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Sydney Food

Best Sydney Day Trips: Bondi Beach With Kids

September 13, 2015 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney / 2 Comments

I usually say that Bondi Beach is for tourists and avoid it like the plague. The massive crowds make me super frustrated and trying to find somewhere to park makes my husband homicidal. Bondi does, however, have a lot going for it – there’s a reason it’s the most popular beach in Sydney, after all. If you’re prepared to brave the crowds, you’re in for a bit of a treat.

Getting there
You have two options – drive or catch the bus. Driving is faster and pretty easy, but parking is crazy, particularly on weekends. We’ve never not found somewhere to park, but it can often be a good 20 minutes walk from the beach. Catching the bus obviously means no parking, but the queues to catch the bus out of Bondi can get out of control. Either way, be prepared and allow lots of time on both ends.

Where to eat
This is always my first thought when I go basically anywhere: “What is there to eat?”. Bondi is full of great dining options, depending what you’re in the mood for.

Something fancy: Bills
Bills has the most mazing ricotta hotcakes. They are also super kid friendly, but a bit on the pricer side. Read the full review here.
Bills Bondi: 79 Hall St, Bondi Beach

Something fast: Harry’s Cafe de Wheels
Makers of delicious pies, this is my favourite option when we want to grab something and keep walking. Their pies with potato and mushy peas are legendary, and also make for a cheap lunch.
Harry’s Cafe de Wheels: 2/152 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

Something away from the crowds: Paradise Road Diner
This is a new place that just opened. They serve basic bagels, burgers and breakfast dishes, with old school milkshakes. Reasonable prices and far from the tourist crowd. The vibe is relaxed, the staff friendly and welcoming to small children.
Paradise Road Diner: 296 Campbell Pde, North Bondi

Something with a view: Lamrock Cafe
Lamrock Cafe serves really solid breakfast and lunch meals with a killer view. They have a big menu with all the brekkie dishes you’d expect (think pancakes, eggs and “big breakfasts”). Friendly staff, a bit squishy and service can be a bit slow. The price you pay for breakfast with a view. Read the full review here.
Lamrock Cafe: 72-76 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

Something sweet: Gelato Messina
There are lots of choices for ice cream in Bondi, but our favourite is Gelato Messina for their busting-with-flavour inventive creations. A “tiny” scoop is the perfect size for kids ($4). My favourite flavours are Salted Caramel with White Chocolate Chip and Yogurt Berry.
Gelato Messina: 6/61 Hall St, Bondi Beach

Where to swim
If you have older kids, head to the flagged section where the life guards are on patrol. Bondi gets big rips so it’s not safe to swim in the surf outside of this area.

Smaller kids will love splashing in the waves in the north end of the beach as they roll onto the shore. The area is partially protected by Ben Buckler headland, making the waves smaller. Kids can sit on the sand banks with small waves rolling up to their feet.

At the very north end of Bondi Beach is a free, outdoor children’s pool The graduated pool has no waves, so is very safe for children to swim. The shallow end is particularly great for young toddlers and preschoolers.

Where to play
Bondi Beach Playground is right behind the beach promenade, giving it one of the best views of any playground in Sydney. It’s fenced and gated, with decent shade. Nearby is the Bondi Pavillion where you’ll find toilets and change tables.

Kids will also love climbing the rocks behind the Bondi Beach Children’s Pool, scooting up and down the promenade, and, if they’re either in strollers or strong enough to scoot or walk longer distances, attempt the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk (picture above of Tamarama Beach, along the walk). Note: the coastal walk has lots of stairs.

Enjoy your trip to Bondi! Where are you planning to visit now the weather is warming up?

More things to do in Sydney

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

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

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

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

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

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

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

Shangri La Hotel Afternoon Tea: Sydney’s Best High Teas

August 9, 2015 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food, The Rocks / 7 Comments

A very happy birthday to me! I love to celebrate with high teas, so the family and I head to the Shangri La Hotel Lobby Lounge on this birthday to try their Traditional Afternoon Tea. The Traditional Afternoon Teas are priced at $42 pp, $52 pp with a flute of Chandon NV Brut and $65 pp with a flute of Perrier Jouet Brut Champagne. (They also offer a Wickedly Chocolate Afternoon Tea which I will try next time.)

