Summer holidays are coming and, as excited as the whole family might be, there will be a time when you’ll need to get the kids out of the house (and out of your hair). When that time comes, know that you don’t have to settle for a less-than-average meal, we’ve gathered some intel from some great restaurants across the country that are well-equipped with kid-friendly activities, menus and playgrounds.
Here are over 40 spots across the country where parents can enjoy a delicious plate of food or glass of wine in peace, while the kids can tire themselves out and have a good time – a win-win situation all around!
Cape Town & surrounds
Clay Cafe Hout Bay and In The City
(Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town)
Choose between the branch on Bree Street or Hout Bay and take the whole family out for something a little different at Clay Cafe. Let kids of all ages unleash their inner artist, while they paint ceramics and enjoy something to eat. The Hout Bay location also has a large outdoor play area if the kids want to stretch their legs and caters for children’s birthday parties too.
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Foresters Arms (AKA Forries)
(Newlands, Cape Town)
Newlands stalwart, Forries, is well-known for its large play area, complete with swings, jungle gym and climbing apparatus. In addition to this, they are offering sand art activities for the kids to take part in on summer Sundays.
Strolla Restaurant & Bar
(Sea Point, Cape Town)
If you’re on the Atlantic Seaboard-side, Strolla will help keep the kids busy with a dedicated play area kitted out with video games and board games. Making their own pizza is another fun, kid-friendly activity on offer, meaning you’re covered for both lunch and entertainment.
The Islands Restaurant at The President Hotel
(Bantry Bay, Cape Town)
The President Hotel has a dedicated kids’ play area complete with a jungle gym, jumping castle and soft play blocks. The famous pool area also has a separate shallow kids swimming area. Kids can take part in a pizza-making activity (R65 per person) where their pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven and then served to them. The kids are also given a chef’s hat and apron to wear for an authentic experience. Pizza-making is free on a Friday when ordered alongside an adult’s main meal.
Places with jungle gyms
There’s no beating an old reliable jungle gym set-up, so if that’s all you’re looking for, these are the restaurants you can let the kids run wild in a secure playground.
Aegir Project Brewery Noordhoek
(Noordhoek, Cape Town)
Mom and dad can enjoy an artisanal beer, piping hot pizzas, and fried chicken burgers while the kids wear themselves out on the jungle gym. Aegir is one of South Africa’s 100 most-loved restaurants of 2022 – according to Dineplan reviews, so pay them a visit for a top-notch meal with the whole family.
Cape Point Vineyards
(Noordhoek, Cape Town)
Cape Point Vineyards has a new jungle gym with separate play areas for toddlers so everyone can have a good time. The Courtyard restaurant is near the jungle gym, and the sprawling lawns are ideal for a family-friendly summer’s lunch.
De Oude Social Cafe
(Bellville, Cape Town)
Their large outside grass area and wooden play structure is great for the kids to let loose.
Fancy Frank’s
(Somerset West)
Situated in Somerset West, across the road from The Sanctuary Mall, where there is a driving range nearby for budding golfers. Frank’s also has a kiddies menu available all day.
Limoncello Ristorante
(Noordhoek, Cape Town)
Enjoy authentic Italian seafood while you watch the kids play on the jungle gym outside.
moyo at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
(Southern Suburbs, Cape Town)
Moyo has a kiddies menu, as well as a play area and jungle gym. You can also purchase sand art and activity packs.
The Eatery Wood Fired Grill
(Claremont, Cape Town)
Find a great selection of kids’ meals and milkshakes and a jungle gym adjacent to the deck area, so parents can keep an eye on the little ones while they play.
The Yard at the Silo District
(V & A Waterfront, Cape Town)
With spinning chairs and a grassy patch with a water splash area, the Silo District is a kid’s dream. Plus, your little ones can enjoy The Yard’s kid’s menu when they’re ready to take a break.
Cape Coastal
Benguela Cove Restaurant
(Fisherhaven, Western Cape)
Take the entire family out for a full day of adventure golf, before cooling off at Benguela Cove’s splash park. When it’s time for lunch, the kids are well looked after with their own menu too.
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Luka Vineyards
(Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape)
Arrange a picnic just for the kids on Luka’s large grass area, or let them play on the small playground while you enjoy a glass of wine in the sunshine.
Johannesburg
Clay Cafe Lonehill
(Midrand)
Clay Cafe is a no-brainer when looking for a new activity to do with kids of all ages, with a wide selection of well-priced child-friendly items for them to paint. What’s more, the Lonehill branch even serves a dedicated kiddies menu, for both breakfast and lunch, to keep everyone well-fed.
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Fahrenheit Seafood & Grill Benoni
(Farrarmere, Benoni)
This family-friendly favourite kicks things up a notch on Saturdays, with entertainment and activities starting at 2 pm. Between that, the large playground and video games, there’s something to keep everyone happy.
Lupa Osteria Meyersdal
(Alberton, Johannesburg)
A crowd-pleaser for a reason, Lupa Osteria in Meyersdal will keep kids under 12 occupied with their free mini pizza-making kits. They’ve also got a new play area opening soon, where they’ll be able to host birthday parties.
Molitva Orthodox Mediterranean Restaurant
(Krugersdorp)
If you’re looking for a Sunday afternoon drive out into the country, Molitva is the perfect place to stop for lunch. In addition to their kids’ menu, they also have jumping castles, water slides and art on the weekends, meaning there’s something to keep everyone entertained.
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Riboville Restaurant
(Midrand)
When the temperature rises, Riboville is the place to be. Their newly renovated garden area that includes a swimming pool and hammock set up means there are lots of wide open spaces for them to run wild, while you can enjoy the live jazz show every weekend.
Just looking for a jungle gym?
If all you’re looking for is a jungle gym to keep the littler members of your family entertained while you enjoy a meal, here’s a list of restaurants that provide just that!
Aurum Restaurant
(Sandton, Johannesburg)
You’ll find a small, secure playground here, as well as a pool terrace with lifeguards on duty over weekends and public holidays.
Casalinga Restaurant
(Krugersdorp, Johannesburg)
Entertain the kids every weekend here with fun activities, a playground and play area.
Flavours at La Vue
(Nietgedacht, Johannesburg)
Flavours at La Vue has a playground and is available for birthday parties and will arrange face painting, kids meals and party packs.
The Old Oak
(Linksfield North, Johannesburg)
The Old Oak accommodates kids with its dedicated playground.
North West
De Vette Mossel – Harties
(Hartbeespoort)
Bringing the West Coast to the highveld, De Vette Mossel has a beach-themed play area for the kids.
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Pretoria
Clay Cafe Irene, Montana, Silver Lakes & Wolwespruit
(Pretoria and Roodeplaat)
For families in Pretoria, take your kids to Clay Cafe in Montana or Irene or Wolwespruit for a unique day out, letting their creative juices flow. If ceramics and painting don’t appeal to the whole family, Clay Cafe in Silver Lakes has you covered too! They’re equipped with a jungle gym, a bike track and a trampoline so you can keep the sports fans and the artists happy at the same time.
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Winelands
Artichoc Creative Cafe
(Stellenbosch, Western Cape)
Appealing to creatives of all ages, Artichoc offers a wide range of activities for children and adults including clay decoration classes and various food pairing workshops.
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Boschendal Werf Picnics
(Franschhoek, Western Cape)
Take the whole family out for a sunny picnic at Boschendal Werf and let the kids (5 -14 years) run wild at the Tree House Playground and pump track. There are also fun lawn games at the picnic area, for the whole family to enjoy.
Du Vin Restaurant
(Stellenbosch, Western Cape)
For bigger kids, Du Vin offers putt-putt (R30 per person) and, for kids of all ages, they have a jungle gym to play on.
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Hazendal Wine Estate
(Stellenbosch, Western Cape)
Hazendal is home to Wonderdal, an immersive and interactive edutainment experience to combine learning with play. At Wonderdal children aged 5-13 can discover the worlds of science and nature across a variety of indoor and outdoor activity zones. With trained WonderPals to supervise, young adventurers can look forward to a fun day out while parents enjoy all the offerings that Hazendal has to offer. You can also book a picnic and enjoy a lazy afternoon with the whole family on the lawn.
Nederburg
(Paarl, Western Cape)
Kids of all ages are spoiled for choice at Nederburg this summer. Budding chefs and bakers will love the cupcake decorating workshop with chef Arlene, or they can take part in a milk-and-cookie pairing. There are also kids’ picnic boxes and Marvel-themed party boxes for those looking for a venue to host a birthday party, complete with a jumping castle and childminders.
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Ormonde Wines
(Darling, Western Cape)
Ormonde is ready to welcome the entire family! Kids can do a fun food pairing (R45 per person), while parents relax with a pairing or tasting of their own. They also have a large garden and a jungle gym and chalkboards to ensure everyone is occupied. The menu is also very fussy-eater-friendly and includes seven milkshake flavours to choose from.
Perdeberg Wines
(Paarl, Western Cape)
In addition to their dedicated kiddies’ play area and kid-friendly menu, Pederberg offers cookie pairing activities and a jumping castle on the weekends.
Rickety Bridge Wine Centre
(Franschhoek, Western Cape)
Rickety Bridge has already nailed the wine pairing for adults, but they’ve also turned their attention to the little ones, too. With a limited edition pairing, kids can enjoy tasting a variety of drinks – apple juice, crème soda and strawberry-flavoured milk – with sweets such as smarties, sour worms and wine gums at R80 per person.
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Just a jungle gym will do?
When it comes to keeping the kids entertained for hours, you can’t beat a jungle gym. Here’s a round-up of all the restaurants in Winelands with a secure play area just for the children.
Bon Amis at Bloemendal Wine Estate
(Durbanville, Western Cape)
In addition to their large jungle gym, they also run pizza and sushi specials that are bound to be a hit with the kids.
Bosjes Kombuis
(Ceres, Western Cape)
Bosjes large terrace area overlooks a big jungle gym, so parents can sit and relax while keeping an eye on the kids. Energetic teenagers can bring a soccer ball and have some fun on the big lawns. There is also hiking as well as game- and bird-watching for those looking for a bit of adventure.
Deux Lions
(Franschhoek, Western Cape)
Deux Lions offers a kids’ menu and has a beautiful outside area with a lawn where the kids can run and play.
La Pineta
(Stellenbosch, Western Cape)
La Pineta has a wonderful play area and large lawn for the kids to run around, as well as kids menu for when they need to refuel. Their 5-star reviews also got them a spot on the top 100 list of South Africa’s most-loved restaurants, as reviewed by their diners.
Millhouse Kitchen at Lourensford Wine Estate
(Somerset West, Cape Town)
Millhouse Kitchen has not one, but two kids jungle gyms situated in close view to the seating area, as well as a large grassy area for kids to run around. They also offer a dedicated kids’ menu.
The Stone Kitchen
(Somerset West, Cape Town)
With indoor and outdoor play areas, The Stone Kitchen is ready for any weather. They also have sandpits, a trampoline and animals for the little ones to play with.
Tryn at Steenberg
(Tokai, Cape Town)
Mom and dad can sip on Steenberg’s world-class bubbly while the kids have fun on the playground or play area.
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