Restaurants, cafes & pubs with playgrounds around Sydney’s North Shore

Want to know the local dining options where you can take the family for a great meal while the kids can let off steam in a nearby play area? We’re a big fan of restaurants, cafes and pubs with playgrounds on the North Shore that have been designed with families in mind! There’s lots of options, so start your dining adventures today!

Use the quicklinks below to skip through the restaurants, cafes and pubs playgrounds on the North Shore near you.

Restaurants & cafes with play areas

acre Artarmon
Babyccino, Lindfield
Frankie’s Food Factory, Terrey Hills
The Tasting Deck, Terrey Hills

North Shore Pubs with Playgrounds

Magpies Waitara

Magpies Waitara (formally Asquith Leagues Club) features a great indoor play area, ideal for toddlers and preschoolers. There’s a huge selection of meals, as well as great coffee. It’s located right opposite Waitara station, so very handy for those wanting to travel by public transport. Read our review of Magpies Waitara.

Address: 11 – 37 Alexandria Parade, Waitara
Magpies website

Hotel Pennant Hills

This is one of the best restaurants with playgrounds in Sydney. The fabulous Hotel Pennant Hills features an indoor soft playground, which is split in two with a toddler area (ages 2-4) and kids room (5-10 years old). They often have a bouncy castle and other kids entertainment on weekends too!

Address: 352 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills
Hotel Pennant Hills website

Northern Beaches Pubs with Playgrounds

Forest Hotel

Forest Hotel

Forest Hotel first opened its doors in December 2020, and is the newest pubs with play areas on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. At Forest Hotel, the highlight for parents is the amazing outdoor play area that is bound to keep the little ones entertained for hours! The food is top notch too. The Forest Hotel offers an array of options, from light and healthy meals to pub classics with a modern twist. Using only the best sourced ingredients, and house-made elements, their philosophy is all about creating delicious food, at an affordable price.

Address: 5 Frenchs Forest Road East
Forest Hotel website

Belrose Hotel

The Belrose Hotel has the largest indoor soft-play playground of any pub in Australia… and it’s located right here, on Sydney’s North Shore! The Belorose Hotel caters to kids of all ages. There’s a dedicated spare for toddlers (under 4 years old) with a small climbing structure and softplay area. Plus, for the older kids (4-10 years), there’s a huge indoor playground with slides, bridges and climbing challenges. It’s a great venue to meet with other mums during the week (lots of room for prams), and always bustling at the weekend. Be sure to book a table!

Address: 5 Hews Parade, Belrose
Belrose Forest Hotel website

Terrey Hills Tavern

Terrey Hills Tavern was beautifully renovated several years ago to become a fabulous pub with playground. In early 2015, they also upgraded the kid’s play area to include an indoor climbing frame, cars, soft play and TV screens – all safe (and quiet) behind a large glass wall. Parents can sit on one side and watch the kids. You can’t hear the screams through the glass, which has its plusses and minuses!

Address: 2 Aumuna Road, Terrey Hills
Terrey Hills Tavern website

Harbord Diggers, Freshwater

Major Fun

Major Fun at Harbord Diggers, Freshwater

Major Fun boasts a gigantic and fun-filled play space, with designated age-specific play areas for babies, toddlers and bigger kids. The playcentre provides fun, educational and engaging play-based activities across the soft play zones, their high-level obstacle courses and projector slides and interactive elements like our projection wall, games mat and Max & Mala screens. Major Fun is fully secure and safe pay-for-play spaces for children to play, explore and learn while parents can enjoy time to relax and socialise in the knowledge that their children are happy and safe. Find out more.

Free Indoor Play Area

Harbord Diggers indoor playground

There is a great indoor space for kids to climb and roam, along with plenty of tables and space outdoors if the weather allows. It is all overlooking Curl Curl Beach and makes it a great area for kids and adults alike.

Address: 88 Evans Street, Freshwater
Harbord Diggers website

The Collaroy

The Collaroy has a range of entertainment for kids, like a Reptile Show!

The Collaroy is seaside dining destination on Sydney’s beautiful northern beaches. Pop in for a coffee and a healthy green bowl downstairs, while the kids explore the play area. Or enjoy an afternoon drink on the outdoor terrace, where you can take in sweeping northerly views across the peninsula. When it comes to food, there is plenty to choose from – whether it’s a slice from Vinnie’s Pizza, local seafood, vibrant salads and meats or a selection of delicious snacks to enjoy with wine in hand.

Read Laura’s review of The Collaroy.

Address: 1064 Pittwater Road, Collaroy
The Collaroy website

Pittwater RSL, Mona Vale

The indoor playground at Pittwater RSL

Potter’s Cafe is situated on their indoor terrace, bright and airy, the perfect place to relax with great coffee and family-friendly food. See the cabinet for snacks and cakes of the day. Green, lush and full of natural light, Potter’s is a great place to relax with a burger and leave the kids to play in the indoor playground.

