Miami Restaurants with Kids
 

We will be in Miami in June prior to a cruise. We'll arrive on Friday and depart on Sunday, in the early afternoon. We have four kids ranging from 8 to 19. Could you recommend some family friendly restaurants that will give us a taste of Miami? We'll have a car so we're not bound to one area. We are open to all suggestions from small cafes in Little Havana to funky diners to just good food. We know our way around the national chains, but we would gladly accept recommendations for good regional chain restaurants.

Also, our oldest daughter has never been to a Macy's. Does Miami have a Macy's department store?

Thank you.

There is a Macy's in Aventura Mall, also a Bloomingdale's, and lots of other stores that your daughter may love.

As for child-friendly restaurants, I would search on www.chowhound.com to find some good ones.

My kids are younger so we stick to the Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's, Houston's and other Italian (read "pizza") places when we are in Miami.

One to try, come to think of it, is Soyka's, on Biscayne around 50th...call for directions. It is great for a large family.

The Macy's website lists one in Miami Beach on Meridian-- looks to be the corner of Lincoln Road Mall. But honestly, they're just another department store chain. And wait till they merge with May Company...!

Family eateries in the Miami area? I'm a South Beach fan, so that's the area I know well. But there are a few family-friendly joints in that area:

-- Café Cardozo at the Cardozo Hotel. Nothing transcendental, just good, relaxed Floribbean food.

-- Larios, on Ocean Drive. Cuban food-- the place is owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Nice room, gets loud later in the evening.

-- Big Pink. Diner-style place, neon and fun.

-- Puerto Sagua. Like a diner in downtown Havana. Great Cuban food.

There's a TGI Friday's at Ocean and Fifth, but it's about as much a taste of Miami as Jerry's Famous Deli (Collins and Española Way-- by the way, this chain originated in California). But both are good for families.

we arrive in miami north beach for 5 nights in april.We've got two little kids(3 & 4).any of the restaurants in this area or know of any others.can you park by these places

I'll second the recommendation for Cafe Cardoza. We were there several years ago with our kids who were 5 & 8 at the time. We sat on the terrace and were able to people watch, enjoy good food and relax. Our waiter was wonderful and made our family feel welcome. Have fun!

Thank you for all the suggestions so far. I'm making a list and would appreciate any others.

Garcia's on the river in downtown is the sort of place that will give you the flavor of Miami. Casual, on the water. But I suppose most people would rather view the ocean. I don't have a recommendation for that. Be sure to go to Lincoln Road and go restaurant hopping until you find one that interests you. Also, Versailles is a good family restaurant. A Spanish-cuban place on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. Very Latin. Open early, open late. There is a chain of spanish take-out, can't remember the name (Pollo Loco?), but Versailles is better.

Macy's bought out Burdine's so yes, there are many of them. They just changed the name and they're everywhere now in Florida, wherever Burdine's was.

Jerry's Deli on Espanola Way - mmmmmmm. LOL

Of course it isn't very true to Miami but i'm British so loved it.

There are so many great places to eat in Miami, and loads of them welcome kids - I was spoiled for choice!

Jerry's Deli isn't a Miami Beach original and has only been on Collins Avenue in South Beach a couple of years.

Instead, go to a true Miami Beach landmark, Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House on Collins and 172nd Street. Excellent and very family friendly.

Versailles is a good family restaurant. A Spanish-cuban place on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. Very Latin. Open early, open late. Yes you must try this place it is very MIAMI and great good inexpensive family cuban food, a must..

We like Tu Tu Tango located in Cocowalk in Coconut Grove. It's tapas style - - which makes for fun sharing. It also has a traditional kids menu. The Grove is a fun area to walk around before or after dinner. Try one of the human powered rickshaw rides. The guys that run them are very clever in their tricks (one of our drivers yelled Matrix and then used the pull bar to run sideways on the wall of a building. I didn't describe that well but my kids really liked it.)
There's a great gelato place on Main Highway (which is the road that dead ends into Cocowalk). Save room for that!