kid friendly restaurants Archives - Page 3 of 3

Vive La Crepe; Kid-friendly Restaurants, SoHo, Manhattan, New York

February 9, 2013 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food, SoHo / 1 Comment

It seems like something as simple as a really good crepe can be hard to find. We’ve been obsessed with the Vive La Crepe chain for a while, and last weekend went to SoHo just for crepes.

The store is run very efficiently. Order and pay at the counter, and your crepe will be ready within about 10 minutes. They’re super friendly towards the babes, and will bring over your food if they see you have your hands full.

Order at the counter – huge selection of crepes.

What makes them so good? The perfect batter, crisp on the edges, soft and slightly sweet in the middle, and plenty of fresh toppings like mozzarella, tomato and basil (my favourite). Their dessert crepes also rock my world – we can never settle at just one savoury crepe, we always need to go back for more.

It turns out that babies have good taste and love crepes too. Cheese went wild for the batter as well as the fillings – gooey cheese in particular. They’re fab for kids cos they can hold pieces in their hands and it doesn’t make too much of a mess.

The only downside is this SoHo location is a bit cramped when you bring a baby. The chain has various locations though, and we’ve also been to Vive La Crepe at Union Square, which had lots more space for strollers as well as lots more tables in general, so you don’t have to stalk other diners to get a seat. Note – none of the locations that we’ve been to have highchairs, so prepare to balance your kid on your lap and eat one-handed – which is actually fine because you can easily do this with the crepes (they come folded in a triangle shape in a little paper cone). Vive la crepe! See you again soon!

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No. There is a small space next to the counter where you can fold a stroller, or if it’s pretty empty inside you can park the stroller next to your table.
Easy access: Yes. One step to get in.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Vive La Crepes
51 Spring St,
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (646) 484 6897
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-12am, Sun 9am-12am

Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Manhattan, New York

January 28, 2013 / East Village, Manhattan Munchies / 0 comment

I had a massive craving for mac & cheese, so off we went on a freezing cold day to Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese – AKA S’MAC. There are so many things I love about S’MAC – the number one thing being they share my philosophy that mac & cheese is more than just a side dish – it’s a genre of meal to be celebrated.

The restaurant is pretty tiny, with tables squished together. Come on a weekend at peak lunch time and be prepared to stalk other diners to score a table.

Major Munch Garden Lite – not pretty but sooooo good.

There are several size options for your mac & cheese. I like the Major Munch because it means I have leftovers to take home.

You will also be overwhelmed with options for your mac dish – do you want it classic, with veggies, garlic or meat mixed in? If you have special dietary needs you’re taken care of. S’MAC offers gluten-free and multi-grain pasta, as well as lactose-reduced and vegan cheese.

When your dish arrives (they’re pretty quick!), it comes piping hot in a little pan. It’s not the prettiest dish in the world, but damn, it sure is tasty!

While the restaurant isn’t the most baby-friendly place around, it’s very welcoming to kids with its chaotic, colourful environment, and fun food that most kids will love.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No. This place is super tiny. Bring a carrier or folding stroller and prepare to squeeze in.
Easy access: Yes. One step to get in the entrance.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No. But did I mention pretty much all they serve is mac & cheese?
Baby-friendly rating: ♥—-

Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese
345 E 12th St,
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 358 7912

Hours:
Sun-Thur 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat 11am-1am

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Rucola; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York

January 4, 2013 / Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

This little neighbourhood joint is a hot spot for brunch on weekends. We turned up one chilly morning before Christmas with a group of 6 adults and the Cheese and were told it would be a 15 minute wait. So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. 45 minutes later, it turned out that there was a table who had finished up over half an hour ago but wouldn’t leave (don’t you HATE that?! Especially at peak eating times?!).

So by the time we sad down we were all hungry, freezing cold, and not in the best mood. And that was just the adults. Cheese had already run through her tolerance for boring adult outings and was ready to run around like a crazy turkey.

Rucola has a great little menu, and a really lovely, cosy ambiance. Lots of families were crowded inside, with plenty of other kids also loosing their brains at the dining tables. After our long wait for a table, we were left waiting for service too – it maded me want to grab a waiter and say, “Hello, sir, see this angry baby? It’s in both of our best interests to get us eating and out of here as quickly as possible”.

Waiting for food. Thank God for the iPhone.

Just before the food arrived I noticed that had high chairs tucked behind the bar and requested one. I’m not sure why they weren’t offered on arrival.

The food when it arrived was really delicious. I had the Nutella French toast and it was divine. We ordered Cheese her own “small side of scrambled eggs”. It came out with enough egg to feet two adults. I was amazed to see Cheese hoeing into it with gusto – until I noticed that over 50% of it had ended up on the floor…

Highchairs: Yes – remember to request it.
Stroller storage: Yes but minimal. Bring an umbrella stroller.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No, but there are kid-friendly options and they’ll make special items on request.

Rucola
190 Dean Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (718) 576 3209
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am–12am Sat-Sun 10am–12am
Get directions.

River Deli; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Brooklyn Heights, New York

December 3, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Brooklyn Heights, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

The River Deli is run by Sardinian expats Giovanna Fadda and her husband, Andrea Mocci. It’s a cosy, family-oriented restaurant, serving delicious, pan-regional Italian food.

We weren’t thrilled about leaving our stroller on the sidewalk, but we sat by the window so we could keep an eye on it and had no problems.

