Where to eat out when friends visit… and you’ve got the kids.

Our favourite tried-and-true (so it means we’ve actually tried it with our kids) list is below!

When friends or family come to stay, especially those without kids, choosing where to eat suddenly feels more complicated.

You want to catch up properly, enjoy good food and a drink, and sit at the table without constantly wrangling little humans. But when you’ve got kids in tow, not every venue makes that easy.

This is something we hear from the Little Sunny Coast community all the time. So we asked what matters most when eating out with kids and the answer was clear: a play area.

Not perfection, not fancy menus, just somewhere kids can be safely entertained, making it easier to catch up with friends over a meal. A play area changes everything. Kids can move and play, parents get to breathe, and friends without kids don’t feel like they’ve walked into chaos. It turns an outing into something everyone can actually enjoy.

The best spots aren’t “kid-only” they’re kid-considered. Places that welcome families, offer space to move, and make eating out feel easier without feeling awkward for anyone at the table.

Here are some of our go-to Sunshine Coast spots when friends are in town.

Breweries with space for kids