Address: 82 Mona Vale Road, Mona Vale
Pittwater RSL website

The Newport

Fun & games at The Newport

The Newport’s waterfront location and stunning Pittwater views, have made it a northern beaches go-to for decades. With an alfresco marketplace feel, you can choose your own adventure within a variety of food outlets and experiential areas; each with their own style and personality. Their large Gymnasium provides the perfect entertainment for the kids with giant-sized games such as Jenga and Connect Four, ping-pong, magnetic scrabble, a bowling alley and more. Make sure to drop in on the weekends for activities ranging from face painting to live reptile demonstrations. It’s one of the best restaurants with indoor play area on the North Shore.

Address: 2 Kalinya Street, Newport
The Newport RSL website

Northern Suburbs Pubs with Playgrounds

North Ryde RSL

Kids will just love this place, it’s one of the best pubs with playgrounds in the northern suburbs of Sydney. With a huge jungle gym, arcade machines and mini bowling, everyone will have a blast! The Tribal Zone is supervised by trained staff, so you can relax and enjoy the other facilities while leaving your kids to play in capable hands. The perfect way to relax while the kids have fun.

Address: Corner Pittwater and Magdala Roads, North Ryde
North Ryde website

The Ranch, North Ryde

The Ranch

The family-friendly Ranch Hotel features a fabulous outdoor kids play area, as well as an indoor arcade room. Kids will be entertained for hours, leaving you in peace to enjoy a meal! Find out what to expect at The Ranch by reading Emma’s review.

Address: Corner Epping & Herring Roads, North Ryde
The Ranch website

Hills District Pubs with Playgrounds

Glenorie RSL

The huge outdoor playground at Glenorie RSL

Drive through stunning countryside on your way to Glenorie RSL. Yes, it’s a little bit beyond the North Shore, but it’s one of our favourite pubs with play areas. It not only features a huge outdoor playground, there’s also a huge lawn for kids to run around on too. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy some alfresco dining in the shaded outdoor area and listen to live music at the weekends.

Address: 3 Post Office Road, Glenorie
Glenorie RSL website

Castle Hill RSL

Castle Hill RSL outdoor playground

The play area at the Castle Hill RSL is definitely worth the drive! It’s the perfect restaurant with playground. There’s a huge children’s play area in the outdoor courtyard, which is sure to keep the kids entertained. It’s honestly huge, so make sure your child is feeling confident before they go climbing, as it wouldn’t be a fun place to have to go in after them! There’s so much space inside as well, making this the perfect location for a Mothers’ Group catch up.

Address: 77 Castle Street, Castle Hill
Castle Hill RSL website

North Shore Cafes & Restaurants with playgrounds

Babyccino, Lindfield

This place opened just two years ago, and has become such a popular spot for families on the North Shore. As the name suggests, Babyccino is geared towards kids with a play area set up in the corner where they can run free. Even better, you can also host birthday parties here!

Address: 317 Pacific Highway, Lindfield
Babyccino website

acre Artarmon

Acre Artarmon

Set within sprawling indoor and outdoor productive gardens, adjacent to HomeHQ Artarmon, the open-air urban oasis features local and exotic fruit trees, a kitchen garden, vertical plantings & hydroponic growing systems, planted pergolas, picnic-style areas, kids’ playground and chicken coop. It’s very family-friendly, and urban cool!

Address: 1 Frederick St, Artarmon
Acre website

Northern Beaches Cafes & Restaurants with playgrounds

Frankies Food Factory, Terrey Hills

Playground outside Frankies Food Factory, Terrey Hills

Frankies Food Factory at Flower Power nursery offers fresh and tasty breakfast and lunch options plus a range of light bites, kids meals, sweet treats and delicious beverages, you’ll find something for every tummy grumble while the kids enjoy the adjacent playground. Lots of beautiful homewares to browse through in the shop after too! Read our review of Frankies.

Address: Flower Power, 277 Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills
Frankies website

The Tasting Deck, Terrey Hills

The Tasting Deck

The Tasting Deck at Forestway Fresh is a child-friendly cafe where you can enjoy a taste of the fresh food from the premium store. You can follow up a delicious meal with a fresh fruit and veg stock up, and turn your cafe trip into a grocery shop all in one – the promise of a playground and milkshakes post shopping works a treat for the kids!

Address: Forestway Fresh, 2 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills
Tasting Deck website

Want more fun dining options around Sydney’s North Shore?

bars, belrose, cafe, collaroy, eating out, family-friend, frenchs forest, freshwater, indoor, indoor play, kid-friendly, North Ryde, playground, pub, rainy day, restaurants, terrey hills, waitara, winter

Rachel Chappell

Rachel Chappell is the Founder & Publisher of North Shore Mums, your go-to for advice, support and inspiration for parenting, mumlife, and kids’ events on Sydney’s North Shore. She's a mum of three daughters.

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