This is one of the nicer play centres we've visited. While a lot of them can be dingy and depressing, this one is bright and clean, lots of fun for kids of various ages, and accomodating (our Playgroup meets there during winter school holidays and rainy days). The ladies behind the counter make a decent coffee, which is refreshing since a lot of play centres don't. I recommend this place when it's too cold or too hot to get outside to a playground, as it's a nice way to keep your youngins playing & happy.
They also have a punch card which works towards free entry fees and coffees. yay!

Approximate cost: $7

Definitely worth a go, this place is really yummy. Great menu, laidback but still nice atmosphere, and good service. We go back regularly, usually for lunch. But we've also taken guests here for a nice dinner - tasty food at unpretentious prices. The roti is incredible as are any of the thai omelettes.
Nice wine selection too, and ok coffee

Approximate cost: $17

Yum Yum YUM! This place is an institution in the northern suburbs. The food is brilliant, plentiful and offers immense value for money. Great variety and big flavours, whether you're vego or a meat eater. I took my parents here when they visited from overseas, as they'd actually heard about this place from a foodie tv show watched in America! It has quite the reputation and doesn't disappoint. The labne, meat and sujuk pizzas are my fave.

Approximate cost: $5

The cafe/restaurant has undergone vast improvement since it's previous owners. The coffee is now (for the most part) quite good. The food has improved, and we especially enjoy the delicious wood-fired oven pizzas! Always scrumptious. Certainly, this cafe and it's decor will never be a "hip" Brunswick place, but it has good food and does the trick. The man who does the woodfired oven is a really nice bloke, and they seem to be trying to be a more child/family friendly cafe. However there are a few waitstaff who could stand to be more friendly and helpful.

Approximate cost: $16

I adore this place. Anikee, the owner, is a ray of sunshine and wealth of knowledge on all things vegan/fairtrade etc.
The store is indeed a radical concept, in that it is sells products that exploit/harm no living thing.
There is a variety of excellent products - even if you're not a strict vego or vegan (which I'm not) - check out this wonderful store and indulge in some healthy, fairtrade, plant-based food.
I love to shop here to pick up products that are hard to find elsewhere, and to support local businesses.

Excellent place! I love getting massage work done here, from remedial to pregnancy massage, to hot stones, they offer many types and wonderful, intuitive massage therapists. I've also met several times with Katie, the amazing naturopath, who is very thorough and caring. Truly a healing place, I recommend giving this place a go for your natural therapy needs.

Approximate cost: $110

HIGHLY recommend Brunswick Holistic Health. Whether you're looking for a great naturopath, colonic hydrotherapy, massage, or any of numerous sorts of alternative medicine practices, this place is wonderful. The staff are helpful, kind, patient and lovely. I have visited this clinic for colonics, far infrared saunas, and massage and have never been disappointed. The naturopaths on staff always make me feel comfortable and at ease with the Colonic procedures. Also, the ladies are great for a chat in regards to health issues, and can recommend supplements and/or strategies to help improve your health. I've never felt better than after starting a regimen of some super herbs and vitamins bought from the clinic. Check them out!
And if you have private health, you can claim on the spot, even for colonics, if you have naturopathy coverage.

Approximate cost: $90

Yum! What a wonderful coincidence that I stumbled upon Loving Hut yesterday, in search of yummy Vietnamese food. I try to eat a vego diet most of the time, so I was pleased to see an all-vegan Asian restaurant such as this.
The staff were extremely welcoming and kind. They knew I had the hubby and kids waiting in the car (we were on our way home) and raced to make take-away for us suuuper quickly.
The menu was large and delightful - no shortage of any traditional dish one might find on an Asian foods menu, but vegan-ised.
I ordered their speciality - the Crispy Delight - for our entree. They were smashing!!! Sooooo delish. Even my meat-loving husband was very pleased. We split a pad thai and a Char Qway Tao (sp?) that were awesome and filling.
Good value, great place!
Can't wait to go back when we're in the hood again.

