CJ's Family Cafe in Crawley

We've just had my son's 2nd birthday at CJs and I can't fault it! Just a completely lovely, friendly, relaxed place to host a birthday or event. Grace and Connor looked after us and were just amazing. So lovely and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. Thank you so much for a brilliant afternoon. All the guests commented on how great it was. Highly recommend and we will be back 🥳🎉🩵

Amazing food and great size portions. My new go to lunch place now!

We had a small birthday gathering for my daughter’s 1st birthday today and CJs were great. Even though it wasn’t a full party they arranged it with as much care. They put up balloons and a banner and gave the kids a very generous lunch with lots of options included in the price. Many thanks for everything we will definitely be back.

Lovely little place, good food and a little soft play area for the little ones to play in.

A little soft play but the staff make sure everyone has great fun, we just attended a theme event put on by the staff and my kids absolutely loved it. Just went to another excellent experience at CJ's family cafe, this time it was to see Santa. All the kids took part in the activities and fun. They really know how to entertain the young ones and Santa was really good too.

Favourite start to my day..extra hot latte ☕️ amazing friendly staff.. kid friendly with play area.

The best cakes and food in town! Kids loves it too. Highly recommend ++++++

Absolutely fantastic place to take kids, the food is amazing the staff are some of the best around. The character visits are a great touch too!

I went here for the 1st time today, as I was passing and never heard of it before I thought I’d pop in with the children and give it a try! It’s safe to say you have a weekly returning customer! I was so so impressed by the hospitality, the atmosphere in here was so relaxed considering it was so busy & the children loved their first time. I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old and always get nervous picking somewhere to go where I can keep my eyes on both of them but they can equally have fun too! The soft play and play area is big enough for children to explore and move independently but not big enough you can loose sight of your children. They have a happy changing area in the toilet. Also their food is amazing! I ordered a goats cheese salad and children had pizza, smileys and beans. Prices are so reasonable as well for the portions! It was so busy when I arrived and the staff got me a spare table to sit down and made me comfortable. Thank you for a lovely first (of many) visits, I 100% recommend.

wow the best club sandwich ever, so fresh and full !!!!!! plus I feels good to know their a local run small business

Great for little ones to explore independently whilst parents relax in the cafe. The events Katie and Hannah put on are amazing, well worth the money for what is included. The menu serves a great range of foods and they always take such care with my daughters food (dairy allergy). I could easily try something different each time by the range of bagels, sandwiches and cold options. Hot and cold drink selection is amazing, so many different smoothies, milkshakes etc to try. The home made cakes are to die for, such a selection and they always have a vegan option which is a plus. Honestly the best little soft play for under 5s in our area!

We have been ordering our birthday cakes for a long time and the service, the quality and the taste are more than excellent. Thank you very much forbyour quick professionalism and response.

10/10 bagels. We got one of the BLT bagels and the salmon and cream cheese. Both were very fresh and well made. For those who care about crispy bacon. I can assure you the bacon is perfectly crispy

Absolutely amazing first time going and not the last staff are so friendly so helpful all planned out down to the last detail so fun am exciting for kids and adults well worth the visit xxxx

I have been here once before for a kids birthday party which was brilliant and came back today for the Bluey event. Could not speak highly enough about how amazing this cafe is, value for money is second to none, the effort and detail they put into this event today has quite honestly blown me away, staff are so friendly, food is delicious, the soft play is great for the kids but not too big, so you’re able to sit with and relax while they play, my son had the best afternoon. We will definitely be back. Can’t recommend enough!

This is such a great spot to relax while your little one plays. The cakes are all homemade and there is always something new to try, even though I love the old favourites too! The only problem here is choosing which cake - Bakewell Tart, Sticky Toffee Strawberry Lindt! Amazing! My toddler never wants to leave, he loves the climbing and soft play equipment as well as the toys and all the ride on cars! It is small enough that you can watch your toddler while you sit which is perfect to be able to chat to friends and relax. The staff and two lovely owners are great and so relaxed with the kids that you feel so comfortable being there. It really is a little haven for mums, dads, grandparents and kids alike!

