Barker's Tea House - High Street Arcade

Last week it was my birthday (yay!) and my Dad came to Cardiff for the day. We had a lovely time mooching about; eating, drinking and shopping. We finished the day in style with a wonderful cream tea at Barker's Tea House.

Just to be clear, Barker's has two premises - Coffee Barker and Barker's Tea House. I've been to both in the past, but I do prefer the Tea House in the High Street Arcade, mainly as they offer the best Eggs Benedict in Cardiff!

However, no Eggs Benedict for me on my birthday. I opted for the Cream Tea for £7.95. It's marketed as a Cream Tea for one, but even on my greediest day, I'd struggle to finish it all. My Dad and I shared this, but as I'm not a big tea fan, I also ordered a Vanilla Steamer.

It was a nice surprise that even though we didn't order the full afternoon tea, we were still given the 3 tiers - a lovely touch! My Dad had lovely Breakfast Tea (in the most gorgeous teapot!), and I had a full-of-flavour Vanilla Steamer (in a cute jar!). We were given two very crumbly and fresh scones - one plain and one fruit. There was jam and clotted cream (no where near enough for two scones, but we asked for more and were given extra for free), as well as 3 small pieces of Cherry Tiffin. Unfortunately, these bites weren't the nicest - I think they'd run out of the Chocolate Brownie bites advertised. 

I thought the days where I could enjoy cream tea on a sunny afternoon were behind me once the Little One arrived, but I would happily go back again, and again.

When I visited: 15:00 on a Tuesday.

What I had: Cream Tea for £7.95.

Access: It's a little narrow inside, but I saw a couple of prams in there. We chose to sit outside so we could people watch - no issues with space.

Nappy changing: I was pleasantly surprised that such a place (i.e. not your usual mummy hangout!) had such a nice changing area. It's downstairs, so not ideal, but it's clean and has everything you need, including some nice hand wash and lotion. And if the changing area is being used as it was when I was there, the toilet cubicles are spacious enough for changing Little Ones on a mat on the floor.


High chairs: Unfortunately, I didn't see any.

Pram parking: As mentioned, a little narrow, but plenty of room outside.

Car parking: You could park in St David's, or get almost any bus in to Central Station.


High Street Arcade
Cardiff
CF10 1BB

Monday - Saturday 08:30 - 17:30
Sunday - 10:30 - 16:30


https://www.facebook.com/barkerteahouse

All photos are my own unless stated otherwise.

John Lewis

This week I met up with a Mummy friend at the cafe on the top floor of John Lewis. I've met up with a few Mummy friends here over the last few months as it's very baby friendly. The sheer amount of prams there every time is proof of that.

It has to be said, that John Lewis can be quite an expensive coffee date, especially when the statutory maternity pay kicks in, but you could easily sit there for hours, and it is very comfortable with babies and children.

I normally have a drink and a cake, which can easily amount to £5+, but this time I was there at lunch time so opted for a chicken tikka salad. It came in a ceramic bowl (not your usual plastic bowl, like in other cafes), and was full of really delicious meat, plenty of greens, a wonderful creamy raita and crispy bits on top. So, it was pretty pricey at £7 for a mid week lunch, but it was really good, and you could have free tap water from the jug at the till.

Every time I've been there, the staff have been extremely friendly and more than happy to help a Mummy out, and carry their order to a table. You don't even need to ask. They also always offer to warm up food or milk for you - a lovely touch.

The cafe itself is big and bright, with more than enough room for prams. And there are some lovely sofa chairs to relax on after a few hours of shopping.

And the added bonus of John Lewis? Just round the corner, next to the lifts, they have toilets, baby changing facilities and seats for feeding - making Mummy Life so much easier.

A little pricey, but worth every penny in my opinion. Just maybe stay away from  their gorgeous baby clothes if you're on a budget...I've managed to leave with at least a cute top for the Little One on several occasions.

When I visited: 12:00 on a Wednesday.

What I had: Chicken tikka salad for £6.95.

Access: You can take the lift up to the third floor, and then the cafe is big and open plan, so definitely no issues with a pram.

Nappy changing: Yes, round the corner from the cafe. They also have a big toilet where you can take the pram in and sort yourself out as well- always a bonus!

High chairs: Plenty there, and they're on wheels so easy to get to your table, no matter where you're sitting.

Pram parking: As mentioned, more than enough room.

Car parking: John Lewis have their own multi storey car park, or you could always come in to town on the bus. 

Monday - Friday - 09:00 - 19:30
Saturday - 09:00 - 18:30
Sunday - 10:30 - 16:30

John Lewis
The Hayes
Cardiff
CF10 1EG

http://www.johnlewis.com/our-shops/cardiff/john-lewis-cardiff-facilities


All photos are my own unless stated otherwise.

Parc Deli - Canton

Almost every week I miss the postman and end up walking through Victoria Park to the post office to collect my parcel. Which means, that every week I pass the Parc Deli.

I normally walk past early in the morning (before 10 if the Little One is behaving), and there's hardly anyone in there. However, last weekend I went with a friend at around 11 and the place quickly became packed. And I can see why.

It's a pretty small place, and there's not much room for a pram to be honest. But as we were the first ones there that day, we had room for the pram in the corner by the window - out of everyone's way.

The staff were very attentive and quickly brought us a jug of water and took our drinks order. And then we ordered the breakfast. Yum.

It was a great sized meal and everything was cooked to perfection. It's been a while since I've had such a good breakfast. Especially for £4.50.

If you get there early enough, I'd say it's very baby friendly. The Little One was very noisy when we were there but no-one seemed to mind.

Oh, and before I forget - they also do Mexican food on Friday and Saturday nights. Looking at their facebook page, it's definitely worth a go!

When I visited: 11:00 on a Saturday.

What I had: Deli Breakfast for £4.50.

Access: As mentioned, it's a pretty small place with a pram. Not really suitable with two prams I'd say. The table on the right as you go in worked well for us, as there's a little corner by the window to put the pram.

Nappy changing: As this was a quick breakfast, I didn't use the facilities...and forgot to ask - baby brain! (Anyone else still using that excuse?) But, as you're close to the park, on a sunny day I'd probably change the Little One in there. I'll make sure to ask about their facilities next time I'm there.

High chairs: Another thing I forgot to ask about (sorry!), but I'm almost certain that there aren't any there as it's such a small cafe.

Pram parking: As mentioned, go for the table by the window.

Car parking: You can park on one of the side streets nearby or get the bus - there's a bus stop right outside Victoria Park and I know that the 17 and 18 pass regularly.

44a Cowbridge Road East
Canton
Cardiff
CF5 1BJ


Monday - Friday 08:30 - 15:00
Saturday - 08:00 - 14:00
Sunday - Closed


http://www.parcdeli.com/#home

https://www.facebook.com/ParcDeli/

All photos are my own unless stated otherwise.