Approximate cost: $13

I am compelled to write the first review for Budget Airport Parking so that no one else has to deal with them! Do NOT be tempted by the low price - I learned the hard way that you get what you pay for, and this poorly run business was not only unprofessional, awful and dodgy, but also UNSAFE.

Our experience: The drop off wasn't too bad, but the place is in the middle of nowhere and we had to wait ages before we could "check in" with the 1 man. The cash-only, pay-up-front aspect was less than desirable (and also makes the place seem sketchy). It would've been much more convenient to pay upon pickup by EFTPOS.

The real shitty part was when we arrived back in town. After a long 7-hour journey (a drive plus 2 flights) with 2 small kids, the LAST thing I needed was the bullshit of having to wait 45 minutes before the shuttle came to retrieve us. Esp since we'd had a very smooth day of travel (thanks Qantas!), this was utterly frustrating.

I called as soon as we got to baggage, and the man on the phone said it'd be about 15-20 minutes, and "not to rush out there" (to the pickup spot). If he had been more honest and said that they were WAY understaffed and it would be 45 minutes, I'd at least have been a bit happier - Standing on the bus stop platform with 2 tired kids for 45 minutes was unacceptable. Since I was told it would be 15 minutes, I didn't want to leave the spot and miss the bus, so I waited to change my kids' nappies.

After 25 minutes I phoned the driver again, and after 2 times he finally picked up (what I learned later is that ONLY ONE GUY was working this day - both driving AND answering the phone AND doing drop offs and pick ups). He seemed vague and offered no apology or note of when he'd be there, before hanging up.

Meanwhile, a woman already at the bus spot was also waiting for these guys, and had been waiting longer than we had (over AN HOUR to be picked up to retrive her car). She kept calling them as well, angrily asking WHEN ON EARTH they would be there, as we'd all been told bullshit times.

As we stood waiting, a dozen other airpot parking companies had shuttles coming around regularly. Seriously - NEVER use these guys, as I literally saw every other company's shuttle come around at least 6 times over the 45 minutes we waited.

Sadly, our crap experience doesn't even end here. The driver arrived, and while he did apologize profusely, it doesn't matter, when you've been forced to wait 45 minutes just to retrieve a shuttle to pick up your car (we could have taken a cab to and from our house 3 times by then).

He loaded up the van full - 5 adults, 2 babies on laps, and 2 toddlers - and sped away. And I mean sped. Because he was running so late, this guy crazily sped onto the freeway, as we bounced around VERY unsafely in the back. The unsafe driving was the last straw - seriously, there were TWO small babies on laps with no belts and this jerk was driving wrecklessly, because this company doesn't staff properly in order to price cut. My two kid's lives were put at risk and I am livid.
AND, on top of this, the driver answered his phone TWICE while driving, to speak with other customers who'd arrived and were looking for their pick up. Last time I checked, talking on one's handheld mobile is ILLEGAL!

When we get to the dodgy street, the driver hastily explains that the main lot is unusually full so our cars are all around the corner. We get to the other lot and he says "Ok, so I'll need you all to start looking for your cars. They'll probably be to the left".

Um...SERIOUSLY?! THIS is how you retrieve your car at this place?!! I wouldn't be surprised if half the cars weren't locked and if the place wasn't "manned 24 hrs" as the website says.
We spotted our car quickly, thank god, and the guy hastily offered a bowl of keys, from which we all were to pick ours and get on our merry way.

So. Ridiculously. AWFUL.

I am very tempted to suggest an expose on parking lots such as this to one of those tabloid tv shows like Today Tonight.

Obviously, these guys undercut other long term airport parking by cutting back on EVERYTHING else.

I desperately should ask for my money back.

Approximate cost: $80

yummy pizza! I love this place, and I'm quite picky about my pizza. They are often busy but with delivery they still usually get here quite fast. Good value as well. Recommend the pizza with the homemade pork sausage, so delish.

Approximate cost: $15