I got lost on the way in, which is embarrassing to admit because I know Chatswood Chase reasonably well by now. Kidsday sits up on Level 3, the rooftop car park level, and I still did a lap of the whole centre before I found the right lift. If you’re heading there for the first time, save yourself the trouble and head straight for the rooftop car park signage rather than trying to find it through the main shopping floors.
Kidsday first made a name for itself at Meadowbank, and this new Chatswood branch is its second Sydney location. We’d been regulars at the Meadowbank one, the food was great and the space was well designed, and it’s actually where my daughter had her second birthday party, so when I heard Chatswood was opening I made a point of getting there early to try it out.
The Quick Verdict
Short version first, because I know that’s what most people scrolling on their phone actually want: overall it’s good. The variety is solid, both kids had fun, and the baby and toddler area felt more thoughtfully put together than most of the other kids cafes we’ve tried around Sydney. Whatever a cafe like this is supposed to cover, this one covers it, and covers it well. My one real gripe is that quite a few surfaces, the floor in places, some of the soft mats, felt a bit slippery underfoot. And the big slide runs faster than I expected. My daughter got so excited climbing up that she lost her footing and came down in a bit of a tumble. She was fine, nothing happened, but it’s worth knowing before you go so you can hover a bit closer the first time your child tries it.
Pricing and Sessions
We hadn’t planned to eat there, so I can’t tell you firsthand what the food’s like this time round, but based on our Meadowbank visits I’d be very surprised if it’s not good, and I’ll go back and report properly. We paid for the all-day pass since you can’t actually see into the space from the front desk to judge how big it is before you commit. On a weekday that was $43 per child, which included two mini train ride tickets, plus $5 for an adult ticket, which came with a drink. Kidsday also does shorter one, two and three hour sessions if you’d rather not commit to a full day, and I’d genuinely recommend checking exact pricing on Kidsday’s Chatswood Chase page or their Instagram before you go, since a venue this new tends to tweak things in the first few months.
Better Suited to the Younger Kids
Here’s where I have to be honest: I regretted the all-day pass almost as soon as we walked in, because the space is smaller and more geared toward little ones than I’d pictured. Everything you’d expect is there, a slide, a little wooden sandpit, a ball pit, a fishing corner, a dress-up area, a car repair station, a baby zone, a play kitchen, a mini supermarket, the mini train, it’s just all scaled for a younger crowd, realistically under five. My son is five and a bit older, and it showed. He tried everything gamely enough but you could tell it wasn’t really hitting the mark for him the way it clearly does for his little sister.
It was clean, and it wasn’t crowded, which I appreciated, but same problem, just too young for him. I ended up going up to the girl at the front desk and asking, a bit sheepishly, whether we could swap our all-day pass for a two hour one instead, since my son was that bit older than the space was built for. She said yes straight away, no fuss at all, which honestly saved the day. If your kids are on the older side of the age range, it’s worth asking about session flexibility rather than assuming you’re locked into whatever you first booked.
What actually turned it around was running into three other mums from our local North Shore mums’ group, completely by chance. We ended up chatting for ages, and once my son had other kids to play with, he was suddenly having a great time. It’s a good reminder that a play cafe is often as much about who’s there as what’s there.
The Food
The food itself, I can vouch for from Meadowbank, was genuinely excellent, easily some of the best kids cafe food I’ve had. Chatswood is running the same Korean-style menu, and if it’s anything like the original, the spicy seafood pasta and the Korean fried chicken are worth ordering. The japchae and tteokbokki were both solid too, a touch salty on our last order but nothing that put us off. They also supply kids’ plates, cutlery and self-serve lemonade, so you genuinely don’t need to bring anything with you, and there are several private bathroom cubicles stocked with wet wipes, a small touch but one I noticed and appreciated.
What Still Needs Work
A few things weren’t quite there yet. We visited on their second day open, and it showed, toys and dress-up clothes were scattered everywhere by the afternoon with no one circling back to tidy, which I’ll put down to opening-week staffing rather than anything structural. The lighting inside felt a little dim too, though that may partly have been the overcast day outside rather than the venue itself. If you’re thinking about booking one of the private party rooms, know that the decor is quite minimal, so you’d want to bring your own balloons and styling if you want it to feel like an occasion. There’s also a drawing class space that wasn’t running yet when we went, which I’m curious about and will check back on.
Would I Go Back?
Would I go again? Almost certainly, and probably often. Having a cafe like this directly above a shopping centre we already visit regularly is genuinely convenient, my daughter gets to play, I get to sit with a good meal and actually watch her instead of chasing her round a park, and there’s shopping downstairs if anyone needs an excuse. If you’ve got a child under five or six, I think you’ll get real value out of it. If your child is closer to primary school age, it’s still worth a visit, just go in expecting the toddler-and-under crowd to be the main audience, and maybe ask about a shorter session first.
More Nearby Options
For families weighing up other options nearby, we’ve also written up Sugar Trend Dessert, a newer Chatswood spot worth combining with a Kidsday visit if you’re making a day of it, and our broader guide to kid-friendly restaurants with playgrounds in Sydney if you want more options across the North Shore and beyond. For rainy day ideas more generally, our Sydney school holiday activities roundup has a few more indoor picks worth bookmarking.
Kidsday Chatswood Chase: The Details
Kidsday Chatswood Chase, at a glance: Shop 4, Level 3 (Rooftop Car Park), Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood. Parking is straightforward, Chatswood Chase offers three hours free. Sessions run from one hour up to a full day, with pricing and current opening hours best confirmed on Kidsday’s own listing before you head out, since both can shift while the venue settles in. Based on our visit, it suits babies through to around age five or six best, with older kids likely to find it a little young unless there are friends there to play with.