Wahwah Lounge is one heck of a baby-friendly cafe. From the super cozy booths to the staff who treat your baby like a rock star, not to mention the yummy food, Wahwah Lounge in Waterloo is an easy, breezy place to brunch.
At Wahwah Lounge, the best place for containing a baby is in one of their cosy corner booths, which is where the friendly staff suggested we sit upon arrival. With Baby Lukas leaning over our booth and making friends with the people in the next one over (even the other patrons seem to love babies!), we ordered our food.
Baby Lukas making friends in one of the booths. Photo by Emily Staresina.
Wahwah Lounge has an awesome all-day brunch menu, and does staples like poached eggs, really well. This time around, I ordered their Free Range Eggs (poached) with Soy Linseed Toast ($10.50), and a cheeky side of bacon. Lorin ordered the French Toast with Maple Syrup, Strawberries and Crème Fraiche ($12.50), which I have to say, was also a very smart choice.
Wahwah Lounge – Poached eggs on soy linseed toast ($10.50). Photo by Emily Staresina.
Stuck into our food, it wasn’t until several mouthfuls later that we realised Baby Lukas was “drinking” (also know as “seriously leaking”) milk from his sippy cup, and it was going all over the clean upholstered booth. Now, not only did the staff not fuss when they saw (after I frantically and apologetically asked for napkins), but they told us not to give it a second thought as these things happen, and that’s why they have regular cleanings scheduled. Far more forgiving than they should have been, WalWah truly is a baby-friendly place.
Despite nearly destroying the joint, Baby Lukas got several high-fives from the staff on the way out.
Last bite: If you’re looking for a no-fuss, no-stress outing with solid food and where Baby will be treated like royalty (even if they’re a bit naughty), Wahwah Lounge in Waterloo should be your next brunch destination.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Not really. Small strollers are ok. Easy access: Yes. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No. But lots for kiddies to choose from.
Wahwah Lounge
1 Danks Street
Waterloo, NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 9699 3456
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm, Sun 8am-3pm Get Directions
Looking for some comfort food that reminds you of grandma’s cooking? Look no further than Grandma’s Little Bakery, a cute, kid-friendly restaurant, café, bakery and store in Alexandra, where their tagline proclaims it’s “just like home”.
With winter undeniably here and it being my last day of maternity leave, I was in desperate need of comfort food. Grandma’s Little Bakery, which had always caught my eye en route the airport, seemed the natural choice, my two men—Baby Lukas and husband Lorin—in tow.
The mouth-watering smell of home-cooked soup and the cheery red-and-white polka-dot table cloths greeted us the second we walked through the door. This being Alexandria, however, Grandma’s Little Bakery is positioned within a warehouse-like building, so it ticks the “little bit trendy” box too.
When I think of comfort food, I think of macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, soup—basically anything warm and cheesy and full of carbs. Grandma’s Little Bakery doesn’t disappoint and you must try the Traditional Chicken Soup ($12.50). The menu here also offers some non-standard comfort-food fare, such as the Couscous Beef Kebab Salad ($12.50), which I just had to try—and I’m glad I did (the picture should say it all).
Couscous Beef Kebab Salad ($12.50).There’s nothing more comforting than Grandma’s Traditional Chicken Soup ($12.50).
After we ate (Baby Lukas, occupied with a piece of sumptuous chicken from the soup, let us finish our meals) we took a little tour of the bakery and shop, located just behind the pay counter. Dozens of frozen soups, strudels and jams were neatly aligned on the wooden shelves, ready-made for some of grandma’s comfort food to be enjoyed in—well—the comfort of your home.
As with all good comfort food, my food (and time) at Grandma’s Little Bakery was a great distraction fromthe realisation that this was my last day of maternity leave. You really can’t ask for more for a place that promises to deliver its wares as being “just like home”.
It’s worth mentioning that there’s an indoor playground area for toddlers and older kids, so boredom won’t be a factor at this Grandma’s!
Last bite: If you’re looking for some comfort food in a trendy but not too-trendy-for-itself venue that’s kid-friendly, Grandma’s Little Bakery in Alexandria is the go.