Lovely cake 🍰 we have ordered a few times from here for birthdays and family events. Every time the cake has been made with love ❤️

First visit for us with our granddaughter, she loved the soft play and we loved the Paninies. Service great, lovely atmosphere and extremely child friendly !

I tried this place for the 1st time as I am new to working in the area, The service was super friendly and seems a lovely place to take kids and have a catch up as it has a ball pit play area. I ordered the Chicken Club Sandwich and was not disappointed, it was HUUUUUGE! for £6.95 it is such good value for money you could shar one! I highly recommend this place.

This is a gem of a place. food is great and reasonable. The play area perfect for tots and plenty for them to do whilst you relax with breakfast or lunch. you can only just get a slim double buggy through the door and there is only one loo but other than that it's excellent.

Lovely staff very friendly and chatty real family cafes Nice food And with great coffee Thanks I’ll be back soon, planning to bring friends for a snack and cuppa

Fantastic value and quality ingredients

Our daughter had her 5th birthday here. Nothing was too much trouble. Everything was ready when we arrived and flowed like clockwork. Kids so happy and hannah and katie couldn't have done more. Cake is fabulous, decorations, balloons, food and play. Brilliant Couldn't recommend enough

Lovely place to meet & catch up with friends whilst children play in the soft play area. Lovely staff & great food/menu

Cannot thank the amazing Ladies at CJs for putting on a brilliant Christmas event. Our kids had the best time, each activity was carefully thought out, the decor, Santa, the grotto… amazing 🤩

Very relaxed and great for mums and tots 👌

Absolutely amazing place for a kids birthday party. They really did take care of everything and the kids had an amazing time. There was no stress at all and everything was just perfect. I would highly recommend time and time again!

We had our sons 3rd birthday party here. Absolutely amazing little place. They really made everything seemless and perfect from the cake, decorations, balloons, food, the schedule, the toys. I would highly recommend.

Great food, reasonably priced and the kids love it. Perfect

We hired CJ's for a private birthday party for my daughters 3rd and 1st birthdays - right from the start they were absolutely fantastic in organising our event, paying particular attention to dietary requirements etc that we had - checking in a couple of times before the actual day to make sure they had everything down correctly. The party itself was incredibly smooth, the cafe was beautifully set up for the children, and the organisation was absolutely fantastic - a number of parents commented on how good the service was and how nicely the party went. Thank you very much to all the CJ's team for a wonderful birthday party for my girls, we greatly appreciate your efforts.

Visited SANTA in his Grotto. The whole shop was beautifully decorated and the staff and FC were amazing. Best FC experience I've ever had and I'm 61! Congratulations to the owners who focused on giving the children a wonderful experience.

Great family run soft play and cafe Perfect choice of food and kids snacks kids lunch boxes and hot food . Cheap soft play and also offer memberships Will be getting one for my in laws to take my children so they can relax and enjoy the food whilst the kids are entertained ! Xx

We visited here for the first time a few weeks ago now. There wasn’t anything specifically ‘wrong’ but it all just felt quite grubby and lots of the toys were either broken or had no working batteries. Not really an issue as it’s only £3 and my child (14 months) still had a good time but I don’t think we’ll be back. We also ordered lunch. My child’s lunch (pick and mix kids menu) was good value and there are some nice choices available. Our food was ok, not bad, but not particularly good either. Below average. The tables were jammed in like sardines and it was difficult to get around as there were children in the seating area riding on the ride-on toys provided. It would have been better if these were strictly limited to the play area only - more than once I almost fell on top of one/a child drove into me. The play area, whilst probably wiped down daily, could really use a good scrub. The ground-in dirt was very, very evident up close. Talking of the play area, it was overrun with older children (including the area meant for under 18 month olds only) so it was very difficult for my child to play properly without being constantly pushed out the way or knocked to the floor by kids whose parents clearly don’t teach them any manners or how to play nicely with little babies. The staff were friendly enough and the place is very busy so people clearly love it. I just don’t think it’s for us so we won’t be returning.

