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Eastern Suburbs

Bitton: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Alexandria

October 18, 2014 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 0 comment

For a French-Australian inspired brunch, locals in Alexandria head to Bitton – particularly if they have kids. Parisian born owner and chef, David Bitton, serves up a delicious all-day brekkie menu including authentic French Crepes and One-Pan Bacon and Eggs. For a grab-and-go snack, you can try one of their daily-baked muffins, cakes and pastries.

Bitton Cafe is especially popular with parents with a great kids’ menu and a play area in the back terrace section, close to where parents can keep a safe eye and still enjoy a coffee or meal.

We arrived on a busy weekend at prime lunch-hour, but were still given a table quickly, and then moved to the section adjacent to the play room when I discovered it.

We ordered: French Crêpes with Bitton Strawberry and Vanilla Jam ($13), Eggs Cooked Any Way with Wood-fired Sourdough ($12.5), a side of Avocado ($4), Eggs Benedictine with Poached Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Hollandaise Sauce ($18.5), a Babyccino ($1), and Pommes Frîtes ($8).

The food arrived pretty quickly for a busy day. It was all well-cooked, using fresh ingredients. My eggs were perfectly poached, the sourdough tangy with a crusty edge. My only criticism was of the avocado – it was quite under ripe. The French crepes were just like I remembered them to be from my last trip to France – thin, and served with a delicious helping of home-made conserve.

We really enjoyed our lunch at Bitton, and will definitely be back again.

Last bite: French-inspired food in a child-friendly environment. Great for small families or large groups.

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

Bitton Cafe and Grocer
36-37A Copeland St,
Alexandria
Phone: (02) 9519 5111
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Tues 7am-5pm Wed-Sat 7am-9pm
Get Directions

A Day At Coogee Beach: Sydney’s Best Family-Friendly Beaches

October 13, 2014 / Coogee, Eastern Suburbs, Outdoor Play, Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Always on the hunt for Sydney’s best beaches, our quest recently took us to nearby Coogee Beach for a glorious, sunny day. Despite growing up in Sydney, I’d never been to Coogee until this day. Big mistake, as it turns out I’ve been missing out on one of Sydney’s gems for years.

Coogee Beach is quiet compared to the biggies (Bondi, Manly, etc), filled with locals instead of tourists. The vibe is much more laid-back, and the beach usually has far less bodies on it than the more famous ones. Given how stunningly beautiful Coogee Beach is, it’s surprising that it’s not swarming with sun-seekers all year-round.

First stop: food. We lunched at the newly renovated Coogee Pavilion (check out the full review here). Their pizza is amazing and the Pavilion is filled with fun activities for kids, like the life-sized magnetic Scrabble board. (169 Dolphin Street, Coogee)

On the day we visited, there were free kite flying lessons on the beach, sponsored by the nearby Coogee Pavillion. Large sea-themed kites were set up on the beach and were as you’d expect, a magnet for all the children nearby. Friendly staff handed us a regular-sized kite on arrival and showed Missy E how to fly it. Within a few months she was off and running and her first kite was flying high.

A scenic stroll around the foreshore brought us to the Coogee Beach Playground at Grant Reserve (Beach st, Coogee).

This large playground includes climbing structures, slides, swings and more, set next to barbecues (perfect location for your next outdoor get together!).

After all the play, Missy E needed a rest, and actually fell asleep in the stroller as we walked along the boardwalk. Note to parents with kids who need to be strolled to sleep, this path, past the playground, is perfect for you.

The last stop on our Coogee day out was Gelatissimo (1/258 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee) for some really fine gelato and sorbet (my favourite is the Mango Sorbet).

Sydney Park + Cycling Center: A Tricycle Built For One

August 25, 2014 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

A new favourite weekend location for us is Sydney Park in St Peters. This 40-hectare park contains large expanses of grass perfect for kicking a ball around, landscaped gardens, rolling hills (great for sliding down on cardboard boxes – not kidding!), pathways for strolling or running and wetlands home to native birds. The park is also super dog-friendly, so on any given day you’ll see many many many dogs rolling, running and snuffling with abandon. Our two favourite areas of the park are the huge playground and The Sydney Park Cycling Centre.

