• Top of the list is Southern Cross which is ‘Wellington famous’ for catering to the little ones, from their weekend face painting to weekly ‘Cross Critter’ sessions, games, fluffies and more.

• Monsoon Poon has a loyal local following for their fresh Asian flavours, plus the cool open kitchen makes for delicious entertainment while waiting for your meals. The kids menu features colouring in too!

• If you’re in town, 1154 Pasteria on Cuba Street has a cool casual vibe, communal tables, and is open from midday, perfect for kid-friendly dinner time! Plus, they have daily pasta deals from 4-6pm.

• Scorch O Rama is a favourite family friendly cafe in Wellington that boasts a decent kids area, and stunning waterfront location to wow the grandparents. Did we mention that’s only a 20 minute drive from the CBD too?

• Karaka Cafe on the waterfront has a picturesque outdoor area overlooking the lagoon, and serves up great fluffies and sweet treats. 

• If you are heading to the Wellington Zoo make sure you drop into Rex Tremendous! Now run by Tom and Kate Hutchison who operate the city’s award-winning Capitol restaurant, this kid-friendly cafe is tremendous indeed.

• Zelati Dessert Cafe is the culmination of all your gelato and sorbet dreams coming true.  Made with real fruit (no pre-made purees) and plenty of options for dietaries, this is the place to indulge your sweet tooth. 

• Te Papa Cafe has everything you need to keep the kids entertained, and opens half an hour before the museum so you can get fuelled up for a big day exploring.

• Parrotdog Bar in Lyall Bay is a hit with both parents and kids, with plenty of space to spread out. Note this spot is dog friendly too, so keep this in mind if your little ones aren’t comfortable around canines. 

Another hot tip is to hit up cafes that are near parks or beaches so there’s plenty of outdoor space for little ones to roam free.  Plus, most cafes in the region do takeaway coffees and fluffies if you find ‘grab and go’ options a bit easier. If you have any other family friendly restaurants in Wellington that we haven’t listed, feel free to get in touch!