If you have a small brood that follows you wherever you go, it's difficult to find the right place to go when eating out. Will they like the food? Will there be a couple of crayons to keep them occupied? Will we disturb the other diners? All of these questions are standard when it comes to searching for a child friendly restaurant. Luckily, there are plenty of child friendly restaurants in Cardiff and we're going to take a look at some of the best today. 

The Harvester

Photo credit to @HarvesterUK

Where?

Dunleavy Drive, Cardiff Bay, CF11 0SN

Why? 

Everything about The Harvester is ideal for families, making it one of the best child friendly restaurants in Cardiff. From the wide selection of varied food, to the £5.99 kids menu, to the colouring pages provided on the tables - the Cardiff Bay Harvester is a lovely place to take your tribe. Oh, and don't forget about the free salad!

Cedar Tree Farm

Photo credit to Cedar Tree Farm

Where?

Ferry Road, Grangetown, Cardiff, CF11 0JR

Why? 

Cedar Tree Farm is a cosy carvery situated on the way into Cardiff Bay. With a fantastic selection of choices on their kid's menu ranging from as cheap as £2.99, Cedar Tree Farm is more than just a child friendly restaurant in Cardiff, it's fun for all the family. They also have an excellent selection of ice cream and cake, so be sure your little ones aren't wearing white when you head here!

The Three Horse Shoes

Photo credit to The Three Horseshoes

Where? 

Merthyr Road, Gabalfa, Cardiff, CF15 1DL

Why? 

The Three Horseshoes is another lovely, quaint child friendly restaurant in Cardiff. It's pub like atmosphere is great for a particularly rowdy bunch of small humans. Complete with a full kids menu with plates to suit all palates, the Three Horseshoes is another great place to go for a family outing. 

Fox & Hounds 

Photo credit to the Fox & Hounds

Where?

Old Church Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1AD

Why?

Similar to the others on this list, the Fox & Hounds has a wonderful pub-like atmosphere (are you sensing a theme here?) which makes it the perfect for everyone and anyone. With a full children's menu, special offers daily and an impressive outdoor playing area, what's not to love? Your children will be fed and entertained while you sun yourself in the beer garden.

For more tips and tricks on the best places to eat and things to do in Cardiff, follow us on Twitter and Facebook! Or if you would prefer to stay in and cook a meal for your loved ones, browse our appliances here.

As you may well know, on average, Wales is quite rainy. In fact, on average it rains 180 days of the year! That's why Cardiff is one of the best places to go on a rainy day. We have an abundance of things to do when it's raining, just because we're so accustomed to the pitter patter of raindrops. 

So because we're so fond of our home and the rainy weather, we've put together a list of the best places to go on a rainy day.

(Photo credit to @treetopgolf)

Treetop Adventure Golf

This quirky crazy golf facility is situated on level 3 of St David's Car Park and is open until 10 pm Sunday-Wednesday and 11 am Thursday-Saturday. This means that whatever the time, Treetop Adventure Golf is the perfect thing to do when it's raining in Cardiff. They also serve awesome cocktails/mocktails and nibbles to keep your energy up!

Flowrider with logo no stand up from CIWW on Vimeo.

Cardiff International White Water

While this may seem a little contradictory, isn't it more fun embracing the water rather than running away from it? Cardiff International White Water can be found in the international sports village in Cardiff Bay and is filled with tons of fun water based activities. From indoor body boarding to outdoor white water rafting, CIWW is certainly a place to visit when it's raining in Cardiff.  

(Photo credit to @GoAirCardiff)

Go Air Trampoline Park Cardiff 

If you're looking for something to do when it's raining in Cardiff that's also fun and sporty at the same time, Go Air Trampoline Park is another great option! With fitness, parkour and party sessions this trampoline park has more than enough to do on a rainy welsh day. You can find Go Air Trampoline Park Cardiff in Llanishen. 

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Cardiff is the up and coming hub for classy cocktails, so take a look at the ones we rate the top cocktail bars in Cardiff here!

