It was still kind of rainy this morning so Kam and I went to Hoboken’s finest café Choc.O.Pain. It’s French, and so is the owner, so you know you’re up for some strong coffee, delicious pastries & sandwiches and the best bread ever (freshly made on the premises). I obsess over bread and it’s ultra hard to find European-style bread this good – so far I have been rather underwhelmed by the bread selection in local stores. As for the decor, it has a very chic, relaxed and eclectic vibe, very Parisian. Besides the yummy and the pretty, it has one more positive feature – it’s kid friendly. There’s an upstairs room, away from the cash register and the display area, AKA the danger zone. This particular area must be sending some signals as it somehow attracts the little ones so very much. Inappropriate climbing behavior is exhibited within seconds. Then you find yourself tearing your kid off the display area which results in a massive tantrum almost immediately = your coffee-enhanced adult time is over. So you gladly climb the stairs (yes, there is a safety gate at the top of the staircase) and you feel less tense already – there are tables and chairs and sofas … and TOYS!!
The upstairs is perfect for mommies and daddies because they can chat and recharge with their favorite cup of coffee while the kiddos can run or crawl around and have fun (there’s also a play mat for the tiny ones). I would also say it’s breastfeeding friendly thanks to all the comfy armchairs and sofas, and it’s away from the main floor with doors and windows and people passing around. Nice and cozy with no distractions, except for the occasional flying toy.
Overall we had a great morning, Kam had fun and found some new friends and mommy chatted with a group of local dads and finally enjoyed a real croissant. My husband has yet to taste a croissant. He thinks these mushy things in a plastic box he buys in the supermarket are croissants. You can’t always trust the label.
Definitely stop by. Take a look at the pictures I took upstairs today. More pictures of their delicious stuff can be found on Choc.O.Pain website or Facebook page (you should like them too). Bon appétit!
Bamboola Baby 