child-friendly restaurants/cafes in the 1st arr
 

Hi, can you please recommend any family/child-friendly eating places near Hotel Brighton? We will probably be back at the hotel either for lunch (for a break) or early dinner and would like some suggestions. So far, I have the cafeteria at the Louvre, Cafe Very at the Tuileries, Angelinas (not likely due to long queues) and Cafe Marly. BTW, is Cafe Marly inside the Louvre and therefore, we need to buy museum tickets? Another question is: will the restaurants inside the Tuileries Garden be closed once the gardens are closed? Thanks

Really, just about any cafes and bistros will be fine. Restaurants - depends on the kind of restaurants.

I think Cafe Marly isn't in the Louvre, but near it.

Angelina's didn't have long queues when I was there. It's a large place, and I wouldn't worry about a line up there.

Gardens in Paris are kind of interesting in the way that they do close the garden entrances at night - so the cafes in the Tulieres Garden will be closed once the garden is closed for the night.

Some things to keep in mind when in Paris: Restaurants, cafes and brassieres are not the same things. In North America, we use restaurants and cafes interchangeably.

Here's a good reference for you from this very Fodor's website to check out so you'll understand the differences: http://tinyurl.com/rhrv9. It's useful information.

The good thing about the various eating establishments in Paris is they will all have a menu outside the door for you to look at - so don't hesitate to look at the menu posted to see what kind of food they serve, and if the prices are reasonable for you. You will find Paris to be pretty compact, so don't limit yourself to one area - you'll easily get to the other arrondisements, and thus more choices there too! My favourite on the Ile de St Louis was the Brassiere Ile de St-Louis - had coffee outside and had a good hearty dinner inside - and quite kid friendly too.

Cafe Marly is in one of the 'side halls' at the Louvre, not inside the museum.
http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com/...afe-marly.html

http://www.igougo.com/dining-reviews...Caf_Marly.html

I don't know what you are expecting by the child-friendly thing, but during the daytime, I've seen people with children in cafes, and there's nothing special done for them. They sit in a chair if old enough, or if a child, maybe they sit beside in their stroller or, if you are lucky, the child-set fits into a chair.

I never would recommend Cafe Marly as some child-friendly place, in particular. I didn't think it belonged to the Louvre, it's a Costes' property, I thought. It's terrace opens onto the Cour Napoleon, but you don't have to be in the Louvre to get in. It's trendy and expensive. I think you can just enter from rue de Rivoli or the courtyard (you don't need a ticket to be in the courtyard). It's not a family restaurant.

This article, which was posted in another thread here, mentioned Cafe Marly as an eating place "good for the children".

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/02/19...l?pagewanted=2

I just re-read it though and I don't think I'm interested in any EUR200 meal.

I'm not looking for a place that will give my children crayons and coloring paper. I'm only looking for a place that other people bring their kids too. I wouldn't want to be in a restaurant where my kids will be the only children there. When they get bored, they tend to amuse themselves by being more active i.e. loud and sometimes they walk/run around. Outside seating is really the way to go but it could rain...

As for the restaurants inside the Tuileries Garden. The first poster here wrote that you can go in through the closed garden gates as the place remains open at night? Anyone know if this is right?

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...TINE-BR-1.html

I don't have a copy anymore but maybe if you look in the categories in the back of "Great Eats - Paris",there will be a list of 'child-friendly' places..

but, really, only the more upscale kinds of places might be less comfortable for children; any brasserie or cafe is going to be fine and there are tons of them all around your location.

zizz wrote: "As for the restaurants inside the Tuileries Garden. The first poster here wrote that you can go in through the closed garden gates as the place remains open at night? Anyone know if this is right?"

To be honest, I don't know. What I do know is that the gardens usually close their gates at night, probably around 11pm? I never tried going in late at night. So really, I think you don't have to worry about the gardens' hours - just check on the actual cafes' hours.

Pick up a Fodors Paris book or any Paris guide books, really, and it'll give you more indepth information.