The Lobby Lounge is a relaxing venue. Not as posh or filled with character as many of the other tea venues, but instead very laid back and relaxed, while still being chic. Afternoon tea here is a quiet, refined affair. Small groups gathered to sip tea and munch on treats – more of a sedate crowd than the large groups of hens and birthdays you often see at many afternoon teas.

There was a bit of a mix up with our reservation and they prepared one more afternoon tea than we needed. It was a bit confusing but they were extremely gracious about the mix up, and gave us the extra tea service anyway. Very kind.

Included in the tea is your choice of tea and coffee. I believe it’s not limited to just one tea or coffee as my parents both ordered one of each and we weren’t charged for the extra pots of tea. I appreciate little things like that, it makes the tea feel like good value rather than getting the bill and finding unexpected charges having added up.

Our afternoon teas arrived on large platters, very impressively displayed. My dad has some dietary requirements which they were more than happy to accomodate with zero fuss, and my afternoon tea was vegetarian – exactly the same as the Traditional Tea except for the sandwiches.

One of the main reasons I was so keen to try this afternoon tea is because I wanted to sample delights from the hand of renowned pastry chef, Anna Polyviou. I have to say, they did not disappoint.

The afternoon tea is served in 3 layers. Sweet on top, savoury in the middle, scones on the bottom.

Top layer: Sweet

Tropic-Anna: Coconut dacquise, white chocolate disc, coconut and Malibu crème, tropical fruit compote, popping mango pearls, baby coriander. This was one of my favourites. Light, citrusy with a hint of coconut. Amazing.

Carrot cake: Carrot cake rice bubble and hazelnut crunch layer, Apricot and carrot insert jelly, praline cremeux, caramel glaze, and yellow graffiti. Finished off with orange and milk chocolate discs. This is a dessert Polyviou is well known for, but as I’m not the biggest fan of carrot cake, I enjoyed the others more.

Rhubarb and Ginger Pudding: Rhubarb and ginger cake, whipped cream baby celery on top, custard sauce. My other favourite. Simple and so delicious.

Berry Me: Vanilla panna cotta, raspberry jelly, biscuit crumbs, mixed berries, meringue kisses, yoghurt and strawberry macaron, baby basil. A very delicious, creamy affair.

Middle layer: Savoury

Tart: Caramelised onion, goats cheese, tomato and baby basil salad. Delicious! The basil salad was unexpectedly cooked inside and was delicious.

Traditional Sandwiches: Roast pork, Vietnamese salad roll; Chicken and celery sandwich; Salmon, cucumber and cream cheese, salmon roe, sandwich.

I had vegetarian sandwiches instead. I’m not sure exactly what was in them, but they were light, with very fluffy, fresh bread, and light, tasty ingredients like sweet potato, cheese and cucumber. Really good.

Bottom level: Scones

Buttermilk and vanilla scones, Buttermilk and tea raisin scones, Clotted cream, Mixed berry jam. The scones were on the flat side, small and dense, rather than the large fluffy ones you often get in high teas. They still tasted great, but were more like an American biscuit than a traditional English scone. The jam was flavourful but a bit on the runny side, and the cream was thickly whipped.

I highly enjoyed the Traditional Afternoon Tea – in particular the surprising, innovative desserts. I will absolutely be back to try the Wickedly Chocolate Afternoon Tea next time.

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

Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge, Shangri La Hotel
176 Cumberland Street,
The Rocks, Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9250 6000
Prices: $$$
Hours: Daily 1pm-5pm
Bookings are essential. Please call (61 2) 9250 6000 or email dine.slsn@shangri-la.com
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A Family-Friendly Day At Coogee Beach, Sydney

July 7, 2015 / Coogee, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney / 2 Comments

As an inner city family, we spend a lot of time at Coogee Beach. It’s one of those hidden Sydney gems – not as popular as the biggies like Bondi or Manly, so it flies under the tourist radar. Today, as part of the Kidspot #ShareAustralia competition, I’m writing about our top three things to do at this gorgeous beach.

