What would your ideal child friendly restaurant do?

[Daddster]

As a waiter in an Italian restaurant told me when I complimented him on how kid-friendly his establishment was, his smiled response with a glance at DD1 was "we were all that size once".

So for those restauranteurs who have yet to realise this - go wild - soyez raisonnable, demandez l'impossible!!

A few suggestions for starters (pun intended):
Highchairs (obviously) where you can strap the children in.
A place where you can put the pushchair without having to fold it up.
Bring Crayons and colouring-in sheets and a small bowls of crudités to the table without being asked.
Have the option of a "baby-tapas" (i.e. several small bowls of different kinds of food in case the kid turns up its nose up at one type of food).
Have a baby-changing table in the disabled loo or somewhere where you can park the pushchair easily.
Have the loo-seats which are also suitable for small children.
Ask whether the parents want bibs and beakers just in case they have been forgotten.
Have the loo on the same floor as the restaurant.
No added salt in children's dishes.
Plates and cups which won't smash if dropped.
A sideroom with a comfortable chair where Mum can breastfeed in quiet (if she wants some privacy) with a water fountain.

There must be more...

Ban grumpy customers who tut at children being children.
Free gin for the parents

Just to add my 2 cents worth...

1. Serving kids meals with adults starters (normal procedure for the places we go.)
2. Serving adult starters as children's meals. My kids don't like the "usual" kids menus so have 2 adult startes instead, again something the places we go to already do.)
3. Supervised play areas where the kids can go and play while you finish up. (I'm not talking about the horrible, unclean indoor play places at some pubs! Maybe a library or small cinema where kids can watch the latest film around a big screen TV.)
4. Something other than crayons for the kids to play with, (Nintendo or portable DVD player, with headphones? Or am I just taking it a bit too far?)
5. Opening times before 7pm
6. Reasonable price for the quality of food. I don't mind paying a bit more, but I want value for money and that includes kids meals, (read adult starters!)
7. Small salad forks for those 2 yr olds who want to use "real" utensils.
8. Like in Spain and Italy, restaurant staff who are happier to see the kids than you. It's makes such a nice change.
9. Located somewhere other than London. Seems like the best places to take the kids all are in London. Or at least there aren't too many in Northamptonshire!
10. Children's meals that are served at a temperature which would indicate that the chef and/or wait staff have children of their own. Seems like most kid's meals are served either luke warm, bordering on cold or are so hot that they burn the roof of your mouth off and you're left with that feeling of skin peeling off! (Sorry if anyone is eating while reading this!) I guess 10 is a good start for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more!

If it's any consolation, London restaurants who "get" the whole kid-thing are rare further out than zone 2 in the the big bad city as well. Once you're beyond Northcote Road in Clapham, it really starts to tail off badly.

NOT bringing your dinner out before the kids dinner.

You wait for theirs
(which is normally piping hot) and you spend the next five minutes chopping, blowing and carrying out distracting techniques. Then your meal is a lovely cool temperature.

NOT bringing out hot plates for the kids. 'Mind the plate is hot' - does not wash with my 20 month old!!

Daddster,
Why is this so hard? If you can find a place, chef and staff, seems to me that you've hit a gold-mine. With franchise possibilites as well! If I could cook meals for more than 4 people and have it not turn out like prison food, I'd do it in a heartbeat, (not that I've been in prison and know what the foods tastes like!)

TBH I can and have coped without most of this. But I do agree with spoo's point. That is just common sense and very easily achieved.

I think there are lots of child-free places around everywhere now, take Pizza Express for example - think their new Piccolo menu is really nice, they bring crayons and food is nice.

doh, sorry - mean child-FRIENDLY, not free!

Places that take your kids into a soundproof padded room with cctv cameras so you can eat you dinner in peace while knowing they are safe and cannot escape.

lots of the things here are good ideas but imho being child-friendly doesn;t come from a list of prescriptions from management. a really child-friendly restaurant is one where the staff talk to your children, like they are people; and acknowledge that parents might not want everything the same as those without kids so ask what you need/would like. staff who have been "exposed" to kids, in some way, are the ultimate for a child-friendly restaurant. ime Italian restaurants just get it.

Alas I too have too little culinary talent to make a runner of this. You're right - find a place with a high push-chair count and you've got a winner...

I like the idea of the little library / soft play area, but must be cleaned often, otherwise they get SO grotty!

The Blue Kangaroo on King's Road in Chelsea came pretty close to being ideal but sadly it has shut down.

I can cope with unfriendly loo seats, I can bring my own crayons, I don;t need a child's menu (as long as you don;t look at me funny when I ask for an extra plate) but I want my children to be welcome

Bozza,
I've coped without all of this as well. Daddster just asked us to go wild, so I did. I always take wipes, booster seats, bibs, nappies, cups, utensils, snacks, and amusements for each of my kids. I would happily take both, 7 and 2.5 years to just about any restaurant, anywhere and know that they would be happy and well fed and not be a bother to the other patrons. They've been doing it their whole lives. They know how to behave in restaurants and that they'll eat good, if interesting food. They actually don't like the typical "kids menu" and will order adult starters instead. My feeling is that if you're going to take your child to a non-typical family restaurant, then be prepared to keep the kids entertained for 2 hours in a seat. That means a lot of preparation and at table work on your part, but it pays off in spades. My DS1's favorite restaurant in London is Moro. DS2 doesn't articulate very well yet, but I'm sure he'll have a favorite soon!

we have a local garden centre that has a lush cafe/bistro serving delicious food - it's by a lake and has a securely-fenced garden with big patio, tables, shades - and then swings, sandpit, tractor, slide etc for children to play on. it's fab!

my fave London restaurant to take the kids to is Tas - in fact, we are off there for my birthday next week

All those things are good of course

How do posters feel about children getting down from the table and running around the restaurant?

Is it (a) verboten (b) tolerated for a short time or (c) encouraged?

Bring my DCs food before ours (usually turns up minutes afterwards )... so it can be cooling down.

Yes I know JandDmom, I think hatwoman has articulated my thoughts quite well. I can't tell you much about London restaurants because I have never taken my children to London. Mine are 6 and 3 and the last time we went out to eat was New Year's Eve to an Indian and it was just fine for the children. They shared a chicken korma, had bits of our starters/rice/naans, were given complimentary ice-creams etc. It was lovely. I don't think we took anything for them to play with, but because we had been to the pantomime that afternoon we had plenty to talk about.

Quattrocento,
Both my boys know that in a restaurant they have to stay in their seats the whole meal. Getting down isn't even thought of. Of course I make sure that I've got stuff for them to do while they are in their chairs. Once in France my DS1, who was 2 at the time, had to sit through a 4 hour meal. He did so perfectly, but only with direction and support from me. Parents have to be involved with their children in restaurants. If you want a quiet meal with your partner, then hire a sitter and go out alone. Don't expect your child to sit, with nothing to do, for 2 hours. It's just asking for trouble.

You are mistaking me for someone who approves of children running around and shrieking in restaurants.

Quattrocento,
No mistake made and apologies for inferring so. In my humble opinion, no eating area, public or private, is it acceptable for children to be running around and shrieking. With the possible exception of picnic areas. But even then I would ask my children to finish their meal then go run and shriek, as long as it was far from other picnicers (sp?).

picnickers

And well said.

:-

Back to the the thread - I do like child menus that are cut down variants of adult menus -

So Pizza Express for instance is okay because it basically does smaller versions of adult pizzas - rather than sausage n chips or fishfingers n chips which is what my local pub does ...

That was meant to be a smiley for Mrs Cellophane