Finding a kid-friendly restaurant around the Sutherland Shire takes some hunting, but Arthur’s By the River —a bright and welcoming restaurant—ticks all the boxes of catering towards the little people while making adults feel a little bit special as well. With trepidation, I made a booking for the family at Arthur’s By the River for a “nice” family lunch. I say nice, although I was planning for something more along the lines of quick and minus the calamity. Jenson, three-and-a-half, is most known for his famous line, “I don’t like lunch”, and Isla, six months, earned herself the nickname “rattlesnake” in the nursery at the hospital at no more than two days old. I nervously put my hand up to review this family-friendly restaurant with my hubby, Ross.
Formally called Lemon Squeezy, Arthur’s By the River describes itself as providing great food, good wine, excellent service with fabulous company and it does not disappoint. With stunning views across the Woronora River (although the day we went was rather gloomy), and a dedicated area just for kids to play, our lunch resulted in tasty food, a few laughs and full bellies for all (including the boy who turns his nose up at any formal meal setting!). Another fun touch is that each table has a little game or pack of cards to entertain yourselves with should conversations be lacking (note our Connect Four remained unplayed, however).
Whilst we waited for our food Jenson took himself to the play area and served up morning tea for us all, travelling between our table and the play area with various toys. It wasn’t too busy so we weren’t concerned about this, however, as it got busier later with more children, we would have ensured he kept the toys in their rightful place.
Jenson serving up morning tea. Photo by Katia Barker
The a la carte menu is simple with items such as quiche, three cheese lasagne and chicken curry, and is supplemented with extensive blackboard specials, ensuring there is something for everyone. I chose a staple favourite Chicken Schnitzel Toastie, with Ross nominating the Lamb Skewers. Jenson has his selection from the small, but adequate children’s menu—Fish & Chips with the necessary red sauce (tomato ketchup). Ross and I treated ourselves to a beverage from their beer and wine list, adding a grown up element to our lunch. The food arrived quickly with our waitress and host, Debbie, delivering the meals with smiles and a nothing-is-too-hard attitude. Debbie went out of her way to make Jenson welcome and engaged him in conversation which made him feel very special, and Isla slurped down some pureed apple and peach whilst we devoured our meals. Ross claimed the freshly baked garlic pita was the hero of his meal and the chips we all had on our plates were divine, crispy and perfectly salted. It’s lucky we all had chips with our meals as I’m sure there would have been thieving fingers travelling across the table for sampling purposes.
Lamb Skewers with Garlic Pita and Salad ($12.90). Photo by Katia Barker.Kids’ Fish Cocktails with Chips ($4.90). Photo by Katia Barker.
Arthur’s By the River also offers event hire, children’s parties, value dinner nights for families and, surprisingly, takeaway picnics to allow you to set up outside and dine by the river, which we will definitely be back to do when the weather warms up.
View of Woronora River on a gloomy wet day. Photo by Katia Barker.
Overall I would consider this lunch outing a success, Jenson was well behaved (mostly) and ate his lunch with some encouragement, and Isla did not serenade the other diners with her falsetto screaming, phew! Our confidence in venturing out for more dining experiences is growing!
Last Bite: Arthur’s By the River is a unique kid-friendly restaurant tucked away in Woronora in the Sutherland Shire. With a simple yet satisfying menu and stunning location, this gem is well worth the visit over the bridge to the “Shire”. Why not make a day of it and hire a boat or canoe and paddle your breakfast or lunch off around the river?
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes, if you carry your stroller upstairs there is plenty of space within the restaurant. Easy access: No, a flight of stairs to enter the restaurant. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: Yes, simple but all the standard favourites.
Arthur’s By the River
Level 1, 2 Prices Cct
Woronora, NSW 2232
Phone: (02) 9545 6557
Prices: $$
Hours: Wed-Fri 7am-4pm and 5:30am-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 8am-3pm and 5:30-9pm Get Directions
Kitchen By Mike is a baby-friendly brunch find. In fact, it’s a Saturday morning staple with my family. It’s such a great little find that I almost don’t want to share it. Almost.
