Playtimes HK Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 68

SUV-sized baby buggy, somewhere you can change your new cherub every 10 minutes (or so it seems), somewhere where you and your brand new BFFs can drink copious amounts of strong coffee to keep you vaguely compos mentis and somewhere that you can possibly even indulge in some well-deserved sugary treats. This may sound like a long list of requirements for a coffee catch up, but we have trawled the streets of this city to find a whole list of places that will fit the bill for you, your baby and your friends. ROSIE JEAN’S CAFE Mid-levels Enjoy a scone, muffin or croissant with your coffee and recover from the sleepless nights with your antenatal group in this child-friendly cafe. You can really relax here, as you get the impression that babies and children are not merely being tolerated but actively welcomed. The cafe has plenty of toys to amuse toddlers and young children, from Lego to spinning tops and doll houses. If that’s not enough, they also have a terrace to enjoy on cooler days. You won’t feel out of place with your babies in tow in this joint. Address: 119 Caine Road Central 66 www.playtimes.com.hk RECHARGE Cyberport The expert baristas in this little gem of a cafe grind perfect gourmet beans for your favourite coffee (as well as providing pastries, sandwiches and salads). There is plenty of room for a bunch of friends to meet with buggies in tow and you can sit inside or outside on the terrace. There is also a fantastic children’s area where siblings can play and a decent-sized lawn where older siblings can run or scoot around while you sit and catch up with your mummy pals. Lastly, there is an all-important changing room next to the toilet in the main building. So it’s easy to see why this place gets a thumbs up! Address: Level 4, Cyberport 2 The Arcade, Cyberport FRITES Quarry Bay So, this place might be a Belgian beer house, but it is also ticks all the boxes for a great meeting spot for you and your supportive mum crew to savour coffee and a catch-up. There is space for your entourage, coffee and delicious food – including food, like fries, you can eat with one hand while the other is occupied rocking an unsettled baby! It has a baby- changing table, room for strollers and on the weekend, a play area for older kids. What more could you want? Address: G/F Oxford House, TaiKoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay LGB Central If you are meeting your antenatal group and one or other of you also has to tick off other errands in the same morning, why not meet here? Bang slap in the middle of Central, this cafe is a useful pit stop on any busy day in town. If you’re not meeting during lunchtime, there is usually plenty of space for a few new mums and their strollers to have a good gossip over a selection of hot beverages (coffees and teas) and indulge in a selection of irresistible treats, such as macarons (my own personal favourites), pastries, biscuits and cakes. There is a decent changing room just next to the cafe, by the building’s toilets. 1/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road, Central COFFEE ACADEMICS Repulse Bay This branch of the chain, which prides itself in preparing specialty coffee, is a great place to meet a gaggle of new mums and their babies. Looking out over the sea, you can daydream of sleep while enjoying an excellent cup of joe and a bite to eat. If you can lift your buggy into the cafe (there is a small step at the entrance), it’s a great place that ticks all the boxes. There is a changing and feeding room downstairs one level in the Pulse. Just opposite the cafe there is a playground to keep siblings entertained, as well as the beach. And a couple of baby-related shops will almost certainly tempt you in for a browse. Address: G/F The Pulse, 26 Beach Road, Repulse Bay