A cafe that caters especially to families that doesn’t compromise on style. No, it’s not a mystical creature, it does indeed exist, in the form of a sweet little cafe called Lark, in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. Started by Kari Browne, a journalist, and Lori Kranczer, a lawyer, Lark was born when the two mothers realised there was nowhere in their neighbourhood for families to go to relax, connect and have fun.
We dropped by Lark on a Saturday afternoon after playing in nearby Prospect Park.
At the front counter we were delighted to see locally-sourced food such as our favourite Dough doughnuts. Lark also features Blue Marble ice-cream, Ovenly cookies and cupcakes, Colson pastries, Betty Bakery cookies, ring-a-dings and twinks, Magpies pop tarts and Stumptown coffee.
I tried a lemon pop tart, while Alec tested out a chocolate croissant and a coffee. My pop tart was like a giant shortbread cookie, filled with lemon jam – both Cheese and I really enjoyed the sugar hit. Alec, who has a serious love of croissants, pronounced that his treat was “really good” – as evidenced by the speed in which it was inhaled.
A really great feature of Lark is the events that they hold in the cafe and adjoining event space. Lark offers daily sing-a-longs and story time, as well as live jazz on Saturday afternoons. Performers include well-known kiddie faves such as AudraRox, Music For Aardvarks and Rolie Polie Guacamole. They also host new parent meet-ups and Babes and Beer Happy Hour, which sounds right up our alley!
Being a Saturday afternoon, we were lucky to be in time to catch vintage jazz duo, Honey, Dear, who performed some cruisy, bluesy tunes, a perfect low-key compliment to the relaxed atmosphere.
As an added bonus, Cheese adored the jazz music. She was totally engrossed in watching the performance (and eating my pop tart), so it was a really enjoyable afternoon for us all.
Lark is constantly adding new events to its already jam-packed schedule. Coming up is a floral arrangement class for kids (junior family members will have fun with flowers, such as making a bouquet), which is being run in conjunction with Stems (the floral shop connected to Sycamore, the bar). Summer at Lark heralds even more new events, including a revolving art exhibit featuring local artists.
Last bite: Lark is your go-to cafe for relaxing with family and friends. Catch a kiddie class or weekend jazz, or just stop by for some seriously good treats.
Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No.
Lark
1007 Church Ave,
Brooklyn, NY 11218
Phone: (718) 469-0140
Hours: Mon-Thur 7am-7pm, Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-7pm