The playground is particularly great as it as it has tactile equipment for kids of all ages. A large, fenced in sandpit is fun for babies as well as older kids, plus swings, slides, a strung bridge and rope climbing web make for a one-of-a-kind playground that will keep children entertained for hours.

On the edge of the playground sits Sydney Park Kiosk, a great spot to refuel. Undercover seating is available. Bathrooms including change tables are next to the kiosk and playground.

The Sydney Park Cycling Centre is a short walk from the playground. The cycling centre is a unique area designed to help families teach their kids about cycling and road safety. Kids can test out their wheels undercover on a large asphalt surface, and then try the “road” – a circuit set up with traffic lights, lanes and pedestrian crossings. Perfect for teaching kids the basics about road safety before taking them for the real deal.

The Cycling Centre runs a free Parent & Child Clinic every Saturday to teach pre-schoolers to ride balance bikes. The sessions are staffed by experienced professional instructors who give advice and provide equipment to help kids get pedalling safely on two wheels.

The Parent & Child Clinic is open every Saturday from 11am. Helmets and balance bikes are provided free for kids taking part. No need to book. Sydney Park Sydney Park Rd, St Peters NSW Get Directions

Pancakes & Waffles: Bay Vista Dessert Bar, Brighton-Le-Sand

August 25, 2014 / Brighton-Le-Sands, Southern Sydney, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

When meeting friends who lived in opposite corners of Sydney, the most central place to meet with our three children was Brighton-Le-Sands. Bay Vista was chosen for our venue due to the delectable menu — desserts galore. We met for breakfast on one glorious winter’s day, on a quiet Tuesday morning.

Bay Vista opened in Brighton-Le-Sands in 1991 by Bill Mougios, a restauranteur who dreamed of creating a restaurant where young and old could enjoy simple treats in a casual environment. The cafe is now famous for their dessert menu, featuring ice cream, pancakes, sweet crêpes, waffles and a huge selection of cakes.

On our visit, we ordered the Strawbana Pancakes (two buttermilk pancakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, strawberries, banana and your choice of sauce – I chose butterscotch), Strawberry Waffles, and the Traditional Cinnamon Scroll with Canadian maple syrup. The pancakes were light and fluffy, with a huge amount of fruit. The kids shared our dishes, plus a Kids Strawberry Milkshake and Babyccino. The milkshake was a great size for kids, serves with a large straw for easier drinking. The babyccino came with two (!) marshmallow and looked like a perfect tiny coffee. Cute!

After breakfast, we took the kids right across the road to the beach. Miss E happily played in the sand for about an hour and a half with no other toy than a few sea shells and a stick. A successful outing for us all!

Last bite: A dessert heaven made for kids and adults alike. Take kids to the beach afterwards to run off their sugar-high.

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

Bay Vista
83 The Grand Parade
Brighton-Le-Sands, NSW
Phone: (02) 9556 1727
Hours: Sun-Fri 10am-1am Sat 10am-3am

Kid Heaven at The New Coogee Pavilion – Kid-Friendly Cafes In Sydney

August 6, 2014 / Coogee, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I’ve never been to Coogee before — how is that even possible? I might not ever have visited this gorgeous suburb if I hadn’t badly wanted to check out the brand new fit out at the Coogee Pavilion. After an extensive renovation the lower floor has just reopened. And boy, was it ever worth the visit.
We dropped by at 10:45am not long after the new pavilion opened. When we visited, their breakfast menu was not yet being served, but they were already filled with curious locals milling around, buying a takeaway Will & Co coffee or a freshly pressed Love Juice. At 11am sharp the pavilion officially opened the rest of their venue, and tables filled quickly.

The pavilion is kind of like bar meets upscale food court meets restaurant meets giant games room. All in the one huge area. The restaurant section requires bookings several days in advance for the full menu. You can however drop in at any time and sit anywhere else — around the bar, in the lounge chairs, booths or near the game area. These areas all serve the bar menu (order and pay at the bar).

