A total hipster hangout – with delish, reasonably-priced food? It’s true, it does exist. Quarters are a little tight indoors, but still workable with a stroller or highchair. The food is stellar – our budding gourmet loved the egg scramble with mushroom, gruyere and broccoli. You can also order easy add-ons like a cup of yoghurt or side of toast for babies on solids.
Giant side of yoghurt = happy baby.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes – and you can park your stroller at the table if you prefer. Easy access: Yes (one step to get in). Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No.
Building On Bond
112 Bond Street (at Pacific st),
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (347) 853 8687
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon-Thu 12–4pm, 5–10pm
Fri 12–4pm, 5–11pm
Sat 11am–3pm, 5–11pm
Sun 11am–3pm, 5–10pm Get directions.
A neighbourhood brunch favourite, Watty & Meg is happy to accommodate Brooklyn’s littlest diners. Friendly staff create a fun vibe as well as providing good service. Add in solid food and a relaxed atmosphere, and you’re in for an enjoyable brunch for the whole family. The omelets in particular are very good.
The menu is the tastiest dish of all.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes – but minimal, so bring a fold-up stroller if possible, or park your larger stroller at an outdoor table in warm weather. Easy access: Yes. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No.
Watty & Meg
248 Court Street (at Kane St),
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 643 0007
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon-Thu 12–4pm, 5–10pm
Fri 12–4pm, 5–11pm
Sat 11am–3pm, 5–11pm
Sun 11am–3pm, 5–10pm Get directions.
This casual, seasonal restaurant (only open when the weather is warm enough) is perfect for families and mother’s groups to meet up during the week or on weekends. Located on the riverfront, the space is huge, so plenty of room for giant strollers and large groups, particularly on weekdays. No need to worry about fussy babies here – the open-air environment absorbs the worst of the noise. Since the restaurant opens up onto the Riverside Park walkway, you can get up and stroll cranky babies whenever needed without leaving your group.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Lots of space for strollers. Easy access: Yes. Change tables: No (there are lots of park benches nearby where babies can be changed however). Kids’ menu: Yes. Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
PIER i CAFÉ
500 W 70th Street (in Riverside Park South)
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 362 4450
Hours:
PIER i CAFÉ will open any day above 65 degrees, from May 1st to mid-October (weather permitting).
Coffee Bar
Monday – Friday: 8AM – 5PM
Saturday & Sunday: 8AM – 4PM
While kids and teenagers on the ground floor whirl around the self-serve candy bar, minutes away from a sugar coma, upstairs is a bright, pastel haven where you and your little ones can sit in giant life-sized cupcake booths (excellent privacy for nursing mothers) and chug down sweet candy-themed cocktails from the bar. Savoury food is limited to pizza and build-your-own deluxe peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (add-ins include things like rice krispie treats, so this isn’t your typical sandwich). Their speciality is, of course, desserts, so be prepared for a sugar-high pretty much as soon as you walk in the door.
Sugar rush!Cocktail + sugar = bliss.Cupcake booth.Too much sugar for everyone.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: No – but there is plenty of room for strollers to wheel around or sit at your table with you. Easy access: Yes – an elevator to the 2nd floor where the cafe is housed. Change tables: Yes. Kids’ menu: No – but most older kids will eat pretty much anything on the menu. Ice-cream – hello? Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Dylan’s Candy Bar
1011 3rd Avenue at 60th street,
New York, NY 10065
Phone: (646) 735 0078
Hours:
Mon-Thu 10am–9pm
Fri-Sat 10am–11pm
Sun 11am–9pm
A place this cute and kitschy screams child-friendly – until you read the sign on the door that reads “Absolutely no strollers or carriages allowed in the restaurant”. The decor, with oversized clocks and stained glass lamps, is a vision out of Wonderland – but this land is for big kids, not toddlers and babies. When asked if they have highchairs, the server responds with a no – adding they have booster chairs however, which they don’t recommend we use because they’re not safe.
Having a heart-to-heart with a friend’s toddler, who is perched on the “un-safe” booster seats.
The tables are small and squished together, making it difficult to hold infants on your lap. Add to that slow service and a potential long wait for a table (half an hour on weekdays, up to an hour on weekends), and you’ve got a place that is best left till the kids are a lot older.
The redeeming feature of Serendipity 3 is that their meals are tasty and large portioned, including their speciality Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, which is large enough for four people to share.
Frrrozen hot chocolate. Huge.Three ladies, three babies. Stealth baby in the baby carrier. Forbidden strollers ready to be deployed.
Highchairs: No. Stroller storage: No Easy access: No – several stairs down into the restaurant, plus two flights of steep stairs if your table is in the upstairs section. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No. Kid-friendly rating: –—-
Serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 838 3531
Serendipity 3 accepts a limited amount of reservations for lunch and dinner only, not for desserts. To make a reservation for lunch or dinner please call (212) 838 3531.
Hours:
Sun-Thur 11:30am to midnight
Friday 11:30am to 1:00am
Saturday 11:30am to 2:00am
The smell of caramelised sugar wafting out of this cafe makes it near impossible to pass on by. A thoughtful ramp at the entrance makes it easy to roll up with your stroller and order treats that were definitely not on your daily diet plan. While there aren’t high chairs, there is enough space to stop by with your babe in their stroller as long as it’s not too busy. Their white blossom hot chocolate is a speciality that’s hard to say no to.
Bien Cuit
120 Smith St
(between Pacific St & Dean St)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 852 0200
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 7am-8pm Sun 8am-8pm Get directions.
The new food hall under The Plaza has more than 20 bright kiosks and stalls including Billy’s Bakery, La Maison du Chocolat, Tartinery, Sant Ambroeus desserts, Lady M Cake Boutique, Luke’s Lobster and Sushi of Gari. The cheerful environment is perfect for families to stop by for brunch, lunch or an early dinner. Little girls will love playing in the Eloise store, and your toddler can happily charge around the seating area without drawing disapproving glances from other diners.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Lots of space for strollers. Easy access: Yes – there is elevator access to the food hall level. Change tables: Yes. Kids’ menu: No. Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
The Plaza Food Hall
1 West 59th Street New York, NY 10019
Phone (212) 986 9260
A little girl’s dream come true, this cafe chain is heaven for kids and adults alike. Delightful scones, a large menu of tea and whimsical decor make this a fun place to eat. While it’s definitely kid-friendly, it’s not so great for young toddlers and babies. On weekends there is a long wait (usually an hour), no reservations, and slow service.
Give me!Three tiers of awesome.
Highchairs: Yes – a limited amount however. We were told during one visit that if wanted a table with a high chair it would be an additional wait time. Stroller storage: Limited space. Bring a stroller that folds up if possible. Easy access: No – lots of steps. Change tables: Yes. Kids’ menu: Yes. Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥–
Alice’s Tea Cup
102 West 73rd St
New York
Phone (212) 799 3006
156 East 64th Street
Manhattan
Phone (212) 486 9200
220 East 81st Street
New York
Phone (212) 734 4832
The Sweet Little Cafe recently re-opened with new management. It’s a cute little cafe that serves crepes, sandwiches, pastries and coffee. While the food is good, it’s sadly not baby-friendly in the least. Housed in a very small space, there are few tables, definitely no room for strollers, and the wait on the crepes has been an hour each of the two times that we have dropped by. Stop by with older kids only!
Colonie is a known date-night favourite. On the weekends however, it’s a brunch mecca for families. While the restaurant doesn’t feature a lot of baby-friendly amenities, it makes up for it with truly fine food and friendly staff who welcome kids of all ages. No reservations for brunch. Get there when it opens to avoid the queues.
