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Sydney

The Tea Cosy, The Rocks: Sydney’s Best Afternoon Tea Spots

June 3, 2015 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food, The Rocks / 3 Comments

I’ve written about how I love The Tea Cosy before. This adorable, family-owned cafe is tucked down in The Rocks. It’s well worth a visit for a quick scone and tea, or a larger afternoon tea like I had on this occasion.

Alec once again had the Ploughman’s Lunch ($15). We ordered Cheese the Kid’s Devonshire tea ($7, one plain scone, jam & cream and a babyccino) and I enjoyed the High Tea ($35 pp: sandwiches, 2 scones, 2 drinks and cakes). Note: the High Tea is no longer being served.

The scones at The Tea Cosy are always the star of the meal. I think they are baked fresh all day, so the ones we had were the freshest scones I’ve ever had. The jam is sensational – such a big flavour in a tiny bite of jam.

I also loved the sandwiches – the bread was so fluffy and fresh that it almost melted in my mouth. The toppings were great – cream cheese and cucumber and curried egg. The egg was my favourite and I could have eaten even more.

Cheese loved her fancy babyccino (it came with two marshmallows – one was eaten before I could snap the picture) and scone. She even ate it with jam this time.

I love The Tea Cosy and always want an excuse to get back down to The Rocks so I can indulge in more scones, yet again.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Minimal – it’s a very small space.
Easy access: Yes, the majority of dining is outside or is on ground level.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Tea Cosy
7 Atherden St,
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9247 4955
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Tues closed, Sat & Sun 9:30am-5pm
Get Directions

MCA Light Show, Light Lab & Family Fun Day: Sydney Best Art Galleries For Kids

June 1, 2015 / Cheese, Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

The Museum of Contemporary Art has continued to surprise and impress us since we moved back to Sydney. Not only does it have world-class exhibits, it also runs kid-friendly labs as part of the exhibits, and a variety of family programing every week for kids of all ages: from babies to toddlers, preschoolers and school kids. Literally something for kids of every age.

Because of their family-friendly programs, we have been feeling brave enough to venture back into the gallery with Cheese. She is not that into art thus far, being more interested in running and causing chaos instead. With the MCA’s set-up, it means we can see the exhibit we are interested in, as well as having a way to engage Cheese that she enjoys too – win-win for everyone, and we also hope that by doing this, our child will grow up to share our love of art.

The current exhibit at the MCA is Light Show (open until July 5, 2015). Light Show is a spectacular multisensory exhibition by artists all around the world, with the one theme in common – light. The show features a variety of installations and immersive experiences that are suitable for people of all ages – including wiggly preschoolers like our Cheese.

We did see the exhibit at our typical break-neck speed, close on the heels of our speedy preschooler, but this exhibit caught her interest and we doubled back to see rooms and installations repeatedly at her insistence.

The immersive nature of the exhibit was hypnotic – the three of us were mesmerised by the glittering, twinkling lights, and visual illusions that lead us to believe we were moving, or falling, all by means of clever placement and design of light. We spoke with Cheese about the lights. See how if you move this way or that, the image we see changes? What happens if you put your hand here? Or stand there? When you look at these coloured lights, and then look at the white wall, what new colours do you see? She particularly loved anything interactive, like the dark room with the beam of light that she could dance in, jabbing her wand into the light ray to try and capture it.

Outside the Light Show is the free Light Lab for kids. Set up into two rooms, one has a light projected onto a wall which captures movement – perfect for entertaining kids and teaching them about their shadows. The second room had UV lights installed on the ceiling shining down into the art works kids were making with simple white paper and highlighters. Simple but enthralling concept: shine the light on paper and it glows. Cheese wanted more and more paper to keep creating her artworks for us, which were quite Miro in style, I have to say.

Also running when we visited was the monthly Family Fun Day. This free program gives kids activities to perform in the gallery, followed by a craft activity in the National Centre for Creative Learning next to the Light Lab on level 3. The program is aimed at school-aged kids, so around 4 or 5 and up, but there were a lot of younger kids enjoying the activities with their families.

