children friendly gourmet

[baads]

I am looking for good, quality restaurants in Vancouver that are child friendly - My daughters are well behaved and eat from the regular menu. One of our favorites to visit is Vij but I am just loking for some other quality dinning that will not frown upon kids.

[Busboy]

How old are your daughters?

[eatvancouver]

Funny you mention it, I just read about this place The Little Nest on my friend Andrew's (the urban diner) website. Maybe not gourmet, but definitely kid friendly.

[Andrew Morrison]

I enjoyed it tremendously, as did my kids, my wife, and my wallet. Gourmet is a magazine, and what do they know. If you have small children then The Little Nest is what you have been looking for in a restaurant since you gave birth.

Edited June 12, 2007 by Andrew Morrison (log)

[eatvancouver]

True words Andrew,

I meant gourmet in the sense the poster appeared to be using it (Vij's, etc). I'm certain the food at this restaurant is high quality.

[Keith Talent]

Kids dig izakaya, esp. locations where you sit on the floor. Either Gyoza King or Guu on Robson are good kid choices. Plenty of little dishes, so if there's something they don't like, something else is always arriving right behind it, and things arrive promptly. Plus kids like anywhere that the staff holler at each other.

[urbandiner]

Now that the outdoor weather is upon us, you may want to check out patio-equipped restaurants. Kids love the fresh air and aren't confined to a single space and there's usually lots to look at while they're dining.

Fish House (Stanley Park) and Monk McQueen's (Granville Island) are great, kid-friendly spots. There's also Provence (Marinaside) for a fantastic brunch menu.

Parkside (off Denman Street near English Bay) also has an outdoor area ...

[lauraf]

Now that the outdoor weather is upon us, you may want to check out patio-equipped restaurants. Kids love the fresh air and aren't confined to a single space and there's usually lots to look at while they're dining.

Fish House (Stanley Park) and Monk McQueen's (Granville Island) are great, kid-friendly spots. There's also Provence (Marinaside) for a fantastic brunch menu.

Parkside (off Denman Street near English Bay) also has an outdoor area ...

←

Not sure I'd categorize Parkside as kid-friendly . . .. Not that they are unfriendly

[annanstee]

Not sure I'd categorize Monk McQueen's as great.

[urbandiner]

Not sure I'd categorize Monk McQueen's as great.

←

Perhaps not gourmet but certainly a good time for a family. We had dinner out for a special occasion with 10 people (half of whom were kids) and they loved eating outdoors. Staff were accommodating and patient as well.

We had a similar experience at Parkside mid-week and the staff were fantastic ...

[gingerpeachy]

When my elder son was the only one, he ate at Parkside (inside) three or four times (between the ages of 3 and 6). When he was tiny, he fell asleep on the banquette (we were tourists here that time and staying at the hotel upstairs) and allowed us a great evening working our way through the eau de vie.

Slightly older, he would have a starter and dessert.

We've taken our kids very happily to Cioppino's Enoteca, Feenie's, Quattro's (on Fourth and in Whistler) and a couple of the Umberto restaurants. Never been given a sideways glance. the toddler had lunch at Fuel a couple of weeks ago and brunch at Bistrot Bistro without any trouble.

If they are adventurous, I'd also heartily recommend a good sushi bar - nothing a foodie child likes better than watching their food made in front of them and asking questions. My 8-year-old and I bond over sushi very regularly.

The only problem with kids who like to eat well, is that they're so darned expensive

[run2eat]

Surprising - I wouldn't have pegged Parkside as "kid-friendly" but they are so gracious and it's so comfortable there that I can imagine it working:

Less local, recent travels to the island suggested the following are welcoming of young foodies:

- Cafe Brio, Brasserie L'ecole

- The bistro at Merridale Cidery (coupled with a tour of the cidery - would be a fun day out)

Here in Vancouver, how about Figmint?

Edited June 14, 2007 by run2eat (log)

[Vancitygirl]

ZIN On Robson has a kids menu and The Pacific Palisades Hotel is using this for Room service as well.

