Dining in Paris w/ children and restaurant recs
 

We are going to Paris this June with 2 well behaved children, ages 5 and 8.

Are most Parisian restaurants child- friendly? Do they have children's menus- or will they modify menu selections for children?

We will be having lunch/ dinner, and could use recommendations for dining options. (I would like both casual and nicer ideas):

Marais (our hotel is there)
Near Eiffel Tower/ Marmottan Museum
Ile de Cite or Ile de St Louis
Near the Louvre/ Tuileries Garden

Thank you for your help!!

French children tend to eat more like adults than do many American kids - so children's menus aren't common. However, any place will be happy to do simple foods for kids (roast chicken, fries, omelets, croque monsiers or madames, simple pastas).

Oh - and burgers are called steak haches.

We ate lots of good meals with a 6yo in Paris for two weeks. Mostly we just went into places that looked good and it is like Italy, one is rarely disappointed.

There is a family restaurant called Hippopotamus that my daughter enjoyed ( but was not our best meal in Paris):

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/5...EF7926EB3.html

We are going this March with our 9 and 11 year olds. Our last trip was 7 years ago. I consider our children very well behaved, especially for restaurants, but the length of a typical Parisien meal can test even the best behaved kids!

We did go to Hippopotamus, as it was recommended as a child-friendly restaurant. Which it is, I suppose, but the food is the worst I've ever had in 4 trips to Paris. On the other hand, the kids enjoyed it, especially the plastic animal toothpicks.

Our very top pick for a nice meal with the kids is Brasserie Ille St. Louis, at the tip of the Ille St. Louis, across the bridge from Notre Dame. Food was great, its a fun atmosphere, and it's mid-way between nice and casual, maybe closer to casual. No kids menu, but here's what we did, and what we do when we go to just about any decent restaurant in Paris (and elsewhere):

Assume everyone will have 2 courses, whether its an entree (appetizer) and plat (main course), or plat and dessert. Explain to the waiter that you'd like your appetizer brought at the same time as your children's plat (unless their plat is an appetizer), and that you'd like your main course brought somewhat before the kids' dessert. This will typically speed up a 2- 1/2 hour meal to maybe 1- 1/2 to 1- 3/4 hours, and that last hour or so is key! If things are going fine, then order your cheese or dessert; otherwise, you'll live, or you can get a dessert while walking back to your apartment.

At Brasserie Ille St. Louis, the kids got omelettes as their main course both times, which worked out fine. (My wife had the coq au riesling, which she said was one of the best meals she's ever had!) At other places they got frites and chicken or steak, and a croque madame once or twice. We also often grab croques or other sandwiches to munch on while walking through the city.

I found not too many children's menus. But we found every restaurant was more than willing to suggest something appropriate or modify something on the menu. We frequented mostly cafe or brasserie type places, although on this trip we'll be going to a couple of old favorties, Chez Rene (in the 5th) and Tour de Monthlery (Chez Denise, in the 1st, near Les Halles), which are more bistro type places.

I'm told Angelina near the Louvre is wonderful - its a tea room with great hot chocolate.

Main thing: trust your kids, and don't let people limit you on where to take them. Have a great time!

laughingd2- Thank you for the informative response! I will def check out those restaurants- and your advice is great!

Heading to Paris this week with a toddler and planning to eat mostly in brasseries, cafes or in our apartment. We are hoping to get in a nice bistro meal or two if our daughter is well rested and up for it. My question is - what time to most restaurants start to serve dinner (we'd want to go early) and is there a certain time after which bringing a child to a restaurant become inappropriate? And we are staying in the 5th if you have any specific recommendations. - Thanks

Hippo, Léon de Bruxelles, Buffalo Grill all have child's menus. Most café/brasserie menus have some items oriented towards younger children (such as "francfort frites" or "jambon frites").

Go to www.lesrestos.com and click on "menu enfant" and click on the nearest metro station; lots of selections. Once you have made a preliminary list, use this site, and others like Zagat, Chowhound etc, to make your final picks.

If your kids like pizza and pasta, there are any number of good French/Italian restaurants that might appeal to you. Our favorite is Vesuvio, very near the St-Germain-des-Prés métro station. Very reasonable prices, lots of fun, and quick service.

And there are several Vesuvios throughout Paris.

Sally,

IME most real restaurants don't begin serving before 7:00 or 7:30. Many brasseries, however, serve food for most of the day, so you should be able to have a family meal in the evening, if the kids start to fade.

:-)

I just realized that the restaurant I recommended is called Vesuvius, not Vesuvio. Sorry.

Several years ago we dined at Rostesserie d'en Face, and the two children at the table next to us were provided with macaroni and cheese and other food that they seemed to like very much. That restaurant is what I would call nice as opposed to casual, but not at all formal.

It is true that a standard Parisian restaurant starts serving at 19:00 and not not one minute before.

So credit must be given to the tourist places that start serving earlier. I will certainly not criticize them.

Thanks for the tips. We are off tomorrow!