Best Family-Friendly Restaurants In New York

By Ellie Smith

10 months ago

Where to go for a family dinner in the Big Apple


Dining out with the kids doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your own enjoyment. New York is brimming with great eateries where little ones are more than welcome, but the menu isn’t all chicken fingers and tomato pasta. Here we round up the best family-friendly restaurants in New York offering everything from pizza to tacos – some with dedicated kids menus, others with outdoor areas for playing, but all offering top-notch food for all palettes.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants NYC

Sweet Chick, Multiple Locations

 

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This trendy Southern-inspired spot might be a cult favourite for millennials, but diners of all ages will find something to enjoy here. The signature dish is fried chicken and waffles, which you can enjoy classic or jazzed up with BBQ sauce or soy honey garlic. But that’s not all: the casual dining spot serves an array of twists on classics, like shrimp and grits, grilled sandwiches and buckets of chicken. With outposts dotted around the city, this is always a safe bet if you’re out and about with the kids and after an easy food win.

Multiple locations, sweetchick.com

Bubby’s, Tribeca

 

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Comfort food classics are at the heart of Tribeca institution, which has been around for over 30 years. Open for brunch and dinner, it’s most famous for two dishes: pancakes and pies, but there are also burgers, salads and sandwiches. Adults will love the famous chicken pot pie or the sourdough pancakes topped with fried chicken, while little ones can choose from the kids menu, which includes mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken strips and a grilled cheese sandwich. For dessert, everyone will love one of the sweet pies – think apple, banoffee and key lime.

120 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013, United States, bubbys.com

Cafe Spaghetti, Carroll Gardens

 

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This friendly Brooklyn Italian-American is the perfect spot for family dinner. Chef Sal Lamboglia aims to create a cosy, neighbourhood atmosphere, with an eclectic menu of accessible dishes – from the beloved spaghetti pomodoro to eggplant parmigiana and chicken milanese. Parties of all sizes are welcome, and there’s a courtyard out the back where kids can play while the grown-ups enjoy a glass of fizz.

126 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, United States, cafespaghetti.com

Roberta’s, Domino Park

 

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Pizza is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, and Roberta’s is up there with some of New York’s best, offering both child-friendly classics and more adventurous creations. There are three branches across the city, but the most family-friendly is the Domino Park location, with a playground nearby to take the kids to afterwards. Children will love the classic Margherita, while more grown-up palettes can enjoy toppings like spigarello and fennel, and squash, rosemary and lardo.

6 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA, robertaspizza.com

Chez Nick, Upper East Side

 

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After working in some of the city’s best fine dining spots, a group of New York chefs set out to create a neighbourhood joint. The result is Chez Nick, a relaxed eatery which draws on Michelin-starred techniques to offer excellent food in a low-key setting. Families are more than welcome here, and the menu has lots of kid-friendly dishes, such as spaghettoni with meatballs, parmesan fries, and buffalo chicken sandwiches. For adults, there’s brown butter scallops with butternut squash risotto, Moroccan spiced duck with sweet potato puree, and plenty of cocktails.

1737 York Ave, New York, NY 10128, United States, cheznicknyc.com

Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Times Square

Gordon Ramsay brings a taste of the British seaside to the Big Apple with a new outpost of his popular restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips. The New York branch is found bang in the middle of Times Square, focusing on the eponymous fish and chips, a dish Ramsay has spent many years mastering. Diners of all ages will love the signature – but more refined palettes might want to try the shrimp alternative (and there’s also crispy chicken and chips for any fish-averse children).

1500 Broadway Suite 105, New York, NY 10036, United States, gordonramsayrestaurants.com

Roey’s, West Village

 

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This West Village favourite is the more casual sibling of Rosemary’s restaurant down the road. It’s a cafe-style eatery inspired by the pizzerias of Florence and Naples, with an informal feel that lends itself perfectly to families. Top-notch sourdough pizzas are the name of the game, with highlights including the Norma, made with eggplant, parmigiano and oregano, and the Sausage Rapini, topped with broccoli, ricotta and sausages. Many will be well-loved by little ones, but there’s also a separate kids menu featuring pomodoro pasta, Margherita pizza and fresh lemonade. Easily one of the best family-friendly restaurants in New York.

1 Perry St, New York, NY 10014, United States, roeysnyc.com

Habana Outpost, Brooklyn

 

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Cuban and Mexican cuisines are blended at Habana Outpost, a family-friendly restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. The menu includes big plates of loaded nachos, tacos, burritos and quesadillas, plus a beloved Cuban sandwich, with special kids options including chicken fingers and fries, beans and rice, and cheese quesadillas. Be sure to try some of the grilled corn, too. Better still, the restaurant is all about giving back to the community, with impressive eco-credentials (it’s New York’s first solar-panelled restaurant). 

757 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, United States, habanaoutpost.com