There are many reasons to take your kids to visit Serotonin. Pram access, high chairs, kids menu, playground across the road, easy free parking – but the main one is that the cafe seats are SWINGS.
Lady AB and Baby 2.0 (and many adults) have so much fun gently swaying while they wait for their food, with Lady AB intoning ‘it’s so relaxing’ at regular intervals. The swings are bound to put a smile on your face, which is obviously part of the goal of Serotonin – named after a mood-enhancing hormone.
The all day menu is loaded with healthy, organic, often raw, vegetarian food. It may sound parsimonious but it is in fact delicious.
The drinks list includes Five Senses coffee, single origin organic teas from Impala & Peacock, juices and smoothies and specialty organic lattes. As I’m in the courtyard and it’s a pretty brisk day I choose the cacao latte, Serotonin’s version of hot chocolate with organic raw grated cacao and cacao butter. It’s warm and soothing though not quite creamy enough for my liking, so next time I’m going to add some organic coconut milk to it. I also really like their Gingerbread Latte which is like a hug in a mug and it’s their most popular drink.
I order the Medicinal Mexican Waffle, a savoury corn waffle topped with heirloom tomatoes, guacamole, corn and house made tomato sauce ($19). It’s filling, fresh, light and spicy.
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We also share the Positive Pancakes made of organic banana flour and are topped with house made banana icecream, berries, coyo, strawberries, almonds and agave. It’s quite an expensive pancake dish but it’s a pretty, nutritious dish and there are three pancakes which makes it easy to share.
Baby 2.0 digs into the fruit and pancakes but is not so keen on the banana ice cream. I’ve made this ‘ice cream’ before – it’s basically blended frozen banana – and the texture’s a lot better when it’s blended fresh (turns into a nice whipped soft-serve consistency) rather than put back in the freezer where it becomes icy and rock hard.
Serotonin’s kids menu has eight options including smashed avo, Vegemite toast, an acai bowl and pancakes.
Serotonin also provides a long list of organic raw desserts. We try three of the house made organic raw desserts on offer – the Japanese inspired harajuki , a caramel dream with coconut flour, mesquite powder, dates and coconut oil and the highlight, a top deck with cacao, coconut, walnuts, cacao butter, dates and cashews.
The sweets are expensive and I assume the cost of ingredients dictates that some are twice the price of others – so I think try one to share if you’re curious.
After lunch at Serotonin we enjoy a play at Golden Square Bicentennial Park across the road. It’s a sweet little wooden playground with occasional trains tooting past for mini-train spotters.
There’s the usual swings, slides, springers and some climbing walls and it is empty during our visit.
If you like you can even order from the takeaway window, borrow a picnic basket and blanket to take to the park – and then the food is delivered out to you!
I really enjoy my lunch at Serotonin and for families it’s the complete package of great food with entertainment options for kids. Due to the ingredients used the prices are high compared a standard, non-raw, non-vego cafe, so make it a special cafe date.
With winter coming it’s exciting to discover that they are opening their function space next door soon. The plan is for the space to open weekly on Thursdays for ‘mums and bubs sessions’ where kids can play in an enclosed, undercover space.
Click here for more child-friendly cafes with outdoor play areas.
HOT Tips:
- pram access – ramp at front entrance;
- high chairs;
- Seating is most spacious in courtyard;
- Try to grab a swing seat! Though a bit tricky to eat at if you’re small as you can’t touch the ground to keep still;
- a few outdoor toys plus pavement chalk;
- Kids menu;
- standard menu suitable for kids;
- disabled toilet fits a pram;
- Free 4 hour parking on street;
- small playground with train track views across the road; and
- borrow a picnic basket and blanket (leave your drivers licence), order anything from the menu and they will deliver your order to the park.
Serotonin, 52 Madden Grove, Burnley (03) 9428 8256
Wed-Fri 8-3pm
Sat-Sun 8:30am-4pm
