If you are living or visiting Newcastle, there are a wide range of fun and interesting
things to do, all around the city. One such place to visit is Kotara Westfield shopping centre, for its multiple levels of shopping but also for its modern Rooftop area. The Rooftop is an open-air entertainment precinct that was officially opened in 2015 with a design that took inspiration from the Hunter Valley vineyards, less than an hour away.
When my family and I caught the escalator up to The Rooftop for the first time, we were surprised by the number of restaurants that were up there, combined with the entertainment options and expanse of artificial grass for the kids to play on. It was a popular venue for locals to have lunch whilst shopping and for many people, it was a destination in itself. Here are 3 things to do while you're there!
A social vibe by night, fun by day! Image: Kotara Westfield website
EAT
The Rooftop is a foodie paradise, with a wide range of options for morning tea, lunch, a chocolate fix, dinner, dessert and coffee! If you love Asian cuisine, a popular venue with the locals is
Hong Kong Chef, as well as
Kinn Thai and
Hanok Korean BBQ. If you love Italian, then check out
Criniti's and then if you have any room left, have a hot chocolate at
San Churro, a sneaky ice cream at
Cold Rock Ice Creamery or a bubble tea from
Cha Time. If you're anything like our family, it is hard to walk past San Churro!
If you love a burger, then check out
Nando's,
Grill'd and
Another Burger Joint. For a family feast enjoy the meals at
Beerhaus,
Lone Star Rib House,
Zeus Street Greek,
Mad Mex,
Sushi Musa and
Sehaj. Most venues offer lunch-time specials and kids meals at affordable prices. See
here for a full list of restaurants to try.
Enjoy lunch at Hong Kong Chef! Image: Hong Kong Chef Facebook
The fun part is trying them all!
Timezone is also located at The Rooftop and it is a whole lot of fun for all ages - not just the kids! It opened in 2019, so it is a new addition to the Rooftop area. If you are going with kids, check out the latest deals on the
Westfield Kotara website - for example, at the time of writing (November 2021), they have the
Mega Kids Pass at a cost of $35 per person for kids aged 16 years and younger. The pass includes a ticket to the movies, 30 minutes at Timezone, lunch at Grill'd, dessert at Cold Rock Ice Creamery, plus 5 hours of free parking!
All ages love this large
Timezone, which has a bowling alley, laser tag, Spin Zone bumper cars and a wide range of challenging games. Most games have tickets as a prize, so collect your tickets and see what they can "buy" you at the Timezone prize shop. This is an ideal rainy day activity, date idea or a way to entertain the kids before a movie. Be warned - it is very easy to lose track of time in there! See the
Timezone website for full details.
If you are looking for a new gym, also check out
EMF Fitness Centre - also located on The Rooftop!
Watch the time - you can get carried away at Timezone and miss your movie!
Event Cinemas is located right next door to Timezone, so you can easily enjoy both venues in the one trip to The Rooftop. Watch all the latest family movies, comedies, action flicks and classics with a choc-top and popcorn. Before you go, always check their
current promotions for all the latest deals and freebies. This 8-cinema complex has original cinema experiences, V-Maxx and Gold Class to choose from. Check out the Kotara
Events Cinema website for full details.
The Rooftop has something for everyone - it is the perfect rainy day option for kids in the
school holidays, but it is also an enjoyable place to have meal with loved ones, friends and family. It has a social, busy vibe that makes you want to go back again and again.
Why don't you check it out this weekend or these school holidays?
It's a fun day out in the school holidays! Image: Original photos from Westfield Kotara Facebook
