restaurants in naples with kids
 

We will be in Naples next month with our children ages 7, 5 and 2. I am trying to find some great places to eat. If you have any suggestions, that would be great. We are pretty open to any type of food.....our kids do well in restaurants so we are not afraid to take them anywhere. We would love to eat on the water or just find some unique experiences for us as a family. We are open to leaving Naples too if there is anything nearby.

Thanks!

Well, I've seen plenty of kids at Tommy Bahama's and the food is surprisingly good. Also the Ritz Carlton -Vanderbilt Beach Rd. -Gumbo Limbo rest. on the beach.

Agree about Tommy Bahamas.
Strongly recommend Randy's Fish Market Cafe on the southbound side of 41 in North Naples. Just like it sounds, funny and funky, great if they like fish.

I think the would also like the Fish House Restaurant on Bonita Beach Blvd near Barefoot Beach. A kid friendly menu, and you can eat on the deck where diners arrive and depart by boat. It would not be impossible to see a manatee, though pretty unlikely. It is on your left as you drive out toward the beach, a low colorful building, looks like a dive but family friendly. Parking is difficult, but there is a remote lot half a block before you reach it. I would suggest dropping the family and driving back to park because you have to walk along a busy highway. Absolutely do not park at the adjacent businesses, at least during business hours. You could wind up spending the afternoon here.

I think they would love Lindburgers, which I remember on 41 almost in downtown Naples but the web shows on 9th -- anyway, fifty (50) kinds of burgers, good fries, nachos, onion rings in an extremely unassuming white building decorated (?) to look like an airplane hangar inside.

There is a local (?) chain called the Clock diners that is very child friendly and better than any national chain.

If you want something different, get takeout for yourself at Fernandez de Bull (yes, I know) a Cuban restaurant near the airport and get something from MacDonalds for the kids.

Finally, get takeout from Grouper and Chips and go to a park for a picnic. Excellent quality but the place is too packed for kids and you will have to wait.

I know I said "finally", but if mom and dad get out for a night on their own, we really enjoyed the Persian restaurant "Bha,Bha" in the Vanderbilt Road shopping center. It takes a lot for a northeastern resident to speak well of a strip mall restaurant, but this place has really delicious food, similar to other middle eastern food but more sophisticated, in a lovely atmosphere and with excellent service. But I wouldn't take a small child there.

There are really no restaurants on the beach per se near downtown Naples, except for at the Beach Club. There is a chain called Joe's Crab Shack on Rt. 41 South ( Tamiami Trail) just outside Downtown Naples. Tin City is a tourist area near Joe's Crab Shack that has lots of options for young families in the way of casual restaurants, ice cream parlor, toy and souvenir shops,etc. Just went there Sunday and noticed they have a sort of " Pet the live baby alligator" museum/science exhibit, which was fascinating quite a few kids the same age as yours.

Thanks for the help. It makes planning so much easier!

Agree with the comments about Tommy Bahama's and Bha Bha. It has been several years, but we always enjoyed Kelly's Fish House. It has been there forever, has a funky old Florida decor, with knotty wood paneling and tables filled with seashells, but the food was always good and their key lime pie is one of my favorites. When my siblings were young, the staff would often give them hushpuppies to feed the fish off the deck.