Kid-friendly Cafés & Coffee Shops in Cape Town

A leafy outdoor café tucked into the Montebello Design Centre, with tables under the trees and fairy lights strung through the branches. Read more

Food

Yes · Burgers, wraps and deli food

The play area is safely enclosed and right outside the café door. Order inside at the deli and food comes to your table.

Hours

Mon–Sun 7–4pm

Booking

Walk-in

Café Roux is the easiest daytime restaurant at Noordhoek Farm Village for keeping the children in view because its walled-off family corner borders the village playground and lawn. Read more

Food

Yes · Breakfast, lunch, cakes & children's menu

Can I see them?

Family seating borders the village playground and lawn

Hours

Mon–Sun 8:30–3:30pm · Breakfast 8:30–11am · lunch 12–3:30pm · selected dinner shows

Booking

Recommended

Ou Meul Pinelands has a large outdoor play area, changing facilities and a children's menu, with outdoor seating close to the play space. Read more

Food

Yes · Breakfast, lunch, takeaway & children's menu

Can I see them?

Outdoor seating is close to the play area

Hours

Mon–Sat 7am–9pm · Sun 7am–4pm

Booking

Walk-ins welcome

A deli on the Constantia Uitsig wine farm doing ready-made picnics on the lawns — charcuterie boards, cheese, wine, all set up for you. Peaceful, pretty, and the picnic format is what makes it work with a baby: you're on a blanket rather than wrangling a highchair.

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon–Sun 8–6pm

Deer Park Café is an easy neighbourhood option because it opens directly onto the park's large public playground, with outside tables under the trees and views over the city. Read more

Food

Yes · Café, wood-fired pizza & children's menu

Supervision

Adults supervise at the public playground

Can I see them?

The jungle gym is close to the outdoor seating

Hours

Mon–Sun 8am–10pm · Summer hours · winter 8–9pm

Booking

Walk-ins · arrive early on busy summer days

This coffee-shop branch sits beside Manhattan Park's public children's playground, which makes it an easy breakfast, lunch or coffee stop when the children need outdoor space. The playground is unsupervised, so choose an outside table and keep watch. Read more

Food

Yes · All-day breakfast, lunch & children's menu

Supervision

Adults supervise

The public play area has no childminder; adults need to supervise.

Hours

Mon–Wed 6:30am–5pm · Thu & Fri 6:30am–9pm · Sat 7:30am–9pm · Sun 7:30am–5pm

Booking

Walk-ins welcome

This family-friendly deli is open to the public and has an adjoining indoor play area for children 12 and under, including separate equipment for ages three and under. Read more

Food

Yes · All-day breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee & baked treats

Supervision

Adults supervise

Occasional child minder, but adults need to supervise children in the play area. Public-holiday and holiday-season hours may differ.

Hours

Tue–Sun 7–4pm · Mon self-service drinks 8–2pm

Booking

Walk in · seating is first come, first served

This garden-centre café has a large outdoor play area, mini farm-animal sanctuary and reptile park, with extra activities such as sand art and pottery painting. It is mostly an outdoor outing, so it works best in dry weather.

Food

Yes · Breakfast, lunch, coffee & cakes

Supervision

No childminder advertised · adults supervise

pram friendly, wheelchair friendly, easy parking, baby zone, changing area, feeding friendly, high chairs, kids menu, no halaal, vegetarian, shade, dog friendly. additional needs welcome.

Hours

Mon–Sun 9–4:30pm

Booking

first come first serve

This garden-centre café has a large outdoor jungle gym and offers extra children's activities such as pottery painting and gardening.

Food

Yes · Breakfast, lunch, coffee & cakes

Supervision

No childminder advertised · adults supervise

pram friendly, wheelchair friendly, easy parking, baby zone, changing area, feeding friendly, high chairs, kids menu, no halaal, vegetarian, shade, dog friendly. additional needs welcome.

