Top 5 kid-friendly cafes in Sydney that parents will love too
Christine Knight
Foodie parents rejoice – eating out with small ones in tow does not mean your choices are limited to greasy fast food or takeaway coffee at the neighbourhood playground. This beautiful, sunny city has embraced our mini-gourmets-in-training, with many Sydney cafes serving up fancy babyccinos, well-planned kids’ menus and even the odd play space to keep their smallest diners happy. Check out my top five cafes in Sydney where kids get the golden treatment and parents get their Eggs Bene poached to perfection.
Three Williams
Trendy Redfern isn’t the first place you think of when looking for child-friendly dining, which is why Three Williams is such a surprise. A peek inside the entrance into the cavernous underground cafe reveals plenty of space and ambient noise to drown out young ones’ squeals of joy as they race up and down the ramp really intended for disabled access, but that helpfully deposits kids right in front of a giant chalkboard. The food is A+ and the staff indulgent towards their youngest guests.
613a Elizabeth St, Redfern
The Grounds of Alexandria
There is a reason The Grounds is always jam-packed with people no matter what time of day you visit. The cafe serves up delicious dishes like their popular “Signature Avocado”, served with heirloom tomato, feta, pomegranate and za’atar, and their latest “Unicorn shake”, which is an Instagrammer’s dream come true. Kevin Bacon the pig and his stable mates attract inner west parents in droves, jostling for tables alongside hipsters with man buns and suspenders.
7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria
Bitton Gourmet
Parents know to ask for a table out the back in this trendy cafe, where they can sit next to a small toddler play area while they enjoy the French-Australian cuisine. Their all-day breakfast is a happy sight to see when you have fussy kidlets in tow.
36-37A Copeland St, Alexandria
The Incinerator Cafe
An old Incinerator has been given a second chance at life by housing one of the most popular cafes on Sydney’s North Shore. Families love claim an outdoor table where their kids can run wild on the grassy lawn while they can enjoy their lattes and “Have it your way” free range eggs in peace.
2 Small St, Willoughby
Coogee Pavilion
A clever redesign of the iconic Beach Palace Hotel has turned the “Coogee Pav” into a weekend hot spot. Giant games such as Connect Four and Scrabble in the rear attract both the young and young-at-heart alike. During the day you’ll find kids wrestling over building blocks and the colouring in table while parents sit nearby and sip on well-deserved drinks. Hey, it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere in the world, right?
169 Dolphin St, Coogee
Christine Knight is an Australian travel writer and blogger. When she’s not chasing her energetic five-year-old through Sydney’s inner west, you’ll find her “researching” her way through the best high teas in the city.