cafe raeward

we have 4 little boys and don't go out much because it's a hassle taking ourkids& trying to entertain them. cafe reward is awesome! we went there for breakfast. food is delicious. our boys loved it and there'skidsplayground which really made it easy for hubby and i to enjoy our food while the boys are out playing! kid friendly environment. definitely be going back!

we've been to this cafe a couple of times but have never been fast enough to take pictures because the food always looks so good and it is devoured before i can get my phone out.

things that you need to know about this place is that on weekends and holidays, it is very popular and very busy during lunchtime. as they have a small playground and an assortment of toys, as well as the raeward fresh grocery store on-site, it is also really busy. as in freakishly busy on some days and with lots of children around as well. if you plan to visit, a booking is advised, although we have never planned well enough in advance each time we have visited and they have still managed to seat us somewhere - you may just end up on couches though (but they are comfortable).

this is a service cafe, where they will seat you, give you water and name your service person - as well as coming to take your order whereby you pay at the end. all great components of good service that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a cafe - but highly appreciated. staff are attentive, polite and friendly and very skilled at dodging children scattered about the floor playing with toys.

the outdoor fenced playground is semi-sheltered but on a cold or rainy day, you and your children will still get cold or wet. there is a table where you can sit outside and supervise your children, however this isn't covered at all. from the warmth inside however there are a few seats where you can see your children playing outside if you were inclined to leave yourkidsto it, but be warned there are signs that indicate supervision of children is required.

the food arrived quickly on our last visit - there is a breakfast menu up to 11.30 followed by a brunch menu. i ordered eggs benedict with bacon off the brunch menu. priced at $21 it isn't the cheapest around, however the portion size is fairly impressive and you get a reasonable amount of bacon on crispy toasted bread. eggs were poached well and the hollandaise was delicious.

i've noticed that the menu on this page is outdated, because the prices are different and there are some menu variations, but only a few on first look. so be prepared for variance if you are keen on a particular item on the attached menu.

overall, a fantastic experience, as all our others have been. the reason why i haven't given a 5 is largely because cafe raeward is the victim of it's own success ... i don't particularly enjoy really busy and noisy places, but the food is generally worth the angst of it ... and our wee boy does enjoy having a run around while we eat, so happy to return any time :)

it was with a little trepidation i journeyed out to near the christchurch airport for a taste of what the unknown had to offer.
my previous experience of raeward fresh grocery super market was just that, so i was interested to see how the add on restaurant to the market stood up.
first impression was one of terror, seeing the mcdonald's style plastic playground should had told me to run for the hills. if you provide a playground attached to a restaurant it normally follows there will bekidsinside and i wasn't wrong.
the feeling of being one second away from a major child event while sitting in the place removed any truly relaxing time with my parter and teenage daughter.
we dodged that bullet, but only just.
my review of my meal and drinks will be short and simple. the chicken satay burger filled the gap but was really something that could have been slapped together at my local chippy. the twenty plus dollars was top dollar for an average burger and fries. satay usual means peanut spicy sauce but mine wasn't really peanut but more of a mild curry flavor. not unpleasant just unexpected. fries were just that, very average. janeens battered blue cod was the winner for us and ticked the right flavor and portion size boxes but the flat pile of packet salad left us all wondering why a place with access to great produce couldn't have done better. needless to say it wasn't great and was left alone on the plate.
the coffee i had was full pice and was rubbish, burnt and bitter, how hard is it to make a decent flat white? i suppose when you have grocery staff trying to double as restaurant staff something is going suffer.
my feeling about the place is a bit of refinement and a effective separation of grown up diners fromkidswould be a start. i feel the proximity to the airport has influenced the pricing in a negative way. better staff training and dedicated staff will help the overall flow.
with so many really good eating places it is hard to recommend raeburn cafe, parents with little ones would probably enjoy the convenience of shopping, dining and somewhere for thekidsto play.