11 Of The Best Restaurants With Playgrounds On The Gold Coast
Danielle Read
Contributor | Urban List
Dining out with kids can be unpredictable at best. Apparently all they want to do is spiderman up the walls and shower your life with chaos. So here's your solution, restaurants with playgrounds. Gold Coast has plenty, and they're the perfect way for the little ones to get out energy, climb and race and squeel with glee, before a more settled meal at the table.
My toddler is in peak clumsy mode. He's surpassed his woodchip-snacking phase and is coming in hot on using rock climbing walls as slides. So you could say I've had my fair share of playground visits turned interval training sessions on my nervous system. For me, the best family-friendly restaurants with playgrounds on the Gold Coast offer quick bites to chow down between hurried walks from the table, ideally no screens (just a personal preference), and sturdy equipment where I can keep a keen eye on my aspiring stuntman. High chairs and changerooms are a given for these spots.
From pubs and clubs to cafes and RSLs, here are my absolute top picks for the very best restaurants with playgrounds Gold Coast/Kombumerri Country invites you and the crew to dine in at.
How we choose: Menu options, consistent service, cultural relevance, quality equipment, and real-world buzz from our team and community.
Best Restaurants With Playgrounds At A Glance
- Southern Gold Coast Restaurants With Playgrounds
- Northern Gold Coast Restaurants With Playgrounds
- Cafes With Playgrounds
Southern Gold Coast Restaurants With Playgrounds
Club Banora
Leisure Dr, Banora Point NSW 2486
A hop, skip and a jump across the Queensland border you'll find one of the most widely applauded restaurants with a playground, Club Banora. This Southern Gold Coast spot features an entirely outdoor playground and swag of activities. From beach volleyball and putt putt to table tennis and the occasional pony ride.
The Slice and Fork restaurant runs on New South Wales time and is open from 11.30am for lunch and 5pm for dinner, with an onsite cafe open from 10am. As a family-friendly restaurant, there's a fair few options of where to sit. Be it indoors, on the sprawling deck overlooking the lake or even on the lawn.
INSIDER INTEL
- It's bistro dining featuring kids classics
- The playground's open daily from 10am
Currumbin RSL
165 Duringan St, Currumbin QLD 4223
Image Credit: Currumbin RSL | Instagram
A wake window, a way to break up a drive, a full day outing to become favourite person number one. Here's exactly how to make the most of your visit to this beloved restaurant with a playground on the Gold Coast. First, head to Apex Park. There's a little carpark that almost always has a spot with your name on it, then face the creek and look to the right. You'll find Cafe By The Bridge for a quick cuppa and juices all-round (or Tarte Beachhouse if you're feeling ambitious with the kiddos).
Grab your tucker to go and roll out a rug underneath thick shade on the creekfront. A dip, sandcastles turning your legs into a remarkably believable mermaid tail, it can all happen right here. On the other side of the carpark is a small playground, it's okay, but the slide gets hot quickly. Wander up the path to Currumbin RSL. On the creekside you'll see their beaut playground. It's not technically in the RSL and fully fenced, so you can access it direct from the path. There's a pirate ship and slippery dip, there are hidey places and things to spin on.
Finish up the day with a visit to the Currumbin RSL (you'll need to make your way around the front of the building on the other side to enter, I usually take the questionable route to the left, around and down a path). There's a fully stocked icecream cabinet for a quick treat or epic options on the kids menu too. I can nearly guarantee they'll yap about the day in the car all the way home, that is if they stay awake after good times galore.
INSIDER INTEL
- You need to go around the front of the building to enter the RSL
- There's a full takeaway menu if you need to plan a quick escape
Burleigh Town Hotel
Tsipura Dr, Burleigh Heads QLD 4219
Image Credit: Burleigh Town Hotel | Instagram
Listen, if loving a couple of cheeky chippies with the kids at golden hour on the lawn is wrong, I don't want to be right. And at Burleigh Town Hotel you'll honestly have a tough time getting the kids to head back to the 'br br' (that's car in toddler tongue) after all the shenanigans they get up to here.
