Randwick Archives - Adventure, baby!

Randwick

Newmarket Dining Randwick: Eat, Play and Unwind

May 22, 2020 / Eastern Suburbs, Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Randwick, Sydney, Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Newmarket Dining Randwick: Eat, Play and Unwind

Sydney’s newest precinct, Newmarket Dining is a place to eat at cosy cafes and restaurants, picnic in the park and play at a state-of-the-art playground.

Officially opened in 2020, Newmarket Randwick was built on a site containing plenty of local history. The original inhabitants were thought to be the Cadigal and Biddigal Aboriginal people. In 1809, the land was granted to an ex-convict named Andrew Byrne, before becoming part of Randwick’s horse racing story. William Inglis & Son, Australia’s largest and oldest racehorse auctioneer, took over the site from 1917 – 2017, transforming it into the Newmarket Sales yard.

Some of Australia’s most famous horses paraded the sales yard, which has now been transformed into a children’s playground, and scenes from the movie Phar Lap were filmed in the Newmarket Big Stable, which is in the process of being resorted for use by the community.

Surrounded by a ring of shiny new apartments, the Newmarket Dining precinct at Newmarket Randwick has opened with Baccomatto Osteria, an Italian restaurant, RaRa Randwick, a Japanese diner, Cali Press, makers of seasonal salad bowls, Café Mckenzie, serving speciality coffee and a Middle Eastern menu in a family-friendly environment.

The outdoor space at Newmarket Randwick is designed to encourage community engagement, with space for picnics, BBQs and a brand new playground with lots of inclusive elements.

One challenge we noticed on our visit was that the bathrooms were locked and not generally accessible, so keep that in mind when visiting that if you need to use a toilet you will need to ask one of the shops/cafes for a key.

The easiest way to reach Newmarket is by public transport as parking in the area is a challenge. To use public transport, take the light rail or bus. The nearest light rail stops are UNSW High Street and Randwick.

Newmarket Randwick
154 Barker St, Randwick
https://newmarketrandwick.com.au/

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Plan amazing NSW road trips.

Pick your own fruit: fruit picking Sydney.

Bake Bar: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Randwick, Sydney

November 30, 2015 / Eastern Suburbs, Randwick, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I’ve been going to Bake Bar weekly for about a year now and only just took my camera there for the first time to take some pictures for a blog post. It’s one of my favourite little cafes that I’m reluctant to share incase it gets even busier!

Bake Bar is kind of the perfect cafe to take kids to. It’s casual, with an open layout on a busy road (so you don’t need to worry about the noise your kiddos might make!), and it has a really cute little nook in the back that’s perfect for holing up with kids for a cosy coffee and snack.

There are two places to order food inside – one to sit down and one to go. I love this and sometimes will grab something from the “to go” counter and perch at one of the stools for a bit with my daughter, maybe snack a bit, then leave with her to the playground that’s just up the road.

Bake Bar is famous for their amazing sourdough bread. I buy a loaf every week (bonus points because they slice it for me!) as well as a berry scone with poppy seeds, a chocolate croissant for Cheese and a bagel for Alec. The bread is so incredibly good. It’s so soft and fluffy with a firm but not hard crust. There’s nothing worse than bread with a tough crust that hurts the roof of your mouth.

If you’re thinking of dining in, here’s what we ate on our most recent visits: Avocado & Tomato (on sourdough, $9.50) plus Haloumi ($3), Gusto’s Famous Brekkie Combo fruit salad yoghurt (small $7.50), Eggs Poached (served with tomato, spinach & your choice of hollandaise or yoghurt basil pesto $11.50) and the Chunky Beef Pie $5.50.

I love the avocado and tomato on sourdough because the bread is a star at Bake Bar, so you know it’s going to be good. My other favourite dish is the fruit salad yogurt because it’s light and filling at the same time. You can make your own combination from their muesli bar too, and add in granola or a berry coulis.

Bake Bar does get busy particularly on weekends, but there is a fast turnover of tables so the wait is never long. If you take your kids, they have a small selection of books you can find to read to them stored underneath the water cooler.

Before you go, grab one of their delicious pastries for the road. The fruit tarts are excellent, as are the croissants.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Bake Bar
67 Frenchmans Rd,
Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: (02) 8021 0728
Prices: $
Hours: Daily 6am-6pm
Get Directions

Queens Park Shed: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Randwick, Sydney

January 21, 2015 / Randwick, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

One of our recent cycling adventures brought us to the Queens Park Shed cafe. Originally a women’s change shed, it eventually became a disused sports storage shed, until Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust engaged Trippas White Group to turn it into a community space and cafe. The Shed is a popular cafe with families in particular, due to its location next to a large playground.

The inside is spacious and filled with large benches or cosy nooks. There is also seating outside, perfect for parking strollers.

The Shed offers little diners cute print outs such as this Ariel page, and crayons, as well as babyccinos served at the perfect temperature (and with a marshmallow, of course).

Alec and I both chose the Avocado Toast (avocado toast, free range poached eggs,
vine ripened tomato, goat’s cheese, $17). While we were impressed with the fast service, the meal itself was on the average side, due to a lack of seasoning. The cafe’s location was so great however, that we will be back to try it again and hopefully get a better dish.

The Shed runs a few programs for kids, such as Kids Eat Free on Thursdays from 5pm, and the Kids Power Hour, Monday – Friday 2:30-4pm, for a filling after school snack.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Queens Park Shed
31 Darley Rd,
Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: (02) 9380 9350
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions