Look, Bristol is full of incredible cafes, but when you’re crawling around the city with your little ones in tow, they’re not always easy to visit. Cafes for children can often be busy, noisy and uncomfortable. Have you tried squeezing a pram past a queue of students just for a flat white recently?
Luckily, Bristol has a brand-new, modern indoor play cafe where you can tuck into delicious food and warming cups of tea, while your kids play safely in sight. Tots & Teapots has taken over the former Bristol Upholstery Collective site on Wells Road in Totterdown – offering a place “where playtime and creativity brew.”
Described as “perfect for children up to 5 years”, the play cafe is filled with Montessori toys (which are designed to spark curiosity, experimentation and learning in play), like wooden puzzles and sensory boards. On top, Tots & Teapots’ soft play area features padded floors and age-appropriate structures that “lets children crawl, climb, and slide safely, enhancing motor skills and coordination.”
To let them play, you must book a session (at least 24 hours beforehand), costing £1 for 0-3 months and £5 for 3 months to 5 years old. An adult ticket costs £3. You can also book children’s parties at Tots & Teapots. It costs £200 for up to 10 children for two hours (additional children are £10), and includes a sandwich box for each child.
Tots & Teapots is open 9:30am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 1:30pm on Saturday. To learn more and book a slot head here.
Where are there play cafes in Bristol?
A play cafe isn’t a totally unique concept to Tots & Teapots. In fact, there are several more around the city you can visit. The Curious Play Cafe in Hanham is another play cafe in Bristol with an eco-conscious focus, using pre-loved toys and furniture, and serving cakes, coffees and cheese toasties.
Elsewhere, you’ll find Out There Indoors – from Bristol’s first forest school-inspired kindergarten, Out There – with its “alternative play space” in Brislington; and Skyboat Café in Redland, with a Michelin-trained chef in the kitchen, and a separate baby sensory room for 0 to 2-year-olds.