My husband and I had to run some errands downtown with kids in tow and needed to stop for lunch. I saw the Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe and was struck by nostalgia; in our dating and pre-kids days we loved Nellie’s and ate at all of them. It was our brunch spot of choice and we adored the whimsical decor, eclectic mismatched mugs and the laid back aura in the restaurants. Now with two small kids, we never eat out. Ever. Taking them out to eat in a restaurant is more painful than childbirth and a lot less satisfying. I would rather cook a meal and wash dishes then endure my kids bored antics when dining out.

So it was with much trepidation we decided to go for lunch at the Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe on 17th. I am painfully aware that parents with children are the equivalent to metropolitan lepers when it comes to restaurant dining. Several Calgary restaurants don’t even offer high chairs or booster seats! Anyway, this is not a rant about those restaurants, this is to tell you how awesome Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe was for my family.

The service was amazing, the server promptly brought a high chair for my daughter and crouched down to my son’s level when taking his drink order. The kid’s drinks were brought in cups with lids so even my two year old could drink out of it without spilling. The kids were over the moon because the cups had stickers on them! Who would have thought that the little stickers on cups would bring them so much joy?

The ubiquitous crayons were brought to the table with colouring pages, then the server popped by with toys! That’s right, toys! Dinosaurs, lions and tigers – oh my!

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playing with dinosaurs

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Everything on the menu could be ordered “kid-sized” for 50% off the menu price. The whimsical decor had my kids pointing at the walls and gasping and sighing at everything from the Muppets record cover to a cow mural to the retro Star Wars board game. I pointed out an old rotary telephone to my son; he gave me a blank stare and told me that it was not a telephone.

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eclectic and fun wall decor

The food was great, the kids had an awesome time and it looks like my husband and I can relive our wonderful courtship memories while creating some new ones with our kids at Nellie’s!

Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe Contact Info:

Address: 1001 17 Avenue SW, Calgary AB
Phone: (403) 806-2377