UPDATE: The Cafe is no longer running at the demand for functions and weddings has increased
I don’t know about you, but as a parent to two under 5s it is very rare that I get to actually finish eating and properly enjoy my food when we visit a cafe these days. It’s even rarer to spend 2+ hours at that cafe with no whinging to leave, but amazingly, that’s exactly what I got on our visit to The Barn today!
Situated just outside Aylesbury in the village of Hulcott, this 200 year old restored building is a fantastic venue for a child-friendly breakfast, lunch or coffee and cake stop.
We arrived just after opening on a Friday morning and found three or four other groups of parents and kids already dining. The Barn is well signposted and there’s plenty of space to park, with about 10 tables inside. There’s an accessible ramp to the entrance so you can wheel in a pram if needed.
The Barn is beautifully decorated inside, and it had a lovely, calm, gown-up vibe, despite also being very child-friendly. The first clue to this is the play room situated at the back of the cafe. There is open access to here for the children to play in, and mine went in straight away while I had a look at the menu.
Inside was a play kitchen, some boxes of toys, a big dolls’ house and a table and chairs. No food or drink is allowed in, but there is a sofa should you wish to sit in with the children while they play. However, it’s so close to the tables that mine were happy popping in and out to check up on me while I ate!
The menu has plenty of kid-friendly options, such as toast with a variety of sweet and savoury toppings, and special children’s breakfasts. They also offer children’s lunch options and, spotted straight away by my 4 year old, mini doughnuts with sprinkles by the delicious looking selection of homemade cakes at the counter.
We opted for one of the aforementioned doughnuts, babycinnos, French toast and tea, which all went down a storm. The rest of the cakes looked amazing too! The food came promptly and was hot and fresh. The babycinnos came in the cutest china mugs (I did decant the youngest’s!) and there were child-sized knives and forks and highchairs available too.
Both children wanted to play a bit more after we’d finished eating, so I sat inside the playroom with them. There were 3 other children playing in there at the same time, which was about the right amount as it’s not a huge room. After numerous pretend cups of tea for both me and the Barbies, we decided to make the most of the sunshine and head outside.
Here, there is a playhouse (that mine were into immediately), swings, climbing frame with slide and sandpit, ride on toys and a trampoline! We were out here for a good hour and half- they absolutely didn’t want to leave. The big outdoor space, enclosed duck pond and some huge muddy puddles to jump in was plenty to keep them busy. It won’t be long before it’s warm enough to sit out on the patio enjoying some of the coffee and cake on offer while the kids play.
After a great time in the sunshine we unfortunately had to leave. I’m sure that if we hadn’t already had plans for the afternoon, we would’ve stayed for lunch as well. Top marks for a really child-friendly, relaxed morning in a beautiful location, not to mention the delicious brunch too!
