Permanently closed. Unfortunately it's a pretty rough neighborhood. Sad many businesses are closing.

We called and emailed about reservations for Sunday and were told they don't do reservations. They also failed to tell is they were booked for a private party so when we all arrived (separately), we weren't able to go. Too bad! read more

It's a quick walk down the street from Commercial-Broadway if you go out the south exit underneath the train platform for the expo line. Concept is cool - essentially an indoor play place for your kid. There's a smaller reading room down the hall also available. Kids up to 6 months are free and then they start charging $6 and up. Washrooms have changing tables available. I was there for lunch with a friend. I didn't enter the play area today so this is a review for their cafe only. Got an Americano Misto which was decent with a little latte art on top. Their grilled cheese was made to order and with turkey was meh - came out too hot, bread was weird and there wasn't much flavour - needed the ketchup served with it to brighten it up. There's no room inside for stroller parking so there were a bunch of strollers outside - not sure what people would do with rain. Food was so-so. You can't bring food from outside in case of allergens which is understandable but the food served should be better - I'll try something else next time. But hey the concept is cool and there isn't anything really like this elsewhere in the city so definitely a star for being unique! read more

Circus Play Cafe - Latte art with my americano misto - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Indoor playgrounds are a God send for parents in Vancouver. It rains a lot here so you can't always bring your kids outside every weekend. At Circus Play Café, you have a chance to allow your child to have fun at a safe and clean environment. Parents can have their coffee, baked goods and use WIFI to catch up on emails. There's a ton of seating and a couple of high chairs to feed the kiddies too. The space is a good size for younger children between the ages of 1-3. I think I saw some younger babies as well as older kids as well though. There are play kitchens, slides, puzzles, books and a whole slew of toys to keep kids entertained. The owners are friendly and although the place was getting packed around 10:30AM, they kept their cool. I saw staff talking to a few parents and tidying up the areas as kids were throwing toys around. I've been waiting for an indoor playground to open up in this area and I hope they stick around for a long time. Admission to the Playspace is: 0-6 months - free 6-14 months - $3.95 1st child - $6.95 Siblings - $3.95 read more

See all

I take my daughter about once a week. The play structures are usually very clean and the area is brightly lit. There is a separate area where I can enjoy the FREE WiFi while keeping an eye on my child. These visits can be expensive as some other reviewers have mentioned. I will sometimes smuggle in a McDonald's breakfast sandwich/coffee/hashbrown meal instead of paying the outrageous food prices. If I ate here, the bill would be easily $20. Please keep in mind that the play area is parent supervised. The staff are not daycare workers; they only prepare food, clean and complete transactions. So, basically, you will need to take care of your own child. This place is essentially a cleaner, more pricey version of McDonald's Play Palaces. It's what a Starbucks Play Palace would look like if they opened one up. read more

See all

Awesome for the area, convenient for those rainy days. Like the wooden elements instead of metal. Pretty cheap rates for some relaxation as my princess enjoys herself. Should be mandatory to have these built everywhere within a 10km radius. Strange today just one washroom for diaper change station. read more

Circus Play Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was checking out kids' play area on yelp around me and this one popped up, the play area looked beautiful so I took my then 10 months old here. You need to take off your shoes before entering the play area, which I really liked. You pay the amount for 2 hours play time and stick the given slip on your kids' back or anywhere on clothes. It basically let you know the time limit. I found the play area a little dirty. There were lots of strands of hair and spilled crumbs of food along with dirt. Some of the toys were really dirty. Other than that, there were nice interactive things. My daughter had a good time, so that meant a lot to me. I would have appreciated if it was kept clean with some more toys for infants. read more

May I recommend that you advertise on your website when you are closed for private parties. There was nothing written like this on your website. read more

It is an hour before closing so the staff give us a 20 discount on the $9/2 hr play space admission (15m-5yr, 6-14m $6, babies Free). I nestle at a little booth with a san pelligrino while the kid runs around checking out the school bus slide, driving a little police car or sitting in a wagon. Perhaps they'll climb the play structure or pretend to sell stuff at the market stand or just tumble on the floor. Circus is a great place to meet up with another parent friend or just chill while you watch your kids learn and explore. They have healthy snack or lunch options: sandwiches, soup, tapas boxes, quiche, grilled cheese, fruit cup, coffee, juice and tea. They also have birthday party options with a room for that in the back. read more

