Play Date

Bon Vivant Cafe + Farm Market. Photo by Whitney Pipkin

Bon Vivant Cafe + Farm Market

Looking to sip an almond-milk latte and chat with a friend while your children play quietly nearby? That could actually happen during a visit to this Del Ray café, which has a separate kids room, complete with train table, kitchenette—and a soft sofa for parents.

Owners and fellow parents Tania Leach and Jawad Laouaouda installed the soundproofed kids’ zone to give parents the best of both worlds: access to locally sourced food and drink and a place where their kids can roam. The health-minded breakfast and lunch menus also are allergy conscious, with plenty of options for gluten or nut avoiders.

2016 Mt. Vernon Ave., Del Ray, bvfarmfood.com

Swing’s Coffee Roasters. Photo by Whitney Pipkin

Swing’s Coffee Roasters

Get your coffee fix here before taking your furry best friend to a different kind of play date at the popular dog park across Monroe Avenue. Located just a few blocks from Del Ray’s main thoroughfare, the rustic, light-filled coffee shop is worth the walk for pour-over drip brews from beans roasted just behind the baristas.

The Swing’s brand is found in dozens of restaurants and had been roasting in and around the District for almost a century before the Del Ray location opened in 2013. On weekdays, the café’s reclaimed wood tables are filled with laptops, newspapers and friends chatting—but there’s often a pup or two waiting just outside for that play date to begin.

501 E. Monroe Ave., Del Ray, swingscoffee.com