standing in front of the ordering screen and told me its too late as it was already entered into the system, i requested the order to be amended as the kitchen has yet started to prepare nor seen the order, he insisted that its impossible. With all due respect, the amendment request is only within 20secs after the words came out of my mouth, in any normal situation you can definitely change it. I can go by with the disappointment of having the same dish running out of stock repetitively each and every single visit, but what i cant forgive is the exponential degradation of the service here since my first visit, hence i wont be visiting here again with any of my friends from here forth due to this...

Talking about the quality of F&B (coffee and meals) they offer here, I am very impressed. Went here twice, and we ordered hot cappuccino and flat white. Coffee is marvellous. I love the distinctive, deep, and rich taste of their coffee, which makes it stand out from most other coffee shops. We also ordered a maple glazed bacon for breakfast for 75k - consists of scrambled eggs, garlic baguette, and the bacon. It was really really good. F&B-wise, this place scores 5/5.

For the ambience, you need to remember this is located inside a mall. It's dominated with bright white accent without any exposure to natural light through windows. Not a huge fan of this kind of setting, much prefer the vibrant atmosphere of its Neo Soho outlet.

This is a really popular breakfast spot since it opens early at 8, and is located near an elite commercial area. So expect some crowd even early in the morning. That's why I don't find this place to be an appealing one to move my working spot to. This could be more appropriate for lunch meetings or quick chit chats....