The restaurant has a kids’ menu, but the bar menu does not. It does however serve favourites you could share with kids like pizza, fish and chips and burgers. Simple, hearty food. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven in the centre of the pavillion, where kids can watch their pizza go from dough to being sliced. Pretty cool.

We found a booth near the games area. While we waited for our food, we checked out the huge amount of toys and games that were nearby. For toddlers, we found things like a Mr Potato head, blocks, a toddler-sized colouring table stocked with crayons and giant sheets of paper, a life-sized Connect Four and a Scrabble board with magnetic pieces mounted to the wall (yes, too old for them, but still plenty of entertainment sticking the giant magnetic tiles to the board and climbing up and down the ladder).

Older kids loved the ping pong and foosball tables, and we noticed adults taking boardgames like Trivial Pursuit back to their tables as they clearly settled in for the afternoon. Opening soon are an in-house theatrette and Rudy’s barbershop, where you can get a trim while you’re waiting for your meal to arrive. So entertainment was not a problem. It was more of a problem to get her back to our table to eat when food arrived. Next time we will forgo the table and instead sit in the couches right on the play area so E could play while we ate, without one of us having to trail her around.

We ordered a Margherita Pizza (San Marzano, Bufala, basil $20), Fries with Aioli ($9) and the Coogee Diner Burger (American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, burger sauce $18). My pizza arrived quickly and was delicious. I shared mine with Missy E and was a bit sad I couldn’t eat more. Delicious sauce, soft cheese and a slightly crispy base. Perfect. Sadly something happened to the rest of our order and the burger and fries didn’t arrive. After about 40 minutes of waiting, a staff member noticed we still had food outstanding and very quickly put through the order again.

The rest of the food arrived about 10 minutes later. So over an hour after we ordered it, but thankfully there was so much to entertain the kid that it didn’t matter. Alec described the burger as “American-style”, saying it was OK but her preferred Aussie-style burgers. The fries were smocking hot, crispy and cooked through. They were tasty and gone in seconds.

After eating our meals we kept playing until we dragged E out of there to the beach. I honestly thing she would have stayed all day if we’d let her.

Upper levels are currently undergoing extensive renovation. When they re-open over the coming months you can expect a rooftop bar and a fine-dining restaurant.

The Coogee Pavilion is smack on Coogee Beach, so if your kids need to play or you could use a walk after a big lunch, the gorgeous beach is at your disposal.

Last Bite: One of the most family-friendly eating venues in Sydney. Go before it’s as popular as The Grounds.

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

Coogee Pavillion
169 Dolphin Street,
Coogee NSW
Phone: (02) 9240 3000
Prices: $$$ Hours: (Ground floor)
Daily, 11am – late. Breakfast menu coming soon so times may change. Take away Love Juice and Will & Co Coffee available daily from 7:00am. Reservations required for seating in main dining area. Call 02 9240 3000.
Get Directions

Ice Skating on the Beach at Bondi Winter Magic

July 6, 2014 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

A gorgeous, sunny winter day calls for … ice skating, of course! We tried one of the many pop up ice skating rinks over the weekend at Bondi Beach as part of their Winter Magic event. We had a fantastic time, and little E took to ice skating like a natural. The penguin aid that we rented certainly helped her confidence.

Thinking of trying a pop up rink this winter? Here are our tips:

Book in advance (the sessions usually sell out).
Rent a penguin aid for littlies where possible — they only have limited numbers and they go fast.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early to ensure you are able to secure a pair of kid-sized skates (only limited double-bladed kid skates are available).

That’s it! We all had so much fun, and would absolutely go again if it wasn’t quite so expensive ($22 for adults, $10 for kids under 5 and $8 penguin aid hire).

The Bondi Winter Magic ice skating rink is located in front of the Bondi Beach Pavillion, and is open from 27 June to 13 July, between 10am to 9pm each day. Skating sessions start on the hour and each skating session is 45 mins long. Book tickets online.

Centennial Parklands Kiosk; Kid-Friendly Cafes, Centennial Park, Sydney

June 23, 2014 / Centennial Park, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Centennial Parklands is the meeting place of any inner-Sydney or Eastern suburbs localite who crave open spaces but are not afforded one with the cramped city lifestyle. Fortunately for them (and the rest of Sydney-siders) they have got it right when thinking about what families need. There are two parts to the dining options, and on a chilly Sunday morning we chose the more casual affair at the Centennial Parklands Kiosk.

