Well Done Burger via Fioravanti 137

Well Done Burger has joined our network, the restaurant offers unique gourmet  burgers freshly prepared with the best ingredients from right here  in Italy, the products used are carefully selected, such as their meat which comes from local farms and non-modified, only organic flours and vegetables in season.

The restaurant in  Via Fioravanti (there are two venues in Bologna), in addition to offering  quality food, offers a dedicated service for children, in fact, families are encouraged  to go there from Monday to Friday from 19:00 to 20.00 (it is obligatory to leave the table by 20.00), all children eat free, with a great, wholesome menu dedicated to them.

The restaurant features large tables which diners share,  high chairs are available for much younger children as well as placemats to colour and crayons for the bigger kids.

Services for children
High chair, Childrens menu, colour-in sheets and crayons

What can be improved?
A baby changing table/area, and maybe some more boardgames  to entertain children as ours became quite restless during our visit

Staff Attitude 
we found the young, hip staff to be quite courteous and tolerant toward our rowdy children, be warned that the place is’ small though and they frown on children running about between the tables

   

          

 

 

 

 

 

Le Petit Café du Monde Entier, Paris

In Paris they’re called Café Poussette … literally translated that means Stroller or Pushcar cafe. These are cafés and bistros, designed to cater for families with children with all the amenities you would expect while visiting with children in tow, we set off to explore one….

Le Petit Café du Monde Entier is a lovely, colorful bistro, typically French, tastefully decorated with great attention to detail. You’re struck, immediately upon entering the venue’s first room, by the fact that  in addition to the usual tables, there are also a host of comfortable chairs and a beautiful children’s corner with games, books, kiddie chairs and a small toy kitchen … so there is literally something for all tastes!

In front of the service counter are a host of things for sale, from books to babyslings, all thoughyfully placed on high enoough shelves, safely out of the reach of little hands.

In another comfortably cushioned room sits a small table with crayons and paper for drawing and coloring  for the kids and more  tables for adults, you can comfortably keep a watchful eye,  we’re told they also organize activities and workshops for children in this space.
Another room has been converted into a dressing/storage  room, where  strollers are safely deposited and and baby bouncers  are made available for guests.

The bathrooms are perfect, one for adults and one for children, complete with a miniature wash basins, stepping stools, a changing table and baby wipes.
The menu is varied and also provides meals for the little ones, , you can even make your own pancakes for Sunday brunch !
Basically, this is  a great example of how a café, can become family friendly by making some small changes, while remaining attentive to the needs of  families with children!

 

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Il Club degli allegri saltasu via San Rocco 5, Bologna

Our latest approval went to “Il club degli allegri saltasu”  , a privately owned club for families with children aged between 1 to 11 years, in the historic centre of Bologna!

It has a large indoor play area complete  with a playground consisting of  inflatable games, racket games, pools filled with balls and a play zone with books and even games to suit all ages.

The club further provides spaces to rent  for its members for  events and birthday parties, but what really impressed us is their dinner set-up, complete  with catering and pizza to be enjoyed in peace and tranquility with your children or while they play, top quality pizzerias in the neighborhood provide the meals (but only by reservation)  you can enjoy, for example, a menu with a choice of pizza + chips + dessert and beverage of your choice for  €16 adults and  €12 for children offer vaild on condition that you consume on the premises and make use of the indoor entertainment facilities.

The bathroom is  equipped with free diapers and babywipes, a hairdryer and cotton towels,the venue also supplies high chairs, a microwave and a bottle warmer. There is also free parking available with space for a maximum of  6 cars, free Wifi, and relief in the form of a universal phone  battery charger,  free for all mobile phones.

In conclusion, we recommend a visit, at least to be able to enjoy dinner in peace while your children play and have fun in a safe environment!

 

Fram Café; Bistrot; Bio; Veg, via Rialto 22

Fram Cafe’ via Rialto 22

Fram is a quaint local cafe that reminds me of  the quintessential French style bistro’s.

The menu is vegetarian, vegan and wholesome,  the owners, Elena and her daughter Nicole, are on a mission to encourage healthy and conscious nutrition , all food and beverages served are organic and freshly prepared.

What really impressed us at Fram is the environment  – tranquil and  considerate, especially to the needs of children (the owners are themselves are grandmother and mother of two beautiful little boys, whom they joke grew up in Fram), the comfy sofa is a delight for children add to that homely, colorful vintage furnishings, a small library with books (where you can do book-exchanges) as well as coloured markers and paper.

There are colourful cups and saucers suitable for children, a baby bottle warmer and soon the owners will introduce a children’s menu.