Circus Play Cafe - They even have this cute little water fountain by the cream and sugar for the coffee bar - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

This place is half cafe and half play place for the kids. Babies are free (0-6m), crawlers (7-14m) is $6, and a child (15m-pre k) is $9 and additional kids are $6. You can also book for ten child for $70 and $48 for crawlers. Love this play place, but not the "rules" here. I brought a child with autism here to play and due to limited food intake (kids on the spectrum are picky eaters), I packed crackers. Halfway through play, we took a break to have a snack and drink some water. I was going to get him settled so I can order my own food from the counter. A worker or owner here came up to us and said no outside food is allowed. So what happens if your kids have food allergies? Or if your child is on the spectrum? Well, that's too bad. That completely turned me off and I didn't buy anything from here for myself to eat after that. The child I was working with was so hungry that I had to step outside so he can eat his crackers, how inconvenient and frustrating. Parents with kids with autism or food allergies, do not come here or step outside to let your kid eat. Should've read reviews prior to coming here as the poor reviews here are because of this situation. read more

See all

Was really looking forward to this place opening in this area. It's nice to have indoor play spaces during rainy weather. I enjoy being able to eat and enjoy my coffee while having a full view of my children while they play. read more

We celebrated a family's first birthday at this place. An absolute hit with the toddlers working the faux supermarket and sliding the slides. Most of the toys are wooden which makes for an even better experience. Parents can relax in the cafe part enjoying coffee, tea and snacks. Pro Tip: Bring an extra pair of socks to get back into your shoes with clean feet. The place is overall very well kept, but with little kids crawling all over the place you will have cake stuck to your socks. There is no way around it. read more

Circus Play Cafe should be in every mom's activity repertoire. It's half cafe / half indoor playground. The space has been utilized well. There are a couple wooden jungle gyms with slides, ladders, walkways, plus mini rooms to the side with different themes (tool box centre, kitchen), and even the walls are adorned at the appropriate height with textured tiles, pull strings, locks, zippers, etc. for young ones to learn how to navigate turning, twisting, clicking, etc. And of course there are a few select books for those who want story time. The space is best for moms on maternity leave and for babies who are probably six months (sitting up by themselves), and toddlers up to 3. I'm guessing after 3 years old, they might still be interested but attention will wane quickly. Both my 8 month old and 2 year old were fully engaged with Circus Play Cafe and played happily for 2 hours. The cafe also offers light refreshments including coffee/tea, sandwiches, soup and even some tapas plates for toddlers (cheese, crackers, fruit, veggies for $5.50 which I think is quite reasonable). There are cubbies to store shoes and jackets so it's out of the way. And best of all, the bathrooms come not only with the standard changing table, but also with step stools for toddlers to reach the faucets AND a bumbo seat for babies so YOU can go to the bathroom (GENIUS!!). Bathrooms were also impeccably clean when I was there and brightly lit. The only downside is that strollers were parked outside, so I was slightly worried about theft. However, the windows are floor to ceiling height and so strollers are visible at all times. Pricing is as follows: 6mo & under free; 6mo-1yr $4; 1yr onwards $7. The price is for 2.5hours of play, so we are looking at about $2.80/hr which is great price really. For $11, my kids were happy exploring in a closed environment full of new toys and new friends. I'd highly recommend Circus Play to moms who are looking to find an indoor activity place for their toddlers, especially in the colder winter months. read more

Circus Play Cafe - Play area! - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Great spot to relax, eat, drink, chat with other parents, all while the little ones paly to their hearts content with all the great toys and tire themselves out on the toddler playgym equipment. Vancouver needs more family friendly places like this! Our Little one always has a great time here. Especially thankful for this place on rainy days. We booked this place (ordered food from Nando's chicken which was also a hit) for his birthday party and really glad we did. Everyone had a great time. Highly recommend this place. read more

Place is great for some play time with your little one. My son really likes it here and the two hours usually flies by. They clean quite frequently and there's drinks and food to purchase if you feel like eating. Not the BEST coffee I've had but I'm not going there for the beverages. Staff is friendly and accommodating. read more

I enjoy taking my daughters here on rainy days. Parenthood can be lonely for some of us and this place is great for meeting up to socialize. I gave four stars because I feel the prices for food are way too expensive. I paid $40 for my daughters entry fee, a small quinoa bowl and a cheese & cracker plate. read more