Lovely salad large portion, would recommend and will be ordering again in the future

The best jackets ever!! So yummy and so big with lots of filling x

I ordered from CJs on deliveroo can’t seem to leave a review on there but as CJs went above and beyond I thought I’d leave one here. My order was accepted by deliveroo but they didn’t have what I wanted so I got a call from a lovely lady who explained and let me order something else made that into a club sandwich as the club wasn’t available in what I wanted. To me that was already done and I didn’t expect anything else but then I was sent some freebies with my order which I wasn’t expecting but am really grateful for the food was also delicious so thank you very much and Merry Christmas x

Had my daughters 1st birthday there, the lady in charge was zooming around and really couldn't do enough for us, everyone was lovely and the prices were very reasonable especially considering it's a small business. Great place to take your toddler for some interaction while you have some lunch and a cup of tea.

We attended a 3 year birthday party at the weekend and can't praise the setup and staff enough. The kids had so much fun in the softplay and small world area, and the environment allowed parents to relax, and enjoy a delicious homemade milkshake with fresh ice cream. Great cake too! Highly recommend.

Great place for kids, yummy cakes and food, salads are amazing! Lovely staff very friendly and helpful 😀

Lovely cafe, great for children and parties!

Wonderful staff, wonderful coffee and cakes, and so relaxed. The place is clean as a whistle, too. £13 for 4 coffees, and 2 cakes is outstanding!

Absolutely love this place, it's a hidden gem for the perfect lunchtime date with my 2 year old, being just 5 minutes down the road with free parking. She absolutely loves the softplay, roleplay area and toys, it's just the right size for her at the moment. The food served here is lush and the cakes are a very delicious naughty treat. Food/drink prices are a little higher than other places, kids food prices are very reasonable though and the choices and portions are fantastic. The admission charge is only for kids, finally a business that see's sense! So we appreciate they need to make money from other avenues and are more than happy to support a local business. All of the staff are lovely too, and the service to tables allows you to make the most of your time with your child which is really appreciated. Looking forward to our next visit! Keep up the great work guys!

Well spaced, loads for the kids with friendly staff. Excellent food and reasonable prices.

Sweet place for a coffee tucked away near Three Bridges station. Lovely friendly staff. The ginger and biscoff cake was absolutely delicious and a very generous portion. I shall return here for sure..

We love our little local soft play x family run always welcoming

Great place, great food, great coffee, great staff!

Hands down the best Santa experience that I've ever been to. Not rushed in the slightest and plenty of time to talk and for photos. In the cafe the cakes are incredibly generous and taste amazing. When we used the party food service in the past we were amazed at the value for money. Due to moving into Tier 4 next week we were going to miss out on some books we'd ordered, one of the staff offered to drop them around and they arrived later the same evening!

One of the best places to take your young kids too! The Softplay area is great and everything is close enough so you can chill and have a coffee while the kids play

Great customer service well done

Nice people, plenty outside seats and good coffee

First time visitnig since Covid, felt very safe and very clean. Cake amazing as always and my daughter aged 4 had a lovely time.

Tried 2 of their cakes....was tasty and decadent!

Kids loved it, plus the adults get to drink tea and eat cake!

Alway have a good time in CJ's cafe with the children and friends. New set up is good, so much more space, different play areas for bigger ones & still service remains very friendly & efficient. My ONLY concern is the front door!!. My friends say the same thing 🙈. Saw at least two children open the door, if they ran out, they would be right on the busy main road. I'm sure if would be easy to change this?. A latch for adults only at the top of the door (from the inside) so children cannot get out easily. Yes it is parents responsibility to look after their kids, but surely safety is paramount too in a child focused venue?. Other than that, it's a really great place for children 👍😊.

