Melbourne With Kids: Where to Eat, Stay & Play

Your go-to guide to Melbourne’s best places to eat, sleep and top things to do with kids.

Where to eat in Melbourne with kids

Parents looking to ignite their children’s appetite will find a lot to inspire in the multicultural capital of Victoria. Make Melbourne your next food-focused getaway at these sought-after spots attuned to pleasing the palates of diners young and old.

HERO at ACMI

ACMI is Melbourne’s museum dedicated to film, TV, videogames and art. After exploring the exhibitions, attending a talk or workshop, head to HERO, chef Karen Martini’s new on-site restaurant, which champions the produce of local farmers and purveyors. Line up for a house-made choc top or Maker & Monger cheese platter from Martini’s carefully curated cinema cart before heading in to see a cult classic or anime film.

Address: Federation Square, Melbourne VIC 3000

Inside Hero at ACMI — Inside HERO at ACMI. (Image: Peter Tarasiuk)

The menu at Hero at ACMI — Dine at HERO at ACMI. (Image: Peter Tarasiuk)

Lona Misa

This restaurant inside the funky new Ovolo South Yarra hotel is the perfect way to get vegetables into your kids without them even knowing. The kitchen here is helmed by chefs Ian Curley and Shannon Martinez, whose vegetarian and vegan food at Smith & Daughters has made root-to-stem dining seriously cool. The heavily vegan menu here is influenced by Martinez’s Latin roots and includes incredibly flavoursome dishes like whole peri peri cauliflower, tortilla (Spanish omelette) with aioli and moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew with prawns fashioned from konjac (and painted pink for full effect) and tofu that looks just like fish fillets.

Address: 234 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141

400 Gradi

What’s a visit to Melbourne without a visit to 400 Gradi? Melbourne’s pizza game has been strong for decades but founder and pizzaiolo Johnny di Francesco has taken it to the next level at 400 Gradi, which brings a slice of Naples to Brunswick in the form of his pizza, judged to be the World’s Best Pizza in 2014. Go for the marinara, or the award-winning margherita verace. Budding pizzaiolos can also sign up for a class to learn to make pizza Napoletana.

Address: 99 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057

China Red

This informal Chinese restaurant has a playful vibe that children will love. Beautiful red lanterns, dark-wood tables and ornate latticework set the scene in the casual restaurant where the large Chinese character symbol for ‘double happiness’ is everywhere. Double your family’s happiness by ordering a banquet comprising dishes such as deep-fried squid in salt and pepper, special fried rice, stir-fried Chinese broccoli and stir-fried pork in plum sauce.

Address: 206 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Brunetti Carlton

Melbourne’s big-city culinary smarts are on show for all to see at Brunetti, a glitzy 1500-square-metre eye-popping emporium where children will love browsing the dazzling display cabinets full of pizza, cakes, pastries, macarons and gelati. Brunetti’s cafe is part of the renaissance of the city’s Little Italy, and while much of the business revolves around its ‘grab and go’ menu, there are also multi-generational families celebrating over polpette, parmigiana, pizza and pastries.

Address: 380 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053

Brunetti Carlton is a treasure trove of eats.

Grazeland

Situated next to Scienceworks and five kilometres from the CBD, Grazeland is billed as a ‘Playground for Foodies’, where a riot of colourful custom-built food stalls have created a thrilling place for lovers of good food to wander. Arrive by bike via the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail and pinball around the precinct where you can pluck food from 50 vendors including Doughville (doughnuts), the Hooked Fish and Chipper, BBL Tea and Lucky Little Dumplings.

Address: 20 Booker St, Spotswood VIC 3015

Higher Ground

Higher Ground is a hip café that extends over six levels in a heritage-listed powerhouse on Little Bourke Street. The post-industrial space, all tall arched windows and exposed brick walls, is full of discerning Melburnians who you will find scattered around bars and tables, and draped over lounges and easy chairs. Children will find ricotta hotcakes or seasonal avocado with a Vegemite emulsion enticing propositions.

Address: 650 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Higher Ground menu — Creative dishes at Higher Ground. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Top Paddock

Glimpses of life around Richmond’s bustling Church Street are unavoidable when ensconced in Top Paddock. That’s perhaps part of the appeal as those threading past the space – all warm woods, floor-to-ceiling windows and wall panelling – become part of the performance art. Located near to the Botanic Gardens, families dining at Top Paddock will also enjoy the creativity on the plate on show in simple dishes such as buttermilk waffles and chilli scrambled eggs.