In the main gallery area, kids were lying on the floor with their parents, drawing pictures of the outfits worn in the artwork. The “MCA Sketch” sheet they were given with the Family Fun Day activities on it asked kids to find pictures of outfits in the paintings and then draw a new one on their paper. Upstairs in the learning centre was the craft area part of the day (which had a gorgeous view of the Harbour Bridge, by the way). Friendly staff handed kids a tray filled with craft materials and asked them to create their own superhero wearable artwork, like a badge, headband or the like. The art supplies were basic pipe cleaners, paper, sparkles and so on – perfect materials for letting kids’ imaginations run free.

We helped Cheese with her outfit of crown, wand, necklace and wrist cuff. Her superpower, she decided, was “freezing” (thanks Elsa), and “flying”. After which she proceeded to “fly” through the gallery, stopping now and then to press a “button” on her cuff to power herself up again. Crazy cute. I appreciated the idea from the MCA staff to help fuel her imagination.

Museum of Contemporary Art
140 George St,
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9245 2400
Get Directions

A huge thank you to the MCA for hosting us.

The Vogue Cafe, Macquarie Centre: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Sydney

May 21, 2015 / Macquarie Park, North-West Sydney, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Rainy days in Sydney just destroy me. Especially when the rain has set in for weeks and we are all getting a serious case of cabin fever. On one such rainy day we head over to the Macquarie Centre for lunch and shopping (along with half of Sydney, it seemed). After the stress of finding a car park was over, we head straight to The Vogue Cafe for lunch.

The Vogue Cafe is such an interesting little place. It sits inside the shopping centre, and even has a seating area that is pretty much in the car park, but it’s an adorable, whimsical place, and it’s hard to remember that you’re actually in a shopping centre.

The staff are all very sweet and assure me that they are very kid-friendly. There are a lot of families having lunch when we arrive, as well as lots of young couples who are possibly big kids at heart.

The Vogue Cafe feels a bit like something out of Wonderland. While the menu is pretty straightforward, they are known for their fantastical shakes. Called “Magical Milkshakes”, they are topped with things like whipped cream, rice bubbles, pop corn and jelly snakes, with a chocolate and sprinkles rim. The weekly specials are even fancier.

The cafe is popular and we have to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The service is fast, and after we order, everything starts to arrive quickly. The kids milkshake arrives first, which is perfect for wriggly kids.

We ordered the TVC Mix Up (scrambled eggs tossed with feta and basil, served with soy and linseed toast, $12.50), sides of grilled tomato ($2) and avocado ($2), Benny Dict (salmon, two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, chives, served in chiabatta bread, $16.50), BEB (egg and bacon baguette served with BBQ sauce ($8), Kids Sourdough Soldiers (with vegemite, $4), Hot Chips ($7), Kids Magic Milkshake (chocolate, $4), Magic Milkshakes (vanilla and strawberry, $7 each), Nutella Milkshake (8).

The food is great. While they are known for their milkshakes, their food is really delicious and also very well priced. My eggs are a huge serving that I can’t finish. Probably because I also drank that giant Nutella milkshake first.

The Nutella milkshake is what The Vogue Cafe is well known for, and it did not disappoint. The milkshake was creamy and delicious, and I really enjoyed the quirky waffle cone filled with gummy snakes on top.

In early 2018 the Vogue Cafe added a little enclosed play area for small kids, perfect for toddlers or preschoolers.

The Vogue Cafe is a great dining outing, even if you’re not planning on shopping at the Macquarie Centre.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Vogue Cafe
109 Waterloo Road,
Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Phone: (02) 9887 2570
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm
Get Directions

Jungle Buddies Play Centre: Indoor Play Centres Inner West

May 16, 2015 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

With a super active 3.5 year old, I’m a frequent visitor to play centres, particularly on rainy days. Even on days when the weather is clear, it’s still great to have somewhere safe for Cheese to burn her energy off.

Jungle Buddies at Five Dock is a huge, clean and bright play centre. The climbing structure is massive, with plenty of nocks and crannies and levels to keep kids entertained for hours. The equipment is all extremely clean and new, which is an added bonus for me and my hatred of dirty sticky things.

