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kid friendly sydney

Summer at the Sydney Opera House

January 8, 2016 / Indoor Play, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

This January, the Sydney Opera House is jam packed with free fun for kids. Drop by the House to enjoy this free fun (you don’t need to be seeing a show to play – just pop on in!).

Creative Play: The Unbroken Line
January 2016, 10am-4pm
Kids can try to break un unbreakable digital line on a massive interactive digital wall. The line twists into patterns as it is pulled and pushed by participants, turning into a glorious array of colour and light. I visited with other kids aged from 4-6 and it was torture removing kids from this play area to take them home. This play space is a wonderful respite from the heat on hot days, so take advantage of it!

‘Salsedine’ Summer Playground
January 2016
This month, the Western Broadwalk and Foyers at Sydney Opera House have been transformed into an Italian Riviera. Enjoy alfresco dining and family-friendly entertainment by the Hot Potato Band, Kiki and Pascal and The Jitter Bugs, set against, stunning Sydney Harbour views.

Food choices included fruit cups $7 and pastries from $5, or Italian dishes like antipasto, panini and pizza cooked in a coal oven from 12pm till late.

Lounge in the sun (or, like us, under a shady patch) and enjoy free family-friendly performances, or take a breather while kids build castles in the sand pit. We caught Kiki and Pascal’s performances and were very entertained. Suitable for kids and adults, their comedy/magic/acro act was light and uplifting.

Kids can also get close to nature with Nature Play at the House. The nature corner lets kids use all their senses in play, from smelling plants in the garden, building with wood and decorating garden-themed colouring pages.

GrazeMCA: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Circular Quay, Sydney

October 28, 2015 / CBD, Circular Quay, Sydney, Sydney Food / 12 Comments

On a sunny day in Sydney, the best place for brunch is a cafe with a harbour view. GrazeMCA has one of the best views in Sydney, right on the ground floor of the MCA, looking out at the Sydney Opera House. Local or tourist, this view is just stunning.

With our reservation made in advance, it was great to arrive and know our table was ready for us. All of the GrazeMCA tables are outside under umbrellas – some more in the sun than others. Request a particularly shady spot if you’re sun sensitive like we are.

I love outdoor dining for two main reasons: 1. The view. How amazing is it to be breathing in fresh air and looking out at the harbour? 2. I don’t worry about the kid as much. When we’re dining outdoors, the noise is less of a problem thanks to all the ambient sounds around, and there is also the space for my ever active daughter to run around outside the cafe if she gets too antsy sitting down.

GrazeMCA is situated in a part of town where it’s tough to get a good meal. Tourists abound, and so do overly priced tourist traps as a result. GrazeMCA stands out as one of the few high quality restaurants in the area. It’s the kind of place you’d go for a nice brunch or lunch out with the family and friends, which is exactly what we did on the day we visited.

Our dining companions were two of our close Australian friends who lived in New York at the same time that we did. Back in Australia together again, we love to get together and dine out in gorgeous Sydney locations such as this. A world away from our old New York haunts!

I really appreciated the helpful staff at GrazeMCA, particularly the one who, after I asked about iced tea (not on the menu) offered to have it made for me anyway. It was served New York style – ie very black and strong, with a lemon wedge in it – and enough caffeine to keep me going for the rest of the morning as a result. I so rarely get an iced tea in Sydney that I might have to keep coming back just for that one item.

Cute babyccinos are $1 (this one had a finger poked in it before I could get a picture).

We arrived in time to order from the breakfast menu. Our group tried: Honey Toasted House Granola & Goji Berries ($15, with vanilla berry compote and thick yoghurt), Eggs Benedict ($22, with double smoked ham, sauteed baby spinach and hollandaise on sourdough toast), Fried Egg (in coconut oil, $18, with raw greens and grains, dukkha, grilled flat bread and tahini yoghurt, $18, plus a side of avocado, $4.50), Free Range Eggs ($16, scrambled with sourdough toast) and the Vegie Heaven on Sourdough Toast ($16, with avocado, roasted roma tomatoes and ricotta).

The meals were delivered quickly, all freshly made with generous portions. My vegie heaven came with an accidental additional poached egg. I found the mix of components to be the prefect breakfast blend, with the creamy avocado and cheese, and the strong roasted tomato taste to cut through it, all on top of fluffy, lightly cooked sourdough. Delicious.

Cheese had the eggs on toast – a very simple dish she was happy to eat. Again, it’s a small thing, but really happy when we get bread that is soft and lightly cooked.

The house granola was an amazingly huge portion – enough for us to all give it a try. It was a delicious, light choice for breakfast.

After we ate we sat around chatting for quite a while, so thank you to the staff for graciously letting us linger.