Hours

Mon–Sun 8:30–5pm

Booking

takes bookings

A garden centre that doubles as an easy morning out. The self-service café sits with its outdoor seating looking straight onto the play area — jungle gym, tree houses, plenty of climbing — so you can actually drink your coffee while they run. Read more

Food

Yes · All-day breakfast, sandwiches, salads, kiddies menu and milkshakes

Can I see them?

Outdoor seating looks straight onto the play area

Hours

Mon 10–6pm · Tue–Fri 9–6pm · Sat 8:30–6pm · Sun 9–5pm

The Scone Shack is a rustic, off-grid farm stop where wood-fired scones come with homemade jam and children can explore the garden among free-roaming farm animals. There are also cakes, desserts and hot drinks. Read more

Food

Yes · Wood-fired scones, cakes & hot drinks

Seasonal venue; it is generally closed in late winter. Bring cash, as there are no card facilities, and leave dogs at home.

Hours

Fri–Sun 9:30–5pm · Seasonal

Booking

Check Instagram before going

Oatlands Café is a relaxed farm stop with a large lawn, jungle gym, swings, sandpit, small play boat and a children's bike track. Outdoor tables near the play area are first-come, first-served, while the farmhouse seating can be booked.

Food

Yes · Farm breakfasts, lunches, coffee & cakes

Hours

Wed–Fri & Sun 8am–5pm · Sat 8am–9pm · closed Mon–Tue

Booking

Recommended · outdoor play-area tables are first-come, first-served

A restored railway dining carriage on Regent Road, fully halaal, where the train itself is the attraction. There's no play area, but they hand out crayons and paper, and the promenade and Blue Train Park are close by. Breakfast through dinner, with a kids' menu for 12 and under.

Food

Yes · Breakfast, burgers, curries, pasta & children's menu

It closes from 12:30–1:45pm on Fridays.

Hours

Mon–Thu 9am–10pm · Fri 9am–10:30pm · Sat 8:30am–10:30pm · Sun 8:30am–10pm · Fri closed 12:30–1:45pm

Booking

Phone ahead · it's a small carriage

Fully halaal, Muslim-owned ice cream in Belvedere Square. It's not an outing on its own, but halaal ice cream is harder to find than it should be, and it turns a Claremont errand into a treat. The gelato is made in store, and there are waffles, milkshakes and bagels too.

Food

Yes · Gelato, waffles, milkshakes & bagels

Card payments only. Tables have a two-hour limit on weekends and public holidays.

Hours

Mon–Thu 9–6pm · Fri–Sun 9–6:30pm

Booking

Walk-in

At The Riding Centre, and a proper afternoon's worth of entertainment. Free-roaming chickens, Henry the sheep, ponies, pigs, ducks, goats and farm dogs, all used to being cuddled. Read more

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon 1–5pm · Tue–Fri 9–5pm · Sat 8–4pm

A little tropical oasis on the Sea Point promenade between the Putt Putt course and Blue Train Park, marked by giant ice cream cones at the gates. Children climb the giant bird nests; you get big wooden tables and ocean views. Read more

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon–Sun 8–5pm

A tranquil garden café with masses of shaded outdoor seating, a play area, and space for little ones to run. Moms bring picnic blankets in summer. Good with allergies, and they sell quality frozen meals worth stocking up on.

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon 2–5pm · Tue–Fri 8:30–5pm · Sun 8:30–2pm

A big West Coast Road farmstall with a lovely playground, masses of indoor and outdoor seating, and those pies. The sourdough gets singled out too.

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon–Sat 7–6pm · Sun 8–5pm

A bright, vintage-styled café on the R44 with mountain views, daily specials chalked up on boards, and a serious dessert counter. The generous playground has a jungle gym, swings and lots of safe grass, and in season they sell farm produce like strawberries. Read more

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Tue–Sun 8–4pm

Deli, bakery and restaurant in one, with a big peaceful lawn, a jungle gym with swings, climbing walls and a slide, a shaded sandpit (bring sand toys) and a fish pond. A proper pitstop on the Overberg road.

Food

Yes · on site

Hours

Mon–Sun 7–5pm