Take 3: Child friendly cafes in Canberra the whole family will love

The end of term one is approaching, which heralds the start of two weeks of school holidays, so Region Media has rounded up three child-friendly cafes in Canberra the whole family will love to explore during the break.

Not only do all the cafes serve exceptional coffee and stellar food, but kids are welcome with open arms and catered for with amenities, including playgrounds.

Kitchen Garden at Rodney’s

Kitchen Garden at Rodney’s – housed inside landmark nursery Rodney’s Plants Plus in Pialligo – has been a staple in Canberra’s cafe scene since 1996. It’s a bustling, sprawling indoor-outdoor space with a cracking all-day menu, inspiring specials, and a rotating cake fridge – plus the bonus of serving wine.

The cafe has been taking nursery eating to a new level for more than a decade, and is family friendly thanks to its outdoor playground and dedicated children’s menu.

It’s a real family affair behind the scenes as well. Husband and wife team Nathan Kleinig and Emma Toll operate the cafe, while Emma’s parents, Rodney and Cheryl Toll, own the nursery.

Parents will love the hearty all-day dining options such as the ‘Gardener’s breakfast’ with two poached eggs, bacon, chipolata sausage, hash brown, mushroom and roasted tomato, or ‘Rodney’s steak sandwich’ with beetroot relish, rocket, caramelised onion, aioli and a serve of chips.

Children have their pick from classics such as spaghetti bolognese and fish and chips.

Kitchen Garden at Rodney’s is located at 24 Beltana Road, Pialligo. It’s open from 9 am to 4 pm daily.

Wildflour Artisan Bakery & Cafe

Fyshwick is synonymous with furniture stores, car yards and a labyrinth of warehouses. But until recent years, being at the forefront of the Canberra food scene, and being child friendly, was not one of them.

Wildflour Artisan Bakery & Cafe is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur and hospitality guru Michael Rose. He saw potential to make the Townsville Street venue a family friendly destination point for Fyshwick.

Michael says the cafe’s premise is simple: “Produce good quality products and give the public an option that is really good. Also, as a father of three young boys, we decided to put in an outdoor playground.”

Parents will love the ONA coffee and the whole family will relish the full cabinets of freshly baked cakes, pastries and breads.

Wildflour Artisan Bakery & Cafe, 8 Townsville Street, Fyshwick. Open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 2 pm; and Saturday to Sunday from 8:30 am to 2 pm.

Tulips Cafe

Tulips Cafe is an oasis in Pialligo with homestyle cooking and four separate dining areas to accommodate groups large and small.

Get cosy inside in front of the fireplace, or enjoy the outdoors with play equipment including a bouncy bumble bee, cubby house and slide.

If you are lucky, you may spot the resident peacock as well.

The children’s menu includes breakfast options such as vegemite toast soldiers and waffles, while lunch features nachos, burgers and nuggets.

Tulips Cafe is located at 8 Beltana Road, Pialligo, and is open seven days a week from 7 am.