Where to find Queensland’s best kid-friendly cafes

From dedicated play areas to kids’ menus that go beyond nuggets and chips, here are Queensland best family-friendly cafes

Eating out with children doesn’t have to mean McDonald’s Happy Meals or the kids’ menu at your local pub.

From this year’s Top 50 Cafes in Queensland, we identify the eateries that promise a great meal, service and ambience for mum and dad, while keeping the rugrats happy too.

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Expect venues with everything from hidden children’s play areas to kids’ breakfast and lunch options that go well beyond chicken nuggets and chips.

Farmhouse in Kedron is a hotspot with mums. Picture: Peter Wallis

1. FARM HOUSE

9 Somerset Rd, Kedron, 3861 1956

Open Mon-Fri 6.30am-3.30pm, Sat-Sun 6.30am-2.30pm

farmhousekedron.com.au

Channelling its namesake, this hugely popular cafe has earned a reputation for serving hearty and wholesome, country-inspired fare with a modern twist.

Using the best of local produce, the dishes for adults run from light and bright coconut panna cotta to the comforting and nourishing breakfast gnocchi that rivals what’s on offer at many Italian restaurants. While children’s meals include the likes of avocado toast soldiers, sourdough cheese and ham toasties, and a pocket bread with broccolini, cherry tomatoes and an egg.

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Coffee is consistently well made but it’s the old-fashioned milkshakes and monstrously large smoothies that really bring a smile to diners’ faces no matter their age.

Combined with benevolent, top-notch service that goes above and beyond and its distinctive fit-out, which replicates a charming, authentic timber and iron-clad farm house, this is an eatery that not only stands out from the pack but leads it.

BSKT at Mermaid Beach has a dedicated play space for kids out the back. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

2. BSKT Cafe

4 Lavarack Rd, Mermaid Beach, 5526 6565

Open Mon-Fri 6am-3pm, Sat-Sun 6am-4pm

bskt.com.au

This Mermaid Beach cafe is in the heart of fitness territory so it’s no surprise that the sprawling eatery – complete with an outdoor covered courtyard area and kids’ play space – has a focus on health.

That doesn’t mean, however, plates of boiled broccoli and poached chicken, but rather an approach to nutrition that makes eating well appealing. In fact, many traditional fast food-style or high-calorie dishes have been given a dietary overhaul here such as the breakfast burrito, eggs benedict, pizza and pancakes so you can have your cake and eat it too.

Drinks – which run from coconut water to kombucha and coffee – also hit the health brief, while service is friendly and as laid-back as the barefoot surfers who walk past, with diners doing most of the work ordering on a COVID-safe, tablet device.

Todd & Pup in Moorooka has a generous kids’ menu and a play zone for children. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

3. TODD & PUP

398 Tarragindi Rd, Moorooka, 3892 6691

Open Mon-Fri 6am-2pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm, also Fri 5.30pm-8pm

Welcoming diners in with an expansive cartoon mural of Lady and The Tramp sharing spaghetti, this family and dog-friendly cafe is a natural-industrial, suburban gem.

The contemporary, all-day menu takes the classics and turns them up a notch with everything from potato hash with korma puree and saffron sour cream to scrambled eggs with sticky braised pork belly. Burgers are also a star attraction – the fried chicken number a real winner.

Kids are well taken care of thanks to a $10 children’s menu and their own hidden play area, while adults are left to enjoy strong Genovese coffee or a tipple with local craft beers and an ever-changing array of wines available. Just be sure to let the attentive staff talk you into one of the sweet treats at the counter when you pay.

Picnic Cafe in Camp Hill offers a children’s menu and is popular for its babycinos.

4. PICNIC CAFE

12 Martha St, Camp Hill

3398 6600

Open daily 7am-2pm

picniccafebrisbane.com

A multicultural, flavour-packed affair awaits guests at this homely, cottage-style cafe in Brisbane’s south.

Travel to Italy with the likes of tomato bruschetta, or head to Indonesia with the generously portioned quinoa nasi goreng, sweet with kecap manis and bulging with prawns, pork belly and egg. There are classics, too, such as mushrooms on toast and pancakes more pimped up than a hip hop star.

Service is swift, focusing on efficiency over refinement, while the Paradox coffee is for those who like it bitter – perhaps to go with the wide range of sweet treats in the cabinet. A family-friendly hot spot, kids will love the babycinos blinged up with sprinkles or one of the house-made smoothies like the tropical Bali breeze.

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Goodness Gracious in Graceville is popular with families. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

5. GOODNESS GRACIOUS CAFE

250 Oxley Rd, Graceville

3379 2192

Open daily 7am-2pm

goodnessgraciouscafe.com.au

There’s good service, then there’s the service at Graceville’s Goodness Gracious.

From the moment customers walk in the door of the cosy timber cottage, with its beautiful, tree-lined, terraced decks and paved outdoor area, they’re genuinely and thoughtfully taken care of by the well-trained team. Call upon their extensive knowledge to help navigate the heavily vegetarian menu, which runs from a green bowl loaded with veg, quinoa and legumes, to carnivorous options such as the indulgent mac ‘n’ cheese benedict, with the American pasta favourite arriving in the form of creamy croquettes. While for the kids there are pancakes, fish and chips and bacon and eggs.