The cafe area in Jungle Buddies is quite unique in that they have made a big effort to create a menu that delivers guests delicious, healthy food choices. We were at Jungle Buddies for a party and were extremely happy with our menu of sliders, pizza and fruit.

If you’re dining in, there are even more choices on the menu such as salads, Serendipity ice-cream, and a range of locally-made cakes from Sweetness The Patisserie, and biscuits from Rowie’s Cakes. The ingredients for the meals are all from local producers, too, like Bowan island Bakery. It’s a real pleasure to take the kid to a play centre and not just watch her have a good time, but to be able to have some really good food myself while I’m watching her play.

For kids under 3 there is a separate soft play area.

Jungle Buddies is very light and bright, with natural light streaming in through the windows. It has clean bathrooms and baby change facilities, and a large parking area downstairs, where it’s easy to walk a few steps to the elevator which takes you right to the front door of the play centre. Very easy to navigate with a stroller.

The staff were very friendly, and were especially great with the birthday girl and her guests.

We really enjoyed our time at Jungle Buddies and will be back to play again.

Jungle Buddies Play Centre
2/97 Queens Road,
Five Dock NSW 2046
Phone: 1300 883 819
Hours: Daily 9:30am-5pm
Get Directions

Davo’s Trattoria: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Moorebank, Sydney

May 14, 2015 / Moorebank, South West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I’ve been dining at Davo’s Trattoria with my family for years. It’s been the one constantly good restaurant in the neighborhood where I grew up, and we’ve been dining at Davo’s for celebratory events since it opened in 1990. This was my first visit with a child, and, as always, Davo’s was a delicious and delightful experience.

The food at Davo’s is really solid Italian cuisine. I always have the Gnocchi Napoletana ($15.90 for an entree serving is plenty for me). We also ordered Garlic Bread ($3.50, serves four), Potato Fries ($6.50), Lasagne di Casa ($20.90), Atlantic Salmon ($29.90, served on a bed of sweet potato mash and with baby bok choi and marinated cherry tomatoes finished with honey glaze) and the Black Angus Eye Fillet ($33.90).

The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and accommodating to our wriggly toddler. We especially appreciated the crayons to draw on the paper table cloth with. Tracing outlines of everyone’s hands is endless fun (or, at least, fun until dessert arrives).

We always order dessert at Davo’s. I usually have the Chocolate Mousse, which is perfection, but this time I tried the Trio of Pavlovas, of which I wasn’t a fan – they were more like merangues than pavlovas. We also ordered the Kid’s Ice Cream with chocolate topping, Tiramisu (my dad’s all-time fave), a tropical sorbet and tropical panna cotta. The rest of the desserts were all delicious – next time I’ll order my old favourite!

Last Bite: Davo’s serves delicious Italian food that has been pleasing local families for many a year.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Davo’s Trattoria
9/101 Nuwarra Rd,
Moorebank NSW 2170
Phone: +61 2 9601 0449
Prices: $$
Hours: Tues, Wed & Sun 5:30pm-9pm, Thur 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-9pm, Fri 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm, Sat 5:30pm-10pm
Get Directions

Brekkie On The Beach: Lamrock Cafe, Bondi Beach

May 14, 2015 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Bondi Beach is a favourite playground of ours on a winter day. It’s a lot quieter and we can play for hours outdoors without worrying about sunburn. It also mean the cafes are a bit quieter, so it’s easier to get a table.

We chose Lamrock so we could look at the gorgeous beach while we ate. While it was quite busy and bustling, we were still shown to a table straight away, and had a super friendly staff member immediately come over and take care of us.

Little E was pretty antsy already when we sat, so we ordered her a babyccino and breakfast straight away. While they don’t have a specific kids’ menu, Lamrock will make a kid-sized version of the adult meals for your little one. We asked for one scrambled egg and one piece of toast. Five minutes later it arrived on our table. Talk about fast service!

We admired the view while waiting for our meals to arrive. E’s babyccino cam soon after and was piping hot. Instead of being a cup of foam, it was actually scalding hot milk with foam on top, and E swilled a big sip of it before we could try it first. Cue extremely sad toddler with a burned mouth 🙁

My Vegetarian Breakfast ($16.50; sourdough toast, hash brown, haloumi, spinach, roast tomato, two poached eggs and mushrooms) was delicious. Perfectly cooked eggs, and a great variety of elements that contributed to a filling, nutritious and wonderfully tasting meal.

