Pram Friendly Restaurants in Canberra?

Firstly, people that complain about kids at restaurants are incredibly gross. Mind your own damn business.

We have been taking our 4 and 2 year old to Indian affair since they were born. Very welcoming and always tell us not to worry when we apologise for the rice mess.

Vietnamese in Pearce has plenty of room.

Kutas in erindale Vikings club, while in a club, is still better quality eating than a lot of supposed fine dining places in this town.

We’ve dined out quite regularly since littleschoey arrived in February and I have what can only be described as the monster truck of prams! We live north side so most of our experiences have been there. Can recommend:
* Cork Street Cafe in Gundaroo – really relaxed vibe, divine pizzas. Nice place to chill for a late lunch or early dinner with the warmer weather. Not only did people have kids but they had their dogs too!
* Grazing in Gundaroo – while we haven’t been there since bub they appear to be v accommodating of kids
* Siren Bar in Gungahlin – have been there for lunch with some other mums and there was heaps of room
* Trevinos at Gold Creek Country Club – while you said no clubs this is a step above the usual club fare
* Entice Restaurant at Gungahlin Lakes – the “fancy” restaurant inside the club. Lovely food and v accommodating
* Pork Barrell – didn’t think we’d fit but plenty of room.
* Babar in Civic – my go to place before child when catching up with friends with kids. While it can be on the noisy side there is heaps of room for prams
* wagamama in Civic – not exactly top end but good for a quick meal and can fit a pram.

We always book for 2 + a pram and people have been v friendly and accommodating. At 3 months littleschoey generally slept the whole time we were out anyway. It’s getting a bit more difficult now he’s older and wants to eat what us big people eat.

Not having the option of leaving littleschoey at home, it’s been nice to still be able to go out.

Hope you have a great time! Can say we’ve only ever had smiles and positivity from the staff at the restaurants and the surrounding customers when we’ve been out.

maxblues said :

poetix said :

maxblues said :

Ok Poetix, maybe I have been loudly extolling the lack of virtues of charnel houses in Charnwood, whilst wielding a splade in threatening manner, but please oh please don’t lump me in the same category as those smelly little people. Sure peeps will say I was once one of them, but my maternal guardian had the thrifty sense of keeping me in a cardboard box in a poorly lit room,

And people say I’m strange!

(They’re quite right, of course. I should totally revel in the ‘special aioli’ that is baby puke.)

Sporfs are cool, by the way. I was told that by a cool person.

And I thought sporf was something like ‘special aioli’.

Come on cultured Canberrans, it has been over 12 hours now and not one of you has addressed the elephant in the room…yes I called a splayd a splade. Have none of you taken advantage of Commonwealth subsidized Concise Cutlery Course?

Just to widen the debate slightly. Why is it that prams of this era are of a size that would justify their own postcode? Many (>25) years ago I remember that my own offspring were very happy in much smaller devices. They are both grown and healthy adults now. Do we just have these behemoths now because we can?
Discuss. Enlighten.

Our bub is a year old and we’ve dined out as often as we can. Sometimes it’s just easier to leave the pram behind and just take a bag of baby stuff for emergencies. We’ve always dined with family/friends that love and understand bubs. We simply take turns at nursing bub while we eat. Bub feels more involved that way too. If OpenYourMind jr does get grisly, usually a bit of a walk outside fixes things.

I’m conscious that others may have chosen a quiet restaurant, I know what it feels like to have that ruined by a screaming child. I’d like to imagine that we aren’t inflicting this on others.

I would recommend
1. Joey’s Kitchen – Watson shops. Very accommodating and nice food.
2. Cafe Injoy – Gungahlin. Only been here for lunch. Lots of rooms between tables
3. Rodney’s Cafe – Rodney’s at Piallago. Most of their seating is outdoors though
4. Kitchen Cabinet – Old Parliament House. Use the disable entrance to get around the stairs.

Good luck with your search.

I would always book a table for ‘two and a half’, and would usually end up in a fairly manageable part of the restaurant.

aceofspades said :

Solidarity said :

poetix said :

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

You’re a sad, strange, little man.

How could you have been on RA so long and not know that poetix is female. I also entirely agree with her. As politically incorrect as it is to say, there are some places that should be baby free.

Or, as suggested by somebody else, just stash the capsule+baby under the table while you enjoy your meal.