The menu offers the usual kids favorites but incorporates organics and local ingredients as a healthier option for kids. The menu also introduces dishes that you wouldn’t normally be available for children like arctic char.

Appetizers

Organic Chicken Noodle Soup

Organic Chicken Broth, Fresh Peas, Bread Toasts

Mac & Cheese $8

Creamy Organic Elbow Macaroni, Local Cheddar

Mixed Green Salad $5

Orange Segments, Citrus Vinaigrette

Fried Rice $8

Crisp Tofu, Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Omellette

Mains

Burger $8

Grilled Burger, Local Cheddar, Tomato, Lattice Chips

Pea Fettuccini $10

Spring Peas, House Made Fettuccini, Parmesan, Buttered Noodles

Arctic Char $14

Herb Gnocchi, Organic Vegetables

Steak Frites $14

Grilled Striploin, Lattice Chips, Veal Gravy

Organic Chicken Strips $12

Panko Crust, Lattice Chips, Sweet Plum “Chutney”

Thin Crust Pizza $10

Build your own with the following toppings:

Oven Dried Tomatoes, Crisp Bacon, Ham, Pineapple, Mushrooms, Salmon, Grilled Vegetables, Bocconcinni Cheese, Local Cheddar

Tasting Menu

Hey young Zin crowd, Choose your own Adventure, Choose a menu item from each of the above categories and enjoy 3 courses for $18.

Desserts

Fruit Parfait $4

Fruit Salad, Yogurt, Honey Roasted Granola

Warm Chocolate Cake $5

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Seasonal Berries

Vanilla Cheesecake $5

Berry Puree, Whipped Cream, Seasonal Berries

Mocktails $6

Chocoholic

Rich Chocolate Milk, Served Hot, On the Rocks or Straight Up

Banana Rama

Blended Bananas, Vanilla Ice Cream, Pineapple Juice, Chocolate Sauce

Blasted Apple

Fresh Pressed Apple Juice, Ginger Soda, Fresh Lime

Moo Berry

Fresh Local Berries, Yogurt, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Local Honey

Edited June 15, 2007 by Vancitygirl (log)

[Daddy-A]

It's been a while since my kids would have ordered from a kid's menu ... but doesn't $18 seem a bit steep?

Having said that ... the best my kids ever saw were the dinosaur shaped chicken fingers at Disneyland.

A.

[Matt R.]

Ahhh, Dino Nuggets. They were 'spec' when I worked at the Marriott. Also a favourite meal for the cooks!

-- Matt.

[annanstee]

Not sure I'd categorize Monk McQueen's as great.

←

Perhaps not gourmet but certainly a good time for a family. We had dinner out for a special occasion with 10 people (half of whom were kids) and they loved eating outdoors. Staff were accommodating and patient as well.

←

I haven't been there since last summer; we were a party of about 10 as well. The food was fine but the service was ridiculously inept. Not unfriendly, just so not on the ball. It was pretty embarrassing.

Edited June 18, 2007 by annanstee (log)

[Bubbalicious]

When I worked at Cioppino's the pastry cook would invite any children into the pastry area after dinner to prepare their own sundaes. Pino is as gracious and accomodating to his younger guests as he is to the older ones.

Any restaurant owner or employee that have kids should be welcoming to families.

At Gotham, although it is not gourmet, we are extremely friendly to little ones. Many of my coworkers are parents and we all try to make the family experience enjoyable. We offer a fairly simple menu for children but many just have a piece of their parent's steak.

Any restaurant owner or employee that have kids should be welcoming to families. A word to my fellow servers: the thing to keep in mind when serving families is that although the parents like to think that they are in charge, it is really the children who will decide whether the dining experience will be a good one. Coddle the kids a little bit here and there and you'll have a better chance of providing an enjoyable evening, both to the family concerned as well as the guests that surround them. If you don't treat the children with respect and the attention that they deserve they have every right to make your night a living hell.