Alec’s Big Bondi Brekkie ($14.50) was pretty similar to mine. Two slices of sourdough, two fried eggs, hashbrown, sausage, bacon, roasted tomato, mushrooms. His was devoured within about 30 seconds and declared delicious.

Our table was optimal for great view while being within the cafe for a bit of wind protection. Plenty of space, and lots of chilled out diners who didn’t mind a crazy toddler refusing to stay put in her seat.

Last bite: A delicious meal with a killer view.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Outside.
Easy access: Once step.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Lamrock Cafe
72-76 Campbell Parade,
Bondi Beach
Phone: (02) 9130 6313
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 6:30am-6:30pm
Get Directions

Babies Proms, Country Kids: Best Shows For Kids, Sydney

May 9, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

Today Cheese was introduced to country music for he first time at the wonderful Sydney Opera House’s Babies Proms Country Kids. We’ve gone to every single Babies Prom at the Opera House since arriving back in Sydney, and both Cheese and I enjoy them so much, we always look forward to he next one with great anticipation.

In case you haven’t been to a Babies Prom yet, they are a series of events aimed at kids aged 2 – 5 put on by the Sydney Opera House. Other ages are welcome, and there are usually lots of smaller babies and toddlers in attendance.

Each Babies Prom focuses on a theme (in this case, Australian country music), and amazingly talented performers teach the kids about that particular style of music through songs and engaging conversation. A big component of each show is teaching kids about the instruments used in that particular style.

With the Country Kids show, Gold Guitar winning country music artist Darren Coggan was leading the performance, with his band of talented musicians showcasing instruments such as the banjo, fiddle and double bass.

The songs chosen were familiar Aussie favourites, like “Thank God I’m a country boy” and “Waltzing Matilda” – making it the first time for many of kids to hear these classic songs.

Talented musician Coggan held the kids in rapt attention, and even managed to get the parents and grandparents on their feet to try their hand (or foot) at boot scooting to finish off the show.

As the show wraps up, the musicians (including Coggan) come down to the floor to meet their pint sized fans and let the kids have a go of the instruments. It’s a great opportunity for kids to touch the strings on the double base, or get up and close to the fiddle.

The Babies Proms run for 30 minutes, which is perfect for a kid of this age’s attention span. They manage to cram in a jam-packed agenda of songs and education, and kids leave not realise they’ve actually just been taught a lot about a whole new genre of music.

Shows like the Babies Proms are so important for the tiniest kids to learn about music from a young age. Catering to little ones like this program does is pretty unusual in my experience. Many shows cater to slightly older kids and expect kids to sit down and just watch a show. The Babies Proms are so successful because they really speak to the age of the kids and engage with them, and have created an environment where it’s ok for kids to stand up and dance, or run to and from their parents. It’s relaxing for all involved, as there is no expectation on the kids to sit down and stay quiet. In fact, the expectation is the opposite, as children are encouraged to sing, move and often play percussion instruments along with the cast.

Cheese and I love the Babies Proms and obviously can’t say enough good things about the shows. If you’re interested in taking your child to see a Babies Prom, the current Country Kids show runs from Wednesday, 6 May through to Sunday, 17 May with 9.30 am, 10.30 am and 11.30 am sessions available most days from $16.00 a ticket. Tickets are available from the Sydney Opera House.

Thank you to the Sydney Opera House for having us at this Babies Prom. We are huge fans and all opinions are, as always, very much our own.

The Incinerator Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Willoughby, North Shore, Sydney

May 6, 2015 / North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food, Willoughby / 2 Comments

The Incinerator Cafe is, frankly, a haven for families who want to eat out somewhere decent. House on the ground floor of the Willoughby Incinerator building that was designed in the 1930s by Walter Burley Griffin, the cafe has become extremely popular with local parents who are after a relaxing brunch with friends where their kids are welcome, too.

