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Before this year, South Bank’s dining scene was a mystery to us, beyond Riverside Terrace near the playground for pizza, chips, and coffee, easy takeaway for a playdate or a splash at Aquativity.
IN THIS GUIDE
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The best way to experience South Bank has always been with family and friends, and that’s exactly what changed for us this year. We won the Key to South Bank and were gifted dining experiences across the precinct, twelve vouchers to use over the year. Rather than keep them to ourselves, we made a point of sharing every one of them, cousins at a steak dinner, our daughter’s best friend at a birthday lunch, the mums from playgroup over ice cream, our whole extended family around two tables for an Argentinian feast. We tested the first few before deciding which ones we’d keep coming back to. Here’s exactly where we ate, and who we brought along, grouped by the kind of outing each one suits best.
THE LIST
Where We Ate With Kids at South Bank
Ten places to eat at South Bank Brisbane, all kid-tested, grouped by occasion rather than a flat list. Most of these restaurants at South Bank sit close together, easy to walk between with a pram. Behind the South Bank Piazza sits the Little Stanley Street dining strip, and beside the Piazza is Riverside Terrace, worth knowing if you’re after something more casual or a takeaway option.
We’re not official food reviewers, just a family who loves trying local flavours and good coffee. Since having a kid, what we look for has shifted too: room to move, pram access, toilets nearby for nappy changes and toilet training, noise levels, a decent kids’ menu, options for dietary needs, and something to keep little hands busy like colouring, alongside the food itself.
Part of why we picked some of these spots is location as much as food, several sit close to QPAC, BCEC, or the South Bank Piazza, exactly where events tend to be held, so they double as an easy meal before or after whatever’s on.
Sit-Down Dinners We'd Book Again
Calida
📍164C Grey St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $40 - $140
- Booking Recommended
- Kids Menu: Yes
- Kids served first
We’re a family of steak lovers, and it has to be a good one. The first time we tried Calida, we went straight for the tomahawk. One of our cousins joined us that night, and we were giggling before the steak even arrived, it turned heads among the other diners the moment it was served. We left smiling, easily the best steak of our lives, paired with a proper Argentinian chimichurri. You can’t beat that combination.
That first visit was enough to convince us. We booked Calida’s function package for fourteen guests, around two tables for an Argentinian feast, to celebrate July family night and three birthdays at once, including Murray’s. The food and service were both excellent, but what stood out most was how the staff looked after the kids. Our daughter’s fish and chips from the kids’ menu came out first, and when she got restless, the staff kept her entertained by flicking the colours on their light-up sign. Because we were celebrating three birthdays, they surprised us with three slices of cake and sang happy birthday to the table.
Vici Italian
📍174 Grey St, South Bank
- Price: $20 - $40
- Booking Recommended
- Kids Menu: Yes
- Colouring books provided
Part of our Key to South Bank prize included free coffee for a year, and choosing where to spend it took some thought, Murray and I take our coffee seriously, and our daughter is particular about her hot chocolate too. So we tried Vici first, bringing the whole family along one evening. We had pizza, and spaghetti for our daughter. What makes this spot kid-friendly is the colouring books and pens on hand, plus being close to the restrooms and the weekend markets.
We kept coming back after that, some mornings before an expo at BCEC, some lunches after playdates at South Bank. It’s become our regular spot to meet friends for brunch, or just a coffee and a hot chocolate.
Baba Ganouj
📍186 Little Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $40 - $60
- Booking Recommended
- Kids Menu: Share plates
- Swing and open space
Our first time trying Lebanese food as a family, and we brought extended family along to share it. One of them is gluten-free, and the menu had plenty of options for her without anyone needing to ask twice. We ordered the hot mezze tower to share, and the flavour surprised us in the best way.
There’s plenty of open space for kids to move around, and a small swing kept our daughter entertained once she’d finished eating, she danced to the music too while we finished our meal.
Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers
📍 Shop/10 Little Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $20 - $40
- Booking Recommended
- Kids Menu: Yes
- Pram parking corner
Australia’s first specialized gnoccheria. Their pillows of freshly handmade potato gnocchi are paired with delicious, simple sauces like classic bolognese or wild mushroom that kids instantly fall in love with.
We came here to celebrate our daughter’s best friend’s birthday, spaghetti for the kids, gnocchi for the mums. There’s a good corner to park prams, and the whole meal felt stress-free. It can get busy on weekends and through school holidays, one of our orders came out a little late on a full night, and the chef came over himself to apologise and offer a takeaway serving, which we didn’t need but appreciated all the same. It was peak school holidays, so we understood completely. Wednesdays are kids-eat-free for children 10 and under, dine-in only.
Motto Motto Japanese
📍5/182 Grey St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $20 - $40
- Booking Not Required
- Kids Menu: Yes
- App ordering simplicity
Our go-to ramen spot in South Bank. What we love about Motto Motto is how easy their online and app ordering is, and it earns you points toward your next free bowl. They’ve got a solid kid-friendly menu, and the karaage is our daughter’s favourite order every time.
All-Day Cafés and Coffee Runs
Riverside Cafe & Bar
📍 Southbank Parklands, Shop 31BD, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $20 - $40
- Booking Recommended
- Kids Menu: Yes
- Watching CityCat ferries
The most accessible café for playdates, sitting right next to the Riverside Green playground. We usually grab takeaway food and coffee here, then lay out picnic blankets on the grass while the kids play.
