Finding somewhere for a family meal doesn’t always mean heading to a play centre or settling for a venue designed entirely around the kids.
Some of our favourite Melbourne pubs, bars and hotels are places the whole family can enjoy – somewhere the kids are welcome, the food is good and the adults can still enjoy a proper pub meal, cocktail, cold drink or afternoon by the water.
And while a playground is always a bonus, it’s not the only thing that makes a venue family-friendly. Give us a relaxed beer garden, room for the kids, an easy kids’ menu, a great view or something fun nearby and we’re happy!
From riverside pubs and beachside favourites to historic Melbourne hotels and venues with dedicated kids’ play spaces, here are some of our Melbourne With Kidz family-friendly favourites.
We also love using our Small Ideas membership to save when dining out as a family. Members can receive 10% off food and drinks at participating Australian Venue Co pubs and venues, which is such an easy way to make family lunches and dinners a little more affordable.
Station Hotel, Footscray
📍59 Napier Street, Footscray
The Station Hotel is one of those pubs that makes a Sunday family lunch easy.
There’s a semi-covered beer garden, kids’ playground and their regular Sunday family sessions include entertainment, face painting and a visiting petting zoo.
Dogs are welcome in the beer garden too, making it a good option when you want to bring almost the entire family.
Add classic pub meals and a dedicated Sunday roast for adults and kids and it’s an easy western suburbs option for a long weekend lunch.
Anglers Tavern, Maribyrnong
📍2 Anglers Way, Maribyrnong
Sitting right beside the Maribyrnong River, Anglers Tavern has become a standout for families since its redevelopment.
There are two dedicated kids’ areas: Kids Quarters, with interactive play zones and an outdoor playground, and a quieter Reading Room positioned near the bistro.
The venue notes that the play areas aren’t supervised, so parents still need to keep an eye on the kids.
The big beer garden, riverside setting and pub-style menu make this one particularly nice when the weather is good.
The Victoria Hotel, Yarraville
📍188 Hyde Street, Yarraville
The Victoria Hotel really understands family dining.
Its dedicated Kids Room has been designed like a miniature Yarraville, with interactive play including a train and kiosk café, magnetic wall, drawing station, reading nook and tech zone.
There’s also a beer garden with a kids’ playground.
Add highchairs, baby-change facilities, pram access, onsite parking and regular Sunday kids’ entertainment and it’s an especially handy one for families with younger children.
BrewDog Pentridge, Coburg
📍E Division, 1 Champ Street, Coburg
Eating inside a former prison already gives the kids something different to talk about!
BrewDog Pentridge occupies part of the historic Pentridge precinct and spreads across a huge indoor and outdoor space, with a large beer garden and plenty of room to settle in for a casual family meal. The menu leans into burgers, wings, pizzas and salads, with plenty of vegetarian and plant-based choices too.
We love this one for combining a genuinely interesting Melbourne location with somewhere the adults can enjoy too.
Moon Dog World, Preston
📍32 Chifley Drive, Preston
Moon Dog World is one of Melbourne’s most fun brewery experiences for families.
Hidden inside a huge converted warehouse, it feels more like an indoor tropical playground than your typical brewery, complete with a lagoon and waterfall, huge beer garden, kids’ playground and even a hidden pinball and games room.
Kids are welcome as long as they’re supervised, and the amount of space makes it a great option for bigger family catch-ups. There are more than 70 taps for the grown-ups, plenty of casual food and lots for the kids to look at and explore while you settle in for lunch or an early dinner.
We’d especially recommend visiting on a Sunday, when Moon Dog World often runs family-focused activities alongside its playground and arcade.
It’s one of those venues that genuinely works for both parents and kids – fun enough for the little ones without feeling like you’ve ended up at a play centre.
Good Nature Hotel, Federation Square
📍Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
One of Melbourne’s newest family-friendly city pubs has quickly become one of our favourites.
Good Nature Hotel has a covered kids’ playground, kids’ menu and plenty of space for families, making it especially useful when you’re already in the city for a show, gallery, sporting event or day at Fed Square.
On Sundays there’s also free rotating kids’ entertainment alongside the upstairs playground, with activities such as face painting, games and crafts.
We recently visited ourselves and loved that the kids could head off and play while we actually sat down and enjoyed lunch.
The kids’ meals were also much more substantial than we expected – particularly handy when you’re dining with bigger kids.
The Wharf Hotel
📍18–38 Siddeley Street, Melbourne
For families who love a waterside venue, The Wharf sits right on the Yarra with indoor and outdoor dining and city views.
Sunday is a particularly good time to visit with kids.
The venue runs Family Funday Sunday, with rotating activities such as magicians, balloon twisting, face painting and occasional character appearances.
There are familiar pub favourites including burgers, pizzas, fish and chips and parmas, plus options for kids. Minors are welcome when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Arbory Bar & Eatery, Melbourne
📍1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne
Right beside Flinders Street Station and stretching along the banks of the Yarra River (Birrarung), Arbory is one of our favourite spots for a family meal in the city. It’s completely outdoors, with plenty of umbrella coverage, heaters and beautiful river views, making it an easy stop while exploring Melbourne.
Kids are welcome until 9pm when accompanied by a parent or responsible adult, and there’s a dedicated kids’ menu with familiar favourites. It’s also wheelchair accessible and even dog friendly.