The food was really tasty, the staff friendly, and the baby happily entertained by other local families sitting around us. She made new fans, we had a great brunch – a winning situation all around.

Traditional Sardinian breakfast dish. Yum!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Strollers are parked out the front. There is no room inside for strollers.
Easy access: Yes – wide entrance door and one step in.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

River Deli
32 Joralemon Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 254 9200
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm–11pm Sat-Sun 11am – 11pm
Get directions.

61 Local; Kid-friendly Restaurants And Bars, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 30, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

A favourite with families, particularly those with babies, 61 Local sums up the general parenting attitude in Brooklyn – drink in one hand, baby in the other. On week days you’ll find mothers groups baby wearing their newborns, and SUV-sized strollers in the corners. Weekends see both parents drop by to meet groups of friends. The tolerant staff only ask that babies are changed in the bathroom rather than on tables. Fair enough. Food is simple and tasty – order and pay for food and drinks at the bar, making for fast getaways when the babes start fussing.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes – there is plenty of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

61 Local
61 Bergen Street (at Smith street)
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (347) 763 6624
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-12am, Fri 7am-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-12am
Get directions.

Extra image thanks to Yelp.

two8two Bar & Burger; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 29, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

The name says it all – this low-key joint is all about burger, burgers, and more burgers. They are super-welcoming towards families with kids of all ages too, so it’s a solid choice for a casual lunch out. Friendly, fast service certainly helps, as does the very kid-friendly interior, with very basic tables and chairs. No need to worry about toddlers acting up or throwing food around; they’ll certainly be in good company with the other kids enjoying a somewhat rambunctious weekend lunch with their families.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – lots of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

two8two Bar & Burger
282 Atlantic Avenue (Between Smith st and Boerum pl),
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 596 2282
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 12pm–12am, Fri-Sat 12pm–1am, Sun 12–11pm
Get directions.

Images thanks to Yelp.

E.A.T. Cafe; Kid-friendly Restaurants, UES, Manhattan, New York

November 27, 2012 / Manhattan Munchies, Upper East Side / 1 Comment

E.A.T. was opened by Eli Zabar in 1973. It was the first of Eli’s shops, filled with his ideas on what makes for great food – delicious bread, overstuffed sandwiches and salads made in small batches several times a day. E.A.T. is a great cafe to stop by on the way to or from the Met, particularly if you have your infant or toddler in tow. The cafe has lots of tables and space – we were sat immediately during a busy Sunday lunch period. Right after being seated, water arrived – in a bottle for us, and in a cute little cup with a straw for the toddler.

The service continued to be attentive and fast. A bread basket with three kinds of bread and butter quickly appeared (their tagline is “Everything comes with Eli’s Bread!”), and our meals arrived with astonishing speed. Dining was a bit pricey (a cheese omelette was $20), but hey, it is the UES after all, and it’s worth paying a bit extra to have an enjoyable dining experience with babies and toddlers.

E.A.T. water cup — The straw cup for our littlest diner went down well.

E.A.T. hot chocolate — Cheese captures and destroys a (cooled) hot chocolate.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – but minimal. We folded ours next to the table and it was no problem. Take an umbrella stroller or baby carrier if possible.
Easy access: Yes – one step to get in, and then navigate through the take away shop before getting to the entrance to the restaurant.
Change tables: No. The bathrooms are tiny (also a bit gross) – no room to even change a baby on the floor.
Kids’ menu: No.
Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥-

E.A.T. Cafe
1064 Madison Avenue (between 80th and 81th Sts),
New York, NY 10028
Phone: (212) 772 0022

Hours:
Mon-Sun 7am–10pm

Balthazar: Kid-friendly Restaurants, SoHo, New York

October 8, 2012 / Cheese, Manhattan Munchies, SoHo / 4 Comments

Not only is the food at this famous establishment delicious, the staff is also more than accommodating towards babies. While we were initially trepidatious about bringing the babies to Balthazar, the staff checked our strollers and sat us down quickly.

The ever-helpful staff brought us bread for the babes to chew on, baked freshly in the Balthazar Bakery, gave kids spoons to play with (which then then spent a considerable amount of time picking up again off the floor …), and a little crayon kit to draw with.

Brunch at Balthazar means fresh bread and pastries, best ordered in the bread basked and shared with a group, and one of their delicious egg dishes.

I always order the same thing – the scrambled eggs in puff pastry with asparagus (it actually comes with mushrooms as well, but I request it without the shrooms as I’m a bad vegetarian and hate mushrooms. It’s one of Balthazar’s signature brunch dishes for a good reason – perfectly cooked eggs and asparagus in flaky puff pastry. Yum!

The only downside we experienced was that the tables are tightly packed, making it hard to squeeze in with a highchair. Get to know your neighbours well! Reservations (a few weeks in advance if possible) are recommended to avoid waiting, particularly on weekends.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes (no stairs).
Change tables: No (they do have ample bench space in the restrooms however and are more than happy for babies to changed there).
Kids’ menu: No.

Balthazar
80 Spring Street
(b’ween Broadway and Crosby)
New York, NY
Reservations: +1 (212) 965 1414

Hours:
Breakfast
Mon-Fri 7:30am-11:30am, Sat-Sun 8am-9am
(continental only)

Brunch
Sat-Sun: 9am-4pm

Lunch
Mon-Fri 12pm-5pm

Dinner & after hours
Mon-Thu 6pm-12am, Fri-Sat 6pm-1am, Sun 5:30pm-12am