Address: 658 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121

Dine at Top Paddock with kids — Dine at Top Paddock.

Tim Ho Wan

When Tim Ho Wan staked out a place in Melbourne’s CBD mid-2020, locals couldn’t be happier. While the original Michelin-starred institution was a humble hole in the wall in Hong Kong, the Melbourne version of the franchise is big, bright and boisterous. Here, you can order dim sum for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the no-frills space. We recommend sweet-and-savoury pork buns, prawn and pork dumplings, and spinach and shrimp dumplings to get the party started.

Address: 206 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

High Tea at The Langham

The Children’s High Teas at The Langham, Melbourne, are both satisfyingly decadent and innovative. The hotel, which runs a range of themed high teas throughout the year, offers a morning or afternoon tea which arrives on a three-tiered cake stand. Kids are encouraged to dress up and dig into treats that could range from rainbow cupcakes to mermaid doughnuts and unicorn cake pops.

Address: 1 Southgate Ave, Southbank VIC 3006

Where to stay in Melbourne with kids

Notel

This one is capital F fun: Notel is a collection of six sleek silver 1970s Airstream caravans assembled on an inner-city rooftop, and little ones can be accommodated in an extra bed or cot. Each trailer comes with an en suite, its own private deck, mini-bar with complimentary snacks, free wi-fi and Netflix via an iPad Pro, and an HP Sprocket Photo Printer to print out happy moments and selfies.

Inside the stay at Notel — Inside Notel’s 1970s Airstream caravans. (Image: Andrew Curtis)

SoYa Apartment Hotel

Your teens will adore SoYa (it stands for South Yarra, don’t you know), a 1960s apartment complex transformed into a boutique hotel of one- and two-bedroom apartments complete with kitchens, Netflix, funky mid-20th-century furniture (which you can buy), arresting wall murals, and even a pet-friendly room.

Milano Serviced Apartments

The kids may never want to go home after staying at this CBD property which boasts an indoor pool, private cinema, rooftop tennis court and rock climbing wall. You are going to love the bright and cheery apartments, laundry service, on-site supermarket and terrace barbecue area.

Arise Australia 108

Located in Melbourne’s bustling Southbank precinct, this ultra-modern tower juts into the sky offering expansive views from its family-friendly two-bedroom apartments. While in residence be sure to make the most of the facilities including an indoor pool, gym and private cinema.

Brady Hotels Jones Lane

This Little Lonsdale Street laneway property has 153 rooms spread out over 21 storeys, with great views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The rooms are all sleek and modern, and families can be accommodated in two interconnecting rooms that create a private wing. There’s a self-service laundry, casual dining and 24-hour reception.

Mantra on Russell

Enviably positioned on Russell Street in the heart of the city, rooms here include one- and two-bedroom apartments with all the facilities needed for a comfortable stay. The real selling point for the kids is the indoor pool where they can splash away rain, hail or shine.

Travelodge Hotel Melbourne Docklands

Leave your preconceived notions at the door and embrace this hotel’s bright and stylish interconnecting family rooms with kitchenette and two bathrooms, the free wi-fi, the lobby with its coffeehouse vibe (and grab-and-go café for morning caffeine hits) and the great position close to all the action.

What to do in Melbourne with kids

Festivals and events in Melbourne

Treasures of the Natural World, Melbourne Museum

12 June – 16 January

Let London come to you by heading to the Melbourne Museum to be transported to the Natural History Museum via some of its most fascinating treasures on display in Australia for the first time. This family-friendly exhibition invites visitors to journey through the natural world and marvel at more than 200 objects that changed the course of scientific history, including the rare Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, the biggest butterfly in the world, and the Latrobe Nugget, one of the largest clusters of cubic gold crystals. Add on a screening of Museum Alive 3D at IMAX, where Sir David Attenborough leads you on a nocturnal adventure through London’s world-famous museum.

See Treasures of the Natural World at Melbourne Museum. (Credit: Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London)

Skywhales: Every Heart Sings, MPavilion

11 December

Earlier this year, two monumental sculptures by artist Patricia Piccinini in the form of hot-air balloons graced the skies above Canberra in a spectacle staged by the National Gallery of Australia. Now those two strangely compelling whale-like mammals, Skywhale and Skywhalepapa – together the Skywhale family – are on tour across the skies of Australia, arriving in Melbourne in December.

