Child-Friendly Cafes
Tauranga has a surprising number of child-friendly cafes, complete with children’s play area and menus. Here is a list of the most popular ones in Tauranga.
AvGas Café & Bar
A hidden gem in Tauranga is AvGas Café & Bar, located at the Classic Flyers Museum. Inside the café there is a fenced play area for your little one complete with ride on plane, toys, books and musical instruments. Outside there is a large playground that is also fenced with a mini plane and train, swing, slide, underground tunnel, life-size war planes and helicopters that you can climb inside and play. This playground is adored by children both young and old. There are covered picnic tables outside so you can watch your little ones while they play.
Cafe Botannix
Café Botannix is located within the Palmers Garden Centre in Bethlehem. It has a large outdoor playground located near the café. The playground is fenced but geared towards the older children (4+ years) as there are lots of ladders to climb and tunnel slides which the younger ones might need assistance climbing. Inside there is a toy box and colouring-in book collection to keep the little ones entertained.
Central Deli
Central Deli is a child-friendly cafe based in Mt Maunganui. It has a large covered outdoor courtyard with a safe children’s play area complete with wooden mini play kitchen, large doll house, child’s table and chairs and lots of toys. This homely cafe prides itself in wholesome, nutritious food and also caters for gluten-free, dairy-free, raw, vegan and paleo diets. A sure favourite amongst the locals.
Eden Cafe
Eden Café is a lovely cafe set within the beautiful garden surrounds of Decor Gardenworld. It has a fantastic outdoor children’s play area with picnic tables and open space for the little ones to run around. There’s a large trampoline, a slide, swings and even for the adults an outdoor chess board. A great place to enjoy your meal while you watch your children play outside in the fresh air.
Espresso Garden Cafe
Espresso Garden Cafe is located inside the Mitre10 Mega Centre. It is open for breakfast and lunch and they bake all their own savouries, cakes and slices from scratch. There is a fenced indoor playground next to the cafe which has a slide, tunnels and a boat platform. A couple of tables are placed next to the playground so you can watch your little one play while you enjoy your coffee.
Gratitude Eatery
A little slice of comfort in bustling Mount Maunganui, serving up healthy plant-based food and organic fair trade coffee. They have options for vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free too. There is a little play area in the outside courtyard where your kids can play.
Grindz Cafe
Grindz is a central city cafe that is popular amongst mothers with young children. Inside the cafe is a children’s playroom filled with toys, blocks and books. The cafe is spacious, with large comfy couches and private rooms to accommodate large bookings. It is also a breastfeeding-friendly place. The menu is extensive and also caters for clean-eating, raw or vegan food diets or those with food allergies.
Nourish Cafe
A popular destination is Nourish Café in Te Puna where the food is exceptional. The cafe has an outdoor play area with a kid’s playhouse, soft grass, a fort with slide and real-life bunnies. Open for breakfast and lunch you can relax and enjoy your meal while being able to watch them play in a safe, child friendly environment.
Octopus’s Garden
A little hideaway in the heart of Mt Maunganui. Treat yourself to perfectly crafted coffee, and select something from their ever changing café menu or tempting assortment of cabinet food. You’ll be impressed by the large outdoor garden where children can swing from the tree, play games, explore the secret garden while you relax outside amongst the shaded trees. Not only is the cafe child-friendly but also pet-friendly, so bring your 4-legged family member along to this cosy little cafe.
Pacifica Cafe
Pacifica Cafe has a dedicated children’s menu and diners can choose to sit inside the cafe or on picnic tables outside. The beautiful garden is home to a shaded playground with swings, slide, playhouse and sandpit. Next to the playground are the resident chickens: Fab-a-chick-boom, Kentucky, Gingernut and Mildred where you can feed them with the complimentary chicken feed available at the cafe. There are also goldfish swimming in the ponds at the garden centre.
Tahlulah’s Cafe
Tahlula’s cafe is located in a quiet suburb of Otumoetai and is very popular amongst the locals. The food is locally sourced from local markets to produce classic kiwi and Pacific rim flavours. They have a selection of cabinet food and a blackboard menu and are open for breakfast and lunch. This little cafe has a toy basket filled with books and baby toys to keep the little ones entertained. For the kid’s menu there is a Lunchbox which includes sandwiches, fruit, vegetable sticks, sweet treats and a juice. It’s packed in a takeaway box so if they don’t finish it you can take it away for later. The cafe is vegan friendly with lots of raw treats on offer as well as dairy and refined sugar free.
Child-Friendly Restaurants
Astrolabe Brew Bar
Astrolabe Brew Bar is in the heart of Mount Maunganui’s local community. The restaurant is adorned with eclectic kiwiana memorabilia and retro furniture. The relaxed atmosphere provides a homely welcoming environment for families and the menu will cater to all taste buds. There is an outside courtyard with tables and a children’s playground complete with a fort, a slide and ride on mower.
Cobb & Co
A long time favourite for kiwi families is Cobb & Co. Located on The Strand, this family friendly restaurant has a children’s play area which includes a selection of toddler toys, a large fish tank and playstations for the older kids. The menu will cater for all members of the family including toddlers.
Dixie Brown
This busy beach side restaurant is open early for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While there is no play area for the children, they do provide an activity sheet and colouring crayons to keep the little ones occupied. Plus the kid’s menu will definitely please any fussy eater.
Papamoa Beach Tavern
The Papamoa Beach Tavern is located in the heart of Papamoa. The restaurant has a large outdoor dining area and a children’s playground with a life size life raft where kids can climb inside and a slide. There is also a skateboard ramp where kids can sit on bean bags to slide on. The relaxed environment and kiwi classic food menu is a firm favourite amongst the locals.
The Freeport Tavern & Eatery
The Freeport Tavern is a great place for people to get together, particularly families! There is a great kids play area to entertain the wee ones. The focus is on doing the simple things well, whether it’s an authentic Napoli style pizza, a fresh Little Creatures brew on tap, a delicious glass of wine in our sunny courtyard or your mid-morning coffee fix!