Ask Restaurant - Salisbury

During my maternity leave my husband and I have visited Ask restaurant a few times, mostly due to buy 1 get 1 free vouchers so it has been good value.
When Henry was little we could visit the restaurant and leave Henry in his pram sleeping as there is plenty of room between the tables for the push chairs.
Now that Henry is sitting in a high chair we still enjoy our visits. When we first asked for Henry's food to be warmed the staff happily took the container to be micro-waved, but on a recent visit their polices have changed and can only warm food in hot water behind in the kitchen.
The staff are all very nice and helpful and always make you feel welcome no matter how many babies are in your group. The baby changing facilites are very clean and roomy.



Even without vouchers I would recommend a visit to the restaurant to all families with babies or young children. Older children are given crayons and an activity sheet, the children's menu looks very appetising.

Over all I give Ask Restuarant 4* out of a possible 5
Access: Although the front door is relatively narrow the staff are always on hand to open the door to welcome you in. Getting to your selected table is easy as there is plenty of room between the tables.
Welcome: Great.
Cleanliness: The tables are always clean and the changing facilities are of a high standard.
High Chairs: Very good and great design to get close to the table so that they feel part of the group.
Coffee & Cake: I have not actually tried the coffee or dessert at the restaurant as yet.

Starbucks Coffee Shop

Starbucks in Salisbury has to be the worst coffee shop in the city. The tables are always cluttered with dirty mugs and plates. And on a number of occasions I have been given a take away cup even when sitting in. I thought Starbucks was terrible before Henrys arrival, but something keeps drawing me in.
Once you manage to get through the door it is very hard to get to the counter to order your drink with a push chair navigating around scattered furniture. Although if you do make it to the counter the service is friendlier than at Caffe Nero. The queue and the speed to receive your drink is as slow and can often result in walking out empty handed because Henry has got frustrated and is crying so loud you have to leave.
I have to admit most of my recent visits to Starbucks have been on an early Saturday morning without Henry.
The high chairs are pretty good, they attached to a normal chair so this takes up less space which is great as you don't have much space anyway.
The baby changing facilities are again in the disabled toilet downstairs, but it is relatively cleaner than Caffe Nero.
The coffee and cakes are good. I prefer Starbucks for my summer cold coffees and my husband thinks they do the best hot chocolate and whipped cream, although it has to be the Signature hot chocolate.

Over all I give Starbucks Coffee 2* out of a possible 5.
Access: You can just about get into the cafe shop but it is difficult to navitage to the counter to order your drinks and it is usually very busy and tables are often dirty .
Welcome: Better than Caffe Nero but could be improved.
Cleanliness: Terrible, only clean and tidy early in the morning.
High Chairs: Very good design and always available.
Coffee & Cake: Best for Hot chocolate and summer iced coffees. The caramel short bread is yummy!

Caffe Nero - Salisbury

In my opinion Caffe Nero do the best Skinny Cappucino, but it can only accommodate a small number of push chairs at one time.
Three of us met last Friday for a morning coffee, after re-arranging the furniture we managed to find space for 3 adults and 3 high chairs. One snag there were only 2 high chairs.

We have been meeting in Caffe Nero since we started our maternity leave so we are used to the poor access, terrible service, long queues and extremely disgusting baby changing facilities. I guess it is the adult coffee that takes us back every time.

Henry and Emily sitting very nicely in their high chairs.

Over all I give Caffe Nero 2* out of a possible 5
Access : Access into the Cafe is okay, but as soon as you get inside there is limited space to push the prams around to get to a table.
Welcome: Considering we do visit the cafe regularly I would expect an occasional smile or hello from the staff - this is not the case.
Cleanliness: The baby changing facilities are in the disabled toilet. Thank goodness for Milton wipes. If you have to change your baby make sure you take something with you to clean the surface first. It is horrible and you would not want to use the toilet either, most of the time it is blocked.
High Chairs: Not actually sure how many there are but when found they are clean.
Coffee & Cake: Great coffee and good cakes. Although they could drop their prices, you can get a loyalty card, buy 9 get 1 free.