But FFS leave the bloody Toorak-tractor accessorised pram at home. Restaurants are not the place for them.

jase! said :

shirty_bear you make two assumptions. the first one is that I don’t have kids and the second is that if I don’t have them I want them, I will give you a clue, one of them is wrong

Happy to help with the impregnation, if that’s the hold-up.

Well, just looking at Dickson (because I know it well), I think you could go to Rasa Sayang, the vegetarian one next door (Au Lac?), both indian restaurants, Pho Phu Quoc, Three Sisters Thai probably Rubys and Jimmys. All of these places have room for a pram – if you get there early you can get a table in the corner (so no one is behind you) and you can put the pram there up against the wall.

Been there, done that – mostly in Dickson!

This also isn’t a direct answer to your question, but have you got a bouncer (bouncinet, whatever)? If not, get one. They use less real-estate than a pram and the bubs are often just as happy to fall asleep in them. Most restaurants will have room for you to put one down..

I can concur with the comments made about Ellacure, but really there are lots of places that are just fine if you have a bouncer.

It isn’t special, but it is cheap and easy and plenty of room for prams – the verandah bit of Zeffirellis belconnen.

The food is quick too, and you can have a glass of wine. If you go early for dinner it is pretty empty.

Some of the local winery restaurants are good too and roomy, but the names have flown out of my head.

Stephanie said :

I also resent the comment DrKoresh- The assumption that new mothers have an ‘entitled smugness’ is poor and completely wrong. When you leave hospital they dont give you your child, booklets on feeding and a booklet on your right to be a smug cow!. As you feel that you are entitled to assume that of myself and all other new mothers, I will make the assumption that you are one of the rude and ignorant people that watches a mother struggle to get through a door way with a pram or watches as we drop something and struggle to pick it up whilst we hold the other hundred things we have in our hands. Common courtesy goes a long way…. That is why I am conscious of my pram everywhere I go and make sure I am not inconveniencing people like you.

Hats off to any new mum that can manage to pull off looking “smug” – the best most of us can manage 3 months in is looking wildly flustered or mildly concussed.

I hope you have a lovely night out Stephanie.

@Stephanie – hope you have a great night. Not sure if it is the sort of thing you are after but, A Bite to Eat is pretty child friendly, does great food and has some top beer on tap

Thanks to most of you for your comments. I’m not fussy with the location, its Canberra so worst case I’m going somewhere that’s 20 minutes away- Although I do like the suggestion of Bungendore.

I asked for somewhere pram friendly because my bub is most content in his pram whether he is asleep or awake. I’m not keen on the sling idea especially eating over it and I do not have a portable capsule.

I am after somewhere that has good food and is worth going to whilst it being for a special dinner out.

Obviously if I was intending on going out without my child I wouldn’t need to be posting this question. Being a new mum I wanted to see whether people had good experiences at certain places.

I also resent the comment DrKoresh- The assumption that new mothers have an ‘entitled smugness’ is poor and completely wrong. When you leave hospital they dont give you your child, booklets on feeding and a booklet on your right to be a smug cow!. As you feel that you are entitled to assume that of myself and all other new mothers, I will make the assumption that you are one of the rude and ignorant people that watches a mother struggle to get through a door way with a pram or watches as we drop something and struggle to pick it up whilst we hold the other hundred things we have in our hands. Common courtesy goes a long way…. That is why I am conscious of my pram everywhere I go and make sure I am not inconveniencing people like you.

So please keep an eye on this thread and ensure you do not go to any of the suggested restaurants where you might have to endure my smugness.

I understand that some places are for ‘adults only’ and I have thought back to places I used to go and realise that they fall into this category so again this is the reason for my post.

Tulips at Pialago is amazingly kid friendly and I go there for lunch dates.

As for a proper night out… I’d go with the other parents suggesting ditching the pram for the night and using a capsule or papoose to let the bubba snooze under the table. Try to go when you expect a good solid sleep from them (ie, if you have a witching hour, avoid it because it’s not going to be any fun for anyone)

Good on you for wanting a night out. Maybe start somewhere semi casual so you don’t heap a lot of pressure on yourselves for a perfect date night (Indian, Thai etc) and then if that’s successful try something more fancy, making sure you advise the restaurant in advance.

When my little guy was three months old I could have taken him anywhere and relied on him to be fine but one of our biggest considerations was not wanting to put others off their night out so we did a lot of our dates during the day.

Don’t be hard on Poetix…you can surely tell that she has been locked away with a baby.