Terrific place for kids parties. Good food lovely atmosphere

This is possibly the best place to visit if you have a child, there is countless things to do from the soft play to toys, great place and facilities, nice staff, 5

Great family cafe with soft play, really enjoyed toms talking reptiles show. Reasonably priced food and drinks. Definitely recommend

Just remodeled great place to take your toddler to get some energy out loads of toys and soft play. Loads of seat food and cakes

Lovely friendly little place for the children to let off steam. Excellent yummy cakes. Very friendly staff.

Amazing staff, nothing is too much trouble. Food and drink is reasonably priced the cakes are amazing. Great place for the kids to burn some energy especially with the new refit there is so much for them to do!!! Cj's is an asset to Crawley!!

Lovely food, great atmosphere and child friendly environment

Went to see the refurbished cafe and its amazing. Only downside is I don't get to chat to the staff as much as my daughter needs me to be near the soft play and their in the other side unless bringing food in and out. I'm going to miss our catch ups which as a single mum to a child with special needs helped get me through the week. My daughter didn't want to leave as there was so much to explore and discover. My son loves the sofa in the quiet area he still gets cake without the noise of his little sister. Very happy they have expanded and love the fact that they have names on their tops now so we can get to know them all by name like they do us.

Cj's is a wonderful hub of the parent community. Katie and the team always go over and above to provide a friendly and welcoming service. Nothing is too much bother for them. In the very early days I went on a day that was short staffed and you could see the staff were stressed. Katie was a little short tempered in comparison to her usual bubbly self. She came over half an hour later with an apology, free coffee and a pass for a free play. It was a very brief one off, that happened years ago but ever since I have had the upmost respect for the staff at Cj's. Everyone has off days but it is rare to come across business owners who have such integrity to go out of their way to apologise and make things right. Katie went over and above that day and has been a wonderful friendly support ever since. Customer service and a friendly smile go a long way when you are sleep deprived and having a safe place to go has helped myself and many others. I can't wait for the expansion, as if its anything like the cafe the last few years it will grow from strength to strength. A true gem of a place! Thank you to all at CJ's.

Always have good fun at CJ's. As well as my two year old took my 91 year old nan tiday as well she really enjoyed seeing the little ones playing and enjoying themselves. Couldn't recommend enough. Lovely family friendly cafe with great owners and staff 💕xx

Metup with a friend at this venue and my god what a little gem this place is. My scrambled eggs on toast was served nice and hot and the food was good. Soft play was £1.50 today which was fab considering there's no time restrictions. It's not too big for the little ones so you can keep an eye on them whilst eating Another bonus is you don't have to pay for adults unlike mini mayhem. My new go to spot and it's just 18mims walk from my doorstep.

Lovely little cafe. Ladies very friendly and they will make up what ever you choose to have...

The 5 stars is purely based on the amount of time & money my wife spends in there, in fact if they sold shares I would snap them up. On a serious note it’s by far the best soft play/cafe about, making the experience enjoyable which is a first. Great staff with amazing food.

Lovely cafe, great food, nice soft play area for the kids.

Me & Lillian always come to cjs it’s like home from home. Kate, Hannah & team are always welcoming. The food is lovely & the cakes are just the best!!. Looking forward to your new expansion & all the fun times ahead!!.... Thank u cjs Love Kelly & Lillian xx

Love this place. They're always so welcoming and helpful. Brilliant value for money, delicious food, and the children really enjoy the clean and well stocked soft play and toy area.

Amazing food and service will come again

Always great service and food and the soft play is ideal for younger children.

Wonderful place to come for lunch or coffee with kids! They have so much fun in here!

Lovely food well presented & very pleasant friendly staff .....