Old Sarum Flying Club

Over the weekend we went for a lovely walk over to Old Sarum Flying Club. I estimate the walk is about 2 miles there and 2 miles back from Laverstock. We only have to cross one main road and the rest of the way is all along public byways through the countryside.
On a Sunday there are plenty of aircraft landing and taking off, and if the weather is clear you can see some great countryside, across to the Laverstock Downs.
The cafe is very spacious with easy access for push chairs. There are plenty of tables inside and outside. I prefer sitting outside as you are really close to the planes.
The menu ranges from main courses, sandwiches both hot and cold, snacks and cakes, everything is homemade. I have sampled a tuna baguette, caramel apple pie, rice crispy cake and Maltesers cake. Not in one visit, I have been to the cafe a number of times.
Oh I forgot to mention, they do have a licensed bar! Perfect for a Sunday beer in the sunshine.
The staff are very friendly, although sometimes very stressed due to the volume of customers. But they will still warm baby food and bring it out to you if you are sat outside.
High chairs are available and you can take them outside. There isn't a designated baby changing area which does let this cafe down in my scoring. But how many babies actually go flying?


Overall I give Old Sarum Flying Club 3* out of a possible 5

Access: Access in and around the cafe is reasonable.
Welcome: You are made welcome and the staff will help you if you ask.
Cleanliness: There are no baby changing facilities. The cafe is reasonably clean, but the tables are left uncleared for a while during busy times.
High Chairs: Again the high chairs are the large plastic ones, but they are clean and do the job.
Coffee & Cake: I can't comment on the coffee, the cakes are very good especially the maltesers cake, and the beer is very refreshing.

Salisbury Cathedral Restaurant

Today Henry and I met up with a few friends at Salisbury Cathedral for lunch. You always get the sense of space when you arrive at the Cathedral - it's a wonderful building. We made our way to the restaurant at about 11.30, the place was already bustling with tourists, locals and other mums with babies and small children.

With ease we found a table large enough to accommodate 3 adults, 3 babies and 3 over sized push chairs. We felt very comfortable re-arranging the furniture so we could all feel settled and not get in the way of other diners.

So far so good, we have easy access and we feel welcome.

We decided to feed the babies first. Getting the food warmed was not a problem they even used a microwave and did not even suggest to warm the food submersed in boiling water - we all know that this method is a complete waste of time. Babies happy, clean and settled we could now get our own lunch.

We could chose from a wide variety of freshly made sandwiches, home made soup, and a selection of main courses. The desserts looked great, cheesecakes, muffins and other delights all handmade were available. We did not have cake on this occasion but I'm sure we will be visiting the restaurant again. Today I opted for the homemade leek & potato soup, with a door stop of fresh crusty bread.

We chatted for almost 2 hours and not once did we feel unwelcome or rushed to leave. For those with older children I did notice a small child play/seating area.

The views inside the restaurant are stunning, it has a glass roof so you can see the Cathedral's architecture.


Overall I give Salisbury Cathedral 4 1/2* out of a possible 5*

Access: Access in and around the restaurant is very good.
Welcome: You are made welcome and the staff do ask if you need any help.
Cleanliness: Baby changing facilities are very clean and are very accessible.
High Chairs: I suggest replacing the high chairs from the over sized plastic ones with nice sleek wooden ones. They are easier to clean, stackable and take up less space when in use.
Coffee & Cake: Menu is good but a bit pricey.

I have created this site to help mums and dads identify where they can go to enjoy a coffee after the baby arrives.

Each coffee shop/cafe/restaurant will be marked on the following points.

1. Access in and around the premises with a push chair.

2. Do you feel welcome? Helpfulness of the staff.

3. Cleanliness of baby changing facilities and access.

4. High chairs

5. Coffee & Cakes!