The Lead Station, Chorlton, reviewed

Turn up to a lot of restaurants with an excited toddler and a nine-month-old - who seems to have, overnight, developed extendible arms - and you can see the staff visibly wilt.

He had an orange juice that came in a plastic cup with a straw - always helpful when ordering kids drinks. The only problem came when he poured it over his head which was entirely my fault for not paying attention.

Not so at the Lead Station in Chorlton. If indeed they do want to cry at the sight of a family looking for brunch, then they must do it in the kitchen out of sight of the customers. The staff are not only friendly, they’re extremely child friendly.

My friend arrived first and said that there would be three adults and two children. When we arrived there was a high chair and children's menus which double up as colouring-in sheets. When I asked for some pencils the waiter said that he had sent someone to the shop to buy some more, as all of the other coloured pencils were being used. Amazing. In some places you would get a look suggesting that they would rather you stick the coloured pencils where the sun don’t shine, than go out and actually buy some more for your off spring.

We ordered coffee when we arrived which came quickly, was hot and hit the spot. I ordered eggs Lead Station (eggs benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham or bacon). My friend had the same with the sauce on the side which was duly accommodated and my other half had the full English. My little boy had a child's version of the full English which, when it arrived, would have been ample for an adult. The only difference between the adult and kids portion was the omission of black pudding and tomato. He polished it off despite the size because thankfully he will eat anything we put in front of him. He had an orange juice that came in a plastic cup with a straw - always helpful when ordering kids drinks. The only problem came when he poured it over his head which was entirely my fault for not paying attention.

My little girl had toast but at nine months isn't really ready for the full on brunch experience. The staff also made sure that the plates weren't placed directly in front of the kids, which always helps to avoid food being catapulted across the restaurant. I take my eye of the ball for a moment and then spend the rest of the meal apologising to everyone around me whilst picking sausages out of their hair.

There was a real buzz about the Lead Station. It was a busy Saturday morning but there was no sense of flap or annoyance from the staff. There was a good mix of families and normal folks out and even though we were trying to pin two children down and get them to eat properly it didn't feel like we were eating in a creche that happened to be serving food. (Maybe I should have asked one of the other child-free tables, 'Excuse me, are we making you feel like you're eating in a creche with nice food?')

I would highly recommend the Lead Station to anyone with children. When I go out to eat with my kids I try to keep my mess and noise to a minimum and I'm always polite (I think). In return, I hope that the staff in places that get a lot of their custom from parents with children are polite and tuned into the needs of people taking their children out to eat. The Lead Station is a fine example of a team that knows its audience.