Baked - Hove

Food: Great looking selection of cakes, biscuits, doggy treats...(!) and a brunch style food menu

Child Friendliness: Good

Access: Reasonable for one buggy but only one and seemingly one highchair available (Ikea)

Prices: Either incredibly reasonable or we were undercharged!

Ambiance: Chic, understated style with a very cool continental feel. Emphasis on 'window perches' with bar stools

A confession is probably in order here...we were actually on our way to Small Batch on Wilbury (ahem) when I had to be coerced into Baked! To be fair it wasn't that hard a sell, we had watched as it was transformed recently with a lovely stripey awning and it still smelled of paint when we walked in (literally - one of the staff had it smeared across her black jeans!) Whilst Baked is certainly a good looking addition to Church Road, I was surprised at how small it is  inside. As we bundled in all coats, scarves and buggy we felt a bit in the way and we made a bit of a scene getting Ivy into the high chair with what felt like all eyes on us, disturbing the French idyll. Eventually seated with a boisterous child I ordered (table service? counter service? I think its table service...) a latte and a cookie, other half had an Americano and a slice of heavenly/gooey loaf cake and Ivy had a babyccino and a small but rather good looking butter biscuit. Biscuits I have to say were very nice, not too sweet and the coffee was...okay but not Small Batch! Babycinno was a bit large and a served in a china cup (even though I asked for a paper one) so needless to Little Miss Menace wasn't allowed to touch it! Just lick the spoon! Overall, its new and they are trying hard but its small so you can't really tuck yourself away in a corner with a rioting child and have an inconspicuous coffee. I can imagine it coming into its own in the Summer with outdoor seating and more hipsters with magazines but at present its a bit of an ordeal to wrestle a thrashing child into a highchair in front the cool people with lifestyle magazines. However, its not what they are aiming for. It will work because its in Hove and they don't need a Yummy Mummy Army to survive but we won't be rushing back...well maybe for some takeaway cookies.

Cafe W - in Waterstones, Brighton

Food: Dense looking cakes, pastries, bagels and sandwiches (limited selection)

Child Friendliness: Excellent

Access: Great, plenty of room for buggies

Prices: On the expensive side, especially the food

Ambiance: Loud! Kids! Books! Shoppers! ahem...tantrums and wandering toddlers!

I love Cafe W, and although this is my first review it certainly isn't my first visit. When I moved to Hove it was my go-to place, plenty of highchairs, coffee, books and toys to entertain Ivy. Basically somewhere I can go that I know is baby-friendly, warm has a good atmosphere but not too busy, I can always find a table and a highchair. It is split between two floors so the kids tend to hang out on the 2nd floor (with the kids books surprisingly) and 'adults only' on the 3rd. I always let Ivy out the buggy for a wander here so she can pick out and 'read' a couple of books - translated this means pull out all the carefully sorted Mr Men books and throw around the small plastic animals. The staff never complain, are always helpful and bring the coffee to your book strewn table with a smile. The catch? You do often find yourself buying books that the little one loves  in the shop only to find them pristine and unread at home and although it sounds like a free-for-all, it isn't. At the end of the day its a mega busy shop with stairs and people, therefore strict supervision is required at all times which can result in tantrums and certain items often need to be wrestled back onto the shelves. Overall, when Churchill has become too much or the little one is about to go buggy crazy its a great place to stop, chill and take on board some caffeine ...until you let them out the highchair that is.

Ground - Church Road, Hove

Food: Expensive looking sandwiches, small batch (not the small batch ) coffee, cakes and speciality teas

Child Friendliness: Poor

Access: Reasonable, but not encouraged 

Prices: Good, coffees and teas all around £2.50 - £2.90

Ambiance: Cool 40 somethings, middle aged men in Lycra (MAMILs), hipsters, serious newspaper reading types with small well behaved dogs. No kids at all even though it was half term

