With the weather so cold and foul, I planned a lunch with friends at Smorgas Chef @ Scandinavia House purely because they also have a playroom in the building, and because they take reservations for brunch. Smorgas is known for its Scandinavian food, which makes most people think of meatballs. Being vegetarian, obviously meatballs are out for us – thankfully their brunch menu is full of traditional brunchy fare that everyone will like, including picky toddlers.
On arriving, we were met by a friendly hostess who immediately offered us a high chair and kids menu with crayons, and directed us to the stroller parking area. Immediate score! Between the waffles we ordered for the Cheese off the kid’s menu and the crayons, our cheesy little friend was having a ball.
Our server was a bit slow to take our order – and we had some really annoying screw ups with my order in the kitchen. Take note – do not try and make changes to any items on the menu, or you’ll be sorry! Also, if you’re a vegetarian, check your dish carefully for meat as you eat it.
The food was pretty good – the Cheese loved her waffles (which came with a little milk box).
After lunch we made our way to the Heimbold Family Children’s Playing and Learning Center upstairs. It was a pretty cute little area – lots of engaging things for kids to play with, like a slide, train table, play kitchen and mushroom house. It was also completely packed with parents and kids, so it wasn’t the best experience – toddlers all wanting to play with the same toys … cue all kinds of excitement!
Would we be back? Probably not to the restaurant, unless we wanted to go to the play space again. When the weather is nasty out, it’s definitely a really good option for a Saturday afternoon.
Highchairs: Yes. Stokke of course!
Stroller storage: Lots – bring your giant stroller if needs be.
Easy access: Yes. They have elevator access.
Change tables: Yes – although you have to get the elevator down to the floor below to use the restrooms, which is a bit odd.
Kids’ menu: Yes.
Baby-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Smorgas Chef @ Scandinavia House
58 Park Ave
(between 37th St & 38th St)
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 847 9745
Hours:
DINNER: Mon-Sat 5pm-9:30pm
Brunch: Sat-Sun 11am-5pm
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-5pm