Bridgend Farmhouse Cafe
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
A community café and outdoor play space with woodland crafts, bug hunts and a proper cooked menu.
This one's less a soft play and more a working smallholding with a café attached, and the outdoor side is where the kids actually spend their time. There's a Nature Play Bothy for the under-sixes doing crafts, bug hunts and bushcraft, and Forest Friday for the six to twelves who fancy proper woodland activities rather than a climbing frame. There's also an Inclusive Play Club for under-sixes with additional support needs, and a monthly Stay and Play session if you want to turn up as a family without a fixed programme.
Because it's outdoor and nature-led, this suits kids who are happy getting a bit muddy over ones after a slide and a ball pit. There's a Family Singing Session too, which is a nice one if you've got a mix of ages and nobody wants to commit to bushcraft that day.
The café is the other half of the visit and it's a proper community one, not an afterthought. Kid's portions are £2.50, mains run £5.50 to £9.60 depending on whether you go for a special or a jacket potato, and there are vegan and vegetarian options on the daily-changing menu. Hot food stops at 2.30pm though, and the whole place shuts at 3.30pm, so this is a late-morning or early-lunch outing rather than an all-day one.
Parking on site is limited to blue badge and less mobile spaces, so most people end up leaving the car at Cameron Toll shopping centre and walking the five minutes over. It's free entry to visit, you just pay for what you eat and any sessions you join.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Under-sixes for Nature Play, 6 to 12 for Forest Friday woodland sessions
- Last entry
- Last orders 2.30pm for hot food, 3.30pm for hot drinks
- Parking
- Limited blue badge and less mobile customer spaces on site
- Food
- Community café with daily-changing wholesome menu including sandwiches, toasties, jacket potatoes, salads and vegan/vegetarian options
- Getting there by bus or train
- Cameron Toll shopping centre a few minutes' walk away
- Hot food stops at 2.30pm and the café closes at 3.30pm, so go for lunch not a late afternoon snack
- On-site parking is limited to blue badge holders, so plan to park at Cameron Toll and walk in
- The Inclusive Play Club and Nature Play Bothy are both for under-sixes, worth checking which suits your child
- It's a five-minute drive from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary if that's useful for timing a visit
Plan your visit
How much does it cost to get in?
Nothing to get in, it's free entry. You just pay for food and any activity sessions you join.
What's on the food menu?
Sandwiches, toasties, jacket potatoes and salads, plus a daily vegan and vegetarian special. Prices go from £2.50 for a kid's size up to £9.60 for the meat special.
Do we need to book?
There's no booking link listed, so it looks like you can turn up for the café and drop-in sessions.
What are the opening hours?
Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 3.30pm. Hot food orders stop at 2.30pm, so aim to eat before then.
Is it suitable for toddlers?
The Nature Play Bothy and the Inclusive Play Club are both aimed at children six and under, so there's plenty pitched at that age.
What about older kids?
Forest Friday is for six to twelves and is proper outdoor woodland activity rather than anything indoors.
Is there parking?
On-site spaces are limited to blue badge and less mobile visitors. Everyone else is pointed to Cameron Toll shopping centre, a five minute walk away.
Is this an indoor or outdoor venue?
It's outdoor, built around nature-based play, crafts and woodland activities rather than an indoor play space.
How long do people usually stay?
Given the hours and the 2.30pm hot food cutoff, this suits a late morning visit that runs into an early lunch rather than a full afternoon.
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