Jungle Patrol - New Brighton, Christchurch

Our lovely Christchurch hostess Fiona introduced us to this little gem of a cafe yesterday. We were back this morning and plan on going back again tomorrow.

Considering it's such a small space, a rather large portion of it is dedicated to their younger patrons. Yet nothing about it is tacky or plastic coated. From the little formica table with the little wooden chairs, to the Crown Lynn cups, the vintage playing cards, jars of crayons and two box of toys under the tables; the cafe is a retro dream for both parents and children.

But I always say the most important thing about a kid-friendly cafe is the service. The staff at Jungle Patrol make children feel welcome and prepare wonderfully over the top fluffies with love. On our first visit Haeata was given a complimentary mini afghan biscuit and today she was served up an extra fluffy. When she couldn't find any more colouring pages someone brought some over before I could even ask.

For the grown ups there is a couch and a large communal table where you can sip on really good coffee or a home made chai latte (a rarity in New Zealand!) and dig into what are rumoured to be the best muffins in Christchurch. A fair call really, I may have to take some back to Auckland.

Just another reason you should consider coming down to Christchurch for a visit. We haven't felt a single earthquake since we've been here and I consider all the shopping and eating out we're doing as doing our part to help rebuild the city!