Centennial Parklands Kiosk - #kid-friendly #cafes - #Centennial Park, #Sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com — *Outside the Centennial Parklands Kiosk, Photo by Katia Barker*

The Centennial Parklands Kiosk offers a grab and go style affair with a standard cafe menu, yet tailors to a more delectable pallet with gourmet sandwiches and salads as well. Be prepared to wait for your coffee, but thankfully it is worth it with a hot quality brew served up. We opted for a large coffee ($4.30), toasted banana bread ($5) and a mini carrot cake ($2.60), all were fresh and tasty.

There is plenty of space to park your designer pram, bikes, scooters and other wheeled devices (no pony parking sorry!) and a good amount of tables which turn over pretty quickly. Otherwise there are ample park benches and tables nearby. The Centennial Parklands Kiosk is also located right next to the children’s playground allowing you to sip your coffee in peace whilst the children burn off some steam. A win for all!

Last Bite: Centennial Parklands Kiosk is a great starting point for a day in the park with good fresh food and quality coffee.

Highchairs: No. (There are a lot at the more formal Cafe next door)
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Not dedicated, but kids won’t starve.

Centennial Parklands Kiosk
Grand Drive,
Centennial Park NSW
Phone: (02) 9380 9350
Prices: $$$
Hours: Monday-Friday 7.00am – 4pm, Saturday – Sunday 7.00am – 5.00pm
Get Directions

The Grounds of Alexandria: Meet Kevin Bacon Over Brekkie + Sydney Park

March 12, 2014 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

For a long time, whispers about an inner city cafe with a pet pig had been reaching my ears (and clogging up my Facebook stream), even while I was living in New York. On my return to the homeland, the first place I was dying to check out for breakfast was The Grounds of Alexandra. This family-owned and operated cafe was built within an old pie factory from the 1900s, retaining the rustic charm while serving up speciality coffee and wholesome food. The Grounds opens up into a garden filled with heirloom vegetables and herbs, which are picked every morning and used throughout the day in the cafe. Be sure to plan your visit for the first weekend of the month, when The Grounds hosts a market filled with fresh produce and other goods.

A big draw for The Grounds is its star, Kevin Bacon. The pig. This Kevin Bacon resides in a little petting zoo for kids, along with chickens and a sheep. He made headlines last year when he was pignapped (along with Bradley the lamb), turning up at an animal sanctuary in Victoria. Luckily for us, Kevin is fully recovered from his ordeal, and is back, along with Bradley, at The Grounds.

The Grounds also features a little playhouse or kids, fenced in (yay!), with a slide and little climbing wall. Considering the wait time for a table, this playhouse and the animals are saviours for parents of itchy-footed toddlers.

Our party included one small toddler, one medium toddler and one preschooler — and The Grounds had something to suit everyone. A cute kids’ menu suited the preschooler (who ordered the burger and fries), hot chips and a kid-sized smoothie for the toddlers (the soothie came in a jar shaped like a bear. The cuteness!!). The adults ordered the Avocado Smash (with poached eggs), Asparagus and Herb Frittata and Salmon with Quinoa. I didn’t note down the exact names of the dishes and prices, and then sadly realised they weren’t listed on their site (d’oh!!). The food was all absolutely delicious, from the smoothie and hot chips, to the famous Avocado Smash.

After our meal, we spotted a gelato stand in the cafe grounds, and ordered a scoop of Pavlova Gelato ($4). It was so good we went back for seconds.

The kids were all going a little nuts after having to sit down for lunch, so we drove down the road to the playground at Sydney Park. The playground is huge, and has great features for kids aged toddler and up, including the rope bridge below, huge slides, swings and a giant sandpit.

Last Bite: Delicious food, fun for the kids, and a nearby park. A perfect score.

