The Alley

The Alley is a secret child-friendly cafe with onsite playground and parking, found tucked away on campus at the Northside Christian College at Everton Park.

Open to the general public, it's popular with parents looking for a caffeine fix and a safe spot for their children to play. The set-up couldn't be better: parking within the grounds and right outside the cafe (no struggling for parking or pushing heavy prams long distances); a shaded playground enclosed with glass panelling which makes keeping an eye on the kids easy; purpose-built amenities complete with nappy changing area adjacent to the playground (accessible via a ramp); and a large undercover area.

The cafe doesn't hold a food license, but sells cookies, muffins, fresh fruit and snack food. The good news for the grown-ups is that they serve great coffee with beans coming from Brisbane company, Wolff Coffee Roasters. 

A variety of Camellia teas are on offer too, along with Benchmark cold press coffee, Charlie's flavoured milks, Phoenix Organic cold drinks and babycinos for the younger customers. 

Tuesday mornings see bunches of fresh flowers from Flour and Bloom delivered making it easy to pick up a gift or brighten up the home. Also on sale is a range of jewellery from local business, Kita Designs.

There's a friendly vibe here and manager, James Rossiter is quick to make his customers feel welcome. 

Good to know - The playground is suitable for children up to the age of 5.

Need to know - The Alley's parking is within the college grounds - enter and follow signage to Carpark 3. 

By Sandy Ludinski

The menu may have changed since our visit.