Mama in the City

Today we made the short trek to Little Nest cafe: 3 mamas, 1 stroller, 1 toddler and 2 babies. I couldn't help but compare it to North Vancouver's Munch Family Restaurant because of the similar concept. That restaurant was reviewed by me here. In my dream world the two places would combine and mesh all the good stuff together and toss out all the things that don't work. Creating the very best parent friendly dining spot that Vancouver could offer.

First impression was that of a very busy lunch spot! Breastfeeding mamas all around, hipster dads dining with their kids, tattooed rocker mom's having a coffee date with their babies and friends. A 'new mothers' group was meeting in the back with their newborn babes in various slings and infant carriers. It was a true urban mesh of people. There were even a few single people dining alone with no tots in sight. We were pretty tight on finding a table as the place was seriously packed. No room to move your stroller and no 'stroller parking', which would have been a smart addition to this parent friendly space.

Right away I knew the food was going to be tasty because you could see the meals being made in the open style kitchen and the delicious baked goods that sat right next to the cash register taunting my insulin supply. This place is definitely more of a cafe than a restaurant and I say that because there is no ordering or service at the table. You order your food at the till and pay right away; good strategy in case you have to make a mad dash in the middle of your meal with a finicky diner.

The food was delicious with wonderful fresh organic ingredients and it definitely surpassed Munch restaurant in taste, flavor, portion size and variety. A variety of hearty salads and organic filled baguettes were to choose from for lunch and there is also a full breakfast menu. Someone has done a great job in putting together tasty ingredients and flavors and I really enjoyed what I ordered. The only thing missing from the Little Nests kids menu was some baby food items to choose from.


They have high chairs from the 70's and your baby will look super cool sitting up in one but be warned tey don't have seat belts in the high chairs. Definitely something that could be easily fixed with a handy person. Overall, it was a chaotic and tasty lunch excursion that didn't leave me feeling relaxed but did leave me feeling satisfied. I would be interested in trying Little Nest for brunch one day and see what they had cooking.

The kids play area was small and over crowded with older children through to babies trying to get a spot to play. I found that these age groups don't go well together in a small play area. The toy selection was mostly retro and mainly consisted of a little kitchen. The toys were in short supply and questionably clean. The children's play area was off at the back and you either had to score a table right nearby (we didn't) or finish your meal and head on over. Munch restaurant rocks the play area much more. I would like to see the play area larger, cleaner with more toys for different age groups. Garage sale finds are great but there really needs to be more than a few items for this busy cafe.



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