Don’t miss Skywhales: Every Heart Sings, MPavilion. (Image: Patricia Piccinini: Skywhalepapa, 2020; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra)

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Princess Theatre

Ongoing

Believe the hype. Our sources say that the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play absolutely deserves the buzz it has generated but can’t spill any secrets about what exactly goes down in the five-hour spectacle in two parts. The first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage, it finds the protagonist as a grown-up father of three. A fully immersive experience, the Princess Theatre has even undergone a makeover so that it looks and feels like it’s straight out of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Princess Theatre.

Disney: The Magic of Animation, ACMI

Until 17 October

Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI, has had a huge revamp and the first big show off its newly polished ranks will spellbind the whole family. It celebrates nearly 100 years of Disney animation through more than 500 original artworks from the 1920s through to the present day, with classics ranging from Mickey Mouse’s first talkie Steamboat Willie to Bambi and all the way to Frozen.

Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibition — See Disney: The Magic of Animation at ACMI. (Credit: Artwork: Bambi, 1942, Disney Studio Artist, story sketch, coloured pencil and graphite on paper @Disney Enterprises)

Dates for the diary

From 9 June Frozen The Musical Her Majesty’s Theatre
18 June – 3 October Plans For The Planet: Olaf Breuning For Kids NGV International
28 June – 10 July The Melbourne Magic Festival Various venues
Until August 29 The Winter Village Federation Square

Take a day trip from Melbourne

The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges

The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges combine to offer day-trippers a grab bag of quaint towns and stunning natural landscapes. Drop in at Healesville to visit Healesville Sanctuary to see our fabulous fauna up close, then head to the Rainforest Gallery/Donna Buang in Yarra Ranges National Park. When tummies start to rumble, visit Meletos Garden and Café in Coldstream for gyros overlooking the vineyard and then venture into the lush natural landscape of the Dandenong Ranges to ride the Puffing Billy Railway on your way back to the city.

Visit Meletos Garden and Café in Coldstream. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Torquay

Driving the Great Ocean Road needs to be undertaken over a few days to do it justice, so in the case of a day trip head straight to one of its sparkling coastal towns. In Torquay, less than 1.5 hours from Melbourne, life revolves around the water so spend the day paddling at Torquay Front Beach or Cosy Corner. The kids can take surf lessons (try Torquay Surfing Academy) and you will all love the Australian National Surfing Museum ($25 for a family ticket).

Stop by the Australian National Surfing Museum,

Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula is where Melburnians day-trip to in search of beaches, cute towns and great food and wine. There is so much to do here that you will need to plan ahead (or go back for a longer stay), but some suggestions include a visit to Mt Martha to see the colourful bathing huts, a tour of Pt Leo Estate’s Sculpture Park in Merricks, and zip lining at the Enchanted Adventure Garden in Arthur’s Seat.

Churchill Island

In spite of the fact it’s right next to Phillip Island, Churchill Island (the land of the Boon Wurrung /Bunurong people) is definitely a secret gem. Head here to wander the wide open spaces, do a spot of birdwatching and see the historical buildings dating back to European settlement in the 1850s. Spend the arvo at Churchill Island Heritage Farm watching displays of blacksmithing, cow-milking, sheep-shearing and whip-cracking, and enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride, too.

Phillip Island

Just 90 minutes’ drive from the city, Phillip Island is famed for its penguins (32,000 versus just 10,387 people), its motorbike race and as the spot where the Hemsworth brothers spent their formative years. It’s also a great day trip with lots to explore, from visiting the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre and watching the little cuties shuffle ashore to wandering the treetop boardwalks to see koalas in their natural habitat at the Koala Conservation Reserve to spotting whales in season and spending time in the island’s townships of San Remo, Newhaven, Cape Woolamai and Cowes.

Ballarat

An attraction that combines dressing up and a sneaky history lesson is worth a 1.5-hour drive, ask any parent. Sovereign Hill in Ballarat recreates life at the height of the gold rush complete with hands-on gold panning and the chance to dress in Victorian-era school clothes.

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections .

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

A family guide to where to eat, stay and play in Melbourne