The park out the front of the MCA is perfect for kids to burn off energy, which is exactly what Cheese did after her breakfast.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No – one item for kids.

GrazeMCA
149 George St,
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9245 2452
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm, Sat & Sun 9am-11:30pm, 12pm-3pm
Get Directions

Ruby’s Diner: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waverly, Eastern Suburbs

October 5, 2015 / Eastern Suburbs, Queens Park, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

This cute little cafe is the epitome of Eastern Suburbs chic. Tucked away in Queens Park, Ruby’s Diner is the kind of cafe you need to know about to be able to find.

Seating spills over the sidewalk edges, giving plenty of room to park strollers at the tables. The seating system is very democratic – write your name on the clipboard at the door when you arrive and the host calls you when your table is ready.

We dropped by Ruby’s on a busy, hot public holiday. There was a decent crowd and we were seated within 10 minutes. The turn over of tables is pretty quick.

We ordered an Iced Latte ($4 milk coffee over ice w/ vanilla syrup), the H BOMB juice ($8 pineapple, orange, watermelon), a kids’ Banana Smoothie ($5), kids’ Plain Scrambled Eggs On Toast ($6), Avocado & Roast Tomato (w/ apple balsamic on 5 grain $15, add poached egg + $3) and Ruby’s Organic Beef Burger ($19 w/ beetroot relish, vintage cheddar, tomato, rocket, pickles & brioche bun).

Ruby’s has a very thoughtful kids’ menu, with items such as ham, cheese and tomato toastie, milkshakes, juices, yoghurt cup, gluten-free weetbix and kid’s club sandwich. I really liked that the kids menu had vegetarian and gluten-free options. The main menu also had a lot of dietary requirements covered, with gluten-free and dairy-free options, plus plenty of things for vegetarians like me to choose.

Our food was well cooked and was delivered by smiling staff. The eggs on toast were a good size for kids, and the kiddie smoothie arrived in a takeaway cup, which is always a good idea. My dish had a great zing to it thanks to the balsamic dressing. My toast was a bit burnt however, and the poached egg was slightly undercooked – I prefer mine with the white solid and just the yellow yolk oozing out.

The staff at Ruby’s were very helpful and friendly, it’s worth noting – a small detail that encourages us to return again another day.

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

Ruby’s Diner
1/173-179 Bronte Rd,
Queens Park NSW 2022
Phone: (02) 9557 8656
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Three Williams: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Redfern

November 28, 2014 / Redfern, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Around the food bloggers sphere, there have been rumblings for a while about the new Redfern favourite cafe, Three Williams. We biked over to give it a shot one day and, as we were dismounting and about to chain up our bikes, the hostess comes out and asks us if we’re planning to dine with them today. When we reply that yes, we are, she asks if we’d like to bring our bikes inside so we don’t have to bother with chaining them up. Ummm, yes, please?!

The same lovely hostess shows us to a table that is right by the giant chalkboard and carpeted area very thoughtfully created with parents and little kids in mind. With extremely friendly and helpful staff and plenty of room for strollers (plus a giant ramp to get them down into the dining area), it’s no surprise that this cafe is not just a favourite with foodies, it’s also a hit with local families.

Since leaving the US I’ve been desperate for a good iced tea. Hooray for Three Williams who served up a delicious black iced tea naturally infused with apply and orange ($5).

Our lunch orders came quickly: Eggs on Toast, $11, with smashed avocado, $4, feta, $3, and roast tomato, $3, Corn Fritters, $18, with a poached egg, $3, Chips, $7, Kids’ Apple Juice, $3.50.

I didn’t realise that the avocado would come with raw onion in it, and when I was removing it from my dish, our waitperson noticed, asked immediately if anything was wrong, and then offered to have a fresh one made for me. I declined since the amount of food I ordered was insane, and my husband wanted the avocado with onion, and instead was quickly brought fresh toast.

The food was all delicious. Perfect eggs, creamy feta, crispy chips. I could absolutely see why my Facebook page is full of people raving about their love of Three Williams.

What really made Three Williams stand out for me was the amazing service. I’ve rarely had such an above and beyond experience at a cafe, as well as feeling so welcome with my high energy toddler. I can’t recommend this cafe highly enough. We will be back regularly to our nee neighbourhood favourite.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Not exactly, but a lot of the food is suitable for kids.

Three Williams
613a Elizabeth St,
Redfern NSW 2016
Ph: (02) 9698 1111
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily, 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Black Star Pastry, Kid-Friendly Cafes, Rosebery

November 25, 2014 / Roseberry, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Just a quick post today about the new Black Star Pastry that’s opened up in Rosebery (you can read my longer review of Black Star Pastry in Newtown here). I absolutely love the Black Star pastries and cakes (in particular the amazing watermelon cake!), so this addition so the Black Stars in a ‘hood near me is extremely welcome.

