Racecourse Road in Ascot is the dining strip closest to us, and from our front door at Hampton Court Apartments it is about a 20-minute walk. This guide covers five places we point guests toward on foot: an early breakfast, a Vietnamese-leaning all-day cafe, a famous ramen bar, burgers and Thai, each one within a few doors of the next.
The walk itself is simple. From our front door on Sandgate Road in Clayfield, head down toward Ascot and Racecourse Road opens up around Ascot railway station, on the same Doomben line that runs through Clayfield. The strip runs gently downhill toward the river at Hamilton, so once you reach the top of it near the station, everything below is an easy stroll. Here is how we walk it.
Where do we go for breakfast on Racecourse Road?
Distance: about a 20-minute walk from Hampton Court Apartments. Directions: down toward Ascot station, at the Ascot end of the strip. Hours: 6am to 2:30pm daily.
Petrichor & Co is where we send early risers and anyone flying out later that day. The kitchen leans on the owner’s Colombian heritage, so the all-day breakfast goes past the usual eggs into corn cakes, plenty of gluten-free plates and a genuinely good flat white. Guests keep mentioning how relaxed it is with a pram or a toddler in tow, and the 6am open means you can walk down, eat, and be back at the apartment before a check-out. Grab a corner table inside if the morning is warm.
Is Verandah on Racecourse worth the walk?
Distance: about a 24-minute walk, at the Hamilton end of the strip. Directions: keep walking down Racecourse Road toward the river; it is on your right at number 30. Hours: cafe from 5:30am daily; lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday.
Verandah on Racecourse is the one that earns its distance. It runs as a cafe from 5:30am and swings into a restaurant for lunch and dinner, and the cooking is Australian food given a Vietnamese twist. The grilled lemongrass chicken with a plate of spring rolls is the order we recommend most, and the fried rice travels well if you decide to carry it home. It suits couples wanting a slower meal and families early in the day, and the open verandah catches the afternoon breeze off the river.
Where is the best quick lunch on the strip?
Distance: about a 21-minute walk from Hampton Court Apartments. Directions: mid-strip at 145 Racecourse Road, near the Ascot end. Hours: 12pm to 2pm and 5:30pm to 8:30pm, seven days.
Taro’s Ramen has a reputation well beyond Ascot; more than one Brisbane list has called it among the best ramen in the country. The bowls are the reason to walk down, with a proper long-cooked broth and a full vegan menu alongside the classics, so a mixed table is easy to feed. Guests travelling solo on work trips tell us it is their go-to because you can walk in, sit at the counter and be eating in minutes. Come at midday before the lunch crowd builds, or wander down for an early dinner on the way home.
Are there burgers and casual food for the kids?
Distance: about a 20-minute walk, at the Ascot end. Directions: 120 Racecourse Road, a few doors up from Taro’s. Hours: 11am to 9pm Monday to Thursday, to 10pm Friday.
5 Boroughs is our answer when someone in the group just wants a burger and a booth. It is a New York-styled bar and grill doing hand-crafted burgers, wings, tacos and waffle fries, and the ginger pepper caramel wings are the plate people come back for. It runs later than most of the strip, so it works for a relaxed family dinner or a casual drink, and the kitchen is happy to keep things simple for younger eaters. Walk down mid-afternoon and you will usually find a table without a wait.
What about a proper Thai dinner?
Distance: about a 21-minute walk from Hampton Court Apartments. Directions: 133 Racecourse Road, in the middle of the strip. Hours: lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday, dinner Monday.
That Thai rounds out the walk with a full Thai menu across lunch and dinner most days. It is a sit-down room but also does a brisk takeaway trade, so on a night when you would rather eat back at the apartment with the balcony door open, you can walk down, order, and carry it home while it is still hot. Regulars rate the curries and the pad see ew, and the staff are used to sorting mild versions for kids. It is the sort of neighbourhood dinner that makes a Clayfield stay feel like living here rather than visiting.
FAQs
How far is Racecourse Road from Hampton Court Apartments?
The Ascot end of Racecourse Road is about a 20-minute walk from our front door on Sandgate Road, or roughly a six-minute drive. Ascot railway station sits right on the strip, on the same Doomben line that runs through Clayfield, so a quick train or rideshare works too.
Can we walk back to Clayfield after dinner in the dark?
Yes. The footpaths along Racecourse Road and the streets back toward Clayfield are sealed and lit, and the walk is a flat 20 minutes. If it is late or the kids are tired, a rideshare from the strip back to Hampton Court Apartments is a short, cheap trip.
Is anything on Racecourse Road open early for breakfast?
Plenty. Petrichor & Co opens at 6am daily and Verandah on Racecourse from 5:30am, so an early walk down for coffee and eggs is easy. Both suit families, and you will be back at the apartment well before checkout on a travel day.
Where should we start if we only have time for one place?
For a first taste of the strip, walk down for lunch and split it: coffee and pastries at Petrichor & Co, then a bowl at Taro’s Ramen a few doors along. That gives you the two sides of Racecourse Road, cafe culture and proper cooking, in one easy outing.
Walking to Ascot is one of the quiet advantages of basing yourself in Clayfield: you get a whole dining strip on foot without needing the car. When you are ready to plan a stay, take a look at our current specials for the best direct rate, and see how close everything sits on our location and travel page.
Image credit: Racecourse Road
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