Kid-Friendly Restaurants and Cafes in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs

the best Kid friendly cafes in Sydneys eastern Suburns 2

Are you looking for the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, pubs and cafes too?  You’ve come to the right place! You’ll find here a list of great Eastern Suburbs cafes and restaurants here, listed suburb by suburb.

What makes a good kid-friendly cafe? Colouring supplies, a basket full of toys, a chalkboard, an indoor or an outdoor play area, a playground next to it, yummy food, free babycinos, friendly staff. What else would you add?

This is an original post from Rebecca who is the admin of the Facebook page Little Munch,with updates by Seana Smith and Mireia Garriga Seguranyes. 

The best places to eat with kids in the East!

Families who reside in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney are spoilt for choice when it comes to child-friendly cafes. From La Perouse to Watsons Bay, nearly every suburb has some little gem that welcomes families with open arms.

So, parents have a read and start planning your next trip the gorgeous Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. You can also click on the locations to find more information about what to do in Bondi, Bronte, Centennial Parklands, Clovelly, Coogee, La Perouse, Maroubra, Matraville, Queens Park, Lindy Park at Rose Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Parsley Bay and Nielsen Park at Vaucluse, Watsons Bay and Waverly. 

 

Shuk cafe
Shuk Garden

Kid-Friendly Cafes Bondi

Home to the hipster families of the east, this iconic suburb is brimming with awesome eateries and most of them love little hipsters too! After a swim at Bondi Beach, there are plenty of kid-friendly lunch spots.

Shuk is perhaps the most family-friendly of them all, as it has a cute little play area, loads of room for prams, and baby change facilities.

Other noteworthy places are Bills which provides colouring for kids, and a scrummy little person’s menu; the famous The Tratt (Bondi Trattoria) which is under new ownership on Mondays kids eat free – and that includes one main and one dessert from the kids’ menu per child.

And, lastly for a feel good feed, take your little moos to the reasonably priced Moo Gourmet Burgers (they are also in Coogee), where they can have an awesome burger with chippies & side salad + drink + dessert. The beef burgers are made with 100% Australian Grasslands Premium Beef and they only use free range eggs in addition to ethically farmed and sustainable meat products.

Bondi Trattoria breakfast 1
Breakfast at the Bondi Trattoria

Bronte

Beautiful Bronte has a great strip of eateries that overlook the water, but the issue here is parking – it’s a nightmare!

However if you stay away from the beach you will find Favoloso in Murray St. This Italian cafΓ© loves bambinos, and serve up yoghurt & fruit cups, cheesy toast soldiers, as well as very pretty cupcakes to fill small bellies. There are high chairs and a decent amount of space for prams to be parked near their outdoor tables.

Centennial Park

I think everyone in Sydney has visited Centennial Park at some stage in their lives. This huge park now has four different places to eat and all are family friendly. For a bit of posh, you can go into Centennial Homestead  that offers 3 different eateries. The Wisteria is for events. While at The Kitchen you will receive full table service, for a more casual experience The Pantry next door is a great spot to pick up a coffee and food to go, as it is right beside the playground. They even offer picnic boxes, which can be pre-ordered or are available for purchase on the day. What a treat! Read Seana’s review about Centennial here.

The Spruce Goose Dinner, which is located right in the middle of all the ponds in the park, serves quick and tasty tucker to go. You’ll find the Spruce Goose Diner near Vernon Pavilion on Parkes Drive. 

Also, the Ian Potter Wild Play Garden has a little van where you can buy some snacks, ice-cream and of course, coffee.

And lastly, there is now a fab looking eatery called The Greenhouse that brews Campos Coffee and yummy sounding Middle Eastern inspired food. You will find these guys smack bang next to the learner’s cycleway, so you can have a β€œstress” break there, after your kid has fallen off their bike for the umpteenth time!

eastern suburbs kid friendly cafes
Seasalt Cafe at Clovelly

Clovelly

Clovelly has one of the best family-friendly beaches in the east. Perched above the beach is Seasalt CafΓ© – a favourite find of Seana’s family.

Just around the corner from there is the Cloey – aka the Clovelly hotel. This is a preferred meeting place of eastern suburbs locals of all ages and for little nippers they have a $12 meal deal which includes ice cream, juice and an activity pack.

Another favourite for local families is Clodeli,  a great cafΓ© away from the beach at the top of Clovelly Rd. They have toys for kids to play with and serve up toasties and some gorgeous sweet treats to fill hungry little bellies.

coogeepav1
Coogee Pavilion interior

Coogee

Gorgeous Coogee is home to the Coogee Pavilion or as the locals call it, ‘The Pav’, which is right on stunning Coogee Beach! This place is funky and fabulous offering local families and tourists alike, delicious food in a pretty darn cool setting. Despite it can be very busy, the Coogee Pavilion is very kid friendly. Kidlets will love playing all of the upsized games such as connect four, quoits and scrabble, and parents will love chilling out over a cold glass of something alcoholic (and their coffee is darn good too).