As well as being a cafe, The Incinerator is also an art space. Large works are around the entrance, and also on the lower level if you take the elevator down to see them. The elevator actually is an artwork itself.

Around the Incinerator building lay picnic tables with small roof covering. Enough to beat off the hot summer sun and make dining outdoors possible without a sunburn. Families also throw down a picnic rug on the grass and grab coffee and a bite to eat from the takeaway stand.

Drinks first: I ordered a Tim Tam milkshake ($8) and a kid’s chocolate milkshake ($4). Mine came in a glass jar, and Cheese’s came in a takeaway cup with a straw. Very thoughtful.

We ordered a Kids Pancakes (x2) with apple and ice cream ($8), the Sweet Potato Rosti (with haloumi, beetroot relish and poached eggs, $17.50), and a “Have It Your Way” 2 free range eggs poached with toast ($9), with sides of mushrooms ($4) and avocado ($5).

The food came quickly, and was well cooked. My egg dish was a delight to my tastebuds. The sweet potato combined with the eggs and beetroot was absolutely delicious. The Tim Tam shake was so good I could have drunk about 10 more.

After we finished breakfast we walked down the path to Halstrom Park (about 10 metres away). I really like this park because it offers a lot of shade. It also has decent bathroom facilities.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Incinerator Cafe
2 Small Street,
Willoughby NSW 2068
Phone: (02) 8188 2220
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Yum Cha at Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Restaurant, Pyrmont, Sydney

April 30, 2015 / CBD, Pyrmont, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I know pretty much nothing about yum cha, except it’s food on carts that you choose when the servers come hurtling past. It turns out that “yum cha” is actually the Cantonese term for “drinking tea” and refers to the custom of eating tiny servings of different foods while sipping well-brewed Chinese tea.

Yum cha fun for those who like a visual of their food before they order it, and also if you like to try lots of different bits and pieces for your meal. Yum cha is also an extremely good meal option if you have kids, which is how we found ourselves trying yum cha at Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Restaurant, Pyrmont.

We had a booking for 11am, which was lucky as even though it is a huge restaurant, it was absolutely packed at 11am (it opens at 10:30, which is when I took the photo as we were a bit early). The staff were efficient and friendly, showing us straight to our table and setting up the high chair immediately.

Food started flying past on carts immediately, and our friends who yum cha more than we do did the choosing, and also helped me track down some vegetarian dishes. I managed to find vegetarian spring rolls, dumplings and soy noodles, plus some kind of greens dish.

Cheese hadn’t been to yum cha before, but surprised us by trying a few things. She was mostly keen to master chop sticks, and she had a pretty good try, managing to get food into her mouth using them.

When the kids got antsy, they went for a walk to the big fish tank where all the fishies and crabs who are going to be cooked later are kept alive and swimming. The kids thought they were super cool, so that was a good distraction while we ate a bit more food.

Yum cha is a pretty messy meal, so there is no pressure to have a neat table afterwards. It’s also a fast meal, which I always appreciate with a wiggly kid.

We were in and out in about an hour, which is about the amount of time we can dine before Cheese gets bored and wants to do something else, so that was perfect. Cost-wise, the bill came to $110 for four adults, with the three kids kind of pecking at a few things, but not ordering anything specific just for them.

The restaurant is level one of a building at the Fisherman’s Wharf in the Sydney Fish Markets, and after we dined, we had a stroll down on the wharf to let the kids burn a bit of energy. They enjoyed chasing seagulls and spotting pelicans, and us adults enjoyed walking off the food in the sun. What a view!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No.

Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Restaurant
1 Bank Street,
Pyrmont NSW 2009
Phone: (02) 9660 9888
Prices: $$
Hours: Yum cha: Mon-Fri 11am–3pm Sat & Sun 10am–3pm
Restaurant is open daily 5:30pm-11pm
Get Directions

Pirrama Park Playround And Cafe, Pyrmont, Sydney

April 29, 2015 / Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

This beautiful playground in Pyrmont has shiny, well-designed equipment, new, well-maintained bathrooms (including baby change facilities) and a cafe with shaded seating.

In the warmer months, water fountains spurt out of the ground in sporadic patterns, and a shade cloth over the sand pit gives kids a place to play without getting burned.