baby friendly sydney Archives

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: $

Wahwah Lounge: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waterloo, Sydney

July 23, 2013 / Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food, Waterloo / 0 comment

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.

Wahwah Lounge - kid-friendly restaurants, Waterloo, NSW- via brunchwithmybaby.com — 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 - kid-friendly restaurants, Sydney, NSW- via brunchwithmybaby.com — 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

Grandma’s Little Bakery: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Alexandria, Sydney

June 26, 2013 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

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).

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 from the 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.

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

Grandma’s Little Bakery
42 O’Riordan Street
Alexandria, NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9690 0069
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Kitchen By Mike: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Rosebery, Sydney

June 15, 2013 / Eastern Suburbs, Roseberry, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

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).

Kitchen By Mike - Kid-friendly restaurants, Roseberry, Sydney, via brunchwithmybaby.com — 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.

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!

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