Other notable places to eat around the suburb are the Coogee Diggers which has a brand new kids area, and free activity packs for kids with every meal purchase; the new kid on the block is the groovy looking Lion & Buffalo in South Coogee – they have a sweet little area out the back where kidlets can happily roam whilst parents sit back and relax.

coogee pavilion 2
The Coogee Pavilion exterior

 

La Perouse

Right at the end of the Eastern Suburbs, La Perouse is a fascinating suburb to visit (Captain Cook apparently first landed here). There are quite a few places to eat in “Lapa”, with Driftwood on the Bay (phone number: 0497 077 936) being the most kid friendly. It is located opposite La Perouse Museum and between Congwong Beach and Frenchmans Beach. So, you can go for a family trot out to Bare Island or a dip in Botany Bay before or after a meal. 

Inside this cafΓ©, kids have their own little spot decorated with colouring sheets from past diners. Driftwood’s homemade sweet treats are to die for, and afterwards you 

Driftwood on the bay
Driftwood On The Bay

Maroubra

Maroubra has an excellent fenced playground and skate park, besides its long surf beach. When you are in β€œBra” country you need to get your caffeine fix at the North End CafΓ©. This quirky and very family friendly cafΓ© is an ideal spot for families to chill out in, before and after a swim at the beach. They pride themselves on their home made food (they even make their own marshmallows for babycinos!!).

If you are after a venue to lunch, the Pavilion Beachfront is a bit of an institution. Located right on the beach, the kids can frolic on the sand right in front of you plus the playground is very close by.

For dinner you should head to Kokoroya with the fambam. This Japanese restaurant located on busy Anzac Parade has a gated kid’s area to keep little ones occupied, in the vain hope that parents can swallow their sashimi and sake in peace. And they also have a decent kids menu that is very reasonably priced.

Matraville

Not as famous as some of its beachside neighbours in the east, Matraville is a suburb that flies under the radar (and the flight path) in Sydney. And that’s probably why Crayz Espresso is such a hidden gem! This pocket rocket of a cafΓ© has a fantastic kid’s play area, caring staff, wholesome food and apparently crazily good coffee.

Queens Park Shed 1
Queens Park Shed

Queens Park

The Queens Park Kitchen (popularly known as Queens Park Shed) is the queen of kid friendly cafes in the east. She looks after families incredibly well by providing an idyllic setting in the park, next to a fantastic and fully secure playground. Read our review here

With plenty of space for prams, yummy babycinos and colouring, you will see quite a few yummy mummies (and nannies) from the east spending the day here with their brood. The last specials are irresistible. Free regular coffee with every bacon & egg roll – available 8-10am daily-, and free babychino with every drink purchase – available Monday – Friday. Check its website for any updates. 

Duck Duck Goose
Duck Duck Goose at Randwick

Randwick

Randwick probably has the most kid friendly cafes in its locality of all the eastern suburbs, which is really handy if you have to spend any time at the Sydney Children’s Hospital!

169 CafΓ© serves up amazing coffee and for the little ones they have a kids corner outside with toys and games to keep them entertained while you enjoy your brunch. And, they also have a beautiful courtyard perfect for those summer days. 

If you are looking for somewhere delicious to do dinner (or breakfast or lunch), you must check out Four Frogs which offers delicious, authentic French crΓͺpes with full table service in the heart of eastern Sydney’s foodie hub, The Spot in Randwick. This French creperie restaurant loves little frogs by providing colouring menus and yummy food “Little Froggies (Kids) CrΓͺpes”.

Rose Bay

This beautiful harbourside suburb has a great playground called Lyne Park. Now this park has two cafes within skipping distance that are both kid friendly. The first and closest is Sugar and Spoon. Here you will find a pretty good kids menu and very pretty cupcakes.

A little bit further across the park and next to the carpark is the funky Jezve Coffee. This cafΓ© has space for prams, babycinos and their coffee ain’t bad either! So either dine in or take away to be closer to the playground.

Rushcutters Bay / Darling Point

As parents, we all love a cafΓ© right next to a playground and Rushcutters Bay has a pretty darn good one that is open 7 days a week. The Rushcutters Bay kiosk has lovely views over the water and it is perfectly situated right next to the playground. All the seating is outdoors, so it is also a big favourite of locals with fur babies. Seana and her bairns have been and love it – see what they had to say here.

There’s actually another kiosk in the park right next to the Rushcutters Bay Tennis Centre. They too are kid-friendly and offer indoor seating just in case the weather turns a bit foul.

TamaCafe1
Tama Cafe at Tamarama

Tamarama

If you fancy hanging out with all of the beautiful (insert model like) families of the east, then you should head to Tamarama Beach. This place has great people perving, and it also has the tasty ‘Tama’ cafe (Tamarama Beach Cafe, phone number: 91302419), as it is known by locals, which sits right on the edge of the beautiful Tamamara Beach. You can have a full-on meal here or just grab an ice cream.

