Child friendly yet decent restaurants in Paris?
 

Going to Paris for 2 days w/ 4yr old & 6month old. Had bad experience last time trying to find child friendly restaurants. Also, is it difficult to get TGV tickets & seats if you buy them the same day? It will be in mid June.

What do you mean by "child friendly"? I've never seen anyone in a French restaurant discourage children. Or do you mean you're looking for high chairs, booster chairs, and children's menus?

I think I know what Vetty is saying - some restaurants make you feel guilty for taking children in. I didn't encounter this in Paris mind you.

Last time, all the ones we tried said you needed reservations even though people walked in continuously without them. And I can speak French and we are low key and polite.

P.S. Not looking at all for boosters, high chairs or children's menus.

Hi V,

>is it difficult to get TGV tickets & seats if you buy them the same day?<

In June, yes.

Also, if you buy in advance you are more likely to find discount fares.

www.sncf.com 60 days in advance.

((I))

OK, this may come off offensive for which I'll apologize in advance.

If you are positive that other people entered restaurants without reservations (for the same size table you needed) and you are really sure they didn't have reservations and were seated after you had asked for a table, then I think you need to take a look at what you or your kids were doing. If the kids were already screaming or running around, I could hardly blame them. If they were standing there wide eyed and angelic, I really find it hard to imagine why any Parisian "host" would have refused you seating that he had.

Another plan would simply be to go ahead and make reservations yourself a day ahead.

I think the problem with kids in many big city restaurants isn't that they are misbehaving - it is simply that they are taking up chairs that bigger eaters (and, hence, a bigger check) could be in. Maybe just avoiding expensive restaurants is your best bet. Stick to cafes or picnicing?

We do see some families with children dining in moderately priced neighborhoof restaurants, 12 to 25 euros per person, here in the 11th arrondissement. It is more common at midday than in the evenings, perhaps by the choice of the families themselves if their children are young. I would suggest well into in the dining time, and choosing places that are less than full, or that have sidewalk terraces.

I don't think being refused a table with infant and toddler is so unusual that I doubt it could happen. I have no idea if that's what happened to Vetty, but I could see restaurants who wanted to maintain a certain ambience or clientele might do that, if they didn't think a baby and toddler were what their diners wanted to be seated next to. Therefore, if they were refused while others entered without reservations, I really wonder what kind of restaurants these were as I can't see any casual bistro or cafe, or even neighborhood restaurant, doing that. I have refused to be seated in restaurants next to families with noisy children because I don't want to listen to them. If the restaurant would not give me another table, I left. No one can guarantee children that age are going to be quiet and stay in their place. Well, you could guarantee them staying in their place if one disciplined them, but many parents do not-- but you usually can't control the baby crying and many toddlers talk in very loud voices in the United States.

I know some restaurants where children that age are seated, but they may not be what you want:

Les Delices d'Aphrodite (a very good Greek restaurant) on rue de Candolle near Censier metro stop

Chez Clement restaurants

Crepes a GoGo tea salon on rue Soufflot near the Pantheon (not sure if they have dinner, maybe early dinner)

Those are just a couple places for dinner. I don't think it would be any trouble at all during lunchtime in a cafe. I saw one family with infant in stroller, etc, at Crepes a GoGo during brunch/lunchtime, for example. I do not see families with infants and toddlers dining out at 9-10 pm in the restaurants I go to. I think there must be a problem with the kind of restaurants chosen.

As for TGV -- there is no one answer, it completely depends on where you are going, day and time, as to whether it would be a run that could likely be full.