When I first started this blog I thought that I would come across this type of place a lot but I actually haven't! I was almost disappointed and beginning to wonder if this whole venture was pointless and that actually everywhere is baby-friendly. I think though, in retrospect, that I 'did' the easy places first. My visit to Ground was quite different than the others, firstly, Ivy was asleep, so I'm afraid Ivy didn't 'eat' Ground as my blog title suggests! Secondly, I wasn't alone, my Dad was down visiting and he came with me. When we first arrived there wasn't any spare tables so we were actually going to leave, the staff seemed disinterested in our plight but someone was just leaving and so offered us their table. The whole place was pretty crammed, we were rather close to our neighbours and it all felt a bit awkward. I had a few glares from the table next to us, a few 40-50 something friends and I had to squeeze the buggy in rather close to the hipster writing his novel on the adjacent table (I'm not making this up). 
The staff were cool...a little too cool for school but not unfriendly. I had tea for a change, Earl Grey, which was nice but I'm by no means a connoisseur and my Dad had an Americano that he said was 'fine' but he says everything is fine so it could have been excellent and probably was. Ivy was completely zonked out and happy so we stayed for quite a while and started to consider their sandwiches. However, not long after that wanton thought a woman near us literally gasped when Ivy woke up with a start as if she had never heard a child before, needless to say we made for a quick escape to have lunch elsewhere. I went up to the counter to enquire about a highchair for 'next time' as we were leaving - they have one...drama ensues where staff member looks around puzzled as if it has actually left the premises itself...I couldn't see it either. Sorry Ground but I don't think I'll be back to find it.

New York Coffee Company - The Quadrant, Brighton

Food: Sugar overload cakes, hotdogs(?), sandwiches and other NY style offerings such as cheesecake

Child Friendliness: Excellent but facilities are limited

Access: Reasonable, room for the provided highchairs and buggies 

Prices: Good. Babyccino - 50p - although proceeds go to charity

Ambiance: Kids, kids and....ahem, kids

Touted as the cafe to take kids to for some reprise, owned by Peter Andre #dadoftheyear, a free soft play area, kids lunchboxes and drinks - amazing. Hold on a free  soft play area, what here in Brighton? the London of the South?? Yes, I had high hopes for this oasis of child friendly awesomeness in the centre of town. We arrived midweek before lunch for a coffee and to sample the facilities. We weren't alone. The giddy implications of the word 'free' have been taken on board...and possibly taken advantage of. The tables around the disappointingly small play area had been taken and when I say taken I mean some kind of ritualistic ceremony may have taken place to establish ownership. We had to sit at the front of the cafe by the door (which didn't shut properly) a long way away from any hedonistic playing. I tried to plop Ivy in the sealed off area after a bit, it had a few food shaped soft play bits but she was having none of it. Her peers were being 'supervised' from behind iphones and were a bit rowdy. So she was tethered into an high chair and let loose on her babyccino. Our lattes were... ok. Overall, the place was a bit homogeneous and didn't really have any character but the staff were on their A game and were chatty to Ivy. Maybe we should go back and try and stake our claim 'at the back' but I'm not desperate, even for a free soft play.

Nest - Kensington Gardens, Brighton

Food: Great veggie choice, amazing cakes, soup and coffees

Child Friendliness: Outstanding

Access: Good

Prices: £4.50 for a sandwich

Ambiance: Friends, families and some local, laptop/book writing types

What a great start! Setting the bar incredibly high, Nest in Kensington Gardens is a great little place, tucked away in the busy North Lanes you could easily walk past without noticing it! We went in bang on lunchtime on a busy Saturday, I was a bit apprehensive as there was a few people hanging around the door and it looked quite busy but we were immediately shown a free table and offered a highchair by a lovely member of staff. There is a convenient place beside the counter for 2 buggies max which we were happy to use at their suggestion as someone already had a buggy at one of the tables and it's not a huge place. Ordered a sandwich, vegan flapjack for Ivy and a large latte which were all brought to the table with no fuss whilst I wrestled madam into the highchair. (The basic Ikea ones which are great.) We weren't rushed even though it became increasingly busy and the staff were great with Ivy the whole time, talking to her 'oh how cute' etc., really above and beyond. There was at least two other small children in the cafe when we left but it's by no means a crèche, a real mix of families and young couples/friends/ cool Brighton types. Changing facilities are upstairs but a small price to pay. Overall, a great find and we will be back soon!