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Sometimes, you just can't beat a spot of proper pub food. Whether you're after a Sunday roast, bangers and mash, or a nice big steak and ale pie, there are plenty of places in Cardiff and the surrounding area to grab some cockle-warming pub grub...and no, we're not just talking about the city's many Wetherspoons!

Here, in our opinion, are the five best gastropubs in and around Cardiff:

The Lansdowne

Lansdowne Road, Canton

Image Source: @Thelansdownepub

The Lansdowne team describe their establishment as a "new old pub". They specialise in real ales, but they also serve up a great variety of pub meals, including steak, burgers, fish and chips, curry, and more.

The Royal George

Mackintosh Place, Roath

Image Source: facebook.com/RoyalGeorgeCardiff

Located at the centre of Cardiff's infamous 'death junction' (where Albany Road, Mackintosh Place, Crwys Road, Richmond Road and City Road all meet), The Royal George is a popular student haunt with loads of great food to munch on while you watch the football or psych yourself up for a game of pool.

The Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn

Main Road, Gwaelod-y-Garth

Image Source: @GwaelodInn

Gwaelod-y-Garth is a village near Taff's Well. If you want the picturesque country inn experience, the Gwaelod is well worth seeking out - it's great for Sunday lunch as well as for posh pub dishes (Tournedos Rossini, anyone?) during the week.

The Traveller's Rest 

Thornhill, Caerphilly

The Traveller's Rest is a great place to stop for a meal after a brisk outdoor walk. It has a cosy, rustic interior and a menu full of meals that will warm you right up.

The Corner House

Caroline Street, Central Cardiff

If you don't fancy straying away from the centre of town, don't worry - there's great pub grub to be had at The Corner House. Situated on the end of Chippy Lane - a street more famous for its cheap chip shops than for its hearty pub food - The Corner House is a hidden gem with loads of lovely dishes to choose from.

 Be sure to follow @KitchenEconomy on Twitter for more Cardiff-centric foodie chat!

Where would we be without coffee? Whether it's that first jolt of caffeine that gets you going in the morning or the decadent vanilla latte (with whipped cream on top, naturally) that you slurp as you sink into a comfy armchair at the end of the day, just about everyone enjoys a well-made cup of joe.

And if you live in Cardiff - or if you're here for a visit - you'll be pleased to learn that we have an abundance of superb coffee shops here in the Welsh capital. Yes, we have a Starbucks on every street just like every other city, but we're lucky enough to also have a number of enchanting indie cafés that are well worth exploring if you're a coffee lover. Here are three of our favourite such spots:

Coffee#1

Location: Wood Street, Central Cardiff (among others)

The Coffee#1 brand is something of a local success story for our city. Huge expansion has seen Coffee#1 shops popping up all over Wales, the Midlands, and South West England (with more than 70 locations at time of writing), but it all started right here in Cardiff - the very first Coffee#1 branch is still open on Wood Street, right next to Cardiff Central Station. Coffee#1 offer a great variety of bites and beverages, with coffee sourced from all over the world and loads of great sweet treats to have alongside your brew. We particularly recommend the individual cheesecakes!

The Little Man Coffee Co.

Location: Ivor House, Bridge Street, Central Cardiff

Image from twitter.com/littlemancoffee

Little Man first opened its doors in the latter part of 2014, making them a fairly new face on the Cardiff coffee scene compared to Coffee#1 (est. 2001). Still, the Little Man team are clearly passionate about their coffee, and they're open from 7am until 9pm on weekdays, giving you a nice big window to go and check out their food and drink offerings before or after work. 

The Deck

Location: Harrowby Street, Cardiff Bay

Image from twitter.com/_TheDeck

Tucked away in a tiny Cardiff Bay side road, The Deck is a real treat of a café that's well worth searching out. You may remember that we mentioned them here on the blog a little while back, but that was for their marvellous cakes - we think they merit another mention for their coffee! At time of writing The Deck is the #1 listing on TripAdvisor for 'Coffee & Tea' in Cardiff - if that's not reason enough to check them out, we're not sure what is!

For more local food and drink chat, be sure to follow @KitchenEconomy on Twitter!