Good places to eat out with children

[Starsailorsue]

I would like mumsnet to start a "guide" for child friendly places to eat (good and bad). I have been prompted by finding a supposedly child friendly pub - The Three Magpies in Sells Green, Wiltshire. 400 yds from canal walks, big garden with children's play area and attractive old building. Perfect apart from the piles of dog mess around the garden and even in the play bark. It doesn't take long to work out what happened next.

I would love to hear of genuinely child friendly venues and warn others of bad ones. The only way I can see of getting better service for families is by patronising the good ones and avoiding the bad ones and that means publicising the info. At the moment such info is "semi-hidden" in the talk section but I would love to see this given space in its own right, maybe county by county

Excellent idea, especially the 'county by county' bit as I'm in the North East and get the impression that most 'mumsnet' readers are a bit further South. Generally speaking I've always found Italian restaurants/pizzerias to be very child friendly and would recommend an 'early evening' trip to one of these as a first venture when eating out with little ones

Well I'd like to start by recommending The Harvester chain of restaurants. They do not provide 'fine' dining but are family friendly with colouring pages and crayons. They have a great salad bar that kids can choose from as soon as we walk in the door so no boring waits. A meal for 10 recently including drinks came to £91!!! (They do a cheaper menu if you sit down before 6pm, doesn't matter if you finish after 6pm though).

Our local is in Cuffley, Herts. Not sure if there is a garden but it is on a main road so not very picturesque!