Several days of rain in a row, and then the sun finally came out. We took the kids straight to The Vineyard, the big family restaurant out on Windsor Road in Sydney’s north-west. It has its own playground. We got there around lunchtime.
The playground
Timber and sand. The towers are made of wood with red panels and round porthole windows, and VINEYARD is lettered down the side of one of them. There’s a rope bridge between the towers, a net bridge that leads into a small timber hut with a red and a yellow round window, a spider web climbing net, crawl tunnels shaped like space capsules, and a two-storey climb, crawl and slide castle. The ring slide drops you straight down from the second level. There’s a stainless steel slide and a long white tube slide as well. Wine barrels are used as stools and tables around the edge, and shade sails cover the sand.
The kids went mad for it! Honestly, the playground isn’t big. Kids who can play by themselves will be fine while you sit with a coffee and listen to the music. Younger toddlers need you right there.
Water play
Once it’s summer, dozens of mist poles spray water on a timer, and in the sun you can see little rainbows. There are benches and umbrellas right next to it. Ice cream in one hand, watching your kid chase the water.
Colouring and the view from the table
The tables face the playground, so you can find your kid just by looking up. They also hand out coloured pencils and colouring cards, so the kids can draw before or after the meal while the adults eat in peace.
Food and drink
Coffee, light meals and ice cream all come from the same owner, and it’s all in the one big venue, not a row of separate stalls. The food was good. After playing, the kids sat on the grass eating hot dogs. There’s a kids’ menu with things like pasta and chicken nuggets.
Inside
Air conditioning, natural light and warm colours. The ceiling is high timber with green-painted rafters and skylights. One wall is striped terracotta and sand, with mint rattan chairs, round marble tables and big potted plants around it. Easy place to sit all day.
The lawn and the live music
The lawn has picnic tables and umbrellas. There’s live music, and on a weekend afternoon there was a guitarist playing. It felt like being on holiday. In winter you can sit outside in the sun with the wind blowing and chat.
Crowds and parking
Lots of parking right at the door. Around lunchtime seven or eight tables were having kids’ birthday parties. There are plenty of seats inside and out, so finding a table wasn’t a problem.
Where it is
725 Windsor Road, Vineyard NSW 2765. The playground was built in 2024.
Another Sydney restaurant with its own play area is Coogee Pavilion, and a good playground in the north-west is Kilpack Park in Carlingford. Dates for the NSW break are on our NSW school holidays and term dates 2026 page.