Napa Rose Chefs Table with a Child

[Chasingmarcus]

We are headed to DL in May for my daughters 5th birthday and were considering taking her to the Napa Rose Chef's table as her big birthday dinner.
Would you (as a patron) be upset to have a 5 year old eating dinner with you? The person we spoke with on the phone at the restaurant said that bringing a child was no problem, but I did not know if that was really the case.

I was planning on the 5:30 setting on a non-park day so she will be rested and not as stimulated from the days activities.

A few things about DD. Yes, she is 5 but has absolutely no problem sitting through 2-3 hour dinners. After 3 hours, things might get a little dicey, but 2-3 hours were no problem on our recent trip to New York. DD also is a HUGE foodie. Her favorite foods are blue cheeses, lamb, and capers. I can't think of a single thing she doesn't like (except for Mac and Cheese and chicken nuggets). She even recently ate escargots and loved them!

 

[Avery's mom]

We are headed to DL in May for my daughters 5th birthday and were considering taking her to the Napa Rose Chef's table as her big birthday dinner.
Would you (as a patron) be upset to have a 5 year old eating dinner with you? The person we spoke with on the phone at the restaurant said that bringing a child was no problem, but I did not know if that was really the case.

I was planning on the 5:30 setting on a non-park day so she will be rested and not as stimulated from the days activities.

A few things about DD. Yes, she is 5 but has absolutely no problem sitting through 2-3 hour dinners. After 3 hours, things might get a little dicey, but 2-3 hours were no problem on our recent trip to New York. DD also is a HUGE foodie. Her favorite foods are blue cheeses, lamb, and capers. I can't think of a single thing she doesn't like (except for Mac and Cheese and chicken nuggets). She even recently ate escargots and loved them!

I certainly hope you don't let other diners' negative 'vibes' color your and your DD's experience here. You know your DD best - and if you all would have a good time here - do it and don't worry about any perceived issues from others. Our DD is the same - loves oysters, escargot, and other 'grown up' foods. There are so many places that don't allow children to dine like this - so take advantage of the places that DO. I'm sure with a well-behaved DD who is obviously enjoying her experience - most fellow diners will be envious rather than put out by her presence. Although we have taken our DD to many fine dining restaurants, including Napa Rose, we haven't done the Chef's Table yet. We'd love to hear how it all turns out for you!

Go and have a great time!

 

[jory29]

It depends on the child, and you know yours better than anyone else. I have one child I can take anywhere, and she has the patience of a saint... the other one, well, not so much. Personally I wouldn't be offended as a diner, but if she keeps yelling out (which certainly doesn't sound like you would encourage!) then I would be a little bit put out that I had spent so much money on our experience.

That being said - there are adults who are loud and obnoxious, and irritate the heck out of me. The continuous shrieks, and loud, over the top laughter, etc. I am the one rolling my eyes on rides when people are screaming in my ear on the rides. Anyway, those adults would be more of an annoyance than most children, to me.

So... if it were me and I knew my child were as well behaved as yours obviously it, then I would take her. There is a GREAT thread here that shows a lot of pics. of the foods, etc. I would take her through that thread if you can find it, she would enjoy that.

 

[mad hatter fan]

How many of you are there? You said "we" so I assume there will be at least 3 of you. The two best locations at the chef's counter have 4 seats each. If there are 4 in your party there would be no one else sitting with you. If there is 3 I would wonder how often the chef's counter is booked by a person eating alone. You may end up having noone else with you anyway.

 

[Purrkins]

.
Would you (as a patron) be upset to have a 5 year old eating dinner with you?

No, I would not be upset if this happened anywhere I dined, but especially at Disneyland where kids are to be expected.

Funny, my 3 year old chatted up a neighbor at a chef's table once and ended up getting us invited to a Wolvesmouth pop-up dinner.

And I've seen adults behave worse than children.

Enjoy and happy birthday!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Just to clarify, the Chef's Counter at the NR is indeed a counter (with bar stool type seating), not an actual table. That said, it is possible to order the Chef's tasting menu at any table in the restaurant (including the lounge, or so we were told). So, if you think your family would be more comfortable at an actual table while eating the Chef's menu, you can reserve a table and let the server know that you want the tasting menu for everyone.