This Saturday morning, like all Saturdays, Baby Lukas and I rocked up to Kitchen By Mike’s to meet my husband, Lorin, his cycling mates, and his cycling mates’ partners and children. The place is an old warehouse, so not only is it large enough to accommodate a dozen prams, it also fits all the mens’ bicycles and related gear.
After a quick trip to the counter to order food, Baby Lukas and I made our way over to join our over-spandexed men who were sitting at one of the large share tables. The share tables are great and almost ensure that you can always find a place to sit. Plus, you pay for your food and drink on ordering, which makes for quick getaways (necessary when Baby Lukas nuclear reacts mid-way through brunch, a common event).
Ordering food
What really makes Kitchen By Mike a great place to brunch is that the food is fantastic. The menu is simple but the ingredients and combinations are mouth-watering. Try the Eggs Benedict: it will redefine (and potentially spoil, in a good way) the dish for you. At the very least it will keep you coming back for more. Today even Baby Lukas tried to get into his dad’s hollandaise sauce when I wasn’t looking. If sweets such as pancakes are your thing, try the Sourdough Pancakes with Lemon Curd. It’s a foodies delight.
Some of the best Eggs Benedict you’ll find in SydneySourdough Pancakes with Lemon Curd. Or simply ‘a taste of heaven’.
The food comes out quickly, but for impatient toddlers, there’s a shop adjacent to the café, which sells very cool Koskela housing décor, and includes a kids’ area for play. Well, at least I think it’s for play. No one ever tells us not to play there, and today was no different. It’s also a great place to take out-of-towners. They’ll be very impressed!
The really cool area for kids.
Today, Baby Lukas was a model baby: no quick exit was needed, and we were able to enjoy our meals at our leisure. On our way out, I saw someone else being served the Eggs Benny, and the only thought I had in my head was “can’t wait until next Saturday!”.
Last bite: If you’re looking for a go-to baby- and toddler-friendly brunch place that serves delicious food, has easy parking a big space for kids to play, Kitchen By Mike is the go.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes. Easy access: Yes. There’s a ramp. Street parking is also easy. Change tables: Yes. Kids’ menu: No.
Kitchen By Mike
85 Dunning Ave
Roseberry, NSW 2018
Phone: (02) 9280 0999
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm Get Directions
The Grounds of Alexandria is about as kid-friendly a place to eat as you can get: in addition to its indoor dining, there’s a large outdoor garden area with lots of space for prams and careening toddlers. Oh and there’s a pig. Called Kevin Bacon.
The Grounds, as the locals affectionately call it, is an oasis in the inner city known for its coffee (they’ve got a research and testing facility on site) and sustainable food practices (they grow their own herbs and seasonal produce). It’s more a destination spot than just a restaurant, café and bakery. And did I mention they’ve got a pig? Kevin Bacon.
On a gorgeously sunny winter day, I ventured out with Baby Lukas to meet a friend for lunch at The Grounds.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Baby Lukas has been known to nuclear react at this time of day, and The Grounds is perfect for this potential situation: the amazing rustic outdoor garden, nestled amongst produce grown for the café, means that screaming, misbehaving and bored children blend into the scenery instead of standing out. There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore, including a gym for kids. Oh, and did I mention the pig Kevin Bacon?
Many places for kids to exploreThe divine outdoor garden
Once you get over the gorgeousness of the place, the takeaway menu (only available to those eating in the garden) presents mouth-watering options. On today’s outing, I chose a Chicken Burger with Chips, and I can’t recommend this unique burger enough. Don’t ask questions, just order it. You won’t be disappointed.
Chicken burger and chips. You won’t regret it.
Baby Lukas kindly waited until I had shoved a few bites into my mouth before deciding to nuclear react, which is about when I played my trump card: off to visit Kevin Bacon. The pig. Needless to say, it worked a treat. Lukas was smitten and I was able to shove the rest of my delicious meal in my face. Happy ending indeed.
