Arboretum Kitchen & Pantry, Caulfield South by Bureaucrat

A spot of early lunch was in order when I spied Arboretum Kitchen & Pantry.  A mix of diners were already enjoying their meal out on the sunny street pavement which is fenced off with a "hedge" of pot plants.  Clearly a favourite among locals, there were lots of young families, golden oldies and office workers taking in a meal and a coffee or two.

Inside, the plant motif continues, with creepers meandering their way across the rafters and pot plants hanging from the ceiling.  All the greenery added a nice touch to the cafe, although, truth be told, the plants seemed like they could've done with some water.

I perched myself on the communal high table and ordered myself a serve of blackened barramundi fish tacos.  These were pretty tasty - good chunks of barra on a bed of fresh coleslaw, avocado and dressing. The corn tortillas were nice and warm.  The only improvement could have been more seasoning on the fish.  With my birdlike appetite these days, I ate two of the tacos and already felt full, but I managed to squeeze the third one in (where there's a will, there's a way!).  

Mr Burton, Ashburton by Bureaucrat

After a morning of channelling our inner child with Boy Chick at the rather fabulous playground at Markham Park (seriously, why didn't we have playgrounds like this when we were young?), we trundled up to High Street, Ashburton for a spot of brunch.  

Kids' fish and chips

I do quite like High Street, Ashburton.  There are quite a few nice cafes (The Oak Room, Two Seeds and Mr Brownstone are among the better ones).  Towards the very end of the shopping strip, opposite the local library, is Mr Burton.  Despite being located a bit further from all the other cafes, Mr Burton has a serious buzz to the place.  Inside it's a little bit squishy and a little bit too loud, but the sunny courtyard was a perfect spot for us.  

The Oaks Cafe, Surrey Hills by Bureaucrat

Continuing with our adventures in finding cafes that are child-friendly, I decided to get creative.  I'm aware of a few cafe-with-garden establishments (Cafe Vue at Heide, Warran Glen Garden Centre & Cafe and also the Collingwood Children's Farm) but they're just a tad too far for us nowadays, since Boy Chick dislikes sitting in the car for too long.  A bit of Googling came up with cafes in nurseries and a promising nearby option was The Oaks Cafe in Surrey Hills.

Lasagne

The Oaks Cafe is located within Acorn Nursery.  The nursery is quite beautiful - there are gorgeous floral scents wafting in the breeze, bees are buzzing around, and there's the melodic squawks of happy birds.  

Piggery Cafe, Sherbrooke by Bureaucrat

Dining out with a toddler presents a few challenges.  No longer can the Lawyer and I have the luxury of going on gourmet road trips (how I miss the ginger treacle cakes at Red Beard Historic Bakery in Trentham and the gorgeous wood-fired pizzas at Birregurra Farm Foods) or linger over a seafood buffet at Melba or degustation lunch at Champions Bistro.

Wagyu beef burger

With a wriggly and potentially cranky toddler in tow, I find myself critiquing restaurants and cafes on more than just their food and service.  What's the lack of accessibility in so many of our restaurants?  I'm astonished at how cramped and squishy restaurants are - how are people with a wheelchair, walking aids and prams meant to navigate their way through?  And my gosh, I feel for those with sensory conditions.  The prevalence of polished concrete, exposed bricks, loud music over speakers as the design de rigeur and the lack of sound-proofing not only makes it hard to have a conversation without shouting but must be overwhelming for people who are sensitive to loud noises (on a side note, bravo to Coles for introducing its 'Quite Hour' shopping - even those of us who aren't on the autism spectrum can appreciate a quieter shopping environment).

Little Sparrow, Chadstone by Rockstar

I remember when Chadstone was a bit of a foodie destination. It’s taken a while, and I think it will continue to improve, but I love the options now - whether it’s food court, cafe or restaurant. Melbourne had some pretty terrible weather and I didn’t want to stay home but it was too wet and windy to be outside. I took my book and headed to Chadstone! By the time I got there it was 1.30pm and I was hungry!

Scrambled eggs with lobster, feta and chilli and bacon

I chose Little Sparrow cafe (which also has an outlet in the new food court) as it was close, it wasn’t too busy and there were a few things on the menu I wanted to try. It was nice to be out of the bustle of the shopping centre, and it was a little quieter too.