Circus Play Cafe - Quinoa bowl with prosciutto. Tasted good and fresh but expensive small portions. - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was debating between 3 stars and 4. I went with 3 because it's so expensive! $9 for my 17mo old to toddle around and climb stairs. For only two hours! I ended up buying a muffin so my entire experience came to $14 (including tax and small tip) for an over-crowded couple hours and a stale muffin. I really think it should be no more than $5 for kids under 2. Also the employees were rather cold and disinterested. Which is weird given it was a kids place. I'll probably go back just because they open at 9am (not many kid friendly places do), but I'll probably go every few months rather than becoming a regular. read more

way too small a space. also there isn't parking. there is public parking in the back alley but after repeated attempts to get the door to open i left. read more

The Good: Circus Play Café is gorgeous! It is an airy café with a generous play space that is full of wooden toys (two kitchens, a dollhouse, a rocket ship, shakers, a produce stand, a school bus and a larger wooden play structure). My 14-month-old just loves it, even if he is a bit too young for some of the play areas. The Bad: The food is fine but there isn't much variety. You can get a panini and a salad or a salad. They advertised that they would have Gluten Free Epicurean, which was so exciting for a celiac like me, but there was no sign of it during their first week (maybe it will appear at some point in the future). They have bento boxes for kids but it wasn't clear what they included so I wasn't sure if my toddler would be able to eat it or like it. It would be really nice if they sold snackable sides of things that toddlers like to eat (cheddar cheese, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, blackberries, etc.). The Ugly: We tried to go as a family on Saturday. We arrived an hour after they opened and they had a sign on the shop door stating that they were full and to come back later. We tried an hour later and they were still full even though we watched two families leave. I spoke to one of the employees and she thought it was still a safety risk for more children to come in, which is fair enough but still disappointing for a toddler who was promised Circus Play. We thought about coming back in the afternoon but there was a sign up saying they had scheduled a party. The lesson: don't waste your time going to Circus on a weekend unless you call in advance to make sure they are open/have space. Maybe at some point if it continues to be a zoo on the weekends they will have some sort of advance booking system so there aren't so many disappointed kids (my wishful thinking)! Otherwise, this is a great space that the kids will LOVE. I'm sure we'll be back... A LOT! read more

Ever since I became a mom I started to look for all the great indoor places for my child . This place is definitely one of the best indoor places I have taken my daughter to . The only thing I wasn't too impressed with was the food . I think the food could be a bit better and more choices . My daughter is not a big fan of grilled cheese sandwich but surprisingly she just loved it . I like the fact that there are some quite areas for the kids when they feel overwhelmed with the loudness sometimes . The price I find it a bit high, specially when you are also purchasing food . read more

I loved this place! I have a 10 month old and my friend has a 1 year old and we are always looking for a place to enjoy coffee and let them play without older kids running everywhere. I saw this place online and we decided to check it out. The place is clean, had sensory boards, a box to put toys if my little one put them in his mouth and the food came out within 10 mins. I also appreciate the free parking in front. I was most worried about where to park on commercial because it was pouring rain. The only thing I didn't like was if I had brought a stroller I would've had to leave it outside. But it wasn't an issue since I got parking in front of the cafe. Thanks for a great experience. We will definitely come back! read more

Circus Play Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Thanks for your reply Toby! Was actually really excited to see you adjusted your pricing for my 1 year old, except your website still lists after 14 months as $7... And a 19 month old is a one year old... Looks like nothing has actually changed at all, and at $7 there are lots of places he can blow off steam. Have a good day. read more

Great ambience! Great people! Love their grilled cheese sandwich! Sarah loves their fruit salad bowl! Classes are fun and it's the only time Sarah (my Daughter) can get messy!!!! :) read more

Circus Play Cafe - Fruit saladddddd!! Grapes are all in my stomach!! - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place is for kids and parents but if you don't have a kid. I just needed a snack after the record swap meet. There is a fee for checking in your kid to play. It's a reasonable set up for kids. It was fun for a bit sitting in little vintage school desk seats. Very good customer service. Decent London Fog and squash soup. read more

