Papachinos, Crowthorne (JHB)
>> Sunday, April 10, 2011 –
Crowthorne,
JHB,
Midrand,
Papachinos,
Papachinos Crowthorne
If you ever find yourself in the Midrand area and you need just such a place, look no further than Papachinos Continental Cafe in Crowthorne.
Date last visited
January 2011
Location and Setting
Papachinos Crowthorne is situated at 40 Whisken Avenue, Crowthorne, Midrand.
It's slightly outside of Midrand proper, so GPS it if you can, or use this direct link to Google Maps to find it.
For the kids...
Papachinos has one of the most extensive kids play areas that we have yet come across.
It stetches virtually the full length of the property, which means that wherever you are seated, you are never far from a play area.
Now if you are part of my generation (born circa 1980), then you will remember the type of jungle gyms we had back then - large multi-coloured square metal structures which were rather unforgiving on the body, should you ever lose your footing or grip...
They also had a tendency to boil in the sun, which made for a rather unpleasant time if you chose to go down the slide in your shorts...
Thankfully though, this is 2011, technology has advanced, common sense has prevailed and plastic is now the order of the day :)
By plastic, I mean the new generation of jungle gyms that are taking the kiddies world by storm - I mean just take a look at this giant chunk of playtime fun:)
Papachinos Crowthorne has no less than 3 of these, and it makes you want to be a kid all over again!
The ever-present child-minders even have races with the kids down the slides... I am envious!
Speaking of child minders, these are ones that you really don't mind tipping as they do such a great job :)
In the photo above you will also spy a bit of road - there are 2 of these tracks in different areas on the premises, along with a fleet of fancy ride-on bikes for the little tykes to practice their lap times on.
Here they can sit alongside other kiddies at a kids-height counter, and create their very own pizza from scratch, starting from a pre-cut circle of dough and adding their topping of choice.
Fun and food combined :)
If pizza won't do it for them, then there is a great kiddies menu that will definitely provide enough of a choice to keep those growling little tummies satisfied :)
For the adults...
It really is all about great food at Papachinos - all of the meals that we have had here have been fantastic, from good old pizza, to unique Mediterranean-style wraps, to a great breakfast selection, right down to a comprehensive kiddies menu, Papachinos just do great food.
As already mentioned above, all this great food can be enjoyed safe in the knowledge that the kids are well taken care of and having a ton of fun.You also have the choice of sitting outside (alongside the play area), or if you prefer there are no less than 3 other areas in which to enjoy your fine dining - an inside area, a bar area and a small outside courtyard just next to the bar.
In our experience, even during a busy Saturday lunch, Papachinos didn't feel quite as chaotic as one may have expected with so many kids running around.
There seems to be an equal emphasis here on keeping the kids happy while still retaining the "come back again soon" factor.
Anything else?
There are dedicated baby-changing facilities on the premises, and high chairs are readily available if the little ones are not yet ready for full-size chairs.
There are also small picnic benches and tables especially for the kids to sit at.
According to their website, there are also safety officers and first aid kits onsite (which we thankfully didn't have to use :).
Booking ahead is highly recommended.
Arriving early enough on a Saturday morning might be ok without a booking, but be advised - this place does fill up quickly.
Parking is plentiful and there are car guards on duty.Final thoughts
Papachinos Crowthorne is a great all-rounder.
Great food, smiling kids galore, and a venue which really looks out for all of its patrons, young and old.
A winner.
Getting in touch
Telephone:
011 702-1234
Website:
http://www.papachinos.co.za
Gah! I was almost in tears thinking about this Papachinos today. They have the best staff in the world, and I LOVED spending time there. One of the managers, I assume, by the name of Michael is incredibly service oriented and made every visit there great. He even remembered my name, which I thought was pretty impressive.
And their cakes are, like, a cake per slice. HUGE. And fantastic.
There's just nothing like this in the UK. PLEASE expand, Papachinos. I MISS YOU!
I visited Papachino's Clearwater on a recent trip to Jo'burg and absolutey fell in love with EVERYTHING! The fabulous food, the supurb service and the priceless play area. I would love to have that play zone in my back yard.
Any idea who designs and builds these?
@Anonymous - Thank you for your comment - Papachinos certainly know how to do their thing!
I did actually do a bit of research into the suppliers of the equipment a while back.
I will find out again and post back here :)
I am also impressed with everything that Papachinos stands for and would also like the supplier details of play zone jungle gyms. The best equipment linked to a restaurant.