kid friendly Alexandria Archives

kid friendly Alexandria

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

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)

The Grounds of Alexandria: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Alexandria, Sydney

June 10, 2013 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 0 comment

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?

The Grounds of Alexandria: Kid-Friendly restaurants in Alexandria, via brunchwithmybaby.com — Many places for kids to explore

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.

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.

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