Play Cafe: Food and Games Under One Roof
Play Cafe in Oakland, a unique hybrid of romper room and restaurant, has won three Bay Area Parent Family Favorite awards in 2010 alone. The winning categories are for Best Family Restaurant, Best Place to Throw a Kid’s Party, and Best Indoor Play Space. Apparently, Play Cafe has several things going on at once, but they all seem to be winning the thumbs up sign.
Let’s start with the fun part – the themed play areas. There’s a kitchen area for young chefs in the making, a theater room and dress-up corner for all kinds of acting out, and of course, who could do without a sea of plastic balls to swim through? Other fun stuff includes doll houses and tool sets, an interactive train exhibit, and miniature vehicles perfect for scooting through the Play Cafe’s smooth floors.
Parents love the convenience of setting the little ones loose while having a nearby perch from which to sit and watch, since the play areas are all viewable from the on-site cafe. The Wi-Fi here is free, so getting some work done is not out of the question, and the hot espresso is just a pour away.
When the wee ones build up an appetite, the Play Cafe’s menu won’t fill them up with junk food. Gourmet eats like grilled two-cheese Paninis on sourdough, peanut butter and jam on whole wheat, edamame, fruit with yogurt and granola, assorted salads, and fruit smoothies are available in the restaurant area.
As if all this weren’t enough to keep the family entertained, Play Cafe hosts special events throughout the week, from musical shows and comedy to face painting, holiday-related activities and more.
HelloOakland Tip: Keep in mind that Play Cafe is considered an educational play space, so be prepared to cough up a $5-$7 admission per child. Other nearby kids' museums include Habitot and Studio Grow in Berkeley and Seesaw in San Francisco.
Posted by Renee Rutledge