The silken coffee is from Paradox beans – great with one of the many cabinet cakes available – or perhaps look to organic teas, specialty lattes or old school milkshakes.

Pablo in New Farm appeals to families with its relaxed fit-out and friendly service. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

6. PABLO

154 Merthyr Rd, New Farm, 3113 3660

Open Tue-Sat 6am-noon, Sun 7am-noon, also Fri 4pm-10pm

Charming, warm and engaging service is the backbone to this neighbourhood operation, where staff look to make genuine connections with their customers. The unique sense of hospitality is echoed in the decor of the homely timber cottage and attached covered courtyard – where two flora-inspired murals from a local graffiti artist are as adventurous as the all-day breakfast menu. Modern dishes are sophisticated yet approachable, take confit mushrooms on sourdough with fried enoki, salsa verde and poached eggs, or beetroot and gin-cured ocean trout with greens and croutons. There is also a variety of vegan sweets, such as ice cream cupcakes and oreo cupcakes that are sure to be a hit with the kids.

Genovese coffee is smooth and silky, while a mix of pre-bottled drinks are also on pour, plus wine and beer.

Family friendly and with plenty of parking, this is the neighbourhood cafe we all want in our suburb.

Children are well taken care of at Nundah Corner Cafe and Bistro, which offers Wagyu burgers for adults and a well-priced children’s menu.

7. N UNDAH CORNER CAFE AND BISTRO

1208 Sandgate Rd, Nundah

3148 2358

Open daily 7am-2.30pm

nundahcorner.com.au

With almost every dish on the menu less than $20, the understated, family-friendly Nundah Corner Cafe and Bistro has become a favourite with the budget-savvy.

But keen prices don’t mean jeopardising flavour with the tight but well-rounded menu boasting a brilliant eggs benny pepped up with pesto and a zesty hollandaise sauce; as well as a classic beef burger that delivers a stream of juices that run down your arm. A generous, well-priced children’s menu is available too.

Brunch or lunch can also be enjoyed with a side of booze, with a handful of wines, beer and classic cocktails on offer, plus BYO, alongside Merlo coffee, smoothies, juices, milkshakes and more.

Hot Shott at Main Beach offers a healthy menu for children and gourmet omelettes for mum and dad. Picture: Glenn Hampson

8. HOT SHOTT

3/17 Tedder Ave, Main Beach

5532 3275

Open daily 5.30am-4pm

hotshott.com.au

Breakfast is served with a side of theatre at this Tedder Ave cafe, where an experimental and playful approach is applied to the fare.

Take rainbow trout, for instance, arriving under a smoke-filled cloche, which is dramatically lifted upon hitting the table, or the build-your-own bagel board which puts a colourful twist on the ploughman’s lunch. The menu is long, varied and value-packed, and also includes a generous, healthy kids’ offering. Coffee is great but it’s the Mango Weiss bar smoothie that steals the show. Well … until the wine, beer and cocktail list kicks in at 10am.

With confident staff ensuring the dining experience is a memorable one, it’s no wonder this place attracts queues out the door on weekends.

One Block Back, Moffat Beach is in an old shed and great for kids. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

9. ONE BLOCK BACK

106 Nothling Street, Moffat Beach

0424 762 946

Open 7am-2.30pm

oneblockback.com.au

Tucked inside an old tin shed in the backstreets of Moffat Beach, One Block Back is the definition of a hidden gem. Behind the unassuming roller door lies a cool, modern and industrial eatery, delivering the hottest trends in breakfast fare (think okonomiyaki or lemon and ricotta crepes), alongside a level of service many cafes could only strive for.

Caffeine is a must, with Clandestino beans turned into smooth brews; while from the list of smoothies, milkshakes, alcohol, juices and superfood lattes, a peanut butter caramel thickshake is a must.

Kids are catered to with pancakes drizzled in Nutella fudge sauce, scrambled eggs and bacon, or a toasted cheese and ham croissant; while there’s also a cabinet at the counter boasting a huge variety of cakes, tarts, pastries and muffins – many of which are gluten-free or vegan friendly.

OBB is a find worth hunting for.

Willow and Spoon, Wilston offers a huge outdoor area for families. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

10. WILLOW & SPOON

190 Newmarket Rd, Wilston, 3352 7927

Tue-Sun, 7am-2pm

willowandspoon.com.au

Whether sitting in the pretty Queenslander-style storefront upstairs, or the covered deck area out the back, this suburban cafe is comforting and inviting with homely charm.

Reinforcing the hospitable vibe are the friendly and highly professional staff, who run diners through the globally inspired all-day menu that’s heavy in technique and big on flavour.

