The Henson Marrickville: Family-friendly Pubs in Sydney

Today we have a guest post from Kirralee from Escape With Kids. She’s been exploring and would like to recommend this family-friendly pub. Take it away Kirralee.

The Henson, Marrickville_1

The Henson, Marrickville

This Inner West pub manages to be family-friendly, while still rocking an inner-city hipster grooviness. And a wander around the surrounding streets gives you the chance to soak in the urban, yet villagey vibe of Marrickville, as well as some pretty spectacular street art.

Street art, Marrickville_1

Out of the 300 seats on offer, it is the ones in the courtyard that win on a fine day. Just the spot for a chat with friends over a refreshing beverage, while the kids explore and hunt down the playroom.

 
Courtyard 1
Courtyard 2 1

The playroom is not huge and it’s not fancy, but it is incredible how much fun kids can have with a few toys and lots of new playmates. I thought mine at 7 and 5 might think it was a bit boring, but they couldn’t keep away. The entire courtyard is well fenced, so you can relax and let the kids come and go between your table and the toys.

Playroom 1_1
Playroom 2_1
 

Inside the pub it gets noisy when full, but I was impressed that it manages to attract both groups of adults, as well as families. It felt like a much more eclectic mix of people than we get further out in the suburbs, which gave it a funky mood. Great for people-watching!

It is magnificently decorated with a stylish mix of traditional features and colours that hark back to its history, together with a retro-cool renovation.

Inside 1_1
Inside 2_1

The Henson prides itself on using local suppliers, having many gluten free options and making everything in house using free-range, organic, hormone and chemical free meat & poultry, & sustainable seafood. They’re certainly doing something right because there was a constant stream of people in and out of the place. They must have been working hard in the kitchen!

We didn’t get any further down the menu than the burgers. We do love a good burger. My mouth is watering just thinking about my tangy tender Pork Belly Burger. Hubster’s Grass-fed Beef Burger got the thumbs up from him too. The menu is quite extensive, but without a Chicken Parmigiana in sight! From 7hr Dukkah Roast Lamb Shoulder and Maple Miso Grilled King Salmon Fillet to Soft Shell Crab Burger and Mac’n’Cheese, there’s something for everyone.

In addition to the kids’ menu standards (nuggets, pasta, hot dog) are chicken tacos, avocado salad and fried egg on toast. But the blue slushies were the winner on our table.

Blue slushies_1
 
The henson Marrickville
Kid's hot dog_1
 

The Henson

91 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204

Tel:   9569 5858

The Henson website

Open:  Sun – Tues 11am – 9pm, Wed & Thurs 11am – 9.30pm, Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm.

Baby change table: yes

Highchairs:  available.

Kids menu:  With a fantastic range of options, from the healthy to the not so healthy, the kids menu is excellent. And the sweet options like frozen banana chocolate pops, old-fashioned milkshakes and slushies will continue to keep them happy if you settle in for the afternoon.

Parking: street parking only, but is not too difficult to find in this mostly residential area.

Kirralee is a Sydney-based mum of two squeezing her love of travel in between making lunch boxes and picking up Lego. She dreams of holidays where everyone has fun, nothing goes wrong and her suitcase is filled with fabulous outfits and tacky souvenirs.

See if reality measures up at Escape With Kids or follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

 

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