Best BBQ and picnic parks in Paddington
Royal Hospital for Women Park is the top pick for a picnic, with picnic tables, a children's playground and a public restroom on site. Comber Street Reserve and Gugara Park are the other picks. Comber suits a covered lunch under its pergola, and Gugara suits a picnic with a fully fenced playground nearby. What sets them apart is what's on hand: toilets, a covered spot or a fenced play area.
Quick picks
- Best for a family picnic: Royal Hospital for Women Park, with a playground and a public restroom.
- Best for a covered lunch: Comber Street Reserve, where the picnic table sits under a pergola.
- Best for little ones: Gugara Park has picnic tables and a fully fenced playground.
Royal Hospital for Women Park: lawn, tables and drinking water
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Royal Hospital for Women Park is the pick for a family picnic with the most on hand. It has picnic tables and outdoor seating, a children's playground, and a public restroom, with drinking water on site too. The park sits on two levels, with a broad lawn and an upper seating terrace, so there is room to spread out. On-street parking is very limited, so arriving on foot is the easy option. It is the only one of the three picks with a confirmed toilet.
Best for: Best for: a full day out with the kids and a restroom
Comber Street Reserve: a covered picnic under the pergola
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
Comber Street Reserve is the pick for a shaded lunch in a small local park. The new picnic table sits beneath a pergola on brick paving, with a climbing plant giving it shade. A shade tree at the back adds more shade, and bench seating runs along the double-brick planter edges at the rear. The reserve has no playground, because it is too small for play equipment, so it suits a picnic without a play stop.
Best for: Best for: a covered lunch for a small group
Gugara Park: picnic tables and a fenced playground
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Parking
Gugara Park is the pick for a picnic where the little ones have a fully fenced playground to run around in. Picnic tables and park benches let families sit and eat, and a drinking fountain is there for topping up water bottles. Landscaped garden beds of shrubs and perennials make a leafy setting. Cars can park on Stephen Street for up to two hours. It has no confirmed toilet, so plan your visit around that.
Best for: Best for: a picnic with toddlers who need a fenced play area
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Paddington
The table below lines up the parks in and around Paddington, so you can compare their picnic facilities at a glance.
| Park | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Royal Hospital for Women Park | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Comber Street Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✗ |
| 3.Gugara Park | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 4.Paddington Reservoir Gardens | – | – | – | – |
| Nearby, outside Paddington | ||||
| Green Park · Darlinghurst | – | – | ✓ | – |
| Rushcutters Bay Park · Rushcutters Bay | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Arthur Reserve · Darlinghurst | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Frances Newton Reserve · Darlinghurst | – | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
Each park was ranked on the barbecue, shelter, table, toilet, play and size facts we hold, with confirmed facts counting most. Royal Hospital for Women Park scores highest, so it tops the list. Barbecues are not confirmed at any park here, so check before you plan one. Unknowns appear as a dash, which means no answer yet, and a park may still have the feature.
FAQ
Does Royal Hospital for Women Park have a playground?
Yes, Royal Hospital for Women Park has a children's playground, so it pairs well with a picnic. Its picnic tables and outdoor seating are on the same site.
Are there toilets at a Paddington picnic park?
Yes, a public restroom is in Royal Hospital for Women Park. Comber Street Reserve and Gugara Park have no toilet recorded, so choose the first park if toilets matter to you.
Where can I have a covered picnic in Paddington?
Comber Street Reserve is the answer, with a pergola shaded by a climbing plant. A shade tree at the back adds more shade for a lunch.
Is the playground at Gugara Park fenced?
Yes, Gugara Park has a fully fenced playground, which suits toddlers. The picnic tables and benches sit in the same park.