The bathroom is perfect, very clean, painted in a comforting bright pink complete with  a changing mat and towel, a small stepping stool and heating designed to keep parents and children warm during diaper changes! What more could we ask for!

As we mentioned the menu (which changes daily and is displayed on a board in the cafe) is vegan, but generous,  you can enjoy a hearty breakfast, with classic croissants and for more international tastes muesli and cereals, yogurt or soy milk, or snack on freshly prepared fruit and veg cakes and biscuits and much more, in peace and calm with your children in tow.

WHAT WE LOVE!

The patience, care and attention that the owners reserve for visitors and families with children.

The open, beautiful kitchen that creates the impression of being at home….

 

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN FUTURE

Perhaps a wider variety of games made available, to accomodate older children (perhaps obtaining a corner game).

The only flaw:  the space is small and tight, we suggest closing your prams/strollers to enter more comfortable and not block anyone elses way, also Fram is situated at the intersection of two relatively busy streets,  be careful that toddlers do not open the door onto the street.

In conclusion, we can recommend this lovely bistro for breakfast, lunch, snacks and occassional appetizers.

 

Family Friendly Airlines!

Family Friendly Airlines!.

Family Friendly Airlines! Emirates Airlines & Dubai Airport

  

Emirates Airlines & Dubai Airport

I have had the opportunity of travelling alone, once a year with my 3 year old son since he was just five months old. This thought overwhelms most of my friends but I simply don’t have a choice as I live more than 9000 kilometres away from my family in Johannesburg and going to them is the easiest way to see everybody, at the same time.

The first  thing people always ask me is: How do you manage? (or sometimes: Are you crazy?)

So far I’ve flown British Airways, Turkish Airways, KLM and most recently Emirates Airlines.

I must admit that all the airways are very attentive to families travelling with young children and more especially parents travelling alone with children. In the past I have been offered every imagineable service from priority boarding, a seat in the business lounge (when I wasn’t even travelling business class), the baby bassinet bed, free diapers, homogenised food and baby milk,  hostesses have held the baby while I’ve used the bathroom and on one flight I got two seats even though we paid for one, so I can honestly say I have had many positive experiences.

A flight with Emirates this past January tops my list of the easiest, most considerate and child-friendly flights.

   

The hosts/hostesses were so attentive from the second we boarded, making an effort to learn my son’s name and chat with him, helping to also put him at ease ahead of our flight. A few minutes into the flight he was handed a colourful  personal blanket and a bag full of toys that kept him occupied for more than 80% of the flight and was especially handy while we waited for our connecting flight because he was concentrating very deeply on his new puzzles and colouring books.

The real magic happened when we stopped over in Dubai International Airport, my son was sleepy and grumpy already and I was thinking of ways to keep him entertained for three hours when suddenly, like an oasis in the desert, I saw a parking bay of red Maclaren strollers, they were available for use inside the airport building and they were free! I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to see a stroller, it saved my life, I soon had my son sleeping comfortably while I explored the airport.

It’s unfortunate that my son was sleeping and our stop-over was only 3.5 hours, but the play area at the boarding gate is a fantastic site, maybe next time!

Pro’s

• Preferential treatment for parents with children on Emirates
• Many family bathrooms on every floor at the airport terminal in Dubai
• Great games and good small portions of food for children on the flight

        

• It was my son’s birthday on our return flight and the staff not only sang happy birthday to him, but they took him on a tour of the entire plane AND they gave him a fantastic birthday cake and a birthday card signed by the cabin crew in a range of different languages, this was the best birthday experience a 3 year old could wish for…

Here’s the video 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlmUlvmk8BA )

* It was a comfortable and easy flight!

Con’s

• we couldn’t do an online check-in on our return flight so we didn’t get a children’s meal on one flight, that was a bit inconvenient because my child doesn’t have a big appetite and I was saddened to have to waste food like that

100% Family Friendly

BAMBANANI –  FAMILY AND FOOD

85, 4TH AVENUE, MELVILLE, 2029, JOHANNESBURG, SUDAFRICA

   

Sono un papà di un bambino di 3 anni ed onestamente sono fra quelle persone che quando devono uscire per andare in qualche locale o ristorante, preferiscono godersi il momento. Ecco perché da quando sono papà di Matteo, un bambino molto “vivace” (per usare un eufemismo), sono sempre restìo a frequentare locali perché ho sempre l’ansia di stargli dietro, vedere che non dia fastidio, che non faccia danni, sentirmi dire dal personale se posso tenere buono il bambino….insomma, fra uscire con il patema d’animo e stare in casa, opto per la seconda scelta, questo fino a ieri quando a Johannesburg mi sono recato al Bambanani, zona Melville per chi conosce la città.