The Coogee vibe is laid-back, and the beach usually has far less bodies on it than the more famous ones. Given how stunningly beautiful Coogee Beach is, it’s surprising that it’s not swarming with sun-seekers all year-round.

Where to eat: Coogee Pavilion
We lunched at the newly renovated Coogee Pavilion. Their pizza is amazing and the Pavilion is filled with fun activities for kids, like the life-sized magnetic Scrabble board. (169 Dolphin Street, Coogee)

What to explore: The beach!
On the day we visited, there were free kite flying lessons on the beach, sponsored by the nearby Coogee Pavilion. Large sea-themed kites were set up on the beach and were as you’d expect, a magnet for all the children nearby. Friendly staff handed us a regular-sized kite on arrival and showed Cheese how to fly it. Within a few months she was off and running and her first kite was flying high.

Where to play: Coogee Beach Playground at Grant Reserve
A scenic stroll around the foreshore brought us to the Coogee Beach Playground at Grant Reserve (Beach st, Coogee).

This large playground includes climbing structures, slides, swings and more, set next to barbecues (perfect location for your next outdoor get together!) and nearby bathrooms.

After all the play, Cheese needed a rest, and actually fell asleep in the stroller as we walked along the boardwalk. Note to parents with kids who need to be strolled to sleep, this path, past the playground, is perfect for you.

This post was meant to have the top three things to do in Coogee, but I can’t leave out dessert …

The last stop on a Coogee day is always at Gelatissimo (1/258 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee) for some really fine gelato and sorbet (my favourite is the Mango Sorbet).

Coogee is one of our favourite areas of Sydney. What’s yours?

The Langham Sydney Afternoon Tea With Wedgwood: Sydney’s Best High Teas

June 4, 2015 / CBD, Millers Point, Sydney, Sydney Food / 1 Comment

The Langham Hotel has under gone a significant refurbishment, and is now lighter and brighter than ever before. The Palm Court at the London Langham Hotel is heralded as the birthplace of the traditional Afternoon Tea, so it has been on my list of “must-do” Sydney afternoon teas for a while.

Mother’s Day is always a good excuse for an indulgent high tea, and so it was the location for an elegant lunch (yes, even with my 30 year-old in tow) to celebrate, well, me!

The Palm Court at the Langham Hotel offers guests an exclusive afternoon tea experience with their new global partner, Wedgwood. The beautiful tea experience was heightened with the serving of Wedgwood specialty teas in tailor-made “Langham Rose” Wedgwood teaware.

Our server for the tea was lovely beyond belief. She offered our testy preschooler a hot chocolate and made it on the lukewarm side without being asked. Perfect not just for Cheese to drink straight away, but also in case of spills.

Since we visited on a weekday, it was a quiet seating. Our tea and then food were brought out quickly. I particularly enjoyed our server’s attention to detail through out the tea, ensuring that we were happy with everything and asking if there was anything more we could do for us. She also made an effort to engage with Cheese, and complimented us on how well behaved she was (lucky Cheese saved her tantrum for refusing to wash her hands in the bathroom!).

With one vegetarian and one regular diner, our platters looked exceptionally pretty with the added variety.

Starting with the savoury, I loved the pumpkin tart the best. It was just a delicious morsel of pumpkin and pastry with nuts for garnish. Next was the corn and avocado cornet (delicious) and the sandwiches. The sandwiches were sadly the only part of the high tea that I wasn’t happy with. All three were a kind of vegetable medley – it would have been nice to have a bit of variety like an egg salad, or cucumber. The bread was also kind of on the dry side and god stuck in my mouth. The fillings were fresh and flavoursome however.

The scones were my favourite part of the tea, along with the pumpkin tart. They were freshly made that day (not warm, but obviously not made long ago) and came with the most delicious strawberry jam and cream.

Desserts included a pannacotta with lychee, blueberry tart, sesame macaron and a kind of pistachio cake. My favourite was the blueberry tart, which was nice and tart rather than sickeningly sweet. I wasn’t a fan of the macaron as I don’t like sesame flavour in general, but Alec really enjoyed his. The panacotta was creamy and light, and the cake a dense chocolaty way to finish.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable high tea.