O Bagel
📍 r1/153 Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $20 - $40
- Booking Not Required
- Kids Menu: No
- Easy picnic takeaway
We tried O Bagel’s bagels for the first time this year, and they were a hit. The coffee impressed Murray too, he rated it above what he expected. There’s no kids menu, but a bagel splits easily for sharing with a small child, which works just as well. It’s also a solid pick for picnics on the grass while the kids splash at Aquativity, since it sits so close to the pools.
Treats and Quick Bites
Boost Juice
📍 Shop 31BD Southbank Parklands, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $1 - $20
- Booking Not Required
- Junior Size: Yes
- Fast grab & go treat
We love Boost Juice on a hot South Bank day, the refreshing flavours are exactly what you need to beat the heat. When a small kid is overheated and over it, a smoothie buys you ten more minutes of goodwill too.
Ben & Jerry's
📍 Shop 30BB/153 Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $1 - $9
- Booking Not Required
- Kids Scoop: Yes
- Essential treat stop
Who doesn’t love ice cream, whatever the season? We were gifted a year of Ben & Jerry’s as part of our Key to South Bank prize, and we made the most of it, sometimes twice a week, often after a playdate, sharing scoops with our daughter’s friends and the other mums. If you only try one flavour, make it the mango, it’s our favourite.
Collective Markets Food Trucks
📍 Little Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101
- Price: $1 - $20
- Booking Not Required
- Kids Menu: Varies by truck
- Casual outdoor grazing
Some visits call for hot dogs and what our daughter calls twirly whirly potatoes, better known as tornado potatoes. We usually eat these on a picnic blanket under the trees at Picnic Island Green.
Where Everything Sits
Get your bearings before you head out! Our interactive map pins every restaurant from this guide, plus the key facilities you’ll want to know about, toilets, parking, QPAC, and the Piazza, so you can see exactly where everything sits before you go. Running along the Brisbane River, the precinct features the sandy Streets Beach, QPAC, the South Bank Piazza events space, and a dining strip stretched across Grey Street and Little Stanley Street. If you’d rather not drive, the map also marks the nearest bus stops, the ferry terminal, and South Bank train station.
- Streets Beach & Aquativity
- Theatre (QPAC & South Bank Piazza)
- Dining Strip (Grey St & Little Stanley St eateries)
- Parents Room and Toilets
- Riverside Green Playground
- South Bank Parking
- Bus station
- Train Station
- Ferry
Parking at South Bank
South Bank has its own underground car park on Little Stanley Street, plus on-street options around the precinct. We’ve got a full breakdown of parking, including rates and the easiest entry points, coming in a dedicated guide, for now, here’s where to check current details.
Weekday vs. Weekend Dining
Weekday visits are noticeably calmer, shorter waits, easier parking, and a better shot at outdoor seating. Weekends are busier, but that’s also when the Collective Markets run, giving a restless child somewhere to wander while the adults finish up, our daughter loves checking out everything on offer. A weekday lunch is still our easiest pick with a young child in tow. If it has to be a weekend, aim for around 5pm, ahead of the dinner rush.
Tips for Dining With Kids at South Bank
- Go for early lunch or early dinner
- Most venues have outdoor seating
- Ask about highchairs when you arrive
- Showers available opposite Streets Beach before grabbing food.
- Check South Bank's website and socials↗
- Bring your own colouring books, pens and a sharpener just in case
- Bring a bib
- Bring headphones if your child is sensitive to noise
A Full Day Starts With the Right Base
Dining South Bank is just one piece of a bigger day out. If you haven’t already, check out our full South Bank family guide, it covers the beach, the free indoor spaces, and how to string a whole day together without rushing any of it
Dining South Bank: Your Questions Answered
Where can I eat with kids at South Bank?
Most of the family-friendly places to eat at South Bank Brisbane sit along Grey Street, Stanley Street, Little Stanley Street, Riverside Terrace, and River Quay, close together and easy to walk between with a pram. Riverside Terrace sits right next to the playground and close to Riverside Green, an easy dash to the grass or the play equipment if a meal needs a mid-course break. Stanley Street and Little Stanley Street both back onto the parklands too. Our full list above is grouped by occasion, sit-down dinners, all-day cafés, and quick treats, so you can pick what suits the day rather than scrolling a flat list.
What time are the South Bank markets on?
Is the South Bank Piazza good for food?
Do South Bank restaurants take bookings?
Are South Bank restaurants suitable for young kids?
Is South Bank dining pram friendly?
Are South Bank restaurants good for large family groups?
Which South Bank restaurants cater to dietary requirements?
Is there river view dining that's good for kids?
Where can we eat before a children's show at QPAC?
Is there parking near the South Bank restaurants?
Can you get to South Bank dining by public transport?
M&J
🏆 Key to South Bank Award Winner
Murray & Jomana
Brisbane-based parents behind Really Traveling. They travel with their young daughter and publish first-hand destination guides for families with young children across Australia and beyond.
Jomana is the heart behind Really Traveling — the one making sure every itinerary actually works when you’ve got a tired toddler and a delayed flight. She’s the family’s chief researcher, packing list perfectionist, and the reason our trips run smoother than they have any right to. If the advice on this site is practical and honest, that’s Jomana’s doing.
