Top Cafes When You've Got a Baby
Happy Days
One of the challenges facing a new parent is finding a place to meet friends for a coffee that won't add even more stress to an already chaotic new experience. Newborns are as unpredictable as they come, and there's nothing worse than arriving at a busy café and trying to find a place to park the stroller, only to have the little one go off the boil and ruin everyone's day!
All is not lost though, as Auckland has a plethora of great eating spots that are easy to reach as well as being great places to while away a few hours when you're totally desperate to get out of the house. They are well-equipped for your date too, with great coffee and food.
The inner city suburbs of Ponsonby, St Marys Bay and Grey Lynn are home to cafes like Ripe, Sliced, and Good One - all equipped with ample stroller space and sheltered and/or generous outdoor areas in case of a wail. Both Ripe and Sliced are essentially delis with outdoor seating so not strictly suited to the cooler months, but Good One in Ponsonby's Douglas Street has a great “loading dock” style area to its right where the wind and rain can easily be kept at bay. It also serves up the best coffee of the four, but that's a whole other story!
Santos Café in Ponsonby Road has a large courtyard out the front which sees many mums and dads with newborns whiling away a few hours in the sun during the warmer months. It also has a great, inexpensive menu of assorted filled paninis, salads and fresh juices, and according to the Sunday Star-Times’ Sunday magazine the best poached eggs in town! There is also ample coverage for rainy days, although things can get a little cool when the wind starts to whip through, so pack a sweater and a quilt for baby.
As well as the odd fantastic beach or two, the North Shore is also home to some great child-friendly dining spots, making a family day out just that much more stress free. A few recommendations I've received for newborns in particular were Windsor Park Café, Devonport's The Stone Oven, Minstrels and Borders Albany, where the staff are very tolerant of kids of all ages and make great fluffys for any toddlers in tow.
Editorial by Helene Ravlich