For parents, the big advantage of this cafe is that they've got a playpen. The cafe seems to be deliberately branded as a child friendly cafe;more on that later. I put V down while a went to the loo. Quite handy as my one handed pee technique isn't quite perfected yet.
I was handed a menu and a bottle of water as I sat down-good service with smiles all around. The cafe has lots of tables, one elevated and a cushioned sofa area. There's a dedicated changing table; though the lights are directly above it, the position could probably be changed. High chairs are provided, all very handy.
The menu was interesting. There was a limited range for my budget. I ended up having the garlic sauteed mushrooms on toast and a flat white. The mushrooms were OK. The meal wasn't very heavy and was lightly seasoned-a good thing as you could taste the mushrooms, however I could not really taste the garlic (maybe my taste buds are used to the handfuls of garlic I usually chuck into my cooking). At $16, I personally found it a bit expensive- but in keeping with the general cafe prices I guess. There weren't many appropriate lower priced items I could choose from. The lamb sausage roll at the The Larder seems to be my baseline for now.
The flat white was quite strong but not bitter, not all cafes manage to pull it off. You'd only need one, which is a good thing!
With regards to the child friendly branding, the cafe provides kids snack packs for $5 (plus a kids menu) and there were signs requesting parents not to bring food for their kids in lunchboxes. Although I understand their reasoning, I would personally find it very expensive to bring my stepchildren to the cafe. My meal cost $20 and if I came along with my partner and kids, it'll be upwards of $50 for a session.
Although the playpen was handy, I couldn't really put a baby in there once a group of toddlers arrived. Very handy for parents of toddlers though.
Overall, I'd recommend it for parents of kids who are happy to play in the playpen. It's plus sides are good coffee, friendly service, good facilities and the playpen. Minus; the cost. Not quite for me but I can definitely see the appeal for other parents.
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