Take, for example, brioche French toast inspired by the Argentinian biscuit alfajores with a shortbread crumble, almond chocolate soil, coconut gelato and dulce de leche caramel, or perhaps cured pork belly with truffled scrambled eggs. The generous children’s menu is for kids under 12, with the likes of toasties, waffles, burgers, juices and more.

Coffee using Supreme Roasters beans arrives smooth, while old-fashioned thickshakes are a signature. There’s a small selection of wine and beer available.

In the grounds of Memorial Park in Toowong, Pitch & Fork is a family favourite. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

11. PITCH & FORK

Memorial Park, 65 Sylvan Rd, Toowong

3870 8143

Open daily 7am-2pm

pitchandfork.com.au

Western Districts rugby club may seem like the last place you’d expect to find top-quality fare, but that’s what Pitch & Fork serves up in the centre of Toowong’s Memorial Park.

Diners sit under the soaring, romantic arches of the Richards + Spence-designed building, enjoying the cooling breezes that whip through the covered, outdoor space.

The contemporary menu has everyone from hungry footy players to refined foodies filling up on the likes of Philly cheese steak sandwiches, and chilli-laced kimchi fritters. While kids can refuel after running around the park with its basketball courts on meals such as pancakes, fish and chips, or a toastie. Filter coffee is a specialty, or choose from smoothies, iced teas, juices and lipsmacking shakes.

Service is friendly, though it can be a little disorganised, but the quality fare is worth any shortcomings.

Putia in Banyo offers a generous kids’ menu. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

12. PUTIA

4/17 Royal Pde, Banyo

3267 6654

Open Tue-Sun 7.30am-2.30pm

putiapurefood.com.au

If there’s a word to sum up Putia, it’s hospitality. This suburban cafe understands how to take care of people, with altruistic staff ensuring diners feel welcomed and appreciated from beginning to end. It’s what makes this humble eatery with its basic fit-out shine, well … that and the food.

Changing with the seasons, the menu is an international affair taking in the likes of Jamaican jerk chicken, smashed pea bruschetta and their signature breakfast gnocchi with the handmade potato dumplings lacquered in a plate-licking tomato butter sauce. While children are welcomed in with a menu running from bolognese and burgers to chicken fingers and fish cakes.

Coffee is from Passport and is on the bitter side, so instead consider opting for a house soda, super shakes, or even a breakfast cocktail.

The family-friendly Parkway Coffee at Robina Quays Shopping Centre, Robina. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

13. PARKWAY COFFEE

16B/361 Robina Pkwy, Robina

0466 991 437

Open Mon-Thu 7am-3pm, Fri-Sun 7am-2pm

Palm Springs meets the Gold Coast at this breezy Robina cafe featuring an expansive, sunlit courtyard shaded by large umbrellas. Swaying palms, tropical-print cushions and white render reinforce the coastal vibe, making this a spot you could easily while away a few hours.

And keeping you there is the simple but well-executed menu, moving from the classic eggs benedict to a humble but cracking BLT. There’s also a selection of grab-and-go items available, plus sweet treats from local suppliers.

Coffee comes mild using Brisbane’s Kuhl-Cher beans, while a cold-pressed tropical juice is the seemingly obvious choice for the surroundings.

With warm and kind-hearted staff helping with ordering at the counter, this is a suburban local worth waking up early for.

Mama Coco in Cairns. Picture: Brian Cassey

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14. MAMA COCO

4/196 Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt, Cairns

4052 1226

Open Mon-Fri 7am-2pm

In a neighbourhood dominated by car dealerships and fishing stores, Mama Coco in Cairns is like a foodie’s oasis.

This cosy and comfortable cafe with its warm colour palette goes against the expected, delivering a contemporary menu, hitting major culinary trends as well as venturing into the exotic.

Dishes take inspiration from around the world, with everything from the Middle Eastern-inspired chilli labneh eggs to the tongue-tingling Good Chilli Bowl. Children can even eat off the adult’s menu with rugrat-friendly options such as a ham and cheese sandwich, bacon and egg roll, and BLT.

Coffee is from Tim Adams and is well made, or choose one of their refreshing house sodas from the drinks list that includes milkshakes, juices, kombucha, iced tea and smoothies.

With charming, exceedingly helpful staff, Mama Coco delivers an outstanding experience in the most unlikely of areas.

Cafe O-Mai at Annerley. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

15. CAFE O-MAI

15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley

3255 9778

Open Tue-Fri 6.30am-3pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm

cafeomai.com.au

Cafe O-Mai is a lively, buzzy, Vietnamese foodie den, where mismatched tables and chairs keep things eclectic and casual, while efficiency focused staff ensure orders are taken and delivered swiftly.

Alongside its raved over, value-for money pho, sit signature classics such as claypots, banh xeo and a terrific pork meatball dish; more Western options like brioche French toast and corn and zucchini fritters, plus their famous banh mi (the crackling pork version is a must) using baguettes they bake in-house daily.

A Vietnamese iced coffee from Toby’s Estate beans is the perfect pairing, or choose from the likes of juices cold pressed on-site, milkshakes, and homemade iced tea, plus cocktails, wine and beer after 10am.