Wedgwood High Tea at The Langham Hotel
89-113 Kent St, Millers Point,
Sydney NSW 2000
Prices: $$$ (From $55 pp Mon-Fri & $65pp Sat & Sun)
Phone: 02 8248 5220
Hours: Daily 12pm–5pm
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Tartine: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Mascot, Sydney

June 3, 2015 / Inner South East, Mascot, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

At Tartine in Mascot, the humble jaffle sanga is being elevated to new heights. “Tartine” literally means “open sandwich” and at this cafe, you will not just enjoy tartines with amazing toppings like double smoked leg ham, provolone, chives on sourdough, you can also indulge in a delicious jaffle, unlike any you’ve likely ever had before.

Chef and co-owner Anthony Telford has brought the French open sandwich to Sydney, along with his partner Amy Kirchhoff, who’s the creative behind the interior.

The food is simple and reasonably priced, with every item on the menu is under $10. The tartines are beautifully presented on Brasserie bread, which is one of our favourite local breads. Jaffles are stuffed with combinations like heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, or even dessert options like nutella, banana and marshmallows.

Families are extremely welcome at Tartine, and we did see several babies and toddlers having lunch at the same time that we visited. There is plenty of outdoor seating, which is particularly good for strollers, and a large lounge area that can also accommodate a stroller.

We started with an English Breakfast Tea ($4.5 pot), Flat White ($3.50 small, $4 large), Hot Cocoa ($4).

When i asked for the hot chocolate for Cheese, the waitress very helpfully let me know that she would make it lukewarm for her, which we all appreciated. It came out with the most adorable kitty face, making Cheese’s face in turn light up with joy.

Next up was the food: Vegemite, Feta, Avocado, Sourdough ($9.50), Cheese Jaffle ($8), Herbed Cottage Cheese, Tomato & Avocado ($9.9).

The jaffles and tartine were so delicious. Wonderful bread supporting fresh, flavoursome fillings. My avocado was the perfect ripeness, and the combination with the cheese and vegemite was heaven for my tastebuds.

Cheese devoured her jaffle, as did Alec his. We fought over who ate Cheese’s crusts.

We still had room for dessert, so ordered the Apricot and Frangipane Tart ($4) and a Coconut Tea Cake ($4).

The tart was delicious – light and fruity, with the perfect crust.

The tea cake was dense and moist – what Cheese didn’t want I finished off for her.

We loved this hidden gem in Mascot and will be back frequently for more jaffles and tartines.

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

Tartine
635 Gardeners Road,
Mascot NSW 2020
Phone: (02) 9700 9847
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 8am-3pm, Sun 9am-3pm
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The Tea Cosy, The Rocks: Sydney’s Best Afternoon Tea Spots

June 3, 2015 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food, The Rocks / 3 Comments

I’ve written about how I love The Tea Cosy before. This adorable, family-owned cafe is tucked down in The Rocks. It’s well worth a visit for a quick scone and tea, or a larger afternoon tea like I had on this occasion.

Alec once again had the Ploughman’s Lunch ($15). We ordered Cheese the Kid’s Devonshire tea ($7, one plain scone, jam & cream and a babyccino) and I enjoyed the High Tea ($35 pp: sandwiches, 2 scones, 2 drinks and cakes). Note: the High Tea is no longer being served.

The scones at The Tea Cosy are always the star of the meal. I think they are baked fresh all day, so the ones we had were the freshest scones I’ve ever had. The jam is sensational – such a big flavour in a tiny bite of jam.

I also loved the sandwiches – the bread was so fluffy and fresh that it almost melted in my mouth. The toppings were great – cream cheese and cucumber and curried egg. The egg was my favourite and I could have eaten even more.

Cheese loved her fancy babyccino (it came with two marshmallows – one was eaten before I could snap the picture) and scone. She even ate it with jam this time.

