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The Best Family-Friendly Restaurants Around Airlie Beach

Updated Thu 24 Aug 2023

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays are a great location for a family holiday with children of all ages. Sun, sand and swimming are top of the agenda along with snorkelling, visits to the Great Barrier Reef and island adventures. 

To enjoy all of these activities you’ll need to keep your energy up, so which are the best family-friendly restaurants around the heart of the reef, Airlie Beach?

When it comes to where to dine in Airlie Beach locals are the best source of information so we asked one of Sailing Whitsunday’s own mums which family-friendly restaurants she would recommend. 

In no particular order, here are the recommendations for best family-friendly restaurants around Airlie Beach:


Fat Frog Beach Cafe 

A local icon in Airlie Beach’s neighbouring suburb of Cannonvale, the Fat Frog is a quirky cafe with a laid-back atmosphere, great coffee and house-made food such as salads, wraps, toasties and more. The Fat Frog is the perfect brekky spot, dine-in and relax with magnificent views while your children play in the kids’ corner or text ahead to place an order and enjoy your takeaway goodies on Cannonvale Beach across the road.

Photo by Fat Frog Airlie Beach. 


Anchor Bar 

Anchor Bar is a great place for lunch or dinner right in the heart of Airlie Beach. Located on the hill overlooking the busy main street, Anchor Bar has incredible views of the bay and the nearby Whitsunday Islands and a great free pool where you can cool off and play around until your food arrives. The very tasty menu includes share plates (highly recommended to avoid severe food envy!), burgers, fish tacos, ribs and a dedicated children’s section with specials updated on the chalkboard daily. There are also games and colouring-in books to keep the little ones entertained and the staff are super friendly to kids. 

Photo by Anchor Bar. 


Jubilee Tavern

The Jubilee Tavern is a family-friendly venue serving up decent value-for-money pub meals for lunch and dinner every day of the week. The Jubes, as it’s affectionately known to locals, offers healthy meal options for children where you can substitute vegetables or salad for chips and every children’s meal includes a bowl of ice cream for dessert. Parents can supervise the big outdoor playground from air-conditioned comfort through the full-length windows or sit in the undercover outdoor dining area while the kids run wild. The Jubes also has weekly bingo, trivia and darts nights and offers free courtesy bus pick up and drop off from your accommodation.

 Jubilee Pocket Tavern

Photos by Whitsunday Menu.


Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation

A short 20 minute drive from Airlie Beach you will find one of Australia's largest coffee plantations - Whitsunday Gold Coffee, home to The Great Barrier Bean! Drop in to sample the coffee and enjoy a tasty breakfast or lunch in the cafe with woodfired pizzas available Friday to Sunday. Animal lovers will enjoy the large walk-through aviary with dozens of colourful parrots and quails, the resident chickens, goat and two playful miniature pigs and their toys! Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation also has a great air-conditioned kids playground featuring a jumping castle slide, teacup ride, coffee sack slide and padded flying fox. 

Photos by Whitsunday Gold Coffee.


Hogs Breath Cafe

Did you know that the first-ever Hog’s Breath Cafe opened in 1989 in Airlie Beach? That’s right, Australia’s favourite steakhouse originated right here! You’ll find the Hog’s Breath on the western end of the main street near the Airlie Beach Lagoon. With a dedicated kid’s menu, colouring-in pages, friendly staff and regular deals on kid’s meals, you can’t go past Airlie’s Hog’s Breath Cafe for a meal out with the family!

Photo by Hogs Breath Cafe.


For more local advice on the best things to do and see in Airlie Beach, ask one of our local travel experts for their recommendations on how to have the best family holiday in the Whitsundays!

Annie
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