Child-Friendly Cafe du Cirque Opens in Downtown San Rafael
One of our wonderful readers told me about the new Cafe du Cirque, a child-friendly coffee house in downtown San Rafael that opened last week, so I had to go check it out. Cafe du Cirque was opened by Marin mom Kerstin Fleischer and her husband Tom Coleman, and features food made from fresh local organic ingredients, locally roasted coffee, and a play area for little ones near the back of the cafe. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and a salad or sandwich while your kids play safely.
Kerstin is the mom of a three-year-old, and added the play room to the cafe because she was more than aware of the need to have a space like this in Marin. The cafe itself is clean and modern and occupies a long narrow space with lots of natural light.
My children both enjoyed Cafe du Cirque's kids' hot chocolate and fresh muffins, and my daughter liked the play area. Designed for younger children, the small carpeted play area includes toys like a play kitchen, a kids' table and chairs, a chalkboard, and a soft crawling area for babies. You can sip your coffee or eat lunch or breakfast and watch the kids while they play under the play room's festive red-and-white-striped awning.
Current menu options (which change frequently) include organic yogurt with locally made garnola and fresh fruit ($5.50), a Greek salad ($8.50), soup ($5), savory pies from La Fleur de Lyon ($9.50), and a variety of grab-and-go sandwiches ($5.50–$6.50), a kids' Nutella, cheese, or avocado toast ($1.50), as well as pastries and muffins. More kids' items will be added to the menu over the next few weeks. Traditional cafe coffee and coffee drinks are made with oak wood-roasted coffee from Oakland's Mr. Espresso, tea from San Rafael's Western Espresso and Teas, and various soft drinks.
Cafe du Cirque is located on San Rafael's 4th Street between D and E Streets. It's open Monday–Friday from 8 am–4 pm, and Saturday from 9 am–3 pm (closed Sunday). Wi-fi service is available. For more information, call the cafe at (415) 454-8200 or visit their Facebook page.
