#waffles #icecream #milkshakes #smoothies #childfriendlycafe #familyfriendly #teens #axminster #eastdevon #coffeeshop #childfriendly #games
Play Cafe
Teen hangout
Arcade Games
Waffles, shakes, cakes & smoothies
Board games
Piano
I’ve been salivating over the idea of taking the kids to Waffle in the centre of Axminster ever since it opened, thanks to the enticing photos the proprietors have been posting on social media of their Belgian waffles, dippy chocolatey sharing platters, milkshakes, smoothies and treats.
We finally dropped in as a treat to round off the school summer holidays, and it didn’t disappoint – it’s a warm and welcoming spot with a lovely, buzzy atmosphere and really welcoming staff, as well as being super child and teen friendly.
Waffle moved to new premises in 2021 and is now an even more child-friendly, light, airy and modern place to be than the original location a few door's down on Axminster's main high street. The cafe is situated on the first floor of Trinity House in the centre of Axminster - access is via stairs or buggy-friendly lift.
Waffle features a small soft play area for preschoolers and a number of free arcade-style games for older kids - mercifully these are free and not pay per play - keeping older kids happy while they wait for their order! Or grab a board game/card game from the selection available and spend some time playing with the kids.
There’s also space to set up your laptop and tech help available if you need to do a bit of work or browsing while you're there.
It’s a not-for-profit community enterprise so pricing is very reasonable and the aim of the establishment is to provide the community with a place, essentially, just to hang out – with or without a waffle or ice cream, whatever your budget. It’s become popular with families with children looking for a treat, parents with preschoolers, and teens wanting a relaxed and cool place to meet with no pressure to spend.
Waffle is, of course, famed for its amazing traditional Belgian waffles which come with all manner of toppings, but they also serve milkshakes, ice creams (I liked that you could build your own bowl with a choice of scoops etc), cakes, drinks and a healthier range of fruit and veg juice smoothies. Savoury waffle dishes have recently been added to the menu so you can now get a waffley breakfast (avo and bacon on waffle, anyone?), waffley pizzas and even waffley burgers for lunch or dinner on certain days! Check the current opening hours here.
It’s somewhere you could go for a fun experience after school or at the weekend and I thought the idea of having a monthly mystery waffle gives families a good reason to return each month, just to check out the latest offering – this month’s mystery waffle is based on a cream tea!
A lovely place to visit and we’ll definitely be back. If you wanted to extend your visit with kids of a ‘playground age’, it’s an easy 5-minute walk to the newly refurbished playground on North Street – could prove useful to burn all of those syrup-induced calories before you head home!