My suggested way to play it is to head here on Sunday after nap time, sometime from 2pm for live music and a run around the playground including a zoom down the slide and hop on the little dome dudes. Then, when 3pm rolls around, a pop-up petting zoo rolls in. Yes, it's as adorable as it sounds. If Saturdays are your jam, you'll find a swag of activities in the kids club 11.30am-1.30pm. I'm talking face painting, slime making, glitter tattoos and an everchanging array of activities every week.
INSIDER INTEL
- Kids eat free Mondays with every main purchase
- There's also a brand new indoor kids room
- Keep your eyes peeled for pop-up events like school holidays kids discos
Hotel CBD
15/21 Lake St, Varsity Lakes QLD 4227
After you've visited your 477th playground, you notice a bit of a theme at play. A couple of steps here, a slide over there, swings in the distance. They're made that way because it works. But what else works, and is refreshing too, is that at playground 478, Hotel CBD mixes things up. There are giant soft play blocks, an entire chalk board nook, a slide, wooden rock climbing walls and frames. If you ask staff nicely, they'll even turn the TV off, though view of it is blocked off from the main area with a strategically placed grand-stand style seat.
I personally love that there's a range of equipment suited to different ages, so for groups, it's an easy win no matter if you have a baby starting to pull up, a toddler curious about climbing or kids who want to flex their artistic side.
INSIDER INTEL
- The playground is completely indoors, and tucked away from the pub itself
- Barista coffee is available from the cafe right outside the playground's entrance
- Street parking can be sparse, if meeting people allow for extra time to snag a spot
- Monday and Tuesday have 50% off kids meals, which includes a dessert
Robina Pavillion
229 Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina QLD 4226
Image Credit: Robina Pavilion | Instagram
Set atop a lake (with secure, fencing, don't worry I've got you), Robina Pavillion's playground features an adorable Tellytubbyesque tunnel through a grassy noll. And if there's one thing I know about tunnels is that kids go nuts for them. I've lost count of the times I've seen kids zoom through these tubes of delight only to 'tip you're it', 'found you' or pull a face and drop to the floor in a flurry of giggles. Then there's the kids who hideout in the tunnel and are now the trolls. I could go on, but you get the point. Tunnels, man. They're where it's at.
In this relatively small playground, there's space to climb, jump, crawl and roll. Plus, it's set right beside full length windows if that's your style. No shade on the playground, apart from in the tunnel (see?) or on you if you munch down some chippies a few steps from the playground itself.
INSIDER INTEL
- Bookings are essential at Robina Pavillion, you've been warned
- Spot heaps of turtles in the water from Sunny's deck
You Might Also Like:
- Best Indoor Playgrounds On The Gold Coast
- Best Things To Do With Kids On The Gold Coast
- Best Family-Friendly Accommodation On The Gold Coast
Mermaid Waters Hotel
97 Markeri St, Mermaid Waters QLD 4218
Image Credit: Mermaid Waters Hotel | Instagram
Nothing screams restaurant with playground Gold Coast style quite like a slide set with a sunset as its backdrop. And somehow the crew at Mermaid Waters Hotel have made their playground look more art installation than chunks of plastic. It's hard to explain, but it's genuinely beautiful. The floor feels like a 70s dream, play equipment's square and features honeycomb cutouts, the walls are splashed with warm oranges and wind-kissed palms. It's seriously a vibe.
There's also an indoor playroom with Playstations if that's more your kid's scene. I'm particularly impressed by the dedicated kid's menu, with two or three course options, sides from the recommended five a day, and the widely requested freaky face cupcake. Don't walk - look both ways, hold my hand, okay, now run!
INSIDER INTEL
- Keep your eyes on socials for kid's activities rolling out every weekend 12pm-3pm
Northern Gold Coast Restaurants With Playgrounds
CSI Club Southport
154A Scarborough St, Southport QLD 4215
Not only is CSI Club Southport a restaurant with playground on the Gold Coast, it also has a new splashpad. Their first massive playground snakes around a huge room, with things to climb, flip, spin and crawl through. Their second playground is wooden, features unique equipment including three beautiful huts and a massive slide.
