Full of Beans Play Cafe

My niece loves it here, it’s a great place for kids. I had heard that some of the portions were small but the sandwiches I have had here are always great and given the activities for children, I think it’s pretty good value. I would encourage locals to support this place as I would hate to see it close.

I was really excited about trying this place with my toddler. They do run activities for kids so my friend and I decided to meet there on Monday to join the event; tiny time music for babies and toddlers (£6) .
I like the place and the idea indeed. Well designed for kids along with thinking of parents. While your kid is drawing the table or playing in the small ball pit you can enjoy your coffee/​tea. There is also some books and toys so you can freely! leave your kid to play in the mat.
They have good selection of purees, healthy snack for kids so as they note on the Web page you don’t need to bring any food for your kid!!!
Well, on Monday morning we were more than 20 adults in a tiny area, squeezing and mostly mooning to each other!!! Babies, toddlers trying to find themselves a space to catch up the songs and to dance. So we couldn’t join the group and move to the ball pint area. The lady with a guitar was amazing but we did not enjoy a bit! My nearest soft play is triple bigger than this but they do not accept more than 15 toddlers in one session. I do understand the reason behind it however, it is not working for me.
Id love to give more stars but Im afraid this time only 3 stars.
I would like to visit this place again but more cautious of schools time and no events scheduled.

This review is long over do. This is the best and only «play café» I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. Great cozy little spot, especially If you have children… especially toddlers, this is the place for you. There is a decent sized area with a ball pit, dress-​up costumes, drawing tables, books and toys. While the adults chat and dine, the kiddos are free to be kids.
Of course the café goods are delicious. The coffee is good and the menu as a good array of goodies for even the pickiest eater.
I would say if you’re single and not accustomed to the sounds of children at play or if you’re looking for a «quiet zone», stay close to the entrance. If you’re new to the area and are looking for Mom’s to chat up and play dates, you’ll find them here. Wonderful little spot and I highly recommend it to parents.
Also…check out the latte foam art. One of a kind stuff here. Loved it!

Frankly, we only came here because it was one of the only places open in the area (apparently 90% of places shut between Christmas and New Year). We needed some wine and cheese for a NYE party, and since the wine shop is right next door we stopped in for a quick bite.
My cappuccino was great; the coffee beans come from caravan which is one of my favourites. The soft drink my partner had was actually kinda boring. Ginger and chili, but really mild. We split the eggs Benedict and the Welsh rarebit. The hollandise was runny and bland. The eggs were cooked nicely and so was the bacon. The rarebit was a joke. It had zero flavor. Disappointing. The salads were great.
Using the bathroom before we left, there was no TP. I would have thought a place that caters to families would keep an eye on things, but sadly it wasn’t the case.
I suppose if I had kids, I would be grateful to have a place to bring them, but for someone who has no kids, the food really wasn’t enough to convince me to come back. Sorry.

Full of Beans is a fantastic local coffee shop in Islington. It is quite unique in that there is a main community style seating area for that coffee with your morning newspaper, but there is also a children’s play area in the back so mums or dads, can have their coffee while the children enjoy themselves in the back.
Iliana is such a dear, and you can tell she genuinely cares about people. This is one of those few coffee shops where children are truly welcome and there is nothing even remotely pretentious about it.
My flat white was amazing and the overall experience at this place was very refreshing.

There’s a vast shortage of indoor activities for kids during winter (that won’t drive me bonkers) — so we ventured north to give Full of Beans Play Café a whirl…
First, the price:
*£5 minimum spend (per kid playing) — or you can pay a small admission fee for them to play in the ball pit/​soft play area. As Aromy mentions this is easily covered by a coffee and snack, or in my case — 2 coffees. Hey, I didn’t sleep much the night before (or since January 2014). Regardless, this is somewhat on the honor system and somewhat enforced, but it also feels a bit strained. I totally get they need to make money (of course!) but I’d rather just not even have the option and pay an admission fee plus whatever I am going to buy. The enforcement feels forced.
Second, the space:
While nicely kept, it’s not very big. Once the school kids show up its downright treacherous for a crawler/​toddler. I do not expect Full of Beans to police this at all, just worth noting if you have smaller/​younger kids, you should aim to bring them when school is in session and the older children are otherwise occupied.
It’s kept nicely and there are toys/​dressup/​books as well, which is nice. The ballpit is fun for the little guys, watching them try to shove all the balls in their mouth at the same time.
Third, the staff:
No one was particularly friendly or unfriendly. It all felt very perfunctory. I realize they see kids all day but they work in a play café. Some amount of interaction with the babies and parents might be in order? I felt almost like a burden instead of a paying guest that came for the very purposes of the establishment!
I left feeling a bit «hmmm» about this place, and I would surely make the trip over and over it had been a «hooray!» There aren’t many places like this (especially on weekends!) to let the kiddies roll around indoors so I love the idea. Just think the rules need to get a bit better in terms of finesse, and the staff needs to lighten up and be a bit more cheerful if their main customers are women and children. C’mon guys, it’s not that bad! Or if it is – perhaps working with adults would be a better option?
Great concept. I will give another try and hope this was just an off day.

Now that Baby M is more like toddler M, we’ve been frequenting this café together more often.
The service and the staff have always been superb. But I’ve learned some things. Though the play area is nice, it can get quite cramped depending on the age of your little one, and the ages of the other children. It’s great for crawlers and new walkers because 5 – 7 of them isn’t too crazy. But once there are older children, the space gets small quite fast. Yet, there are plenty of times where it’s just me and my little one! You can also encourage your little ones to do other things if the play area is very full. There are clothes to dress up in and plenty of toys and books.
There’s a £5 minimum spend if you’d like your little one to play in the soft play area, but that easily covers a coffee and a pastry. I’m not a big fan of their food, but I hear they’re trying to improve their menu. So I look forward to that. Nonetheless, it’s an easy place to spend an hour or so for M to burn some energy, and for me to have a relaxing drink. There is also a selection of juices for breastfeeding moms that can’t indulge in coffee just yet.
P. S. There is also a 10% discount M-​F with the Stokey Family card. + A loyalty card! That means a bit of savings for our little family. :-)