Family Restaurants in NYC
 

We are a family of 4 from England visiting NYC for the first time this summer. Can anyone recommend some good restaurants to go to that are suitable for young kids ( 10yrs and 3yrs)??

Sure....some of our favorite kid-friendly restaurants are : 1)Serendipity 225 60th Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave 2)Peanut Butter and Co. 240 Sullivan Street between 3rd and Bleeker 3)Two Boots (various locations - our favorite is 37 Avenue A between 2nd and 3rd Ave) 3)McDonald's (yes, the chain!) at 160 Broadway between Maiden and Liberty - there's a doorman and piano player, etc. a VERY fancy McDonald's! 4)And for desert...Cupcake Cafe 522 9th Avenueat 39th Street - HUGE cupcakes in all sorts of flavors. Hope this helps and enjoy our city!!

A few Great family places in the Times Square area are: Ruby Foo's (Asian Fusion); Carmine's (Family-style Italian); Grand Sichuan Int'l - they also have a location in the Chelsea area (great Sichuan food); Churrascaria Plataforma (Brazilian rotisserie buffet). And, don't forget all the great places in Little Italy and Chinatown. NYC is filled with great places to eat - check out www.zagat.com, it is the NY'ers bible on where to eat...have fun!

Another great place for kids is America on 18th street. It features food from all over the US. Its good but not great, but even your 3 year old will find plenty to eat, and its a real NYC atmosphere.

Just a warning on Churrascaria Plataforma (Brazilian rotisserie buffet)- I ate there recently (fortunately it was a business dinner that was expensed). It is VERY expensive for what you get. The salad bar is excellent and if you're a big meat eater you'll love the Rodizio BUT... for three people with a total of four soft drinks and three desserts the tab was about $180 w/tax and tip. The dinner alone without tax or tip was $38 or $39 each. Excellent rodizio style dining can be had elsewhere for much less. That said, the atmosphere and service were first rate and I'd eat there again under the right circumstances.

Owen, <BR> <BR>Are you saying that in the city, rodizio can be found for much less? If so, where? I might be in the mood this weekend. I've been to Riodizio and GreenFields in Queens. Riodizio is not much less if at all, Greenfields might be a lttle cheaper but you would expect the city to be more expensive.

Try the Umbrella Room. (Otherwise known as the hot dog cart. A very New York experience!) <BR>Seriously, your kids may enjoy Jekyll & Hyde. The food isn't much to write about but it has a fun, Haunted House theme. It can get crowded so you might want to do lunch/early dinner with a 3 year old. <BR>John's Pizza (3 locations) is very good, also. <BR>You may want to purchase a NY Zagat's guide. It lists child friendly locations. (They also have a website "Zagat.com") <BR>Good luck! <BR> <BR>P.S. Definately take the Staten Island Ferry. It is free and a great view of NY. Wait for the Boats that carry cars as they have a more nostalgic feel. <BR> <BR>

America (located at 9 East 18th Street, between Broadway & 5th Ave; 212-505-2110) <BR> <BR>Large(for NYC) and lots of tables and always packed with families, good food and moderate prices (again, for NYC)in a nice area...Check out www.citysearch.com for more complete reviews/restaurants

Mike - I was operating under the assumption that there might be some less expensive places in Manhattan for rodizio but I find that I'm mistaken. My logic was based on the fact that rodizio in Newark's Ironbound District (I ate there last week) is $18-19 per person including the salad buffet. The closest place to Manhattan that offers it for under $36 per person is in Corona Queens or Newark. I thoroughly enjoy Brazilian food but in Manhattan will go where I can just order entrees from the menu - I'm not one who can eat enough to justify the cost of Plataforma or Ridizio (who appear to be the only two left in Manhattan offering rodizio).

check out most bang for your buck catagory in Zagats. I live here and am never disappointed when I use this guide.