Yes, both are genuinely impressive. But it's the splashpad that makes this family friendly restaurant an absolute winner. The aesthetic is bright beach shacks and there are lounges too. The splash pad features bubbling fountains, interactive sculptures and water mists parents have been known to duck into. Best part? It's right beside a picnic area so you can dine and supervise older kids easily. On the menu there's linguini, pizza, cheeseburgers and flathead. Even a cheeky paddlepop.
INSIDER INTEL
- There's heaps of undercover parking
- If the kids (somehow) still have energy, Broadwater Parklands is a short 10 minute walk away
Wobbygongs at Southport Sharks
Corner of Olsen and Musgrave Ave, Southport QLD 4215
This full-blown kids club is set inside Southport Sharks and is the ultimate outing for kiddos aged 3-12. You'll need to book a spot at Wobbygongs, since capacity caps at 25. You'll also have to pay - prices start from a neat $3.50 per hour. Inside there's basketball, rock climbing, a cosy cinema and crafting tables.
Consider this the one-stop family night out any day of the week with daily events, discounts and activities galore. On Saturdays, kids eat half price buffet breakfasts with every paying adult, while Sunday nights present a free LOL Crew kids show, Mondays are for free dinners at Frenzy's for kids and pop-up events kick off throughout the year too.
INSIDER INTEL
- There are two massive fish tanks with sharks in them when you enter Sharks - entertainment in itself
Coomera Lodge
160 Maudsland Rd, Oxenford QLD 4210
Image Credit: Coomera Lodge | Website
There's only one thing I love more than a playground at a pub, and that's a playground at a pub with a lawn. This idyllic combo means lots of places to let the kids run free, without them weilding 'help yourself' cutlery at unsuspecting patrons.
ICYMI, Coomera Lodge is not actually in Coomera at all, it's just out the back of Maudsland and this place heaves seven nights a week. It's namesake comes from the epic views this restaurant has of Coomera River. Perched above the rocky landscape, the views are massive. And the playground is one of the best on the gold Coast. With low to the ground balance beams, big slippery dip and woodern totems carved with the shapes of Australian native animals, it makes for a sweet space to explore with the littles.
INSIDER INTEL
- Book a table in the Beer Garden for picnic table seating
- Every Monday kids eat for $3 with the purchase of a main meal
- The undercover pavillion means easy dining no matter the weather
- Free kids entertainment from midday every Sunday and live music from 1pm
Gold Coast Cafes With Playgrounds
Cafe 63
Coomera Westfield, 109 Foxwell Rd, Coomera QLD 4209
If taking the kids out for a meal that involves a knife and fork is your own personal nightmare, then a cafe with a playground is a winning choice. Head directly to Cafe 63, get your coffee on ice (in case of spills amidst the chaos) and order hashbrowns all-round. Sure, you could go for a healthier choice, but today is not that day. Well, this is my approach when I head here anyway.
Right out front there's an epic playground for older kids, trampolines in the ground for youngsters and a separate enclosed playground for kids 3 and under. But the real star is the sprawling splashpad that quickly became my favourite splashpad on the whole of the Gold Coast. With mature trees, there's plenty of shade, dreamy streams to splash in, bubbling frogs, a spilling water wheel and pumps to float leaves down. It's honestly such a great way to spend a day out.
INSIDER INTEL
- This playground is attached to Coomera Westfield so you can technically bring food from anywhere (even pack your own)
- There's always a kid with a ball or bucket here and everyone wants it, pack your own (and maybe a spare)
- Check out the full calendar of kids activities that roll out here
Crema Espresso
Robina Town Centre, Robina QLD 4230
Robina Tree Tops Play Centre is tucked in beside Crema Espresso, upstairs at Robina Town Centre. There's pram parking, a fence and few chairs to rest on while the little ones explore. This is hands down my go-to shopping centre playground for a casual catchup and playdate. Depending on the vibe, you can pull up a high chair at the cafe and sit down for a meal, or grab a snack and head to the playground which is right next door.
The playground itself has a fantasy whimsy about it, with green lawn, a log to climb and a magestic slide area. It's set up above the floor below with massive windows which allows for lots of people watching.
INSIDER INTEL
- This cafe has the best vegan choc chip cookies on the Coast
- It's located super close to the parents room on Level 1 near BreastScreen Queensland
- Watch for the activities around the corner which aren't visible when you enter
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