Kids in fine dining type restaurants. What age from?

[AlwaysFreezing]

Me and my brother are chatting about going to a restaurant with our families to celebrate a few birthdays in one hit.

There is a place that's fine dining, double rosette, not yet got a star, but I don't think it'll be long. It's a chefs menu, 6 course, 3 hours booking slot. We would love to take the kids with us, but we're not sure how well received they'll be, so I thought I'd ask here.

For reference this isn't our usual stomping ground. We eat out with kids, but Italian neighbourhood type places, or Indian restaurants, or chain ones. They know how to behave in restaurants and they don't need tech to occupy them over dinner.

The youngest child is 11.

What do you guys think? Is 11 a good age? What age is a good age? When is it too young?

I get that the experience may be wasted on a kid, or the other side of the coin, that if you don't expose then to this stuff, how do they learn about it?

We haven't made a decision yet, so just musing really, not dead set on it yet, but we're both keen to make a decision and get our table booked (here or somewhere else).

Very dependent on the child. My eldest is 7 and her behaviour is great, but she isn't great with cutlery and is picky with food so I wouldn't take her. But one or two of her friends could probably manage it if allowed to take a book.

Talk to the restaurant. We actually had Christmas dinner at an expensive hotel last year. This included two 2yos..... they are terrors to keep still! I spoke to the hotel and they said the usual rules were relaxed on Christmas day an it was ok. I brought crayons and we did colouring under the table..... best way to keep them quiet and not disturbing other diners! But certainly wouldn't have done it without an OK from the staff.

I also believe my FIL tipped massively and had probably hinted this to them in advance.

Love this! I thought you were talking about 4-5 year olds but 11 is the youngest? Definitely! My parents were taking me to those kinds of restaurants from around 6 or 7 and I loved it!
Never too young to expose them to new and different foods. Let us know the final decision!

At 11yo I’d expect them to be able to behave for a 3 hours meal.

Having done that as a child/near teenager myself, don’t expect them to appreciate the food and the occasion though!

Well if it’s good enough for the King or our MPs, it should be good enough for us plebs too no?

(see the fact the House of Parliament has HEPA filters integrated in their air circulation system and the King has air filters all over when he has people, like our PM, coming over).
So I’d say it’s very 2024 tbh

18 or not at all. 🙄😜

DC2, toddler, is a decorous and precise little creature who already behaves very well in restaurants and glares at fellow diners who fail to display the same level of decorum.

DC1, primary age, will probably never be welcome in such establishments 😂.

Youngest 11?

Absolutely! I think my 11 year old would love a fancy tasting menu, even if she didn't like everything on it. In fact she has discover so many new foods she likes in restaurants by getting to try quality cooking (rather than my comparables pathetic attempts at home!).

My 9 year doesn't have a big enough appetite, but the 11 year old can out eat an adult!

The only thing that has put me off taking them to places like that is the cost. It's a lot of money to spend on a child who might not fully appreciate it, but I'm tight. For a special ocasion I'd do it

I don’t think that age is the big issue it’s more about whether the kids involved have practiced the skills needed for this experience. If you think they have then you’re all set. How can they learn if they don’t try, right?

For reassurance maybe think about how previous times at restaurants went, successful contingencies you used for when they get fed up in the past or times when they had 3 hours of doing the same thing and it went well.

I am doing this for reassurance myself! We are going away for the first time in August and my 3 can sit well in a restaurant for 2 hours just enjoying each other’s company so using the same techniques (explaining what will happen etc) and hoping it will translate well on a plane. Best of luck OP I hope you and the kids have a fabulous time!