Features:
- pram access (outside seating, or if it’s not busy, you can go inside);
- babycinos;
- standard menu kid friendly; and
- storybook theme.
What child doesn’t love Christmas and storybook characters?
Well, next Thursday 25 July, Alice in Wonderland themed CBD cafe Alice Nivens is holding a special ‘Christmas in July’ day of sweets, treats and other festivities.
The bolthole cafe is hidden in a rather ugly flourescent-lit arcade between Flinders Street/Flinders Lane and you’ll recognise it by the ski chalet style take away windows, the Queen of Hearts black and white floor tiling and the large mural interpretation of Alice in Wonderland by Melbourne illustrator Sam Octigan (who was apparently too shy to sign his name to this work before making it big in New York). The space is currently decked out in festive decorations and fairy lights for Christmas in July!
If you go outside of peak hour eg lunch time then it’s a very cute experience. They serve a small breakfast menu, freshly made sandwiches at lunch but their specialty is a daily selection of sweet treats.
In fact, they have a ‘cake cage’ spilling with all sorts of gorgeous goodies – and if you follow their Twitter stream prepare to drool. Some of it is Alice themed – a white chocolate and raspberry White Rabbit Cake or a chocolate flourless Queen of Hearts cake decorated with red hearts – and at the moment there’s a whole Christmas theme happening as well.
I tried their ‘Australian Christmas’ fruit pavlova ($6.50), a crispy meringue shell receptacle for fluffy cream and sliced fruit, with a drizzle of passionfruit coulis. Lady AB had a babycino ($2 but it did come with two homemade marshmallows) and a mini Christmassy chocolate cinnamon cupcake ($2).
While Alice Nivens isn’t the kind of cafe that would traditionally be considered ‘kid-friendly’ ie change tables, kids activities, children’s menu etc, I found that the owner Janet was very friendly and welcoming of Lady AB and Baby 2.0 – she helped move furniture out of the way for the pram, engaged Lady AB in conversation and let her play with the super-cute rabbit salt and pepper shakers!
In fact, there’s a lot of rabbit motifs in the cafe – in honour of the the Lewis Carroll white rabbit but also because Janet was born in the Year of the Rabbit, just like Lady AB!
Alice Nivens is a lovely little pitstop if you’re down near the Federation Square/Flinders Street end of the city, particularly before/after a trip to Little Bookroom‘s city store on Degraves Street. Down the rabbit hole you go!
Alice Nivens, Port Phillip Arcade, Shop 13, 228 Flinders Street
Mon to Fri 7:30 am – 4:00 pm