Put on a great spread for all ages

I have found the services this cafe offer an absolute godsend! They have supplied the best homemade birthday cakes for my 5,6 and 19 year old daughters at the last minute and they have been amazing! They were all gobsmacked at the creations they got served! Katie also served me a party platter of food for my 6 year olds party to save the embarrassment of me dishing up Something of a let down. The prices were so good too! I don’t know how they do it! Katie and her crew are Always so accommodating and there to help. Thankyou all, I’m so pleased I found you! I’m getting ready to make an order for my 14 year old birthday in November!!! 💋

Love this cafe! FOOD IS AMAZING and portions are more then generous! Great place where to go to have ME time while looking after kids at the same time (cameras and screen to see what little ones are up to). RECOMMEND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic family friendly cafe with attentive and friendly staff

I love bringing my little one here. Fantastic family friendly cafe, great food, amazing cakes and great value.

Very helpful caring staff. Lots of toys for all ages and the food portions are very big. Good place to go and meet friends.

We have been coming here on and off since it opened. The place is great! It’s not a soft play centre; it’s a family cafe that happens to have a separate soft play facility for children to play in. As an adult, it’s easy to find criticism with minor things but in the eyes of a child, the soft play and toys are excellent. It is safe (close to seating area and monitored by a camera which is projected onto a TV screen) and clean. Remember, this place has lots of children and families coming and going throughout the day, things get damaged, tables are cleaned away immediately but the staff work hard to maintain and serve so be patient. Menu choices are fantastic and really well priced with decent portion sizes. The children’s pick and mix is fantastic and the staff will make amendments to suit your children’s needs (grated cheese instead of cubed for example). Get yourself down here. It does get busy but that is a true reflection how popular this place is.

My boys absolutely love this place and the staff are so friendly and helpful

Love it there staff are lovely food lovely play area full of wonderful toys but when busy it's chaios need somewhere for buggies not all over the place please expand next door

We had our 1 year olds birthday party at CJs and cannot recommend it enough! The staff were so welcoming and attentive throughout but in no way overbearing. Everyone had a lovely time and we will definitely be back!

Very nice place for parents with small children!

Lovely friendly place to take the children/grandchildren. Great healthy food too

Took my daughter for the softplay and I was not impressed. The cafe is very small as is the softplay. I found the whole place rather dirty,there was food on the floor under every table. The softplay was small and a waste of my time.

We had a very pleasant lunch here with our two grand-daughters. The food was plentiful and delicious; excellent value for money. A lovely clean, bright and friendly environment.

Brilliant facilities. Loved the screen that allowed me to see my son whilst he played. Food was great and prices ideal!!

I popped in to see a friend's daughter's birthday party ...what a great place for little ones & Mums &Dad's to go ...play area children all enjoying the.selves without being told to sit down and be quite ..

Nice place to go with daughter and grandson for him to play.

Best local child friendly cafe. Superb value for money, yummy food and lovely staff! Highly recommend!

Busy place. Was hoping there was some toys if you didn't want to go in the soft play.

Good service and nice atmosphere. Decent food for a cafe and didn't have to wait too long. I would recommend to those looking for a qiick bite or breakfast etc.

Nice place, good for coffee and good for kids

We popped here yesterday & have been going here at least once every two weeks since it opened. A lovely friendly family run this café. They have a little soft play area with toys for under 5's to play with. Food menu has great options- they are even starting to add some vegetarian/ vegan options which I am excited about. Their fruit smoothies are soo yummy!! A great place to meet new moms/ catch up with old ones/ hold parties ect. Worth a visit. We will be back.

My daughter loves it here prices are really good highly recomend

We had a lovely party for our six year old at CJs. The food and service was excellent and the staff went out of their way to entertain the children with soft play and painting. First class party venue for groups up to 20.

Would highly recommend. Excellent food and good value for money. Staff went above and beyond to help my child who had additional needs and can be fussy with food. Lovely soft play amuses my 2 for ages and a fab place to be with friends let the kids play while we eat cake and chat. Cleanliness. Excellent friendly staff, great soft play for under 5’s good parking and bus stop near by. Highly recommend.

Absolutely fantastic. Kids loved it. Really nice place that caters for both the kids and parents.