We will be in NYC and need a restaurant that is kid friendly and fun. Need pasta or chicken nuggets on menu. Don't want a stuck up place with snooty patrons. Fun place. Any suggestions???

Hi Raquel,
Try Carmine's which has locations in Times Square and the Upper West Side. They serve Italian food family style and kids are welcome.

Raquel, what neighborhoods will you be in?
Many casual restaurants have very basic kids menus, and plain pasta is almost always available even if the menu choices are more compicated dishes, so always ask. However, the age for the kids menus seems to be going down. When I was a kid, it was fine for under 12s--nowadays, some places insist on regular menu prices for kids 8+!

We will be visiting the Museum of Natural History, and Empire State building- not sure exactly where they are. Our hotel is in the Financial district. So those would be the areas for kid friendly restaurants. Oldest kid is 10. Thanks for your suggestions.

Close to the Museum of Natural history
is EJs Luncheonette. It's a great retro style (but not obnoxiously gimicky) diner (open for Breakfast lunch and dinner too) with diner-type food but much higher quality (pancakes all day,sandwiches, soups, great salads, homemade fries with the skins on, to die for mashed potatoes). There is a kid's menu, but really the whole menu is kid and casual adult friendly. Very crowded with 20-somethings for weekend
brunch (especially 11am-2pm), fills up with families with young kids around 5,(there's a children's museum--mostly for the under 8 crowd--a block away) pretty empty after 8 pm. Also, next door is a cheap, good chinese restaurant, and next to that, a tiny semi-fast food (but all made to order) Tex-Mex place. Also cheap. All are on Amsterdam Avenue betwween 81-82 streets. The Musueum of Natural History is on Central Park West from 77-79th (Rose Space Center entrance is on 79th). It's a 5 minute walk from the museum to the restaurants (and there are several other places within 2 blocks, including a Pizzeria Uno (chain of deep dish Pizza).

Empire state building is at 34th street and 5th avenue, in midtown, and it's a very very busy shopping and business area . Mostly fast food places and chain nearby.

If you're staying in the financial district (Embassy suites?) I've heard that things are picking up near the movie theaters there. It may or may not be what you're looking for, but I heard they just opened up some chain restaurants like Applebees (which are actually pretty rare in Manhattan)in the area

Chinatown would be fun. I always loved it as a kid. Spare ribs, dumplings, and noodles in chicken broth, wonton soup, other blander items like that sound like they might work for your nugget and pasta eating kids. And the fascination of something different could hold their attention. Ping's on Mott Street is my favorite---fish swimming in tanks in the front, friendly, fast service, big tables.

Mars 2021 plenty of fun for the kids and the food was a step up from TGIFriday's.

I believe it's Mars 2112. While on vacation 2 years ago, we took our children - ages 4 and 10. They STILL talk about it! It's a must.

Raquel,

I have lived in NYC all my life so trust me on this one. Go to america. It is a huge fun space with a menu that features food from all 50 states (including things life fluffenutters!)

It is on 18th street in manhattan just west of park avenue.

enjoy.

mk

I agree with Matthew about America. It is very kid-friendly, but adults can enjoy it too. On W72nd, between CPW and Columbus, is the excellent Dallas BarBQ; think they also have a branch of W44th (or is that another BarBQ place?). The food court at Rock Center has Two Boots Pizza and other good choices--most of those places are closed weekends, though, I don't know why, except for Two Boots. The food court at Grand Central is also fun. Most of the Italian restaurants that look casual/unpretentious (you can easily spot the fancy ones from a distance) will happily accommodate your kids' simpler tastes, but probably have delicious food for adults. Of course, there are a million pizza shops (our family had a contest going for years as to which was the best) and hot dog/papaya juice places (cheap!) As a general rule, if you are in a residential area (as opposed to an area of office towers) you will have better luck finding appropriate restaurants. Oh, there's a place in the W Village called Peanut Butter Co, which serves just that.

Raquel,
Since you're in the financial district, I assume you will walk over to South Street Seaport? It has lots of shopping, plus many boat tours/ferries start from there. Upstairs in the seaport there is a food court that has enough variety to satisfy everyone. BUT the best thing about it isn't the food, it's the fabulous view of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge! You can sit inside the food court near the windows, or outside on the lounge chairs (if it's warm enough) and watch the boats go by.

The Museum of Natl History has a pretty varied menu in its cafe. EJs has seen better days. Dallas BBQ is a good bet as mentioned. Zagats online might be a good source for tracking down restaurants that fit your itinerary.

Thank you to everyone for your tremendous help on kid friendly restaurants.

You are WElcome and Merry Christmas and enjoy your trip to my grest city.

Serendipity is great too-near Bloomingdale's

My suggestions are Patsy's which has a variety of pasta dishes and makes whole pizza pies. They have a few restaurants throughout Manhattan.

Virgil's BBQ is fun on West 44th Street (make reservations) Ollie's for Chinese food in that same area, and John's Pizzeria which serves whole pies and pasta.

I do not recommend America on East 18th Street. At one time it was good when it opened in the 1980s and the space is very dramatic with high ceilings. However, I was recently there and although they offer food from all over the map, everything seemed mediocre. The waiters milled around because it was so empty.

Manhattan is a walkable city and I'm sure you'll discover many places when you explore our great city.

Go to Mars. My kids thought it was great.

America is a good choice and the food is ok and the portions very large, so you could share some dishes if the kids are very small. Also Saturday and Sunday there is a magician during the brunch hours who does slight of hand. The kids will love that, and the magician is very good. I would call and check to see the times.

Also The Stardust is fun for kids, the food is also ok. All the servers sing and it's sort of 50's style dinner. It's located on Broadway around 48th St.

There is a food court on 42nd St that we go to alot it's upstairs over the Applebee's and near attached to the AMC theatres. There are several restaurants including California Pizza Kitchen. (There is a CPK restaurant on the upper east side across the street from Bloomingdales and very close to Serendipity).

I would also think Chinatown and Little Italy would be fun for the kids. There are a few good Dim Sum places on Mott St. We go down almost every weekend to a place on the corner of Mott and Moscoe, great food, not much ambiance and cheap.

Have a great time while you are here.