Wonderful play cafe to bring kids 4 and under. I brought my nephew who is two here and even after a 2.5hours of play he did not want to leave. There is so much for the little ones to discover. Admittance to the play area is under $7. The play area takes up 2/3 the place and the remainder is the cafe and seating area. The play area has 5 or so larger activity areas like a school bus, house, ship etc.While we were there we ordered iced lattes, lemonade for the little guy and a couple of cookies. The menu also has some heathy snacks for the little ones. Great place for parents to have play dates, meet other parents or just a rainy day activity for the kiddos. Will be coming back soon! read more

Circus Play Cafe - School bus in kids play area. - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great place if you want to bring a baby or toddler for a fun playtime while you relax with a coffee. Play area is a bit pricey but I'm guessing that also keeps the play area from overcrowding. Also has a healthy kids menu, would definitely visit again with my 1.5 yr old. read more

This place is like an indoor playground for kids. Toddlers love it. The staff are friendly and genuinely seem to like kids. They can run around and play but there are many draw backs. Seems without notice they close it to the public for kids private parties. The climbing stairs in the kids play area are dangerous. the menu is minimal and unfulfilling. The costs are very high. It costs almost $10 for two hours of kids playtime. In a predominately poor neighborhood. Renting out the space for a birthday party is extremely expensive. Hundreds of dollars! The drinks are very over priced, not customized and come in small cups. Some times there are almost no kids, and other times it is over run my children. Because they allow ages from 1-6 or 7 the bigger kids can get aggressive and run over the littler ones. The theme isn't properly carried out. It says "circus café" on the outside but here is minimal evidence of a circus theme on the inside. The benches are all uncomfortable. You have to leave your stroller outside and moms worry about having things stolen. It has a lot of potential but it needs more work. read more

My daughter is getting a little old for this now, but up to age four its a pretty great spot. Brightly designed, clean and spacious - there are enough spots about for parents to sit and watch their children while they play. The coffee is great here. The snacks are even better. Usual play place snacks consist of orange Cheetos, pizza and vegetable sticks with a side of despair... This place serves "tapas" !!! Children can enjoy a mix plate of crackers, cheese or ham, fruit and veggies. Their baked goods are yummy too and they don't seem to mind if you just want to relax and read for an hour and a bit while your kid makes new friends. The people who run it are super friendly too. They have a system that is pretty neat to identify children and parents. You have to sign up the first time but it makes future visits a lot faster and easier. I like how they had a "nice spoons" (clean) and "naughty spoons" (dirty) area last time we arrived too. Got to love a good sense of humour. read more

Great coffee and great atmosphere. Ideal place for moms and babies, lots of stroller space and the play area is perfect for babies and tods. read more

Circus Play Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I have brought my daughter here a couple times with my mom friends who are on Mat leave (she's 9 months) and it's an awesome place! Great food, super friendly staff and reasonable prices. $4 admission for 2.5 hours of play which is similar to a lot of community centre play gyms (but circus is far nicer and waaay cleaner). Staff walk around collecting toys to be cleaned during play time. They also sell some very nice wooden European style toys. You can pick up a neat one of a kind gift here. Highly recommend - will start bringing my LO here weekly especially on rainy days. read more

Love Circus Cafe! Great atmosphere for both parents and kids oh and very delicious food!

I like this place but it has been a bit chaotic the last few times I've gone, so I haven't gravitated to it as much lately. It's great for babies to 2 year olds and now that my toddler is a bit older, it has not been as stimulating for her. The food can be a bit pricey too and not an ample amount of options. The owner is lovely and the staff are always friendly and nice. And it is CLEAN, which is a big plus with little ones. I recommend it for sure! read more

Just dropped by here this morning on a recommendation from a friend. Great idea for play cafe and location with parking and decent menu with bakery and fresh food items and kid friendly meals and snacks. The play area is nicely equipped with wooden play areas, houses, slides and a school bus. Great for toddlers. Tried their bakery items and ice tea was refreshing. Only problem here is cleanliness. It was super busy here Friday before the long weekend. Registration on a touch screen computer was slow and arduous with the computer frequently stalling and not working. Long line ups for registering. At one point it stopped working and we were told to line up for paper registration but they didn't know how to do that either. There was about 50 or more kids and adults jam packed in a small space intended for 25 or less. There is a socks policy for the play area but many women were bare feet and had no socks on. Kids were mouthing wooden blocks and saliva was everywhere and there was no one separating those into a yucky bucket. Mouthed toys were sitting on the table and in the open for others to play with. No one looking after clean up of play area. Overall great place for kids and adults looking for a place to spend time with little ones or with friends for play date but if you're at all concerned about cleanliness for little ones not the best place. read more