I love The Tea Cosy and always want an excuse to get back down to The Rocks so I can indulge in more scones, yet again.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Minimal – it’s a very small space.
Easy access: Yes, the majority of dining is outside or is on ground level.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Tea Cosy
7 Atherden St,
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9247 4955
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Tues closed, Sat & Sun 9:30am-5pm
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The Vogue Cafe, Macquarie Centre: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Sydney

May 21, 2015 / Macquarie Park, North-West Sydney, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Rainy days in Sydney just destroy me. Especially when the rain has set in for weeks and we are all getting a serious case of cabin fever. On one such rainy day we head over to the Macquarie Centre for lunch and shopping (along with half of Sydney, it seemed). After the stress of finding a car park was over, we head straight to The Vogue Cafe for lunch.

The Vogue Cafe is such an interesting little place. It sits inside the shopping centre, and even has a seating area that is pretty much in the car park, but it’s an adorable, whimsical place, and it’s hard to remember that you’re actually in a shopping centre.

The staff are all very sweet and assure me that they are very kid-friendly. There are a lot of families having lunch when we arrive, as well as lots of young couples who are possibly big kids at heart.

The Vogue Cafe feels a bit like something out of Wonderland. While the menu is pretty straightforward, they are known for their fantastical shakes. Called “Magical Milkshakes”, they are topped with things like whipped cream, rice bubbles, pop corn and jelly snakes, with a chocolate and sprinkles rim. The weekly specials are even fancier.

The cafe is popular and we have to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The service is fast, and after we order, everything starts to arrive quickly. The kids milkshake arrives first, which is perfect for wriggly kids.

We ordered the TVC Mix Up (scrambled eggs tossed with feta and basil, served with soy and linseed toast, $12.50), sides of grilled tomato ($2) and avocado ($2), Benny Dict (salmon, two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, chives, served in chiabatta bread, $16.50), BEB (egg and bacon baguette served with BBQ sauce ($8), Kids Sourdough Soldiers (with vegemite, $4), Hot Chips ($7), Kids Magic Milkshake (chocolate, $4), Magic Milkshakes (vanilla and strawberry, $7 each), Nutella Milkshake (8).

The food is great. While they are known for their milkshakes, their food is really delicious and also very well priced. My eggs are a huge serving that I can’t finish. Probably because I also drank that giant Nutella milkshake first.

The Nutella milkshake is what The Vogue Cafe is well known for, and it did not disappoint. The milkshake was creamy and delicious, and I really enjoyed the quirky waffle cone filled with gummy snakes on top.

In early 2018 the Vogue Cafe added a little enclosed play area for small kids, perfect for toddlers or preschoolers.

The Vogue Cafe is a great dining outing, even if you’re not planning on shopping at the Macquarie Centre.

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

The Vogue Cafe
109 Waterloo Road,
Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Phone: (02) 9887 2570
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm
Get Directions

Davo’s Trattoria: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Moorebank, Sydney

May 14, 2015 / Moorebank, South West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I’ve been dining at Davo’s Trattoria with my family for years. It’s been the one constantly good restaurant in the neighborhood where I grew up, and we’ve been dining at Davo’s for celebratory events since it opened in 1990. This was my first visit with a child, and, as always, Davo’s was a delicious and delightful experience.

The food at Davo’s is really solid Italian cuisine. I always have the Gnocchi Napoletana ($15.90 for an entree serving is plenty for me). We also ordered Garlic Bread ($3.50, serves four), Potato Fries ($6.50), Lasagne di Casa ($20.90), Atlantic Salmon ($29.90, served on a bed of sweet potato mash and with baby bok choi and marinated cherry tomatoes finished with honey glaze) and the Black Angus Eye Fillet ($33.90).

The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and accommodating to our wriggly toddler. We especially appreciated the crayons to draw on the paper table cloth with. Tracing outlines of everyone’s hands is endless fun (or, at least, fun until dessert arrives).

We always order dessert at Davo’s. I usually have the Chocolate Mousse, which is perfection, but this time I tried the Trio of Pavlovas, of which I wasn’t a fan – they were more like merangues than pavlovas. We also ordered the Kid’s Ice Cream with chocolate topping, Tiramisu (my dad’s all-time fave), a tropical sorbet and tropical panna cotta. The rest of the desserts were all delicious – next time I’ll order my old favourite!

Last Bite: Davo’s serves delicious Italian food that has been pleasing local families for many a year.

