Hello all,

Hubby, myself, and the 2 toddler children are going to Mystic for an overnight and are looking for a family friendly restaurant in the area.
We are staying at the Hilton on Coogan Blvd by the Aquarium, so walking distance (if there is anything) would be a plus, although we do have our car (ok...minivan...I still can't get used to that).
Is there anywhere decent to go in area? I do not want to go to Mystic Pizza, been there done that and it wasn't that good. I also don't want fried fish/clam shack type of thing (Live on Cape Cod and am surrounded by enough of those here!).

Any advice is appreciated in advance.

There are a few family style restaurants in the "Mystic Village" area around the aquarium. Can't recommend one because I avoid family style restaurants. But, that's pretty much your only option if you don't want to drive.

I would suggest Bravo, Bravo in downtown Mystic -- 5 min drive. Very good food however I don't know if they have a children's menu...but it is casual.

Ours kids were considerably older than yours when we had lunch here a few years ago. But I think it would be considered family friendly.

http://www.visitconnecticut.com/kitchenlittle/

I just realized that you're probably looking for dinner. But will leave this in case you need a place for breakfast or lunch.

While i love bravo bravo, i'm not sure i would call it family friendly. we go there with our toddler, and we always get placed in the back of the restaurant and i never feel like they love our being there, even though our dd is very good in restaurants. They don't have a kid's menu, but i believe you can get half orders of pasta. Go Fish right in downtown mystic used to be really good- seafood and sushi, but not clam shack type sea food.

Thanks to those who have posted...someone else told me about Kitchen Little, I am going to have to give that a try for breakfast or lunch.

In Groton, only about 5-10 minutes away, is Paul's Pasta which is very good and fine with kids. We used to take our small children there all the time.

The Steak Loft of Mystic is on Coogan Blvd at the corner of Coogan and the main road off I-95. Was there back in April and it was decent enough. A number of families there.

We ate at the S&P Oyster Company, great food, great restaurant & kids friendly.

I went 2 years ago. There is, I believe, Rachel Ray show of $40/day in Mystic. One spot was an outdoor restaurant,"Seafarer's" ??, goggle her show. Also if you go over the bridge towards Mystic Pizza and turn left almost in front of it, there are at least 2 great family restaurants down in the next town on the docks with boats all around. I can't remember the name exactly, but the name sounded like Abbot & Costellos. We had to find restaurants that would also take a dog. They had great NE lobster salad sandwiches and normal things my picky child ate. I found them all online and called about having a dog.

A favorite of my family is Custy's. We started eating there 30 years ago, when it was in Rhode Island. Take a look at www.custys.com.

I second Seafarers. I've eaten there a dozen times, and there were always families there - and the food was quite good, as was the service. Plus - the view is great outside - looking over the bridge. One of my favorites in Mystic. I really wouldn't recommend anything near the Aquarium - really tourist places, and marginal (not bad, but not great either).