Eating out with kids – what makes a restaurant truly family-friendly? Share to win a £100 family meal.

[geemumsnet]

Parents, we’ve all been there - keeping DCs entertained, avoiding meltdowns, and maybe even enjoying a meal ourselves! But what really makes a restaurant great for families?

What are your non-negotiables: a brilliant kid's menu, welcoming staff or the little extras that make all the difference? Maybe you’ve had a standout dining experience you’d love to share. We’d also love to hear your top tips to make dining out with kids easier?

Tell us in the comments and vote in the poll for a chance to win a £100 gift card for Toby Carvery, Harvester or Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery. Enter by Monday 5th May. T&Cs apply.

Food they’ll eat and fast service.

Went somewhere on Saturday and the kids food came last which wasn't helpful.
So somewhere that brings the kids food first.

Quick service or at least some breadsticks or something to avoid the hangry.
Decent quality food - not just the usual tomato pasta or chips
Some space between the tables - so I’m not worrying about the kids speaking a bit too loudly for the people dining without kids

So once we've decided on what we'd like to eat, we make sure to check out the surrounding area of our chosen restaurant. It needs to be somewhere near some entertainment because afterwards - we like to go for a walk (if its daytime) or like an arcade or games station. We enjoy eating out and then hanging out after. We don't like to come straight home. But as a starting point, we need the resturant to have top reviews, it needs to have good hygiene rating and a good healthy menu.

Good kids menu- simple stuff they will eat that isn't ultra processed rubbish.

Not having to wait an age to get served.

Relaxed atmosphere and staff.

So many of the things mentioned resonate with me but one thing that comes up often related to service is people bringing the bill / taking payment etc. So often the service is great, food comes out quickly and then suddenly the waiting staff are gone and it’s like tumbleweed. That’s the point when the kids start getting grumpy and suddenly the chilled out loveliness of a meal out starts to dissipate in the face of restless boredom.

Some outdoor space for the kids to play in whilst they wait for their food.

For us it's the food options, so offering mini version of the adults and not everything with chips. Bring the food out all together so we can eat as a family not the kids eat then us. We stopped eating at completely family places as got fed up with other people's kids screaming, shouting and running about the place, getting in staff way etc and the parents not managing this behaviour as the attitude seemed to be the kids can do what they want as it's family friendly.

Tasty food with service in a reasonable time. Restaurants who are willing to adapt meals when needed.

Car park with wide enough bays to get kids in/out car seats and deal with prams/buggies without worrying you’re going to bash the car squeezed next to you.

Friendly staff who engage with kids, and don’t ignore them. Happy to accommodate requests such as food coming first etc.

Cleanliness - nobody wants to put their baby into a dirty high chair and let them put their hands on a filthy table. And clean changing areas.

Menu options is the most important - we got so so tired of the “beige and chips” unhealthy options - give them a taster plate of adult food please! Or at least a different veg from peas and beans. So dull.
Awareness and checking of allergies also super important

A little mini snack while food being prepared is a big help. Even just carrots or breadsticks helped.

Our fave cafe did amazing mini hot chocolates, just perfect size for a young child without overloading them with too much sugar. Made them feel grown up having a nice drink when we had our coffees.

Definitely a plain kids menu that's a little bit flexible. More than that though it's giving the kids, if they're young, something to do like a colouring book with some crayons or bringing something with you. Enough noise in a restaurant is also key!

I do have arty girls though so know colouring won't be for everyone!

Was in a restaurant the other evening and they had posters up advertising mum & baby breakfast mornings which was impressive.
We were then seated next to a stack of high chairs that were absolutely filthy, caked in smeared dried food all down the sides and legs. The tops had been wiped but they needed a good scrub.

Offer so much yet there’s always a catch.

A colouring sheet with crayons when they sit down. A good kids menu - simple with flexibility on sides etc for fussy eaters. A quick starter - like a few bread sticks/ carrots sticks with hummous - is helpful in case kids are famished. Kids main food to arrive before or at the same time as grown ups is crucial. All food not to take too long.

Somewhere with proper food for children, just smaller portions, not just chicken nuggets. A play area for kids is always appreciated.

A decent children’s menu obviously - and not just lazy options of nugget and chip type offerings.
when they’re little speed of service is vital.
Also being able to get a glass of milk - surprising how many restaurants seem to find this tricky 🤷‍♀️

Mini versions of adult meals for children. I hate the rubbish food often served up as kids meals. Also not just strawberry chocolate and vanilla ice cream for pudding. Some imagination and some flair is appreciated. Also a good range of drinks.

There’s a restaurant close to us that does a small kids (I think for under 6) and big kids menu (for 6-11), which works really well for us. We have a 9, 5 and 3 year old who obviously have different appetites and the option to order a small kids is much better. It’s really frustrating having to pay for a kids meal when you know that your 2 or 3 year old is only going to manage a third of it!

Also love a mini library forever so kids can borrow a book to look at whilst waiting.

There’s another place close to us that brings the kids a ‘starter’ really quickly, it’s only some hummus, carrots and cucumber but gives the kids something to much whilst they wait and helps with the impatience!

For me it has to be a good varied kids menu. So many restaurants have the same 4-5 dishes on repeat for kids and it’s usually bland and beige.
We were out last week and the restaurant offered anything from the main menu as a kids portion for half price which I thought was a great idea.

We also try and go places with a play area, and activity sheets etc to keep the DC occupied. We don’t go out very often and DH and I never get to go out just the 2 of us, so if the kids can run off and play for a bit after dinner so DH and I can enjoy our glass of wine in peace then all the better!

Oh and I like to be able to order and pay on an app so I’m not hanging about waiting for a bill to come.

Mine are older now but one of the best places we went, did just one menu. Kids just ordered a ‘small’ of anything on the menu.

We look for food that we all can enjoy, and if 'kids eat free' is in offer, then we will consider, we don't have a lot of spare money for treats, so it has to be an occasion we can all enjoy - we like a good dessert menu as this is the 'bribe' which can get them to behave, and eat nicely before ice creams can be get.

My toddler just won't sit still for a decent enough amount of time for us to eat a meal. So we only go to pubs/restaurants with an indoor or outdoor play area. I would love somewhere that offered small kid versions of the adult meals. My DS prefers things like lasagne or curry over chicken nuggets and chips. As a family of 4 living on 1 income, value for money will always be top of the list for us. I dont want to pay ridiculous prices for kids meals. Love pubs with a place to park the pram. Decent changing rooms. And friendly staff who don't mind the kiddie areas 😊

We go to Harvester because it's next door to our local cinema, and Toby's for birthdays, we love both, quick service, food they will enjoy with appropriate portion sizes, and when there are family meal deals - even better. It has to be clean and the serving staff friendly - which we found both have.

Fast service and colouring sheets and crayons, so many places stopped doing those now.

I have toddlers - and I think the ideal restaurant would be one that has:

• A play area (some sort of soft play/play mat where you can easily watch)
• Simple easy meals (chicken nuggets etc.)
• Large space