If you’re planning a city day with kids, Good Nature Hotel at Federation Square is a solid option for relaxed pub dining in one of Melbourne’s best locations.
Built on the former Beer Deluxe site, now you’ll find an all-day menu, an enclosed kids’ playground, cosy indoor seating and heated outdoor areas.
If you’re meeting friends from across Melbourne, heading to the NGV, catching something at ACMI, or doing a day at Fed Square, this is a great central place to land for lunch or dinner.
What Is Good Nature Hotel?
Good Nature sits over two levels on Fed Square, steps from the Yarra River and Flinders Street/Town Hall Station. It’s an all-weather pub and beer garden with a covered terrace, an outdoor area called The Grove, and an undercover family dining space next to the kids’ playground.
The design is noticeably greener than your average city pub, with native planting, light timber, natural stone, and layered lighting. The covered terrace has great views over the Fed Square atrium and Flinders Street. All outdoor areas are heated, which makes this a year-round option whatever the Melbourne weather throws at you.
The Food at Good Nature Hotel
Good Nature is owned by the Australian Venue Co. so if you’re familiar with their other venues (eg Studley Park Boathouse, Anglers Tavern Maribrynong, Victoria Hotel Yarraville, Brewdog Coburg), you’ll know that they offer modern pub fare done reliably well.
We shared the lamb skewers, a roasted vegetable salad, greens, a barramundi main, and prawn rolls. The barramundi in particular stood out for the crispy skin and hearty serve of fresh veg. On the downside, the brioche buns for the prawn rolls were hard and stale.
Kids Menu
The Good Nature kids menu covers the usual suspects: chicken nuggets, battered fish nuggets, mini cheeseburger, kids parma, kids steak, and pasta with sugo. Prices run from $15-20, which is on the high side for kids meals in our experience, but reasonable for a prime location in Melbourne CBD.
One honest note: it’s a very beige-and-red kids menu — almost everything comes with chips and tomato sauce. Fine for a treat meal, but I’d love to see vegetables or salad option alongside the default fries. Or adding one slightly more interesting option, for instance a smaller serving of the lamb skewers or Massaman beef curry from the main menu.
The Kids’ Playground
The playground is double-storey and enclosed with a glass gate, so little ones can’t wander. It’s a similar setup to the playground at Auburn Hotel Hawthorn and the newer one at Station Hotel Footscray.
It’s best suited to preschoolers and lower primary kids as the climbing structure has fairly low ceilings, so bigger kids will outgrow it quickly. It’s positioned right next to the family dining area in The Grove, so you can eat and keep an eye on them at the same time.
Practical Information for Good Nature Hotel
Getting There
Good Nature is about as well-located as it gets for public transport. Flinders Street Station/Town Hall Station is right across the road and trams run along Swanston and Flinders Streets. If you’re driving, paid parking is available under Federation Square.
Prams and High Chairs
There are plenty of plastic IKEA high chairs available, with space to park prams both inside and outside. The Grove outdoor area is particularly pram-friendly.
Accessible Toilets and Change Table
The bathrooms are on a lower level, reached via a narrow staircase with a single turn ie there’s no lift within the venue. If you’re seated in The Grove near the playground (which is where families will naturally end up), getting small children to the bathroom is a bit of an expedition. You will have to walk or carry your child as I think you’ll struggle to carry your pram down the stairs (no way a double pram will fit), especially if there’s someone coming up or down in the other direction. There is a change table in the accessible bathroom downstairs.
The easier option with a pram is to exit the venue and use the Federation Square public toilets. The lifts are right next to the playground and the bathrooms are downstairs from there.
Noise and Atmosphere
Good Nature screens live sport on many screens (sound is turned down) and gets busy on game days as it’s a city pub right on the MCG corridor. For a more relaxed family lunch, aim for a weekday or an early sitting on weekends before the footy crowd arrives.
Fed Square Visibility
If you’re seated near the playground in The Grove, visibility of the main screen at Fed Square is limited.
What Else to Do at Fed Square with Kids
Good Nature works best as part of a bigger city day.
ACMI
Australia’s museum of screen culture is right next door. The permanent collection is free and great for kids aged 6 and up. Read our ACMI review.
Artplay + Artplay Playground
A five-minute walk along the Yarra at Birrarung Marr, Artplay is a creative arts studio run by the City of Melbourne for kids from babies to 13. Throughout the year it runs workshops, performances and exhibitions across everything from ceramics and puppetry to circus and digital art — most require bookings, so check what’s on before you go.
Note: the Birrarung Marr playground next door is currently closed for renewal works and is expected to reopen in late 2026. Read our Artplay Playground review.
NGV Australia and NGV International
There are two NGV venues: The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is right at Federation Square — free entry, Australian art across three levels, and a great starting point if you have younger kids or limited time. NGV International is on St Kilda Road, about a ten-minute walk across the river — bigger, with dedicated NGV Kids gallery spaces, a parents’ room with feeding facilities, and the major ticketed exhibitions. Both venues are fully pram-accessible. Read our NGV review.
Koorie Heritage Trust
Koorie Heritage Trust is one of Melbourne’s most worthwhile stops for families with older kids. The galleries showcase Koorie art and cultural artefacts, and the guided Birrarung Wilam Walk along the Yarra is particularly good — indigenous guides bring the history of the land to life. Read our Koorie Heritage Trust review.
The whole Fed Square precinct is pram-accessible with lifts throughout and easy to navigate with kids of all ages.
Good Nature Hotel: Our Verdict
The location is unbeatable, the playground works well for little kids, the food is reliable, and the heated outdoor areas mean it holds up in any season. The bathroom situation is worth knowing in advance — particularly if you have a toddler in tow — and the kids menu could do with more colour on the plate. I don’t think either is a dealbreaker.
If a city day with kids is on the cards, this is a very good place to stop for lunch.
Good Natur Hotel Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (03) 9810 0093 goodnaturehotel.com.au Open daily
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This visit was hosted by Good Nature Hotel. All opinions are our own.
