The Dove Cafe — Restaurant in England

Tried this cafe for some lunch after my child’s swim lesson, we hadn’t been here before, and unfortunately I don’t think we will come back. The food itself was tasty, a small menu but good for a non-profit cafe. It was expensive for what it was (2 toasties, a kids lunch box and 2 coffees) were nearly £30 total. The building was nice; spacious and plenty of seating to choose from. However table was dirty upon arrival and I had to wipe it down myself. There was an outside play area for children which my child played in with his aunty, they both said there was plenty of toys to choose from and play with. On the menu, it mentioned that some of the staff may have sensory processing disorders and could get distressed if there was too much loud noise, and I felt so sorry for the staff as there were a lot of kids screaming, screeching and causing far too much noise while in the cafe, while their parents just sat there talking to other parents sitting with them. In fact, it started to give me a headache the amount of noise they were making (I completely understand that it isn’t the cafe’s fault) this made the general overall atmosphere of the cafe really uninviting and I genuinely couldn’t wait to get out. The wait for food was estimated about 15 minutes due to only 2 or 3 staff working but it was more like a 5-10 minute wait (which is also fine). As said at the start, I don’t think we will come back to this cafe. It would probably be a lot better atmosphere if it weren’t the...

I visited today with my 2-year-old son. After playing happily outside in the warm weather, he wanted to explore the indoor soft play area. While there, he was playing alongside three other children, being his usual joyful and energetic self—occasionally squealing or shouting, as toddlers naturally do. I was supervising closely and ensuring he respected others' space.

To my surprise, a staff member approached and said, "I know they’re little ones, but could you mind getting them to quieten a little?" The two other parents nearby chimed in, suggesting it might be "the acoustics" and that it might be "better for him to play outside." I was taken aback. As a parent, I’m mindful of when my child is being disruptive, and I would have stepped in had that been the case. But to expect toddlers to be quiet in a space designed for children seems completely unrealistic.

Feeling uncomfortable, I approached another staff member to share my concerns, only to be asked, “Does your child have any disabilities?”—a question that felt inappropriate and deeply upsetting.

The message I walked away with was that if your toddler is expressive or simply acting like a happy, healthy child, this may not be a welcoming place for you. It’s disheartening to feel unwelcome in a space that’s supposed to be family-friendly and "welcoming".

I truly hope the café reconsiders how it approaches situations like this in the future. Today’s experience left me feeling really...

This is our second time visiting the lovely Dove Cafe. It is a cafe run by St Thomas Church and good-hearted volunteers.

Over the summer holidays they feed infants and children for free (anything on the menu, not limited to the children's menu, includes drinks and cakes). Everything on the menu is reasonably priced and you can even buy something via the "Pay it Forward" scheme which can feed someone else less fortunate. Anyone can select an item that has already been paid for via the "Pay it Forward" scheme and receive it no questions asked.

There is a small soft play area, a large outdoor space with toys and jungle gym, books, board games, and a small shop selling Christian books and toys.

Everyone is so friendly here and it is just a lovely welcoming community space. You can feel the love of Jesus through their service to others....