I’ll be heading to this Black Star in the future, not just because it’s closer, but also because it has a large seating area (unlike the Newtown one which is tiny and has almost no seating) and also has some toys for kids to play with while their parents are swooning over their cakes and croissants.

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

Black Star Pastry
C1, 85-113 Dunning Avenue,
Rosebery NSW 2018
Prices: $
Phone: (02) 9700 7686
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm Sat & Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions

Centennial Parklands Kiosk; Kid-Friendly Cafes, Centennial Park, Sydney

June 23, 2014 / Centennial Park, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Centennial Parklands is the meeting place of any inner-Sydney or Eastern suburbs localite who crave open spaces but are not afforded one with the cramped city lifestyle. Fortunately for them (and the rest of Sydney-siders) they have got it right when thinking about what families need. There are two parts to the dining options, and on a chilly Sunday morning we chose the more casual affair at the Centennial Parklands Kiosk.

Centennial Parklands Kiosk - #kid-friendly #cafes - #Centennial Park, #Sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com — *Outside the Centennial Parklands Kiosk, Photo by Katia Barker*

The Centennial Parklands Kiosk offers a grab and go style affair with a standard cafe menu, yet tailors to a more delectable pallet with gourmet sandwiches and salads as well. Be prepared to wait for your coffee, but thankfully it is worth it with a hot quality brew served up. We opted for a large coffee ($4.30), toasted banana bread ($5) and a mini carrot cake ($2.60), all were fresh and tasty.

There is plenty of space to park your designer pram, bikes, scooters and other wheeled devices (no pony parking sorry!) and a good amount of tables which turn over pretty quickly. Otherwise there are ample park benches and tables nearby. The Centennial Parklands Kiosk is also located right next to the children’s playground allowing you to sip your coffee in peace whilst the children burn off some steam. A win for all!

Last Bite: Centennial Parklands Kiosk is a great starting point for a day in the park with good fresh food and quality coffee.

Highchairs: No. (There are a lot at the more formal Cafe next door)
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Not dedicated, but kids won’t starve.

Centennial Parklands Kiosk
Grand Drive,
Centennial Park NSW
Phone: (02) 9380 9350
Prices: $$$
Hours: Monday-Friday 7.00am – 4pm, Saturday – Sunday 7.00am – 5.00pm
Get Directions

The Cottage Bar & Kitchen; Kid-Friendly Restaurants Balmain, Sydney

June 12, 2014 / Balmain, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

The Cottage Bar & Kitchen is a cosy restaurant and wine bar that feels like you’re dining at your granny’s farmhouse. Vintage and kitsch furniture, chalkboards, fresh flowers and old photographs add to the rustic charm. From the front the restaurant looks quite small, but the cottage layout creates an intimate environment, with small rooms spreading back to a newly-opened alfresco courtyard (with heat lamps, of course). The menu features plates to share and pizzas cooked in the huge pizza oven – one of the centre pieces of the venue. Great to show to wiggly kids who won’t stay in their chairs.

We ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice for E, House Cut Chips with the cottage ketchup and aioli ($8), Arancini of tomato, smocked mozzarella and parmesan ($12), Seared Scallops with pear and elderflower puree ($18) and the Margherita wood-fired pizza ($18). All of our food was delicious (I particularly enjoyed the arancini balls and pizza) but, after the juice and chips, there was a long wait for the rest of the food. Epically long. Luckily for us E was in a chilled out mood and enjoyed playing with stickers until it arrived.

While there was nothing particularly “kid-friendly” about the restaurant, the staff could not have been nicer. Our waitress was kind and sweet to our curious toddler and, as we were the first to arrive when they opened, she was able to roam around our small dining room, look out the windows and investigate the curios without bothering anyone.

Last Bite: A long and leisurely lunch awaits.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: No. There are a few steps to get in.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

The Cottage Bar & Kitchen
342 Darling St,
Sydney NSW
Phone: 02 8084 8185
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-12am Sun 12pm-10pm
Get Directions

Not Bread Alone; Kid-Friendly Cafes, Crows Nest, Sydney

April 22, 2014 / Crows Nest, North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Pre-baby, Not Bread Alone was one of my absolute favourite cafes. It was a pleasant surprise to find they are also super kid-friendly when I dropped by with E and some friends for brunch. Missy E was treated to her first Babycino ($2). I also ordered her some Hot Chips with tomato sauce ($4.50) in case she didn’t like the other food I ordered. I needn’t have wasted the money on the chips, as she devoured most of my meal anyway — lesson learned, the kid has good taste!