Some more kid friendly restaurant ideas, not necessarily confined to your hotel location, but easily accessible by metro: Leon de Bruxelles (various locations), Hippopotamus, and on Ile de St-Louis (group it with your Notre Dame visit if you need to) there is Bertillon ice cream - worth a visit with kids! Also, something fun for the kids, even though many people here will probably recoil in horror, is the Nos Ancetres les Gaullois, alson on Ile St Louis. I never had a chance to check it out, but it's very "theme-ish".

Try some cafes around Beaubourg/Pompideau as well - I do bellieve there are some good cafes with patio seatings facing the founntain at the Pompideau - another fun place for kids.

If high chairs are needed, all of the chain restaurants have them. Otherwise, just about any restaurant or brasserie is fine.

The Café Marly (not recommended) is housed in the Louvre building but only from the outside. So it is open and accessible when the Louvre is closed.

Thank you for all the replies. I don't think we would really need a high chair. I just wanted to look for a more informal atmosphere but most places I read up on seem to have grand decors. I see the pictures and look at the table settings and I'm thinking my kids are going to have a field day with those while I have a heart attack. Even the Chinese restaurant Chez Vong seemed like a formal place in the picture I saw.

Regarding the famed Berthillon ice cream. I ate Amorinos everyday last year and it was good and the portions were generous. Pagesjaunes lists only one site which is in the Ile de St. Louis and this has been mentioned here to death. Last year, walking away from Notre Dame en route to Saint Chapelle, there was a kebab stand with a Berthillon ice cream for sale. I tried and was terribly underwhelmed with the taste and the size - probably smaller than a golf ball. Does Berthillon have other branches in Paris or was I duped by this stand?

Berthillon ice cream is a product (like Haagen Dazs) that can be sold by anyone who buys a supply of it. I am not a fan of Berthillon myself.

zizz: You have received lots of good info. But this part worried me . . . .&quot;<i>When they get bored, they tend to amuse themselves by being more active i.e. loud and sometimes they walk/run around.</i>&quot;

It is never appropriate for kids to run around and make a ruckus in a restaurant.

I don't know what you've been reading up on or looking at, but there are thousands of eating establishments in Paris that are grand or stuffy or child-unfriendly. If you want a simple rule of thumb, don't eat at places called restaurants. Choose caf&eacute;s, bistros, and brasseries instead. There are plenty of children all over Paris eating in such places (as well as in restaurants, but they seem to intimidate you).

In my experience the French don't look for child-friendly cafes.
Rather they raise cafe-friendly children.

Zizz,
<i>Regarding the famed Berthillon ice cream. I ate Amorinos everyday last year and it was good and the portions were generous. Pagesjaunes lists only one site which is in the Ile de St. Louis and this has been mentioned here to death. Last year, walking away from Notre Dame en route to Saint Chapelle, there was a kebab stand with a Berthillon ice cream for sale. I tried and was terribly underwhelmed with the taste and the size - probably smaller than a golf ball. Does Berthillon have other branches in Paris or was I duped by this stand?</i>

Like Kerouac said, others can sell Berthellon and they do take advantage of the name. I was walking around on Ile St-Louis, and a restaurant had Bertillon displayed larger than it's own cafe name, so it could be misleading. You just need to walk down to Rue de St-Louis en Isle or where the PagesJaune shows it - there is an actual Bertillon store where you'll have more choices. I've bought a single scoop of ice cream and if I recall, it was as generous as the Amorino's single scoop. So, yes, you've been duped by the kebab stand.

Some people prefer the gelatos of Amorino, and some people prefer the heavy creaminess of Bertillon ice cream. It's all about personal taste.

The pictures you most often see of Paris restaurants are 'fancy' because that is what makes 'news' and gives eye appeal. Who is going to post ordinary cafe tabletops? but there are hundreds of such places where you can relax and eat.

I found some 'typical' photos on Flickr.com:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/852674145/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgmarnie/447007265/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bip/23317802/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40001315@N00/36388368/

I also just thought of &quot;Lina's Sandwiches&quot;, which is a French chain and very casual...
http://www.linascafe.fr/english.htm
67 rue de Rivoli
50 rue Etienne Marcel
17 blvd Malesherbes
.... and more

Lina's is fine, but you know that Lina imported her chain from Lebanon.

Chez Flottes on rue Cambon. Good frites and croque sandwiches. Check out their web site.

I second Chez Flottes - good croque monsieur!