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Original poster

Kid Friendly cafes/restaurants in town

46 replies

bridgeandbow · 27/07/2011 13:24

I'm back in Edinburgh after a 15 year gap and trying to build up my repertoir or eateries in town! But I have 2 kids in tow now..

So far have been to:

Elephant House on George 4th bridge - dire
The Hub - terrible, slow and very overpriced.
Pizza Express - fine and you know what to expect.
Mama's - ok but kids menu pretty limited
Peters Yard on middle meadow walk - good, ok price but a few tutting adults!
Earthly Whole foods on causwayside - nice a bit expensive

I don't actually eat out that often, but when I do, it is nice to have some good places up your sleeve.

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Groovee · 27/07/2011 13:35

Apparently the Steak and Mussel bar in the grassmarket is really good for lunch with kids. A few people have mentioned it to me.

My 2 are 11 and 8 and always ask to go to BHS cafe. It usually quiet but I love their mac cheese.

Jimmy Cheungs is a good favourite too with one in Grindly Street and Waverley Bridge

PamSco · 27/07/2011 13:46

Ooh - what was up with Elephant House? Haven't been for years but I have a plan to meet a group there on Sunday.

All the Vittoria restaurants are family friendly.

Groovee · 27/07/2011 14:25

I've heard a few people complain about the elephant house with snappy service and poor food. One woman was asked to stop breastfeeding her twins as she waited for her coffee. :-S

OwlMother · 27/07/2011 17:37

There is a cafe upstairs, opposite the festival theatre, where Nicholson's used to be. Think it's called Spoon. Lots of space and good food, my kids liked it there.

Urban Angel is always good too.

iggagog · 27/07/2011 17:43

There's a cafe in the Scottish story telling theatre (next to John Knox's house) on Royal Mile. It has a big space next to the eating area, kids are allowed to play there/run around.

Original poster
bridgeandbow · 27/07/2011 18:25

Great - never heard of most of these places so will definately check them out.

Pamsco - I would really think about going elsewhere esp if you are eating. When I was there (albeit a few months ago) it wasn't table service so you had to q to order which took an age (bored kids didn't help). Food was terrible (think smash and nasty cheap sausages) when it finally did arrive. If you wanted coffee, cake etc you had to go up and go through the whole fiasco again.

The kitchen is absolutley tiny - should have sent alarm bells ringing. Would never go again!

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Original poster
bridgeandbow · 27/07/2011 18:29

Should also add that we had a good lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe on Broughton street (very handy for John Lewis - and much better than their cafe).

Nice atmoshere, very accommdating, even though I don't think they had a kids menu the kids got gorgeous mac cheese in little earthenware bowls. We had proper grown up food and draft beer! Think it is a gay bar!

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fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 27/07/2011 18:34

Butterflies cafe at Marchmont St Giles church is the most child-friendly cafe I know.

Original poster
bridgeandbow · 27/07/2011 18:57

I've been to Butterflies a couple of times but found it too kiddy, if there is such a thing! My boys are 3 & 5 and there were loads of (annoying Blush ) little kids running about the tables (I don't let mine do that as I like to go to grown up places too so they have been trained!). I was a bit manic and not all together pleasant!

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Bibbit · 27/07/2011 22:40

Would second the Steak and Mussel place in the Grassmarket...they seem to really like kids!
Also the Hard Rock cafe in George Street who took the kids order first and brought the food out when it was ready....meaning the adults got a chance at a relaxed meal (my kids are young though).
Vittoria's at Leith Walk is a no-brainer for kids and La Favorita for pizzas (owned by same guy.)
I had a bad experience at Centotre in George Street where we were seated slightly before 12 but weren't allowed to order before the lunch service started....jobsworths and blinking expensive for what we got. Advertises it as kid friendly but needs to look again.
But Zanzero in Stockbridge really likes kids! I would go there again!

BrawToken · 27/07/2011 22:50

Mussel and steak defo. John Lewis :) Cafe Camino behind John Lewis. San Marcos in Stockbridge is vvv family friendly, but the food is hit or miss depending on which chef is on. Loch Fyne at Newhaven. Cumberland beer garden if you're just after a pint.

Zanzero has shut down :(

Original poster
bridgeandbow · 27/07/2011 23:16

Ok I will definately go to the mussel and steak place first. Had a look on their website - quite pricey for dinner but good value for lunch - £7.50 for any main courses at lunch. No kids menu online, but I am lucky having 2 kids that they often split a main so often don't order off the kids menu.

Handy for the museum too!

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monkeycat · 27/07/2011 23:20

Yes , Vittorias is good , and they also have one on George IV Bridge too.

Brown's on George St is pretty good with a nice wee children's menu , and actually I took DD1 Harvey Nick's once for a treat ( really more a treat for me that her Wink ) and they had a lovely children's menu that was very good value with colouring sheets and everything !

Henderson's Bistro (just round the corner from Henderson's ) is meant to be pretty child friendly too.

Oh yes , and Moo Bar at Canonmills is nice too.

