Shillinglaw Cottage Cafe

On a recent drive out to leafy Eltham, we dropped in to the local’s favourite café, Shillinglaw Cottage for a late breakfast.  What a wonderful surprise and an amazing kid friendly café!

Located next to the Eltham library and across the road from a great park and playground, this café ticks all the Hey Bambini boxes.  

To keep the kids amused while they’re waiting for their food, a big open yard with sandpit, buckets and spades and balls awaits.  Little Miss loved joining the other kids in a game of chasey and kicking the ball. If the weather isn’t so good for outside play, plenty of cups full of coloured pencils and paper are available inside for the budding artist.

On the day we visited, there must have been five or six tables with kids, some of them in large groups, so it’s obviously a popular spot.  The kids drinks and meals are brought out before the adults’, which is great. Little ones sorted, I could then enjoy my coffee while it was still hot!

The kids menu includes a single pancake with maple syrup, egg and toast soldiers, scrambled egg or fruit skewers and of course, babycinos. More than enough choice for hungry tummies.  Adult options include toast, pancakes, eggy dishes of all sorts, corn fritters with smoked salmon and some daily specials. Little Miss loved her pancake and my BLT with a homemade mustard mayo was delish. Well, what I managed to eat that wasn’t stolen from my plate!

For those just after coffee and cake, there is a good selection of yummy looking treats in the display case and Devonshire tea with scones, jam and cream.

There are plenty of high chairs and a changetable in the female toilet.  The toilets are quite small and are down a couple of stairs, so not particularly pram friendly.

With the big outdoor area, there is plenty of room for prams, but the inside space, being a small cottage, can be a bit cosy. If the weather is wet, it might be best to leave the pram behind because you won’t be able to fit it inside. Three or four steps to get up and down, also makes it a bit difficult.

After being fed and watered, the playground across the road is a fantastic place to use up that extra energy before the drive home. On the sunny morning we were there, the place was packed with kids of all ages.

**Note :: Shillinglaw Cottage is located next to the Eltham Library. Click HERE for more info on Toddler Story Time.**

Reviewed by Mel in May 2012