To despair at the quality and choice of kids menus?

[KerfuffleShuffle]

I'm currently in a major UK city with DD 5 years for 14 nights for DH's work. We're in a hotel so need to eat out at least once a day. I am absolutely fed up of the dross that makes ups kids menus. Just endless variations of cheap quality m nuggets/sausages and chips or bland pasta meals/margherita pizza. The only veg options are beans/peas or veggie stick starters.

I get that some children like the predictability of these meals, but what about the many children who don't? What about the children who enjoy a variety of foods and flavours? These aren't chain pubs where I understand these types of menu totally have their place and serve a need, but rather restaurants which have fresh and creative full adult menus.

I'm not anti junk at all, my DD is known to enjoy a happy meal more than I would like for admit -and thank goodness for fish fingers and potato waffles for a quick evening meal. But I wouldn't go out and order a freezer meal I can make at home, so why should children be expected to?

Needs to eat out as his food allowance? That’s a very bizarre policy.

Not really, his company give him a very generous £150 day budget. But it needs to be claimed against an actual eating establishment (and obviously only used for himself and not against alcohol). So he can use it at cafes/restaurants/fast food take outs but not supermarkets or convenience stores.

My kid was like yours. I guess in reality most places can make a small portion of an item the adult menu if you ask, they can't make a cheap, bland kids meal if they don't have those things in.

I read your OP and was about to say take them to Wagamama for the bento box!

From memory, I think Nando’s kids meals have vegetables.
As do Wetherspoons. In Spoons you can also add side salads / veg portions very easily.

Kids menus are often loss leaders to get parents in.

Many years ago, in Germany, when I had a 10 year old step-son, we ate out a bit, when he was with us.
The family joke was "Chrissi, there is a children's menu" usually received with a snort of contempt.
He liked his food, ate what we ate, was interested in cooking. Why would he want some crap?
Smaller helpings, possibly, but not deep-fried nothingness.
I taught him how to make real bolognese sauce when he was 12.

I know what you mean. Thing is I don't really order things in a restaurant I could cook reasonably at home. Like I wouldn't order chicken, salmon, pasta, sandwiches/toasties, soup, stew.

It has to be something with quite a few unusual ingredients or be something I can't cook myself. Like something like rabbit kidneys, snails, stewed octopus, pheasant, lobster etc. or food like Indian, Thai or Pakistani where there's lots of different spices.

I'd hope my kids would try some of these unusual tastes. And if not then fine to have nuggets and chips!

I seen a programme with Marcus Waring where he went to a primary school and seen how the kids behaved at the table and the food they were served (served being the correct word). Their manners were impeccable. It was in France of course.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing

It depends where you eat and what you choose, I always choose something that's a pita to cook at home, then you have things like the presentation, surroundings, being served, lovely dronk choices etc.