Gosh , it feels like ages since we've been out for lunch with the kids , unless it was Ikea - we must get out more !

evitas · 28/07/2011 10:42

I would add the " water of leith cafe bristo" on Coburg Street. it's great for kids.
Very child friendly (they even have a couple of toys) and kids menu
it's a small place so it's better to book a table during the weekend.

Groovee · 28/07/2011 11:11

We also enjoy The Peach Garden for Chinese in St John's Road. They don't have high chairs but I used to take my booster seat that I had. They accommodate our children really well. Fabio's on Glasgow Road is good for Italian but busy and I would suggest booking. They're open for lunch too.

TheWicketKeeperIsDown · 31/07/2011 13:11

We love Cafe Rouge on Frederick St. It's not too kiddy, but the staff are fab and really accommodating - crayons and paper get brought for DD, for example. The kids menu is ok, bit great for us in particular as DD has food allergies and there's stuff there I know is safe.

gingerwench · 01/08/2011 21:54

DS liked Yo Sushi (Harvey Nics) recently. Otherwise, John Lewis, Cafe Rouge, Browns, most of the ones recommended here and we generally don't find we need to go obviously "child-friendly" to have a good meal. I liked Peter's Yard but I was oblivious to any tutting however I prefer table service when with children if poss.

TheWicketKeeperIsDown · 02/08/2011 07:10

And I agree about Centotre - we went after a friend told us it was really kid-friendly. I've never felt so in the way.

Original poster
bridgeandbow · 02/08/2011 22:32

Thanks for all the tips. Been back to Peter's Yard again last week and agree about the table service - it took an age to order. Eventually went to the take out Peters Yard out the back in the Quartermile (which has outside seats only) and got coffee and delicous icecreams. Was faster than the main cafe.

Anyone tried Chop Chop with kids? I have had a few great banquette meals with adult groups but not been with the kids (not sure how it would work!)

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Original poster
bridgeandbow · 05/08/2011 17:29

So I went to Spoon on Nicolson Street today...

First impressions good, nice eclectic decor, friendly staff, some kids toys, nice and spacious.

No kids menu, but they were happy to make up smaller things. I'm always a bit wary of this, as you never know what they will end up charging you.

There was an all day breakfast, so I ordered one sausage and baked beans for both my kids. I also got a basket of bread. They like baked beans so I asked for lots. Now, any mother of small kids would know that this would be the perfect time for the waitress to say "oh by the way, our baked beans are actually home made from haricot beans and tomatoes"!! But no, this information was not forthcoming....

Not surprisingly the beans did not go down well! So that was £5.90 for 2 cooked sausages and an extra £1.50 for 4 slices of bread and butter.

My all day breakfast on the other hand was devine!

On balance though, one for when you are kid free!

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gilmoregirl · 12/08/2011 18:04

I love spoon but unfortunately would not take DS there as he would feel the same about the "homemade" baked beans!

Agree re cafe carmio - so few people seem to know about it. I tend to stick to pizza express for eating as know that DS will actually eat the food as hate paying for food he does not touch!

Also experined tutting adults in Peter's yard so tend to avoid and make do with starbuck next door - the staff there are lovely - DS once spilit his entire hot chocolate all over the place and they could not have been nicer about cleaning it up and gettin him a new one.

rookiemater · 12/08/2011 18:10

The staff in La Partenope on Dalry Road are lovely to children. We went early evening so they weren't busy and they really spoiled him.

An odd one was Koi the japanese teppanyaki place, my Dad was desperate to go, DS is dead fussy so I checked the menu online and they had a crispy chicken thing. Our food was excellent but the chicken they used for his thing was very strange all brown meat and DS refused to touch it so that was £7 down the drain. They were very nice to us though.

DS likes our local pub because they have a couple of dangly fake spiders that they can be convinced to let down, also Tusitala which is at Fairmilehead because he can watch the pizzas being made. Mostly we just go to Pizza Hut because of the cheap deals Blush

Besom · 12/08/2011 18:57

I went to Spoon today. Lovely environment, nice and relaxed.

Service was really, really slow, though and inattentive. Food not particulary child friendly which seems strange to me considering the rest of it. And it cost me rather a lot of money for not very much.

Pearces on Elm Row at top of Leith Walk is similar - box of toys for them to play with, and they do have a children's menu (albeit a limited one). Is also somewhat overpriced though, in my experience, but food is quite nice.

Both of these places are invaluable with young dc if you just want somewhere to flop for a while.

Also went to Two Thin Laddies at Tolcross the other day. Seemed fairly reasonable pricewise. High chairs etc.

Agree - Moo at Cannonmills very nice.

Love Vittorias - have always felt extremely welcome in there since dd was tiny.

Besom · 12/08/2011 19:06

Must also mention Cafe Andaluz on George st - Spanish tapas place.

DD loves olives (strange 3 yo child) so I was laboriously cutting the lovely plump green olives they had given us up with a knife to get the stones out. The waiter noticed and came with a plate of stoned ones for her, without me having to ask.

Small thing but nice, especially as it is a busy place.

suzikettles · 12/08/2011 19:17

I really like The Treehouse Cafe next to the Meadows (Bruntsfield side).

Its very small, but the staff are lovely and it's a good place for brunch or a light lunch.