With a bouncy castle and a plethora of colourful toys, Cafe Melba is truly a space where children can play with other kids and nibble on their favourite snacks. 

I had the chance to tag along with my sister and her kids in this cafe and was delighted by their kids’ menu. 

Since my nieces both have sweet tooths, they both got French toast and a small portion of spaghetti with beef bolognese. As expected, they were more partial to the sweet, fried bread. 

There is also, of course, the adult-friendly menu, which surprisingly has a lot of options. My sister and I decided to keep things simple though, so we just opted for their parma ham and rocket pizza and a plate of their battered fish and chips. 

Both were delicious, but my sister and I especially loved the pizza. The crust had just the right amount of thickness, and the generous shaving of ham on top of the parmesan was the perfect savoury combo. 

That said, we want you to keep in mind that this place gets pretty packed and really loud. And if your priority is to treat your kids to a good meal, this is the last place you’d want since they’ll dash off to play as soon as you arrive. 

If you want to treat your kids to a fun day out, Little Spot’s outdoor play area might just be the perfect place to let your tots run free. 

My coworker vouches for this cafe, appreciating the garden area and the multitude of colouring books and pens that they provide to the kids. 

He remarked that this is no place to bring your family to eat hearty meals since their menu has limited options for adults. However, they have a kids’ menu with snacks and meals that children are sure to like. 

His son’s personal favourites are their ham and cheese toast dippers and crispy chicken fingers, but there are sweet treats too like chocolate marshmallow pancakes and even a babycino! 

As mentioned, the adults also have some options to choose from, but he mentioned that they weren’t anything to write home about despite their rather steep price. 

He did, however, love their smoked salmon and avocado toast for the perfectly seared and generously seasoned fish. This also paired well with their iced summer berry tea, which was refreshingly sweet. 

The Coastal Settlement’s outdoor seating makes bringing your kids to eat out a very hassle-free experience. 

My family loves to spend our Sunday lunches in this restaurant, as this is one of the few places where my three and four-year-old nieces can move about without interrupting other patrons. 

The outdoor tables are far apart, so we have ample space for ourselves. Mind you, it can still get quite chaotic with them running around our tables, but it’s always nice watching them play as we eat. 

It’s also worth mentioning that The Coastal Settlement serves delectable dishes. 

My family is a big fan of their mala seafood pot and their sambal chilli clams. The seafood pot, in particular, is packed with generously seasoned clams, prawns, and fish on a bed of fragrant jasmine rice. 

Granted, one serving is already a bit pricey, but since we love it so much, it’s become our custom to order two. 

The kids also get to eat well in this restaurant, but we often sneak some bites from the “adult” plate because The Coastal Settlement only has a handful of options for children, which they unfortunately don’t like. 

The Garden Slug is a quaint little restaurant that doesn’t just serve filling meals but is also pet and kid-friendly. 

My friend is a momma of a toddler and an orange tabby, and her Saturday lunch is usually spent at this restaurant.

Although the restaurant has a rather small interior, she told me that the staff proactively manages the number of patrons who enter. So it doesn’t get stuffy for her and her babies. 

They occasionally help her too and ask if she and her daughter need anything.

The Garden Slug doesn’t have a specific menu for kids, but she noted that the dishes offered are generally safe foods that her toddler also enjoys. 

There are mainly pasta, sandwiches, soup, and appetisers. Their favourite though is the classic creamy carbonara, which packs a hefty dusting of bacon bits and parmesan. 

She also orders their chewy cookies with M&Ms, which her daughter really likes. 

Jimmy Monkey might look like a proper playground, but it also serves tasty treats that both kids and adults (possibly kids at heart) can enjoy. 

This place is another one of my sister’s go-to for family outings because not only does it have a massive play area for children but it also serves really great meals.

She and her husband especially love going here for brunch to sample their all-time favourite pork belly Benedict.

This delectable meal features crispy pork belly served on top of freshly baked ciabatta. It also comes with two perfectly poached eggs and creamy hollandaise. 

Jimmy Monkey’s cold brew is really good, and they could tell that the coffee was steeped for an extended period. They only order this though when they feel like indulging because the coffee and food usually total to a steep sum. 

The kids’ menu, on the other hand, has also a relatively good variety of options. As expected, my nieces’ favourites are the French brioche toasts. 

The serving speed in this restaurant is quite slow though and can take more than 40 minutes.