to think that a truly child friendly cafe doesn't exist?

[scoobytoo]

I am so tired of going to child friendly cafes and struggling in with buggy kids and shopping and trying to take drinks/food from counter whilst locating highchairs whilst staff watch from afar. A few dirty toys at the back of the cafe really don't make for a child friendly experience. AIBU or has anyone actually experienced a really child friendly cafe?

All cafes have hot drinks in them and if they are hot enough to be a 'nice coffee' then they are hot enough to scald a child. It may actually be impossible for a cafe to be child-friendly.

Livingstones in Cambridge :-)

Easy access, friendly staff, table service, proper play space with wendy house, nice high chairs and great cakes :-)

Cafes will never be truly child friendly because there will always be people without children that want to use them as well. So the cafe has to strike a balance between accepting children and offering highchairs, a few toys and some child friendly food and drinks, and maintaining it as a place that people want to use when they don't have children.

I have children, I work with children, but I actively avoid Costa if there's a Mum and baby group going on in there. Which there seems to be nearly every morning and afternoon unless it's the one right in the centre of town. of course Mums and babies/toddlers have the right to be in there, but it does change the atmosphere for everyone else. Which is why cafes probably don't feel the need to be any more child friendly than they already are.

Does anyone know of any really good ones in West London?