Do you know your Cafe ABC's?

Last month l did a guest article for Alphabet Street Melbourne. Alphabet Street is an online destination for all things to do with kids and they list all the current child friendly activities happening in New Castle, Melbourne and Sydney. I was so chuffed with this article that l had written (nothing like a bit of self praise eh!) that l thought l just had to share it on my blog. You may or may not have seen it so here it is again for your reading pleasure....

Love to eat out? Love coffee? Love ANY meal you haven’t had to prepare yourself? (Of course you do – well derr!) Check out these cafes and restaurants for size. It’s Hey Bambini’s quick guide to Melbourne’s best and what better way to remember them by – it’s the Hey Bambini ABC guide to fabulous family dining.

A is for Afternoon Tea at APTE in Alphington

B is for BABYCINOS. Get your Babycino fix at Babycinos Garden Cafe

C is for Coffee Beans – Roasted on site ‘coffee heads’ can check out The Auction Rooms in North Melbourne

D is for is for Family DAY TRIP. From Ballarat to Sassafras we have 20 “Out Of Town” Cafes and Restaurants to choose from HERE.

E is for ETIQUETTE. Kid’s table manners start at home. Teach kids to chew with their mouths closed, use spoons and forks and push in their chairs after meals.

F is for Fairfield Boat House. Great family day out on the River

G is for GOOGLE maps, the best app going around guiding you on your way from cafe to cafe.

H is for HIGHCHAIR. Call ahead and book a highchair if you’re dining out at a busy time of the day or BYO Totseat

I is for ICE CREAM. If dining out at night time, order the children’s Ice Cream with your mains. Ice Cream is sure to keep active toddlers in their seats while Mum and Dad eat and enjoy their meals.

J is for Junior Republic Cafe & Boutique – shop – play – learn and eat

K is for KIDS MENUS. From fresh fruit salad with yogurt to nuggets and chips loads of cafes and restaurants cater for the kids if you know where to look.

L is for Leroy’s Cafe in Newport. It’s one of the BEST new kid friendly cafes in town.

M is for Miss Marmalade Cafe. They cater for kids and mother’s groups and serve delicious food.

N is for NAPPY. Jack and Daisy’s Cafe stock emergency supplies of Nappies for forgetful parents

O is for ORGANISED. Some cafes do have toys, books and games but always pack some extras yourself just in case.

P is for PATIENCE – bring it by the bucket load!

Q is for QUIET the time of the meal when children are happily eating. Silence really is golden.

R is for READING – Combine the love of books, coffee and cake, pop into Teatime and Tales in Carlton North for a tea party.

S is for SPACE – Let the kids roam the parklands in Bulleen then have a light lunch at the stylish Cafe Vue at the Heide Museum

T is for TOYS – find all the fun cafes in town HERE with the BEST toys

U is for UNDISCOVERED – jump in the car and drive to the other side of town.

V is for Verb Cafe in Flemington has Highchairs – Pencils - Books and Activities for the kids.

W is for Warren Glen Cafe – has Highchairs, kids menu, ducks and Thomas the Tank Engine.

X is for XYLOPHONE is case you didn’t know!

Y is for YUM CHA - dumplings, won tons, spring rolls – oh my!

Z is for Zzzzzz – the sound of sleeping in the car on the way home from a fun dining out adventure.

So now it’s time to bundle up the family and with a tiny bit of adventure and the Hey Bambini cafe knowledge you will have this weekend mapped out in no time with fun eating out experiences for the kids.

How well do you know your ABC’s?