The adults in our party ordered: Lamb Shank (with creamy mashed potato, chef’s greens and a tomato and red wine jus, $20.90), Sweet Corn & Chive Fritters (with crispy bacon, baby spinach and oven roasted roma tomato, $16.90), Free Range Eggs (scrambled, poached or fried eggs with your choice of toast, $10.90) with Oven Roasted Roma Tomato ($4) and Baby Spinach ($4). Whenever I visit NBA, I always get the exact same dishes (the fritters or eggs) because they’re just SO DAMN GOOD. So good that I used to drive an hour or so to the cafe just for their breakfast.

On this particular visit, the staff were attentive and kind, especially to squiggly E who was also struggling with jet lag and a bit cranky. When they saw me taking photos of the food, they helpfully turned the plates to show off the meals to their best advantage (“We just had a lesson in food photography!” they told me. How awesome is that?).

The meal always ends on a sweet note — a few Fantails are always given with the bill. My friends didn’t want theirs, so I happily pocked them all for later (score!).

Last Bite: Always a winner for really great food, plus friendly, considerate staff. Outdoor, protected seating means you can make a quick escape or stroll around the block with fussy kids.

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

Not Bread Alone
376 Pacific Hwy,
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Phone: 02 9966 9788
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am-11pm Sun 7:30am-5pm
Get Directions

Rosebud Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes Rozelle, Sydney

April 9, 2014 / Inner West, Rozelle, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Inner west suburb Rozelle is literally jam packed with cute little cafes, all vying for your attention. We picked Rosebud at the suggestion of our friends whom we were dining with that day. Arriving at prime lunch time, we had no problem getting a table for four adults, two toddlers and one baby, plus two strollers. Result!

The friendly staff gave the toddlers a few toys on loan to play with (THANK YOU!) while they waited for their kids smoothies ($3.50). Our food was all spot on — Shoestring Fries ($5.50), Omelette with Spinach, Feta, Mushroom ($16), Free Range Eggs (poached, with sourdough, $9), with Haloumi, Spinach and Tomatoes ($4 each side, or 3 sides for $10), Tuna Nicoise Salad ($16).

Last Bite: The perfect spot for lunch with kid. Easy-going atmosphere, delicious food and friendly staff. We will be back!

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

Rosebud
654 Darling Street,
Rozelle NSW 2039
Phone: 02 9555 8999
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Wed 7am-5pm Thur-Sat 7am-10pm
Get Directions

The Palms Cafe; Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Stanwell Park, Sydney

February 11, 2014 / Southern Sydney, Stanwell Park, Sydney, Sydney Food / 1 Comment

In the heart of scenic Stanwell Park lies an unassuming little cafe: The Palms. Drive too fast around the bendy road and you’ll miss it completely — much to your own detriment, as it’s a perfect spot to grab lunch with family.

We dropped by on a Friday afternoon. The cafe was busy with couples and families with young kids (perfect!). Nothing special for the kids — just friendly staff, fast service and really, really, really good food. The cafe features all-day breakfast, hearty meals made with fresh, local produce, and devonshire tea and cakes baked fresh on the premises.

Our party ordered the Fish of the Day ($24), Homemade Meatloaf (potato mash, tomato jam, salad & turkish bread, $18.50), Slow-roasted Honey Mustard Beef on Damper (mustard dressing & fresh coleslaw, $17), The Palms Big Breakfast (smokehouse bacon, old english pork chipolatas, tomato, mushroom, hash brown, fried eggs & toast, $20), Sweet Corn & 3 Cheese Fritters (usually comes with chorizo but I swapped it for avocado, tomato & spinach salad, $17), and Bluberry Banana Bread (with ricotta and strawberries, $8).

Every meal was perfectly prepared and presented. The waitress was extremely flexible with our picky eaters, offering substitute items for things that weren’t wanted (the first time I’ve ever encountered this!). My sweet corn fritters were bursting with juicy corn, and the salad lightly dressed — a perfect combination that left other members of our party with food envy. Miss E wasn’t overly hungry and snacked on bread, refusing to even try the delecatble blueberry banana bread.

The Palms Cafe is in a perfect location for lunch on the way to or from some fun outings in the Sutherland/Wollongong area. A few minutes further down the road and you’re at the beach. The cafe is also only a few minutes from Symbio Wildlife Park (check out our blog post for more info!).

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

The Palms Cafe
111 Lawrence Hargrave Dr,
Stanwell Park NSW 2508
Phone: 02 4294 3371
Prices: $$
Hours: Open Breakfast & Lunch Thurs-Mon 9am-4pm
Get Directions