We particularly like Arbory for a daytime lunch or early dinner with the kids – you still get that relaxed riverside bar atmosphere, but it feels casual enough for families.
It’s also an easy one to pair with Fed Square, Southbank, the MCG or a day exploring the CBD.
West Beach Pavilion, St Kilda West
📍330A Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda West
Few family meals beat one where the kids can have the sand practically at their feet.
West Beach Pavilion sits right on the beach with indoor and outdoor dining and panoramic bay views. The venue confirms that both its restaurant and Beach Club welcome families.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, and it’s an easy one to pair with a beach walk or play on the sand before or after your meal.
Hotel Esplanade — The Espy, St Kilda
📍11 The Esplanade, St Kilda
Yes, The Espy with kids!
Most Melburnians associate The Espy with live music and big nights out, but it also welcomes families during the day. The venue describes its daytime dining areas as relaxed and suitable for all ages, and there’s a kids’ menu available.
Come earlier, grab a pub meal and soak up the history and bay-side atmosphere before the venue moves into its livelier evening mode.
Studley Park Boathouse, Kew
📍1 Boathouse Road, Kew
This one isn’t your traditional pub, but it absolutely deserves a place on a family-friendly drinks-and-dining list.
Surrounded by greenery beside the Yarra, Studley Park Boathouse combines café and restaurant dining with outdoor decks and, of course, its famous boat hire. Children from three years old can join adults on the rowboats, canoes and kayaks.
The venue also runs its Mini Explorers program for younger children on Sundays, with changing nature-inspired craft activities.
It’s one of those places where lunch can easily turn into a whole family afternoon.
Auburn Hotel, Hawthorn East
📍85 Auburn Road, Hawthorn East
The Auburn Hotel has long been a favourite for family catch-ups, and its huge beer garden is a big part of the appeal.
There’s a dedicated children’s playground in the open-air garden, giving kids somewhere to play while the family settles in for lunch or dinner. The menu covers pub classics, contemporary dishes and woodfired pizza.
The venue also runs family-focused Sunday activities, so it’s worth checking what’s on before booking.
The Gardiner Hotel, Malvern
📍84 Glenferrie Road, Malvern
The Gardiner is a polished neighbourhood pub that still works when you have the kids in tow.
For a family visit, head for the ground-floor dining area, which the venue specifically describes as family-friendly. The menu centres around seasonal share plates and modern takes on pub classics, while the building also includes a terrace and rooftop for more grown-up catch-ups.
It’s a good pick when you want somewhere a little more stylish without making family dining feel difficult.
Hofbräuhaus Melbourne – Melbourne CBD
📍 18–28 Market Lane, Melbourne CBD
For something a little different, Hofbräuhaus Melbourne brings a lively Bavarian beer hall experience right into the heart of the city. Located in Chinatown, it’s been serving traditional German food in Melbourne since 1968, with big communal tables, hearty meals and plenty of atmosphere.
Families are welcome, with a dedicated children’s menu, kids’ desserts and high chairs available. The menu is packed with German favourites including schnitzels, sausages, pretzels and other generous comfort-food classics. (HOFbrauhaus)
One of the things that makes Hofbräuhaus especially fun is the entertainment. There’s live German music Thursday through Sunday evenings, creating that proper beer-hall atmosphere that can be just as entertaining for the kids as it is for the adults.
Just keep in mind that guests under 18 need to leave the venue by 9pm, so an earlier lunch or dinner works best for families.
Best for: Families wanting a fun, lively city meal with something a little different
Kids will love: The music, bustling beer-hall atmosphere and big German-style meals
Good to know: Kids’ menu + high chairs available; under 18s must leave by 9pm.
The Provincial Hotel – Fitzroy
📍 299 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Sitting right in the middle of Brunswick Street, The Provincial Hotel is a great option when you want somewhere that still feels like a proper Melbourne pub while being comfortable enough to bring the kids along.
We visited for a family lunch and loved the mix of classic Fitzroy character and modern spaces. The colourful heated courtyard is a great spot to settle in with the family, and the photo booth was a fun little bonus for the kids. There’s also the well-known rooftop upstairs if you’re after those Brunswick Street views.
Food-wise, expect elevated pub favourites with Italian influences, including pizzas, burgers, share plates and plenty of vegetarian and plant-based options.
Children are officially welcome when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian until the kitchen closes, making daytime and early-evening visits a good choice for families.
Best for: A relaxed family lunch in the heart of Fitzroy
Kids will love: The colourful courtyard and photo booth
Good to know: Minors are welcome with a parent or guardian until kitchen closing time.
Family-friendly pubs don’t have to be all about the kids
As parents, sometimes we just want somewhere everyone can enjoy.
A playground and kids’ entertainment are brilliant, but so is a beach view, a big beer garden, room for the pram, a decent kids’ meal or somewhere you can sit down with a cocktail while the kids happily eat their chips.
These are some of our favourites around Melbourne, but we’re always looking for more.
We also love using our Small Ideas membership to save when dining out as a family. Members can receive 10% off food and drinks at participating Australian Venue Co pubs and venues, which is such an easy way to make family lunches and dinners a little more affordable.
What’s your favourite family-friendly pub, bar or hotel in Melbourne? Let us know – we’d love to add more to our list!
Please note: Family policies, kids’ activities and entertainment can change, so always check directly with the venue before visiting.
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