Top 5 Places to Eat in York with Kids
I love a cafe visit, but it isn’t always easy with kids in tow! There are lots of places to eat in York with kids, but I wanted to list our personal favourites; specifically ones that can be enjoyed by the adults as well as the children.
I’ve tried to include a few that are in the city centre as well as some of our favourites a bit further out. Hopefully, there will be something for everyone!
Plush cafe
Stonegate, York Town Centre
As soon as I mention that we might go to Plush both kids are instantly excited, and so am I! situated in the town centre, Plush is a unique, totally instagramable cafe made up of 3 themed rooms, and we love all three!
First up is the floral room, with the main draw for the kids being the swing seating! This is always their first pick of room. I think it’s the hardest to get a seat in. Luckily, we’ve always managed by going at slightly less busy times. For example, just after they open or late afternoon on a weekday.
The second room is the bohemian room which my kids also love. You sit on the floor on blankets and cushions, and it’s got such a chilled vibe! It’s great for kids as they don’t need to sit still on a chair and can get comfortable.
These two rooms are upstairs – the third room is on the ground floor and is the neon room. This is the one you’re usually able to get a seat in if the others are full. Although less popular with my kids, we’ll always gratefully accept being seated here instead of going elsewhere. The room is full of neon decorations, and they both love the big leopard!
The menu is reasonably limited for kids and there’s not loads for adults but what there is is delicious! I love the rainbow bagels, but we usually just go for one of their amazing drinks and cakes. Ted will always order a freakshake – the one he likes best comes with an entire slice of chocolate cake balanced on top.
Sometimes, when a cafe really focuses on making the food look pretty, it doesn’t always taste that good. Happily, I think everything I’ve had at Plush has been delicious. I’ve also enjoyed working my way through the rainbow lattes, which are coloured depending on which flavour you choose. And can never resist getting some photos!
Due to the old building all the rooms are quite small and the stairs are steep. Pushchairs can be stored in the downstairs room, but they don’t have a lot of space for this. We have never had an issue, though, and the staff have always been very accommodating. Toilets and the upstairs rooms are accessed via quite narrow/steep stairs.
Doe Bakehouse
Church Street, York town centre
We can never walk past Doe in town without their fab window display tempting us over! Another cafe that’s busy at peak times but can be enjoyed early on or late afternoon if you are eager to go and want to get a table. The donuts are absolutely huge and there’s a great range of tempting flavours including vegan options. The cafe inside is spacious with room for pushchairs. The toilet is also really big with complimentary sanitary items and baby wipes which I thought was a great touch.
They also have another location slightly out of the city centre at Layerthorpe if you want somewhere quieter and where you are more likely to get a table. This location also offers pottery painting (for a separate charge). This was enjoyable when we did it a year or so ago and didn’t need to be booked. And a bonus is that you can enjoy some delicious food before/after!
Balloon Tree Farm Shop & Cafe
Gate Helmsley, York YO41 1NB
If you don’t mind a drive out of town, Balloon tree farm shop and cafe is located just a 7min drive from the A64. This is our absolute favourite cafe! Firstly the food is always delicious, and they have a good, varied menu for adults. Thre is also a separate children’s menu with hot and cold options. We especially love breakfast here.
They have plenty of seats both inside and outside and it has such a nice feel. The staff are so friendly too.
A big bonus for us is that there’s an outdoor play area. Even on colder days, we enjoy sitting outside (they have gazebos and blankets to take off the chill!) The kids play happily for hours. There are only a few bits of play equipment, but it is really well chosen for them to be able to enjoy and use their imaginations. It’s set out really well so you can see your kids playing from your outdoor table. Alternatively, if you don’t want to be too close to the play area but still want to be outside on a nice day, there are some extra tables set a little apart from the playground.
In summer we love to come here strawberry picking, and it’s a must for pumpkins in October! In warmer months, they also have a go-kart track you can pay extra for.
Attached to the cafe is a gorgeous farm shop with both food and gifts, and we always end up picking up something or other on our way home!
Curlew Fields Dairies
Hessay, York YO26 8JS
The kids are always asking for a trip to “the milkshake shop” as they call the lovely Curlew Fields Dairies. Situated just off the York Ring Road, this little cafe serves delicious ice cream, coffee, cakes and waffles.
They also have a milk vending machine which is the coolest thing ever! You can either buy a reusable glass bottle, bring your own container or get it served straight into a paper cup to drink there and then. The machine can give you regular milk (which is delicious!) or a variety of flavours. Chocolate, banana and strawberry are always available, but there are several specials that change weekly. I especially loved the pistachio flavour and Ted loves mint chocolate whenever it’s available.
It’s a lovely place to visit in summer. Although small, they have several outdoor tables and a little sandpit for the kids, as well as a few animals to see. In colder weather, they have a small indoor seating area with some toys, books and games available.
York Explore Library Cafe
Museum Street, York Town Centre
Although maybe not the most relaxing place for parents, I wanted to give the library cafe a mention as it’s a really good option in the town centre if you have little ones with you and just want a place to take a break and refuel where you don’t have to worry about them sitting still at the table or whether they are annoying other customers.
The library cafe is ideally located next to the children’s book section, and it has a really relaxed atmosphere. There is loads of space for pushchairs and highchairs. Yyou can easily see your children if they want to go off and choose a book while you enjoy a coffee. Mine love having a look around the children’s section and either staying there to use the computers/colouring table, or coming back to our seat in the cafe to read a book while we enjoy our food and drinks.
The cafe has a good selection of drinks and cakes as well as simple dishes like sandwiches and toasties – ideal when you don’t want anything too fancy. The prices are reasonable too.
More Fantastic Places to Eat in York with Kids
There are so many other places I could mention when talking about cafes in York, we are lucky that a lot have great provision for kids and I’m never stuck for ideas on where to go, I’ve just mentioned our personal favourites here! I’ll add a few more ideas below that we like and have good provisions for kids.
Willow Farm Cafe
Wigginton Road, York YO32 2RH
This cafe has a small indoor and outdoor play area for children. Best enjoyed in the summer months as you need to sit outside or in the covered ‘porch’ area to supervise them.
Bruks
Peter Lane, York town centre
Tucked away down a little side street is Bruks, a really friendly little cafe with a great children’s menu and some toys available to play with. My two have always been made to feel really welcome here.
Bluebird Bakery
Acomb Road, York YO24 4HD
This lovely cafe has a gorgeous menu and a small area with books and toys for little ones, including a very popular toy kitchen with wooden food.
Laughing Llama
Front Street, York YO243BJ
This child-friendly cafe in Acomb has an entire upstairs area set up for kids with plenty to play with while you enjoy a coffee!
More Family-Friendly Cafes to Try
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