We went out for lunch yesterday with our three kids and it was actually fun.
Sometimes it’s not fun. In fact, there are occasions when dining out with them is an absolute nightmare.
However, when it’s fun, it’s great. It means exploring new foods together, sharing an experience, and it’s one less meal to clean up at home.
We dined at Memories of Japan (see left)on Don Mills Road (Toronto). Here’s why it was fun:
1. The space was bright, airy, clean and spacious. Our table was big, the kids could walk around and explore. The atmosphere was busy but not congested. Gone are the days of eating in cosy, intimate spaces. Let’s face it, those spaces don’t want us. We need somewhere where we can fade into the business and go unnoticed. Inevitably, there will be a spill, a meltdown or worse, and small spaces make our drama too conspicuous.
2. Sushi is interactive. My kids ordered their maki and then went up to the sushi bar to watch the chef prepare their meal. They LOVED this. They giggled and oohed and aahed as their lunch was rolled up into neat little seaweed-covered wonders.
3. The food arrived quickly. The time factor is one thing many restaurants don’t get when it comes to kids. There is a very limited window within which my kids can behave themselves in a public setting. After that point, it’s all downhill and no-one is safe. Ideally, a kid-friendly restaurant gets your order on the table within ten to fifteen minutes, as it did at MOJ.
4. The servers were friendly and comfortable with small children. There’s nothing worse than going out to eat and feeling like the waiter hates you and your kids. This happened to us at a brunch place on the Danforth, and we left before the food arrived. A server who chats and engages the kids makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
5. Good food. Last but not least, the food has to be good. I’m not willing to sacrifice delicious food for a kid-friendly environment. But, would I go somewhere that has great food, but is not welcoming to my kids? No way. Times have changed, and my needs are different. Ten years ago, my husband and I would not hesitate to suffer through hole-in-the-wall decor, terrible service and/or snobbish servers all in the name of a delicious meal. That is no longer the case. There has to be a happy medium wherein our kids are content, and the food is enjoyable.
A few restaurants which fit the bill are Joey’s, Boston Pizza, Udupi Palace, Pantheon, Bamiyan and lots of places in Chinatown. Family-run ethnic restaurants are a good bet because they tend to be accustomed to kids and chaos.
Thanks for the feedback, ladies!
Naomi, I would love to get the name of that greek restaurant.
Sara, I’ve never explored the Bloor/Islington area, but i’d love to, and the Longest Yard sounds great. you’re so right, the crayons and windows are huge when it comes to kids – distraction is key. was the Indian buffet called Siddhartha?
Maria, i love Swiss Chalet with the kids. we went there on the last PA day and it was great and fast. the food is yummy too. I wish there was a Mandarin near me b/c i love that place.
Cynthia, i’m disappointed about the Keg – I would have thought, like you, that it would have been very family-friendly. Too bad!
LOL! Oh, so true. Gone are the days of dining out with the sole purpose of eating amazing food!
Funny, while on vacation this week, we ended up eating at The Keg, which I thought would be a reasonably decent place to take 4 adults and 7 children. Nope! First, they seated us at tables pushed together in the bar area so the stools and table itself were tremendously high for the little ones. This meant we were all on slip-off-the-chair alert all night long. Then the waitress tried being funny and chatty with the adults and took her time with us ordering, etc. My thought was “get your butt in gear, woman! Can’t you see there are seven children here that need nourishment?”
In the end, we all survived but there were several near-disasters.
I will have to remember Memories of Japan next time we are in that area!! 🙂
Love the post! It’s all too true, which is why our only options for the last little while has been the Mandarin & Swiss Chalet – both are fast & family friendly. So glad to hear about Joeys! I went there with a friend & loved it but it didn’t look like a family/kid place at all. Was too scared to bring my boys there.
Great post Amreen! I’d add another family friendly thing to your list….tables by windows and crayons! We go to the Longest Yard at Bloor and Islington…a LOT. They bring crayons stat, balloons, and have lots of tables by windows for a certain boy who could watch cars for hours. And I totally agree on the family run ethnic places – my friend with twins and I went to a place in Little India – the kids were nuts, but the owners loved it – and it was a buffet so we could be in and out in half an hour!
OMG we just went to a greek restaurant with the kids and it went as well as it could. The server was so awesome that she gave our little girls little plastic bead bracelets off her own wrist. They brought the kids food IMMEDIATELY and were quick with ours as well. All in all a good place to go.
I have to agree with you about everything! What you look for is exactly what we look for as well.
Great post!