The 10 best family-friendly pubs in WA and what makes them so great

Once upon a time, a family friendly pub meant that mum and dad would have to compromise on food and drink options, while the traditional hotel or bar spelled boredom for children. Today in Perth, there have never been so many options for thirsty parents with kids in tow, from long-running family favourites to a veritable smorgasbord of recent openings designed to keep everyone happy. With school holidays just around the corner, here is a user’s guide to 10 of the best. SIMON COLLINS’ TOP 10 FAMILY FRIENDLY PUBS GAGE ROADS FREO Peter Hughes Drive, Fremantle Australia’s biggest ASX-listed brewery didn’t do things by halves when they spent (at least) $10 million converting Victoria Quay’s old A Shed into one of the biggest and most impressive brewpubs on earth. While there are craft beers on tap, friendly service and good food (if occasionally sluggish), the real appeal of Gage Roads Freo for kids is the playground featuring an old cray boat and four-wheel-drive bogged in the sandpit. There’s also pizza and four kids meals for $12, including a fish finger burger and grilled chicken salad. Plus there’s ice cream. Gage Roads Freo is open daily from 11am and there’s no bookings, so on a sunny day be prepared to hunt a table like a seagull on a chip. WILD HOP BREWING CO 1301 Wildwood Road, Yallingup No one needs to compromise at Wild Hop. The food is great, craft beer always fresh and different to your previous visit, and the playground is rad. Lovely views of the dam too. All things to all creatures, Wild Hop describes itself as “kid friendly, dog friendly and beer geek friendly”. Like the beer taps, the menu is constantly changing and while they don’t do pizzas, burgers or fish and chips, there is usually plenty of options for the young and old amongst their generous share plates. Open seven days from 10.45am till 5pm Monday to Thursday and 6pm on weekends. Bookings aren’t essential, but strongly advised. KING ROAD BREWERY 796 King Road, Oldbury Since they started out making cider on their Peel region property in 2008, King Road has flown under the radar. Recently, craft beer lovers have taken notice of their excellent beers (especially the Strata-hopped IPA), while families have flocked to their sprawling brewery a 40-minute drive from the city. The playground is epic, featuring old trucks, cars and even jetskis. The menu of sturdy pub grub and stone baked pizzas is equally expansive with six kid options for $13 including a juice box and icy pole. Closed Tuesdays. Open 11am to 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and later on weekends. Bookings available. VICTORIA PARK HOTEL 605 Albany Highway, Victoria Park The grand dame on Albany Highway has been absolutely pumping since getting her $2.3 million makeover and reopening in May. And no wonder, with good value pub classics, 30 beer taps and, most importantly, a children’s playground in the revamped beer garden. The kids meals at the Vic Park are next level, with four $15 options (cheeseburger, chicken tenders, linguine and fresh battered snapper) all coming with hummus, vegie sticks and a frog in a pond for dessert. Bookings are essential, and almost impossible to snare in the beer garden on a nice day. Open daily 11am till late. LITTLE CREATURES BREWERY 40 Mews Road, Fremantle The OG of Perth’s family friendly brewpubs keeps on keeping on. Whether you’re snacking on Fremantle octopus or grappling with a burger, the pub grub remains reliable. Grab a beer while your little creature enjoys a kid’s pack – a meal, soft drink or juice and activity pack for $16. Win-win. Little Creatures doesn’t take bookings, but there’s plenty of room in the massive Main Hall and rear al fresco area, which has a small play area for really little ones, overlooking Fishing Boat Harbour. Open 11am to 10pm daily. BEERFARM 177 Gale Road, Metricup From the rolling green hills of the old dairy farm to the frothy amber pouring in the big shed, Beerfarm is abundant with rustic charm. There’s also plenty of space for the kids to run amok. The Beerfarmers even set up a massive slip n’ slide during summer. In-house barbecue maestros Burnt Ends sling lunch seven days a week. There’s four kids options for $13 – quesadilla, fish n’ chips, pasta and a platter of fruit, cheese, veggies and popcorn. There’s also gelato and icy poles if they’ve been good. Bookings are essential on weekends and highly recommended during peak periods, although it’s usually worth trying your luck. BAILEY BREWING CO. 9861 West Swan Road, Henley Brook Boasting arguably the best playground of any WA licensed venue, Bailey Brewing Co. knows what kids like – flying foxes, rusted out trucks, slides and all many of climbing frames. Parents like a quiet drink. While Bailey’s brews aren’t up to the standard of, says, Beerfarm, Gage Roads or King Road, they are wet and definitely beer. Kids meals are super cheap at $9-10, and the Swan Valley pub even does breakfast from 8-10.30am on weekends if your nipper fancies pancakes or a “lil big breakfast” worthy of a future truckie. Open 11am till late, Tuesday to Friday, and 8am till late on weekends. Bookings available. SHELTER BREWING CO. 11 Foreshore Parade, Busselton Busselton is bustling its way to be a hospitality destination and Shelter’s massive brewpub on the foreshore is a big part of that story. Kids meals range from $10-$15 and there’s chip butties, choc tops and all manner of culinary distractions on a “eat” side before you flip the menu to decide which of the on-site brews you’ll be sipping first. There’s a cool playground and plenty of grass on the jetty side of the brewery, which is open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm. Shelter also serves coffee, bagels and other treats from 7am. Bookings available. CLANCY’S FISH PUB, FREMANTLE 51 Cantonment Street, Fremantle The original kid-friendly pub, Clancy’s has been serving the good folk of Freo since 1996. Super laidback vibes, great craft beers and daily food specials make this venue a solid bet. There are three simple kids’ meals for $13 each, but there’s plenty on the menu to keep hungry youngsters happy. There’s also loads of room out the back for them to kick a footy and pretend they’re Nat Fyfe or Sonny Waters while the dads reminiscence about the early years of the Dockers. Clancy’s other venues in City Beach, Applecross and Dunsborough are also family friendly. The Freo joint is open daily from noon till late. Bookings for groups of 15 or more. BLASTA BREWING COMPANY 84/88 Goodwood Parade, Burswood While this Burswood brewpub is building a new, and even bigger venue nearby, Blasta is still a great spot to feed the family. The serves are generous and there are four kids meals, including spaghetti Bolognese and a cheeseburger with chips, which come with juice and ice cream for $14. There’s also a sandpit out in the beer garden and plenty of room in the giant beer hall for groups. Bookings available and Blasta, which means tasty in Scottish Gaelic, is open seven days for lunch and dinner.

The 10 best family-friendly pubs in WA and what makes them so great

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