I am on a crusade to find somewhere in my area that is child friendly but also attractive to adults. Unfortunately I don’t really have any recommendations at this stage unless you are keen to sit outside all the time or just go to your local club.

It is a pain when babies cry, especially in confined spaces, but as long as the parents are doing what they can then there are much bigger things to get your knickers in a twist about..

My personal strategy for the dinner hour with kids is to go early. I recall beng somewhere with two relatively well behaved children and another mother at about 6pm and we still got disapproving looks from childfree couples and the restaurant staff – and the kids were honestly being ok. The upshot is that i told many people that i wouldn’t bother wth the restarant as they were not very welcoming.

For heavens sake, if you don’t want children in your line of sight, then go out to dinner when adults do, I.e. later or somewhere more expensive whe you won’t find them.

Anyway, three months old eat, sleep and poo. That won’t other many as long as the pram is it a problem. Good luck.

poetix said :

maxblues said :

Ok Poetix, maybe I have been loudly extolling the lack of virtues of charnel houses in Charnwood, whilst wielding a splade in threatening manner, but please oh please don’t lump me in the same category as those smelly little people. Sure peeps will say I was once one of them, but my maternal guardian had the thrifty sense of keeping me in a cardboard box in a poorly lit room,

And people say I’m strange!

(They’re quite right, of course. I should totally revel in the ‘special aioli’ that is baby puke.)

Sporfs are cool, by the way. I was told that by a cool person.

And I thought sporf was something like ‘special aioli’.

…”I’m after restaurants that are ok with prams and have the space to bring a pram through (and wont act like its a big inconvenience)…”

They’re not “acting” like it’s a big inconvenience, it IS a big inconvenience, to their staff and their patrons.

That said, threads like these are very useful… they serve as a warning of where not to go if you want to avoid the Pram Brigade (shudder).

maxblues said :

Ok Poetix, maybe I have been loudly extolling the lack of virtues of charnel houses in Charnwood, whilst wielding a splade in threatening manner, but please oh please don’t lump me in the same category as those smelly little people. Sure peeps will say I was once one of them, but my maternal guardian had the thrifty sense of keeping me in a cardboard box in a poorly lit room,

And people say I’m strange!

(They’re quite right, of course. I should totally revel in the ‘special aioli’ that is baby puke.)

Sporfs are cool, by the way. I was told that by a cool person.

Also: +1 for Ellacure. They always seem happy to accommodate prams, and there’s never really much of an issue moving between tables.

Isn’t it a good thing that people are taking their kids to decent places to eat (not just fast food and ‘family-style’ restaurants)? Surely it gets the kids used to what behaviour is expected of them at these nicer places.

Of course, this doesn’t really apply to infants. But as others have pointed out, they’re hardly of the age to throw tantrums, run around, etc.

I’m sure there are plenty of restaurants who would love your business, provided that:
1) you tell them you’re bringing a baby in a pram
2) you book well in advance so they can arrange seating so that you can get in and out easily and that you aren’t seated next to the couple trying to have a romantic dinner which should not be interrupted by a crying baby.
3) you recognise that if your baby cries you should take it out of ear shot of other customers until it stops crying, make sure the restaurant has an area where you can do this and not have to stand outside in the cold.

I personally wouldn’t recommend trying to eat hot food with a baby in a sling.

I never took a baby there, but I’ve been to D’Browse in Narrabundah with an older toddler and they were fantastic. Probably better on a weeknight though.

I do second the capsule idea too. I had a European one that I could rock with my foot whilst talking – not sure what the Australian ones are like. Or maybe you could take one of those rockers? Or the basinette? If you want the pram so you can rock it to soothe baby, outside is going to be your only option and it’s still a tad chilly for that.

Good luck. It’s important to go out with a baby and do normal grown-up stuff. And the more people do it the more others will get used to the idea and the less they’ll whinge. Except on here of course…

Come on out to Cafe Woodworks in Bungendore. You’ll be most welcome.

Hello Cafe at the Campbell shops and Connect at Gungahlin Marketplace are both good for mums with prams.

Solidarity said :

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

You’re a sad, strange, little man.

How could you have been on RA so long and not know that poetix is female. I also entirely agree with her. As politically incorrect as it is to say, there are some places that should be baby free.

Ok it’s not the first time I’ve called a splade a spade and I do use both utensils when I’m eating.