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

Davo’s Trattoria
9/101 Nuwarra Rd,
Moorebank NSW 2170
Phone: +61 2 9601 0449
Prices: $$
Hours: Tues, Wed & Sun 5:30pm-9pm, Thur 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-9pm, Fri 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm, Sat 5:30pm-10pm
Get Directions

Brekkie On The Beach: Lamrock Cafe, Bondi Beach

May 14, 2015 / Bondi, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Bondi Beach is a favourite playground of ours on a winter day. It’s a lot quieter and we can play for hours outdoors without worrying about sunburn. It also mean the cafes are a bit quieter, so it’s easier to get a table.

We chose Lamrock so we could look at the gorgeous beach while we ate. While it was quite busy and bustling, we were still shown to a table straight away, and had a super friendly staff member immediately come over and take care of us.

Little E was pretty antsy already when we sat, so we ordered her a babyccino and breakfast straight away. While they don’t have a specific kids’ menu, Lamrock will make a kid-sized version of the adult meals for your little one. We asked for one scrambled egg and one piece of toast. Five minutes later it arrived on our table. Talk about fast service!

We admired the view while waiting for our meals to arrive. E’s babyccino cam soon after and was piping hot. Instead of being a cup of foam, it was actually scalding hot milk with foam on top, and E swilled a big sip of it before we could try it first. Cue extremely sad toddler with a burned mouth 🙁

My Vegetarian Breakfast ($16.50; sourdough toast, hash brown, haloumi, spinach, roast tomato, two poached eggs and mushrooms) was delicious. Perfectly cooked eggs, and a great variety of elements that contributed to a filling, nutritious and wonderfully tasting meal.

Alec’s Big Bondi Brekkie ($14.50) was pretty similar to mine. Two slices of sourdough, two fried eggs, hashbrown, sausage, bacon, roasted tomato, mushrooms. His was devoured within about 30 seconds and declared delicious.

Our table was optimal for great view while being within the cafe for a bit of wind protection. Plenty of space, and lots of chilled out diners who didn’t mind a crazy toddler refusing to stay put in her seat.

Last bite: A delicious meal with a killer view.

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

Lamrock Cafe
72-76 Campbell Parade,
Bondi Beach
Phone: (02) 9130 6313
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 6:30am-6:30pm
Get Directions

The Incinerator Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Willoughby, North Shore, Sydney

May 6, 2015 / North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food, Willoughby / 2 Comments

The Incinerator Cafe is, frankly, a haven for families who want to eat out somewhere decent. House on the ground floor of the Willoughby Incinerator building that was designed in the 1930s by Walter Burley Griffin, the cafe has become extremely popular with local parents who are after a relaxing brunch with friends where their kids are welcome, too.

As well as being a cafe, The Incinerator is also an art space. Large works are around the entrance, and also on the lower level if you take the elevator down to see them. The elevator actually is an artwork itself.

Around the Incinerator building lay picnic tables with small roof covering. Enough to beat off the hot summer sun and make dining outdoors possible without a sunburn. Families also throw down a picnic rug on the grass and grab coffee and a bite to eat from the takeaway stand.

Drinks first: I ordered a Tim Tam milkshake ($8) and a kid’s chocolate milkshake ($4). Mine came in a glass jar, and Cheese’s came in a takeaway cup with a straw. Very thoughtful.

We ordered a Kids Pancakes (x2) with apple and ice cream ($8), the Sweet Potato Rosti (with haloumi, beetroot relish and poached eggs, $17.50), and a “Have It Your Way” 2 free range eggs poached with toast ($9), with sides of mushrooms ($4) and avocado ($5).

The food came quickly, and was well cooked. My egg dish was a delight to my tastebuds. The sweet potato combined with the eggs and beetroot was absolutely delicious. The Tim Tam shake was so good I could have drunk about 10 more.

After we finished breakfast we walked down the path to Halstrom Park (about 10 metres away). I really like this park because it offers a lot of shade. It also has decent bathroom facilities.

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

The Incinerator Cafe
2 Small Street,
Willoughby NSW 2068
Phone: (02) 8188 2220
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Get Directions