There is a playground a hop, skip and jump away from the cafΓ©, as well as excellent toilet facilities. The Tama CafΓ© is also a top spot to take a pit stop when you are doing the Bondi to Coogee walk.

Nielsen Park Cafe 1
Beautiful views from the Nielsen Park cafe

Vaucluse

Exclusive Vaucluse is home to the delightful Vaucluse House Tearooms. If you are after a place to go with the family for a special occasion breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea – this is it. Despite it being a white table cloth restaurant, children are most welcome and definitely well catered for. There is plenty of space for kids to run around in front of the tearooms and of course, there is Vaucluse House and its gardens to explore where you will even find animals to chat to!

During the school holidays, there are always activities for kids planned via Sydney Living Museums and they occasionally have pre-schooler story time with morning tea throughout the year.

Another cafΓ© that is definitely worth a mention is the Nielsen Park CafΓ©/ Kiosk – right on the water at Shark Bay (hopefully you won’t see any sharks). Whether you want takeaway fish and chips to have on the beach or a more formal family lunch this is a place worth checking out. Read Seana’s post here about Nielsen Park and Shark Beach. 

And, Parsley Bay Reserve is a hidden gem for kids. With a newly upgraded playground and the Parsley Bay Cafe Zio Gianni, it ticks all the boxes to spend a fantastic day out. The cafe offers kiosk meals, good coffee and they even have a little corner with some toys. 

Parsley Bay Cafe Zio Gianni 1
Cafe Zio Gianni at Parsley Bay
Watsons Bay 11
Sunset at Watsons Bay

Watsons Bay

Watsons Bay occupies such a gorgeous spot in Sydney and it worth the drive (or ferry trip) to, no matter where you live in Sydney, as it is home to two awesome kid friendly dining venues.

The first and most iconic is the Watsons Bay Hotel. This place is where loads of Sydney’s beautiful people hang out but it is still really welcoming of kids. They always have an awesome school holiday programme happening, and on Sundays kids eat free from 5pm – 7pm (plus you can watch crab racing on the beach).

The other family friendly spot is the Tea Gardens Cafe, which is close by the Robertson Park playground – so if you are more a cafΓ© family than a pub family, this should be your destination when visiting Watsons Bay.

Doyles on the Wharf Take Away is another old favourite. And, it is so easy. Bring your picnic mat, order fish and chips, sit on the park and let the kids run wild. 

And, if you prefer a beach day, don’t forget the beautiful Camp Cove and the South Heritage Trail with spectacular views of the North Head.  A little kiosk serves coffee, ice creams, snacks and sandwiches at reasonable prices, taking into account the privileged location. Note: We couldn’t find any contact details corresponding to the ‘Camp Cove Beach Kiosk’. 

Doyles Takeaway 1
The famous Doyles!

Waverley

Last on our list of the eastern suburbs is Waverley – a suburb that has a few very good kid friendly cafes. Bellagio has been a firm favourite for many years amongst local parents from the east, and ticks loads of the kid friendly boxes – a courtyard with toys for kids to play with and baby change facilities to name but a few.

Another spot for cool kids to hang out is Rubys Diner – a funky cafΓ© they serves up wholesome food for big and little people.

A kind Facebook reader Ann also recommends Newmarket Dining precinct with a super rad playground and  Cafe Mckenzie Gelato Messina Baccomatto Osteria Sella Vinoteca who are all kid friendly. This is just opposite the hospital at Randwick.

So there you have it parents – a pretty long list of places to take your brood in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

Not all suburbs or cafes have been listed as there are just so many of them, but hopefully we have given you a taste of the best that we know of.

If we have missed your favourite please let us know!

You’ll Love These Posts

The Best Kid-Friendly Cafes in Western Sydney

North Shore Child-Friendly Cafes and Restaurants

11 Best Cafes On The Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches

Ten Best Sydney Cafes Beside Playgrounds

The 50 Best Playgrounds in Sydney

Share with a friend

Join the Conversation

4 Comments

  1. Matraville and La Perouse have escaped my radar thus far. However with a School Holidays just around the corner I am looking for new spots that do a great coffee AND a milkshake. Thank you as always for the heads up. xx

    1. says: Seana Smith

      Thanks for stopping by Monique, and like you I will be visiting some new places in school holidays. Mixing childcare with my own pleasures

  2. WoW….how many cool cafes have you got in your town. Slowly Cairns is building up their list BUT it was pretty much the shopping centres & pubs if we wanted to go undercover when my kids were young….thankfully most of the time the weather was good so we just went to the parks BUT if i had my time again I think i could be tempted to move to your town πŸ˜‰

Leave a comment
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *