Putt putt, an imaginative play playground, giant lawn games and a jumping castle are just some of the fun things your kids will be able to enjoy when you next dine at the Victoria Park Bistro.
Victoria Park Bistro โ First Impressions
Tucked away in inner-city Herston, Victoria Parkโs understated entrance gives little awayโuntil you follow the signs and arrive at the heart of the precinct.
Perched on a hill, the Bistro offers stunning views in every direction. From the front, you can soak in sweeping vistas of the Brisbane city skyline and surrounding parklands. Out the back, The Terrace and lawn areas open up to rolling green hills, the adventure playground, games lawn, and weekend jumping castleโsetting the scene for a relaxed family day out.
As we arrived, the lawn buzzed with activityโkids darting between games, climbing equipment, and the bouncy castle. It took some convincing to get ours to the table for lunch, with promises of playtime once their meals were on the way.
The Dining Space
We visited on a Sunday, and the Bistro was alive with the sounds of live music, laughter, and the clatter of cutlery. Thereโs a variety of seating options to suit families, couples, and larger groups.
Inside, the dining area near the bar and woodfired pizza kitchen offers a slightly more formal experience. Out the back, The Terrace is a crowd favourite with familiesโfeaturing outdoor lounges and long picnic tables. From here, parents can watch kids on the playground and roam the games lawn or while catching up with friends and loved ones.
What’s On The Menu?
For the Parents
Victoria Park Bistro offers a separate Weekend Breakfast menu (7amโ11am) and a Lunch/Dinner menu from 11am onwards, both updated seasonally to make the most of fresh, local produce. From light bites to more generous mains and share-style dishes, thereโs something to suit every appetite.
For the Kids
Thereโs a dedicated kidsโ menu filled with classic favourites and options to suit even the pickiest eaters. For larger groups, a pre-orderable kidsโ platter is also availableโideal for stress-free family celebrations.
Allergy-Free Options
The kitchen is happy to cater to dietary requirements and can adjust most meals to accommodate allergies or intolerancesโjust speak to the team when ordering.
Kids Play Options
Victoria Park has a kids’ adventure playground, as well as a gigantic kidsโ games area. The playground hosts equipment for young and older children including a slide, climbing ropes, and imaginative play areas. The games area in the Bistro features giant versions of popular kids games that they are welcome to play as well as a few extras like table tennis. Out on the green, kids can enjoy: giant Jenga, Connect Four and Chess, as well as a jumping castle on weekends.
Families can also enjoy a game or two of putt putt or a hit on the Toptracer driving range afterwards if they are keen for a bit of fun competition and find they still have some time (and energy) to burn.
Other Child-Friendly Services Provided
Victoria Park has a large parking area for visitors, which is great for families and, being a large venue, there is plenty of room for children to move about and explore. The complex is surrounded by nature and their foodie growing gardens are open to explore too.
Victoria Park runs free family welcoming events throughout the year, including great activities and specials such as New Years Day, Australia Day, Easter, Motherโs Day and Fatherโs Day celebrations for the Brisbane family community.
High chairs, baby change facilities and ample pram parking spaces are all available at the Bistro.
Overall Impression
The Victoria Park Bistro is the perfect place to visit for any family looking to combine a relaxed meal out with some fun and entertainment at the same time. The fact that we were able to order our meals and then let the children play while we waited for them to be cooked was something that only those with restless children can fully appreciate. Little bellies that may be hungry are much happier to wait when they have large Jenga blocks or a ping pong table nearby to keep them busy. The relaxed and casual atmosphere of the Bistro, with some patrons seated, some standing and some walking around as they drank, meant that following little ones as they moved about was nothing unusual. Indeed, grabbing a drink and joining them in a game was very possible, as was sitting at your table to chat while you watched them too.
The menus offered a good selection of meals and the portions of those we saw and tried were great. This is not a quiet dining experience (which is why it is so good for families), but comes with a good vibe thatโs easy to sink into.
What really makes this a great spot for families is the general family-friendly attitude and atmosphere that is not only welcomed, but encouraged here. This is evidenced not only in the menu and games area, but also in the relaxed mood and casual dining feel that they have. If I could say anything, it would be that it would be nice if the playground was more visible from the dining area, as even though the games inside were great, most kids wanted to be outside in the playground or running on the lawns eventually and, if your children needed to be supervised, then that could only happen once you had all finished eating. Still, they make it very easy to move between all the spaces and more than cater for children both inside and outside the Bistro so, as a parent, it more than surpassed most child-friendly places I had been to.
A word of warning: If you think you can just go for a quick bite to eat and then head off, think again! With all the wonderful options that surround it for kids to do โ the playground, jumping castle, putt putt game, or just wide, open green hills, the Bistro is so much more than just a simple dining experience. Itโs just one part of a whole lot of fun for a great day out!
Victoria Park Bistro is located on Herston Road at Herston. For opening hours, please visit the Victoria Park website.
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