Magpie Muma | Top 10 pram friendly cafes in SW London
I don’t know about you but I spent the first 8 months of my sons life lurching from one coffee shop to the next looking for the one cup of coffee that would pull me out of the sleep deprived haze I was in.
One of the many challenges I faced on this mission was finding a cafe that A. I could get my pram through the door of. B. Had the room to fit more than one pram in and C. The staff were friendly and didn't mind having a crying baby as the backdrop to their cafe.
So in an attempt to help all those mums and mums to be out there I have compiled my list of top 10 pram friendly cafes in SW London.
The Railway, 2 Greyhound Ln, London SW16 5SD
This Streatham pub is just a hop skip and a jump from Streatham Common train station. At the front of the pub they hold regular baby groups and in the back of the pub their is a lovely tea room selling great coffee, cake and brunch. They have a fantastic section at the back with books for the kids and in the summer there is a lovely garden with plenty of seating, the staff are super helpful and friendly, it really is a mum friendly haven.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children's play area: Yes
Brickwood, 11 Hildreth Street, Balham, SW12 9RQ
This Australian themed cafe is nestled on the trendy, pedestrianised Hildreth Street. Although a little cramped when first entering, the cafe soon opens up to a sofa and booth area. The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly (one of the waitresses practically gave me a hug when I went in there on a particularly tough day). The coffee is fantastic and the food is to die for, I can really recommend the ‘big smoke’ toasted sandwich. This may not be the cafe to meet your entire NCT group as it doesn't really have the pram space but there is definitely room for a handful of mums and their prams.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children's play area: No
The Lido Cafe, Dulwich Rd, London SE24 0PA
This relaxed poolside café in between Brixton and Herne Hill is a must for new parents. Simple, modern, seasonal food (we recommend the quinoa porridge), lovely spacious terrace and unusual art decor design is an ideal combo for an afternoon out with your baby and friends.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children's play area: No
Blackbird Bakery, 10 Astoria Parade, Streatham, SW16 1PR
I’m sure you have stumbled upon many a Blackbird bakery in your travels around South London, however this one is relatively new to Streatham. Everything in Blackbird Bakery is made by them, from bread, cakes, pastries, biscuits, breakfast cereals, jams, marmalade to fresh juices, sandwiches, salads and even dog biscuits when they have the time! The food here is yummy and there is plenty of space for lots of prams, also during the week it is quite quiet so you have the added bonus of being able to pick the best spot for your tea and cake!
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: No
Brown & Green, The Triangle, 99 Church Road, Crystal Palace, SE19 2PR.
Snuggled among Crystal Palaces gorgeous shops you will find this lovely, large cafe, offering an array of delicious homemade butties, cakes and salads, the brunch I cannot recommend enough. There is plenty of room for prams, lots of highchairs and even a colouring in and book corner for the kids. My only word of warning is that at the weekends it gets seriously busy so be prepared to queue, but its well worth it, with delicious food and friendly staff its a little haven in the heart of Crystal Palace.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: Yes
Perfect Blend, 8–9 Streatleigh Parade, Streatham, SW16 1EQ.
Located almost opposite Streatham Hill train station, Perfect Blend is where I spent a lot of time in the first 3 months of my little ones life. Its such a great spot, there is always a buzz when you walk in with babies, people chatting, people having business meetings its a real mesh. Because of this it doesn't feel like your walking into a creche, the staff are really friendly and its all geared up for little ones, I like it because it had the space for my baby and all his paraphernalia but also gave me a bit of ‘adult time’, they also do a mean hot chocolate!
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: No
Tartine Artisanal, Tooting Bec, London SW17 7TS
Tartine Artisanal is just a hop skip and a jump from Tooting Broadway Station, this cafe is deceptively large, and you walk through the cafe it opens out into a big open plan farmhouse kitchen style area, with LOTS of room for prams and scooters. The menu consists mostly North African/French/Mediterranean dishes, but they also have a delicious array of cakes and tarts. Tartine Artisanal draws a steady crowd of mixed residents through the week, with Saturday and Sunday mornings being extremely popular times when all sixty seats are easily snapped up by brunching local families.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: Yes
Lounge Brixton, 56–58 Atlantic Rd, Brixton, SW9 8PY
Looking for somewhere with the Brixtons signature laid back vibe, then this is your place. A place where you can comfortably sit back and lounge on their sofas with a coffee in hand and indulge in their Caribbean fusion cafe and eatery. They have lots of tasty treats, the staff are really friendly and helpful and the decor is seriously cool. If your little one is a night owl then in the evenings the cafe dims the lights and their resident DJ turns up the volume so you can party the night away!
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: No
Batch & Co, 54 Streatham Hill, London SW2 4RD
If your looking for a seriously good cup of coffee and plenty of room to meet a group of mums then this is the spot. This independent coffee shop serves a bespoke blend of espresso ethically sourced & roasted by London’s Caravan Coffee Roasters, they also offer pastries, cakes, sour dour toasties, and simple brunch and lunch options every day from 8am. Their focus is on fresh, quality ingredients sourced locally whenever possible aiming to serve truly amazing coffee & food each & every time, creating a relaxing place for anyone in the community to kick back and chill out. They also do some great evening events with local business as well as having an alcohol license so you can grab a beer, cider, wine or a cocktail to get you through those seriously tough days of being a mum!
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: No
Esquires Coffee, 75 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9HA
The decor in this cafe is a beautifully eclectic mix of shabby chic with miss matched furniture and vintage homeware for sale. The cafe was the former Lavish Habit store and is located opposite Bedford pub on Bedford Hill. They serve amazing, fairly traded and organic coffee and have a good selection of teats, with lots of space for buggies and highchairs they even have a cute little garden area at the back however be warned this is most definitely not buggy suitable! A great place for a cup of coffee and a catch up but maybe not the top destination in balham for brunch.
Baby Change: Yes / High Chairs: Yes/ Children’s play area: No
Now the above is by no means an exhaustive list of pram friendly cafes in SW London, and there are many smaller cafes that would welcome mums but you might have to have you little one in a sling.
If you know of any other fantastic cafes that welcome mums and all the kit and caboodle that comes with them, let me know as I would love to give them a shout out!
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