Dining out with a baby, toddler, or even preschool-age kid isn’t always the easiest – you have to worry about strollers, high chairs, tantrums and picky eaters. Luckily, NYC has restaurants to suit even the youngest New Yorkers. Here are some of the best kid-friendly restaurants in Manhattan.
Upper West Side
Gabriela’s
This family-owned Mexican restaurant is family-friendly, too. It has a nursing enclosure and a changing table, according to Eater’s guide to family-friendly dining.
There’s indoor and outdoor seating, and the menu has classic Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes.
688 Columbus Ave @ 93rd st
Alice’s Tea Cup
The Alice In Wonderland-themed menu at this Upper West Side tea room is a whimsical experience for kids and adults alike.
Kids can wear glitter and fairy wings that are provided at the restaurant, and it also hosts kids’ birthday parties. The kids’ menu even has pureed baby food.
102 W 73rd St
Gramercy Park
Maialino
This Gramercy Park restaurant is noted for family-friendly service and good Italian eats.
Several Yelp reviewers wrote that even though Maialino is a fancy restaurant, employees don’t mind making room for strollers at the table.
Italian restaurants are great for picky eaters, since there are usually kid-friendly pastas on the menu. Maialino has basic staples like Cacio e Pepe and Fettuccini Bolognese for kids, and more adventurous dishes like squid ink pasta with crab, jalapeno and basil for parents.
2 Lexington Ave
Midtown
Mom’s Kitchen & Bar
This trendy spot has a fun, retro theme that kids will love. If you and your kids want to indulge your sweet tooth, there are oversized, loaded milkshakes topped with everything from fruity pebbles to cupcakes.
There’s also a kids’ menu, but even the regular menu is kid-friendly, with an array of pancakes and sandwiches.
701 9th Ave. (at 48th St.)
Tribeca
Maman
The French cafe was modeled after chef Armand Arnal’s childhood in the South of France. The café is “very kid-friendly,” and even offers a stroller valet, according to a write-up in the New York Times.
Maman’s kids’ menu also comes with a fun “Let’s Learn French” section so that older children can practice French phrases while they wait.
211 W Broadway
East Village
The Smith
This popular family-friendly restaurant is noted for fast, kid-friendly service. Their big brunch menu will suit everyone in the family, and there’s also a long list of snacks — like hot potato chips and baked mac and cheese — that are good for kids.
55 Third Ave (between 10th and 11th Street)
Upper East Side
David Burke Tavern
The Upper East Side staple, David Burke Tavern is a great spot for weekday lunch with other moms, or for family brunch on Sundays.
Happily accommodating children – though not on the main lunch menu – the restaurant can whip up kid-friendly dishes, or help parents introduce a variety of foods to expand picky eaters’ palates.
135 E. 62nd Street
Marilyn Icsman is a student at Ohio University and a current Mommybites intern. She previously interned at USA Today and also covers politics in her home state of Ohio.
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