10 fantastic family-friendly Brisbane eateries to try

We all know kids love their ‘fast food’ options when dining out, and to be fair, why wouldn’t they? They’re bombarded with advertising from burger chains and pizza joints, their friends and peers all eat and party there, and they’re constantly enticed with offers of free toys, promotions, and a brightly coloured noisy environment to eat and play in. But as an adult, don’t you just crave somewhere a little more grown-up sometimes?

The tricky thing is to find the compromise – somewhere the grown-ups can relax and eat real food, but where kids are also welcome.

Well Brisbanites, luckily you don’t have to travel too far! Here are our favourite 10 family-friendly Brisbane eateries to try.

1. Victoria Park Golf Complex, Herston

A golf complex might not be the first place that springs to mind when someone says family-friendly eatery but trust us on this one – you’ll love it! Here’s why…

• Free parking
• City views
• A choice of dining areas and menus
• Adventure playground
• Putt putt mini golf course the whole family will enjoy
• Licensed

Interested yet?

The bistro is open from 7am daily, and until late most nights of the week. You can get anything from Dutch pancakes, light snacks and wraps, to Italian cuisine, steaks, wood-fired pizza and full roast dinners. The kids’ menu has healthier takes on all their favourites, including cheeseburgers, fish and chips, pizzas and crumbed chicken with salad.

After dining you can catch the city views from one of the terraces and relax with your coffee or wine while the kids go wild on the adventure playground or play a round of mini golf ­– even by fairy lights if you’re enjoying a summer evening out.

Location- Victoria Park Golf Complex, 309 Herston Road, Herston

2. Brisbane’s Eat Street Markets, Northshore

What’s the collective noun for a group of great eateries? Eat Street! In truth, Brisbane’s Eat Street is more of an Eat Village because there is SO MUCH THERE! It’s only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings (Sundays from lunch time) but it’s a great family-friendly venue to suit all dining tastes.

Built around a series of shipping containers artfully decked out to cater to a range of international cuisines, Eat Street is a vibrant grown-up food venue with a festival atmosphere that kids will love too.

There’s always a variety of performers on the various stage areas providing music to get you dancing, or you can simply sit by the lawn area or dock and watch the kids do the dancing for you.

Eat Street is easy to get to with parking nearby, or you can add to the experience by catching the City Cat ferry right to the Eat Street dock.

Entry is $3 per person, children 12 years or younger are free.

Location- Eat Street, 221D Macarthur Avenue, Hamilton

3. Sirromet Winery, Mount Cotton

Definitely one the grown-ups will love and surprisingly family-friendly too!

You might wonder how a winery could be family-friendly, but at Sirromet there’s heaps of space to run around and play or watch the friendly resident wallabies and wildlife. There’s a play fort to explore, and on quieter days they might even pull out the plastic toboggans, so the kids can experience sledding down the low hills. Yep, sledding in Queensland!

Set in the rolling acres of Sirromet’s vineyards you’ll find several different dining options including Cellar Door, Tuscan Terrace and Lurleen’s Restaurant, with each option providing an individually selected children’s menu catering to all tastes. The restaurants all keep different hours and can get very busy on weekends but choose your timing well and you’re ensured a great experience.

Check the website’s ‘Events’ page for news of their regular family activity days.

Location- Sirromet Winery, 850 Mount Cotton Road, Mount Cotton

4. The Belvedere, Woody Point

For those who like a pub meal, you can take the kids with you for family-friendly dining at The Belvedere in Woody Point, Redcliffe. The Belvedere has it all – great views, playgrounds, an ice cream bar, kids’ activity packs, lots and LOTS of different seating areas, and it’s all just across the road from the beach and a fantastic adventure playground.

The kids’ menu is pretty basic (think fast food favourites), but it’s good enough to keep them quiet while you enjoy your steak or seafood.

The Belvedere is perfect for an evening with family, or lunch as part of a day out, and they’re even open for breakfast.

Location- The Belvedere, Cnr Woodcliffe Crescent and Oxley Avenue, Woody Point

5. Grand View Hotel, Cleveland

This is another great family-friendly pub, this time on the south side of Brisbane. It has a huge outdoor area with plenty of grass to play on, a playground and views of the bay. There are numerous indoor and outdoor seating options, and there’s often live kid-friendly entertainment (see petting zoo below!) too. The Grand View at Cleveland is Queensland’s oldest licensed hotel with plenty of the history on show inside, and it’s just up the road from Cleveland lighthouse where you can catch a beautiful sunset or play on the playground.

Location- Grand View Hotel, 49 North Street, Cleveland

6. The Monkey Bar Café, Greenslopes

The Monkey Bar Café in Greenslopes is open for breakfast, lunch and coffee seven days a week, and your little monkeys are definitely welcome! Located behind Annerley Junior Soccer Club and overlooking the park, it’s the perfect location for older children to have a run around or play on the nearby playground (within view of the tables), with an enclosed outdoor activity area for younger kids. Keep an eye on their social media pages for the regularly hosted kids’ mornings with story time and art workshops. Oh, and the kids’ menu looks delish too!

Location- The Monkey Bar Café, Rear Ground Floor, Annerley Junior Soccer, 98 Victoria Terrace, Greenslopes

7. Walkabout Creek Café, The Gap

Walkabout Creek Café is open for breakfast and lunch everyday, and it’s a beautiful location for casual dining as part of a bigger day out in the D’Aguiller National Park.

Just a short drive north of Brisbane, the Walkabout Creek Café is set in beautiful bushland beside the Enogerra Reservoir and – get this – there’s a zoo there! That’s right; Walkabout Creek is home to a cute little wildlife discovery centre where, for a small entry fee, you can see platypus, wallabies, wombats and more!

Location- Walkabout Creek Café, 60 Mount Nebo Road, The Gap

8. Plum Tucker, Red Hill

Plum Tucker is a real family-friendly café because it’s run by a friendly family! Plum Tucker is open for breakfast and lunch and serves a range of healthy and traditional food options with a special kids’ menu.

Children are always welcome and there’s even a special activity room with toys and colouring books that’s ideal for active toddlers.

Location- Plum Tucker, 5 Enoggera Terrace, Red Hill

9. The Soul Pantry, Stafford

As the name suggests, The Soul Pantry is a healthful place to relax and be at peace while enjoying some good wholesome café style food. The Soul Pantry blends food and gardening in a relaxing garden centre atmosphere. The kids can play with the wooden toys provided in the shady AstroTurf area or join one of the regular kids’ gardening workshops.

Location- The Soul Pantry, 31 Wolverhampton Street, Stafford

10. Jamie’s Italian, Brisbane

We all know Jamie Oliver is a big advocate for kids’ healthy eating, so of course his restaurants are going to be family-friendly! Jamie’s Italian in Brisbane is spacious and able to take large group bookings, so it’s perfect for a big family get-together. The kids will love the delicious meal options on the kids’ menu too, which come in a choice of two sizes for big kids and little kids. There’s no play area but colouring sheets and crayons are available to help keep the little ones occupied.

Location- Jamie’s Italian Restaurant, 237 Edward Street, Brisbane

Our ten fave family-friendly Brisbane eateries give you a great selection of formal evening dining, casual lunches and breakfast options across Brisbane and the greater Brisbane area. If you’re strapped for cash, take a look at all the best places where kids eat free in Brisbane. Bon appetit!