The infamous Kevin Bacon. A hit with kids!
Now the one thing I would recommend is getting there early. The Grounds attracts the hordes, and even though the outdoor area is large enough to almost always find a place to sit, the queues for ordering food can be daunting.
Last bite: If you’re looking for a kid-friendly eatery and destination that offers more than just food and excellent coffee on the menu, The Grounds is the place to be.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes. Easy access: Yes. Change tables: Yes. Kids’ menu: No. Lots for kids to eat off the menu, though!
The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A, N0.2 Huntley St
Alexandria, NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9699 2225
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 7:30am-4pm
The Chalkboard Cafe is a baby-friendly gem amongst the hectic café scene near the bustling Danks Street in Waterloo. Integrated into the home interiors stores featured in the PYD building, the café is a trendy place to brunch.
The trendy interior, featuring furniture for sale
This afternoon my husband Lorin and I decided to take Baby Lukas there for a feed. Living quite literally around the corner from this baby-friendly find, we freehand-ported Baby Lukas, though the large space can fit multiple prams. In fact, it’s ideal for mothers groups for this very reason.
As soon as we got there, Baby Lukas required a nappy change (I think he planned it). There’s a change table on the second floor, which is a little cumbersome to get to but a set of stairs or a slow lift will assist.
Once Baby Lukas was sorted, we sat him down on a large square table (quite literally). The staff quickly offered us a highchair but were perfectly content if we just let him play on the table. Because let’s face it: Baby Lukas doesn’t do highchairs. Now, I should point out that this is very nice (naive?) of the staff because most of the furniture in the café is for sale from the stores in the building.
Exhibit A: Baby Lukas on playing on the table
The menu has a great selection of all-day brunch items as well as sandwiches, salads and soups. I ate a delicious Crispy Chicken plate, comprising deep friend tenders with chili sauce, a tortilla and a side salad. Lorin scored a surprisingly Canadian affair of Brioche French Toast with bacon rashers, maple syrup and carmalised bananas. We were both pleased with our meals.
The unusual but very tasty Crispy Chicken plate
While we ate, we were visited by several staff who kept Baby Lukas happily occupied. On cue, about five bites before I would consider my meal finished, Baby Lukas started fussing, his low-grade, pre-banshee warning siren. Considering he hadn’t soiled or broken anything, it was high time to make an exit before he de-charmed the staff.
Last bite: If you’re looking for a baby-friendly café with lots of space for prams in the bustle that is trendy Danks Street in Waterloo, The Chalkboard Cafe is the go.
It’s that familiar weekend challenge: finding a kid-friendly restaurant that can accommodate a large group people, including kids ranging from 7 months to 5-years old, and not just a little bit of chaos.
On a decidedly spring-like autumn Saturday, our herd descended upon Darley Street Bistro in Clovelly to try our luck with lunch.
Enjoying conversation at the adult end of the table
Now, lunch out with my 7-month-old son Baby Lukas is like a game of roulette: either he’ll be amazingly charming or he’ll be a screaming banshee before lunch is served.
Darley Street Bistro is a cozy affair, which is code for don’t bring a pram if you can do without one. Upon being seated at two long tables, we were given paper menus which the older kids immediately turned around to colour. Baby Lukas was stuffed (he’s got the chub) in a pristine-for-now high chair.
Like the place itself, the menu was smallish, with a handful of delicious pasta dishes and sandwiches. I chose the Southern Crispy Chicken Wrap. Some sort of secret-sauce-style zing really upped the ante on this little number. This is a must-order or a convince-your-partner/friend-to-order-and-eat-theirs.
The older kids all chose Fish and Chips from the kids menu, and I’m pretty sure that judging from the empty plates (and perhaps a sneaky bite) it was delicious.
Digging into the fish and chips from the kids menu
Back in the high chair, Baby Lukas was flinging pureed goop all over the no-longer pristine high chair and anyone within hitting distance. He had also moved on from smiling at everyone to escalating shrieking, indicating that our time was running out.