  
Per me questo locale rappresenta il top del concept “family friendly”. Innanzitutto quando il personale ti accoglie, c’è una persona addetta all’accoglienza anche del bambino e non solo dell’adulto. Vengono chiesti i dati del genitore e del bambino per verificare sempre la quantità delle persone presenti e per avere sempre tutto sotto controllo. Fin dall’ingresso si può scorgere la zona playground. La parte interessante è che il ristorante è totalmente family friendly e non con zone dedicate, mi spiego. Dove ci sono i tavoli per adulti, di fianco sono previsti anche tavolini e mini salotto con mini poltrone per i bambini. Se poi il bambino non vuole stare seduto, subito di fianco è prevista una sala completamente attrezzata di un’infinità di giochi, anche una tv che proietta film per bambini.

   

Se invece, come è stato nel mio caso, si volesse prendere un semplice aperitivo esiste un’area esterna con tavoli ed un’intera area dedicata al gioco con un vero e proprio castello dove i bambini possono sbizzarrirsi arrampiandosi oltre che ovviamente molti giochi, costruzioni etc. La parte ancora più interessante è che i bambini non sono “abbandonati” all’area gioco ma esiste un personale dedicato addetto non solo alla sorveglianza, ma all’interazione con il bambino, dei veri e propri educatori, credo che sia personale in parte stipendiato dal locale (probabilmente tirocinanti), in parte con le mance (volontarie) dei clienti, ma onestamente non esiste mancia meglio spesa di questa perché veramente si può gustare il proprio aperitivo o colazione nella totale tranquillità. E se piove direte voi? Nessun problema, anche l’area interna ha previsto una parte dove i bambini possono disegnare, colorare, usare il pongo e tutti quei giochi che stimolano la manualità, insomma meglio attrezzati di un asilo. Addirittura hanno un box per i bambini che ancora non camminano con giochi a loro dedicati e l’area PIZZA, ovvero uno spazio dove i bambini possono “cucinare” per conto loro (supervisionati dal personale). Insomma, veramente un clima super accogliente supportato da una struttura di altissimo livello. Se volte vedere il sito ecco il link http://www.bambanani.biz/bambi-store/# cliccate su “take a tour”

Federico Bastiani

Recensione: Spazio Centotrecento

Spazio Centotrecento, 1/a via centotrecento

Questo café ci é piaciuto molto, è spazioso, ci entrano senza difficoltà più passeggini e ha una sala in fondo con dei divani che piacerà molto ai bimbi.

PRO:

Lì, organizzano spesso degli eventi. La propietaria è assolutamente family friendly e se ci andate per l’aperitivo ci sarà sempre qualcosa da mangiare pensato apposta per i bimbi.

CON:

Non c’é il fasciatoio anche se ci starebbe perché il bagno é grande;-)

Posto comunque consigliato!

Mercatini di Natale a Bologna e piccoli sorprese per i più piccoli

Mercatini di Natale a Bologna e piccoli sorprese per i più piccoli.

Articioch

 

Articioch…ci siamo quasi!

Dalla parte nuova di via mascarella (84/B)

Questo locale ha aperto circa un mese fa, lo spazio, grande, è suddiviso in 3 parti. In fondo il ristorante ci sono i tavoli, in mezzo il bar con tavoli alti e sgabelli e,situati all’ingresso,due salottini.

C siamo stati per un aperitivo, ci avevano quindi assegnato i due salottini. Abbiamo fatto subire a questo locale una prova-bambini abbastanza spinta perché ci siamo stati con almeno 15 bambini! Il locale adesso non esiste più…scherzo, anzi, ha resistito molto bene all’assalto e, nonostante i bimbi che saltavano da un divano all’altro, si arrampicavano sui termosifoni e lanciavano aeroplanini nei piatti dei clienti dell’area ristorante, i proprietari sono stati sempre gentili e disponibili.

Pro

– Lo spazio a disposizione è abbastanza grande e consente ai bimbi di muoversi senza disturbare troppo sia nello spazio dedicato al ristorante che nei salottini;

– la gentilezza dei proprietari nei loro confronti;

Contro

-Non ci sono fasciatoi;

-all’ingresso ci sono tre biciclette che i bimbi vanno a toccare;

-manca l’angolo dedicato ai bambini.

Conclusione

Manca davvero poco a questo spazio per diventare completamente family friendly,infatti il proprietario ha anche accolto il progetto molto bene,quindi…a presto!