I was really disappointed walking in here. You have to pay to play!!? At a cafe?? If it was 2 bucks, I wouldn't be writing this but, I have two 5 year olds and a 2 year old. That's $18 to play with some ikea toys before I buy them all snacks and myself a coffee. Also, if your child is older than pre K, they are welcome in the cafe part but not aloud to play. I was totally floored and it made me really miss Little Nest. We went to the park instead. This place is not for anyone with more than one child under 5. Total bummer. read more

Hesitant to post this because I do like the space and the cafe... but sometimes I just don't think they truly understand the customer service side, the side that makes you feel welcome and want to come back. We were the first ones in the door and ordered food right away (a bill of more than $30). We were 'scolded' (reminded) for not signing our child in first. We were the only ones there, and not trying to avoid signing in. It took more than 30 minutes to get the food out. Then an employee or owner reached in front of us, while we were eating, to place a sign that said "please free up the table when you are finished eating." Talk about rushing us out the door! The place wasn't even half full at that time. Either have those signs in place when you open or have the sense to wait until we have finished to put it there. When two parents are present, of course one of us might want to relax at the table and drink coffee while the other supervises and plays! They made us feel like we couldn't do that. I also think they have shortened the time allowed in the play space? From 3 hours to 2 hours for same price? I won't stop going because of this experience but I think the attitude of running a business vs. customer comes first needs a tweak. Table turnover is important, but so are repeat customers. read more

This place is super clean and safe for little ones. It is nice to be able to have a coffee while my daughter has a place where she can play. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for an indoor activity. read more

Parents: STOP BRINGING YOUR SICK KIDS HERE! Had to leave after 20 mins today since there were several toddlers with extremely runny noses and others with wet coughs. The employees here do a good job of wiping some stuff down every few hours but the spread of colds and viruses among little ones would be greatly reduced if some parents could be more considerate and abstain from bringing their kids when they are sick. The business itself stipulates this and many parents who do not enjoy being sick themselves and having to take care of a sick child would appreciate this. I might suggest PHONESOAP to clean the small fruit toys with UV sanitation as well as I haven't seen these items cleaned every few hours. Other than this the place is great for younger kids. The ladies there make a nice latte and soup if one is hungry. They are always very friendly and washroom facilities are tidy and spacious. The reading room is nice when the main area gets too busy. read more

My 15mo son enjoys the space and we go once every couple of weeks. I find it to be quite expensive for food, as others have mentioned. My son is vegetarian with dairy and egg allergies and the only item they have that he can eat is their smoothie (note that they do NOT list that this is made with dairy so if you're dairy-free, be sure to ask for it to be made without milk!). They now strictly prohibit ANY outside food and no longer even allow pureed baby food (apparently there was a recent "incident"), so if my son gets hungry, we have to leave. Even if we could eat the food there, it is very over-priced for the very small amount that you get. read more

I don't have a baby (LOL) but my friends do and I joined them for some lunch here so we can hang out while the babies played. Food here is ridiculously expensive and not much to eat tbh. I wanted the soup but they ran out. Ended up having the grilled cheese for kids which was not very good. I suggest just have tea time with your mommy friends instead. Babies had a lot of fun but it did get really crowded. The mix of much older kids in here got a bit stressful. read more

I have a 28 month old toddler we were super excited to spend a couple hours with 2 other babies there but we ended up leaving early after 30 mins because they strictly said no outside food unless it's baby puree food. For my toddler who has allergies to nuts, eggs , sensitive to gluten I asked them what option I had if I didn't bring my food they said they had some cookies... They said it's ok for me to feed my toddler what I brought today but not next time. Which is fine because I will NOT be coming back. I totally understand if my son had no allergies and he was eating adult food like a 4-5 year old and of course adults shouldn't be allowed outside food. But for a child who isn't even 2 1/2 I think is unreasonable. The staff definitely did not make me feel like we are welcome them. I would have bought my lunch and drink and enjoyed with my girlfriends and their kids but I had no appetite that and I took my son and mother in law to have lunch somewhere else that appreciates my business. read more