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Give
us little children giggling over cynical twentysomethings
talking about their angst any day. Based on your feedback
and our footwork, here are the very best cafes/coffee shops
for those with kids in tow:
My
CoffeeHouse
2818 E Madison St., in Madison Valley
206.568.7509
7:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
Parking: No; Changing table: Yes; Free
Wi-Fi: Not available
This gem was the hands-down favorite among our readers.
Adults come from all over for the coffee shop's NY bagels
(from H&H, guaranteed fresh on Saturdays), and well-made
lattes and bring their kids for playtime in the enormous
activity area. Here, Junior will find books, trains, mini
kitchen appliances (along with faux vegetables and a "microwave"),
Legos, plastic dinosaurs and more. Parents can socialize
or flip through current titles on the magazine rack. No
outside food allowed.
Bonus: Plum Children's Shoes, Santosha Yoga and Izilla
Toys are all within walking distance.
Vios
Café and Marketplace
903 19th Ave. E, on Capitol Hill
206.329.3236
11:00 am to 9:00 pm Tues.-Sat.
Parking: No; Changing table: Yes; Free
Wi-Fi: Not available
Not a true coffee shop (though it serves fab coffee), Vios
is ideal when you have the urge to escape the house for
a casual lunch or dinner. At the counter, order a Mediterranean
entrée or a tasty sandwich for yourself–we like
the meatball and tomato one–and get Little One some
mac and cheese and then head to the back of this café,
where a square, enclosed play area awaits. It's decorated
with darling black and white photos of calm children. Kids
divide their time between the kitchen pieces (a wooden stove
and refrigerator), stuffed animals, drawing boards and books.
Bonus: The Arboretum and Volunteer Park are nearby.
Child's
Play Café
10235 Main St., in Old Bellevue
425.453.6151
www.childsplaycafe.com
9:00 am to 3:00 pm Mon.-Fri. (available for birthday parties
on weekends)
Parking: Five spots in the back; Changing table:
Yes; Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Why didn't someone think of this earlier? Child's Play is
a roomy, light-filled café (the interior design is
not worth noting, but at least the place is nice and clean)
with supervised play areas so you can–after shelling
out $6.75–spend an hour having a real conversation
with a friend or reading a book without interruption. Kids
are divided into three play areas: Infant Room, Toddler
Zone (walkers) and the Big Kid Area (ages three to five).
Moms and dads swill coffee and eat panini; kids get to order
from a peanut-free menu of snacks (fruit, chicken nuggets,
goldfish crackers, etc.) and crust-free sandwiches. Use
the back entrance if you have a stroller–the steps
at the front entrance are steep. Note that reservations
are recommended–leave your desired time after the very
perky answering machine message.
Bonus: There's a chic new shoe store, Posh on Main,
with lines like Missoni, Hollywould, Gunmetal and Michael
Kors, going in next door. The grand opening is this Friday
and Saturday.
Firehouse
Coffee
2622 NW Market St.in Ballard
206.784.2911
www.inballard.com/Webroot/firehouse.shtml
6:00 am to 7:00 pm Mon.- Fri.; 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Sat. and
Sun.
Parking: Yes; Changing table: Yes; Free
Wi-Fi: Yes
This modern, cool coffee shop has a separate room, dubbed
the Little Chief's Kids Cafe (to the right when you walk
in the main entrance), with a sound-blocking door, where
parents can sit at "big people" tables and watch
as kids interact with blocks, books and toys. There's a
rocking chair for those breastfeeding, too. The limited
menu of sandwiches for adults and kids includes goodies
such as grilled cheese, PB&J and the Caprese, with tomatoes,
cheese and a yummy pesto sauce.
Bonus: Next door to Gymboree. Also, Me 'n Moms, a
great consignment shop with furniture and kids' clothing,
is just down the street, to the west.
Honorable
Mentions:
Many of these kid-friendly coffee shops have toys, books
or freebies for kids' amusement:
Tangletown:
Mighty-O Donuts (kids love the sprinkled donuts), 2110
N 55th St., 206.547.0335; www.mightyo.com
Capitol Hill:
Espresso Vivace (unbeatable espresso drinks and hot
chocolates), 901 E Denny Way, 206.860.5869; www.espressovivace.com
Mount Baker:
Sweet & Savory (delish handcrafted pastries) 1418 31st
Ave. S, 206.325.2900
Redmond:
Pomegranate Bistro (full organic espresso bar and grab-n-go
sandwiches), 18005 NE 68th St., 425.556.5972; www.lisaduparcatering.com
Ballard:
Sip & Ship (in a space with Ballard Mail & Dispatch
and a cute gift boutique), 1752 NW Market St., 206.789.4488;
www.sipandship.com
Maple Leaf:
Cloud City Coffee (animal crackers and raisins on the
menu for kids) 8801 Roosevelt Way NE, 206.527.5552; www.cloudcitycoffee.com
Eastlake:
Grand Central Bakery (mmm–the new Meat & Potato
sandwich; also, spacious aisles for strollers), Eastlake,
1616 Eastlake Ave., 206.957.9505; www.grandcentralbakery.com
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