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

Ok Poetix, maybe I have been loudly extolling the lack of virtues of charnel houses in Charnwood, whilst wielding a splade in threatening manner, but please oh please don’t lump me in the same category as those smelly little people. Sure peeps will say I was once one of them, but my maternal guardian had the thrifty sense of keeping me in a cardboard box in a poorly lit room,

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

Ok Poetix, maybe I have been loudly extolling the lack of virtues of charnel houses in Charnwood, whilst wielding a spade in threatening manner, but please oh please don’t lump me in the same category as those smelly little people. Sure peeps will say I was once one of them, but my maternal guardian had the thrifty sense of keeping me in a cardboard box in a poorly lit room,

Eby said :

I can second Bella Vista in Belconnen and Ellacure in Bruce for being pram friendly and generally baby friendly.

+1 for both of those.

poetix said :

Solidarity said :

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

You’re a sad, strange, little man.

A very strange little man indeed. As one who has been at home with a baby, I know that of which I speak.

If you don’t want to hear people eat, or people talk loudly, I suggest that perhaps you are the one that needs to stay at home.

Solidarity said :

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

You’re a sad, strange, little man.

A very strange little man indeed. As one who has been at home with a baby, I know that of which I speak.

I can second Bella Vista in Belconnen and Ellacure in Bruce for being pram friendly and generally baby friendly.

By ‘nice’ restaurant do you mean ‘up market special occasion’ or do you mean ‘good food and worth going to’? Lots of the comments to date yelling at you, assume the former but your reference to something ‘nicer than a club’ suggests you actually just want somewhere good but not high end dining.

In the latter category you can count many Asian restaurants – they are generally less formal and you can fit the pram against the wall somewhere (not all – I wouldnt try Sammys, for example).

Anyway, as mentioned – what part of the ACT are you looking at?

Young mum’s with big honking prams were always my least favourite customer demographic when I was working at Flathead’s (not counting one particular clan of filthy hippies and their bratty, spoiled chillen). They always park their prams in the way and then crack the shits when people have to push past or ask them to move the contraption, they let their children make disgusting messes and on top of that they all seem to possess an entitled smugness that apparently comes with being a new mother.

poetix said :

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

You’re a sad, strange, little man.

Feed the baby.
Say hello to babysitter.
Go out for nice dinner.
Return home.
Feed baby.

I do not want to be in a good restaurant with other people’s children. Or anyone who can’t use cutlery properly. Or anyone who I can hear eating from the next table. Or anyone who talks loudly about real estate, for that matter. All bad.

But to put a nicer spin on it, you deserve to have a break from looking after the baby, and to go out with your partner or friends. As do the other people in the restaurant.

Ellacure in Bruce is very accommodating with children/babies, has very nice food and good, attentive service.

Try Pialligo. Several nurseries have nice eating areas and room outside to sprawl. And the surrounds are nice.

shirty_bear you make two assumptions. the first one is that I don’t have kids and the second is that if I don’t have them I want them, I will give you a clue, one of them is wrong

Yes, this post will most likely spark a debate about babies in public, and lots of comments that parents must necessarily become shut-ins until their children leave home of their own accord.

That aside, my best advice is to simply call the restaurant/cafe of your choice to make a booking, let them know you’ll be bringing a young baby in a pram, and ask if this will be a problem. Other options are to wear bub in a sling, if that’s your thing, or just bring in the bassinet (leaving the pram base in the car) or the capsule, and park your sleeping baby under the table – this has worked a treat for us in the past. I don’t know whether you’re after dinner only, but cafes with outdoor seating are great for lunch.

You know your baby – have an escape plan to soothe crying and feed, but babies of this age are very portable, so don’t be put off by the naysayers. I don’t know any 3 month olds that have “tantrums”. Just extend courtesy and consideration and you’ll get it back 🙂

Why do you need a pram, why can’t you do what everyone else does, and that is take the capsule in and plonk it on one of the chairs?

Whilst being childless myself, I could suggest Bella Vista in Belconnen. They are usually more than accommodating to families.

I’ve got a dollar that says when jase! gets around to breeding, they’ll be the one with the tantrum-throwing-stroller-riding kid right in everyone’s way, claiming it’s their right to go somewhere nice.

Nothing constructive for the question itself, sorry … gave up going to nice places longer ago than I care to remember :-\

Please ignore jasel and his/her unnecessary rudeness and lack of consideration.

What area of the ACT are you looking at Stephanie?

probably not the kind of response you were looking for but please consider the other people that want to go to a nice/formal place and don’t want to be a. tripping over prams and b. subjected to baby noises/tantrums