Baby Lukas eating the menu as a side to accompany his green goop
The ridiculously accommodating and non-fussed staff, realizing our plight, arranged for my husband and I to receive our food first so we could take off when needed. Their kid-friendly approach to service really took the stress out of lunch so we could focus on, well, lunch.
Last bite: If you’re looking for a kid-friendly place that caters for larger groups and takes reservations, you can’t go wrong with Darley Street Bistro. We’ll certainly be back!
My birthday fell on day 3 of our Melbourne trip. We had a sleep in, breakfast in the hotel, and then sauntered off to the Tim Burton Exhibition. I’ve always admired his films, so seeing his artwork on loan from personal collections was quite amazing. I found it entertaining picturing him as an animator for Disney, seeing as his personal style is quite the opposite.
I felt most inspired seeing the exhibition, as Tim Burton has clearly worked extremely hard to get to where he is. For every success he has had, he’s had more than double the amount of projects go nowhere. His passion and skill have taken him to where he is, also his tenacity. It reminded me to be stronger and not give up on my dreams.
Hello giant blow-up scary person.
“Nananananananana BATMAN!”
My favourite quote of the day, overheard in the exhibition: “Did he do Shrek?” Lol.
After the exhibition we wandered around some more on the river banks until the sun went down.
The Yarra.
Very scenic.
As CBD as it gets.
Pretty bridge makes for nice photos.
Baroo?
It’s my birthday and I’ll pose if I want to.
And make my husband pose too!
Another graffiti wall.
Outside the ACMI building – such a cool design.
I lurve you blob!
Raaarrr!
We didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, lol.
Run, husband!
Blobs make for handy seats too.
And then SHE said …
After much wandering, we had dinner at the very funky Fifteen. I love Jamie Oliver, so was keen to try his restaurant.
The restaurant was excellent. Stylish, great vibe, fabulous service. The food was really great, interesting recipes rather than the stock standard type, particularly for the veggo options.
What is down the stairs?!
Happy birthday to me! (This may have started out as “happy birrhday” …)
Another year older …
One more pose for the road. Happy, well-fed and slightly tipsy.
Even the restaurant had graffiti art …
I’m on a tram!
Back at the hotel – Alec and the frog, together at last.
I wore out my husband …
Thanks so much for the fantastic weekend away Alec 🙂 xox
I attended another of Signorelli’s cooking classes for Greg’s birthday. The chocolate-lover’s birthday fell on the day of the course, so we considered it a sign from above that we were meant to be there.
This time, it was Appreciate Chocolate with Kakawa Chocolate‘s Jin Sun Kim and David Ralph. The class consisted of a master tasting session, history of chocolate and demonstrations of how to temper chocolate, make ganache and create truffles.
The evening started with a platter of delicious fruits and dipping chocolate, and some potent Toblerone cocktails.
Nothing says welcome like a tasting platter…
… and cocktails.
Hello there birthday boy.
Ohhh, pretty things waiting to be tasted.
The husband enjoys his chocolately goodness.
As do I!
Kakawa’s David Ralph spouts wisdom.
Ground up cacao beans – not especially tasty.
Dark chocolate – not my favourite, but not bitter like most generic dark chocolate is.
White “chocolate”. Mmm sugary…
Blend of milk chocolate – love it. The markings are from bubble wrap.
Champagne truffles.
Basil truffles. Not for me, but very shiny.
Passionfruit/mango truffles. Amazing.
Almond slivers in milk chocolate.
Tempering chocolate.
Mmmm I’d like to lick the chocolate off the slab. Who cares about truffles.
Hello master bar tender. Thank you for the exquisite beverages.
Why birthday boy, whatever do you have there?
The class was excellent and I learned a great deal about chocolate. I was also given a huge amount of chocolate to taste and then take home. I have a high tolerance for chocolate, but still felt ill after eating so much chocolate. I can’t wait to go to Kakawa’s store eat more of their chocolate!
SIGNORELLI GASTRONOMIA Ground floor of Accenture/Google Building Trouton Place Pyrmont NSW 2009 (opposite Metcalfe Park) P: 02 8571 0616
