Milton Keynes has a fantastic independent food scene, with loads of independently run cafes and restaurants. I tend to spend more time visiting cafes than restaurants in Milton Keynes, as I usually have my 2-year-old with me, so try to find somewhere that’s child friendly. Somewhere that I’ve visited a few times is The Green Elephant Cafe, an independently run cafe serving organic and natural food and drinks.
To be completely honest, The Green Elephant Cafe isn’t necessarily a child-friendly cafe – there’s no kids menu, no kids plates/cutlery, no kids drinks, or anything for children to do. They do however have high chairs, and some of the dishes on the menu are smaller, which suit my toddler fine, and I just make sure I bring Ivy a drink and some things to do with me.
The main reason I keep coming here, despite not being the most toddler-friendly place, is that I love the coffee and food here. It’s a beautiful cafe, and I love coming in the week as it’s a little quieter. It first opened in 2020 as a new addition to the ground floor of Acorn House – the MK Community foundation building. The Green Elephant Cafe uses local suppliers, such as Geoff’s Artisan Bread, Incredible Bakery, Woburn Country Foods, and Willen Ice Cream Co. They also have a huge ethos for sustainability and have lots of dairy and gluten-free options, as well as vegan – so great if you have any dietary needs.
During my most recent visit, I visited with my partner Chris, my 2-year-old, and my mum – who is gluten and dairy-free. We ordered a couple of sunshine smoothies, and an oat milk cappuccino while we looked over food options for brunch.
For my 2-year-old Ivy, we ordered her eggs on toast picking the scrambled option, which is served on artisan malthouse toast. It’s served on one slice of bread so it’s a great small dish, and the eggs are freshly cooked and delicious. This is my go-to meal for Ivy here, and she always eats it quickly! My mum ordered the grilled chicken bacon and smashed avocado brioche bap – although swapped out the brioche bap for gluten-free oat bread. As they had plenty of gluten-free options they had no problem with changing the bread for her. The combination of chicken, bacon and avocado complemented each other well, and it’s a great brunch option.
Chris and I both ordered English breakfasts, Chris opting for the classic version, and I ordered the vegan version. The classic version comes with 2 sausages, 2 rashers of maple-cured bacon, eggs, sun-blushed tomato, vegan baked beans, portabello mushroom and artisan malthouse toast. Chris loves a full English, so this choice always goes down well! I opted for the vegan option, although I’m not vegan, as I wanted something a little lighter for a brunch. The vegan English breakfast comes with 2 vegan sausages, portobello mushroom (although I opted to not have this!), cauliflower hashbrown, sun-blushed tomato, organic vegan beans, sliced avocado, and vegan and gluten-free oat toast. I really enjoyed the cauliflower hashbrown, and the gluten-free oat toast.
Overall I think The Green Elephant Cafe is a lovely place to visit for breakfast or brunch. I’ve found there used to be more options on the food menu which is a shame they don’t seem to do them anymore. I previously ordered from a lunch menu with amazing burgers on and would love to see more varied options. the last couple of times I’ve visited I’ve also found the service has been really slow – we waited 15 minutes for two coffees at one point when there was no one else in the cafe. But this could be a small hiccup during my visit and a one-off. I would also like to see some more options for children – a few smaller dishes for kids, or a few cartons of juice, as I know as a mum that’s something I always look out for when looking for somewhere to go!
How to Find it
The Green Elephant Cafe can be found at Acorn House, 381 Midsummer Blvd, Milton Keynes MK9 3HP, use the map below for directions. There is parking outside, but you need to pay and display – look out for the purple spaces as these are cheaper!