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

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A/2 Huntley St,
Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: 02 9699 2225
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat & Sun 7:30am-4pm
Get Directions

Sydney Park
Barwon Park Road
St Peters, NSW, 2044
Entrance to the car park is off the Princes Highway, just after the turnoff to Sydney Park Road (just after the big chimney stacks)

Chi Chi’s Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waterloo, Sydney

November 12, 2013 / Cheese, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food, Waterloo / 0 comment

Sometimes at the end of a long and arduous week, all you want is to drown your sorrows in some comfort food. Chi Chi’s Café, in Waterloo, is just that: a kid-friendly place that offers no-fuss comfort food when you really need it.

Although Danks Street is lined with cafes (more and more everyday it seems), few are open between that awkward time after lunch and before most people consider eating dinner. Feeling a little desperate for calories, Baby Lukas, my husband Lorin and I stumbled upon Chi Chi’s. It was relatively quiet and it looked like it was closing, but much to our delight, the host ushered us in and assured us all options were on the table. At 4:45pm in the afternoon. Total score.

Lorin decided right away on the beef burger with chips ($14.50) and Baby Lukas convinced me to share a cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50). While we waited for our food, the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming or friendly to Baby Lukas. In fact, Baby Lukas ended up behind the counter in the arms of a waitress, helping her ring in a few transactions.

Chi Chi's beef burger with Chips ($14.50). Photo by Emily Staresina. — Chi Chi’s beef burger with Chips ($14.50).

Chi Chi's cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50). Photo by Emily Staresina — Chi Chi’s cheese and tomato open melt ($8.50).

Our food came relatively quickly and it was good value: big, unpretentious portions with generous servings of side sauces at no extra charge. Such a relief to find this sort of place amongst all the trendy cafes in the neighbourhood.

Last Bite: the next time you’re craving some serious comfort food that’s good value and welcomes kids with open arms, check out Chi Chi’s Café.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but kids won’t starve

Chi Chi’s Cafe
Shp 1a/ 207 Young St
Waterloo NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 9699 3510
Prices: $

St Jude: Baby-Friendly Cafes, Redfern, Sydney

July 31, 2013 / Eastern Suburbs, Redfern, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

If you’re cruising down the Redfern side of Bourke St, do not pass the non-descript building that houses St Jude without tasting at least one of their delicious dishes. Whilst it’s a super busy tiny slip of a café, the outdoor tables make for a baby-friendly place to brunch.

St Jude: baby-friendly cafes, Redfern, Sydney, via brunchwithmybaby.com — St Jude exterior. *Photo by Emily Staresina*

St Jude’s brunch offerings are enough to please—and quite possibly impress—even the most seasoned Eastern Suburb gourmand. Neither Lorin nor I, nor Baby Lukas come to think of it, are vegetarian, but today we sampled two of St Jude’s vegetarian offerings. (St Jude isn’t a vegetarian-only café, but breakfast for us usually includes the delicious and revered pork in one format or another, so for us both to try a veggie-only breakfast, and to be fully satisfied, is a testament to St Jude!)

The interior is a little small, with the cozy booths lining the far wall making for comfortable baby seating. The handful of outdoor tables are ideal if you can get one—especially given the ridiculously nice winter weather we’ve been having!

This Saturday morning, we descended upon St Jude’s in a bit of hurry (with Baby Lukas possible ready to implode due to it being nap time). We were initially seated at the world’s smallest table but another waiter took pity on us and moved us to a larger table the second he was able to.

Choosing from the menu was hard, but we both struck gold. The Sweet Corn and Pumpkin Fritters with Avocado Cream, Poached Egg, Hollandaise and Baby Spinach ($14.50), sampled by Lorin, was a dynamite choice, and one worth getting, even if you don’t think you’re a fritters kind of bruncher. I went for the Avocado Smash with Salsa, Fresh Spinach and Feta ($14.50), which Baby Lukas and I pretty much fought each other for. Luckily for us, the servings were more than generous.

Last bite: If you’re looking for a baby-friendly café where you can sit outside and enjoy these ridiculously sunny Sydney winter days while sampling some of the tastiest brunch this side of Bourke St, St Jude is the place for you.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Not unless you sit outside.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but kids won’t starve.

St. Jude
728 Bourke St, Redfern 2016
Phone: (02) 9310 3523
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am-4pm
Get Directions