 

[mysteriouspnai]

No, I would not be upset if this happened anywhere I dined, but especially at Disneyland where kids are to be expected.

Funny, my 3 year old chatted up a neighbor at a chef's table once and ended up getting us invited to a Wolvesmouth pop-up dinner.

And I've seen adults behave worse than children.

Enjoy and happy birthday!

I was wondering what the heck a Wolvesmouth dinner was, googled it, and it sounds like a wonderful experience! How did you like it?

 

[mysteriouspnai]

There's a Chef's tasting menu, but if you sit at Chef's Counter you can request the chef to make something for you taking into consideration your strong dislikes and allergies. If your child is well behaved (she sounds like she is, you did a wonderful job of raising her!) then I wouldn't be upset dining next to her. I like to people watch during our meals, and DBF and I observe the interactions between parents and kids while we wait for our food. It's a treat to see polite kids in the restaurant which can be a definite contrast to some days in the parks

 

[mmmears]

You know your daughter. It sounds like she would enjoy the experience and not cause any trouble for the other patrons.

We dined with our DD at 2-3 hour fancy, pricey dinners in Hawaii when she was 3 (at a shared table). Yes we did receive looks when we walked in. We also had many comments at the end about how well she behaved.

My point is that people might look at you and be worried. As long as you know that she wont cause problems, don't worry about it. If my DD had made any kind of a fuss, I would have immediately left with her. People assume the worst.

Plus, Disney is allowing kids in there... so it should be ok. They don't allow them at Victoria and Alberts at WDW.

 

[SGDisneyFam]

How many of you are there? You said "we" so I assume there will be at least 3 of you. The two best locations at the chef's counter have 4 seats each. If there are 4 in your party there would be no one else sitting with you. If there is 3 I would wonder how often the chef's counter is booked by a person eating alone. You may end up having noone else with you anyway.

Exactly what mad hatter said!

I'm overly jealous! My kids are fairly adventurous and likefood!! But sooo not well behaved! We're even debating taking them in there for a quick bite at all. I want a smiling tiger salad so bad!

 

[Purrkins]

I was wondering what the heck a Wolvesmouth dinner was, googled it, and it sounds like a wonderful experience! How did you like it?

Loved it. In my top 3 meals. Great company, fascinating conversations, some of the food was outside of my wife's comfort zone, but we dove in anyway as we don't want our son to have food aversions. He had a blast as well and ate everything in front of him - well tried everything in front of him - there were a few things he said he did not like. Fair enough. Glad we could be part of it. And it taught us a valuable lesson - talk to the people you're sitting next to and listen. You never know where it might lead you.

 

[DizMe]

At 5:30 I would think you would be fine. I will also honestly say that if I paid that much for a dining experience with another adult, I would not like to be seated next to a 5-year-old. However, we would likely be dining much later than 5:30 and at a time when children wouldn't be likely to be eating. If I went at 5:30 I probably would not feel the same way since it's still family dining time.

I hope that made some sense. There are times when I love to be out with families and times when I feel that a meal should be more of an adult experience, so for the latter I choose times when I would not expect children to be heading to dinner . We like to enjoy wine and conversation that would not really be suitable to little ears.

I love treating my kids to a "grown-up" experience! What a great opportunity to expand their food horizons and give them a chance to show off their good manners. I think your plan sounds great.

 

[ArchOwl]

It is Disneyland and I expect to see children everywhere. I have dined at the Napa counter while younger children were there and they had a great time and it didn't disturb me in the least. Of course, it seemed as though the children were well versed in fine dining and enjoyed it. Some children I think would have a hard time sitting that long. It sounds like you have a well behaved child that anyone would be happy to share a meal with.

I did want to raise a tiny concern and that is you are dining at a counter and I am trying to remember if they have booster seats of any kind since the chairs may not raise you up very much. Maybe someone else can chime in with their experiences.

I hope you have a great time!

Just as an FYI, you may order the Vintner's tasting menu from any place in the restaurant. But only at the Counter will the chef create a custom tasting menu just for you.

 

[Chasingmarcus]

Thank you all for your replies!

I do think we are going to go for it! I think we will have a great time taking with the chef, having a specialized, custom menu and seeing the kitchen in full swing will be so exciting for her.

DD is a great girl. I would like to think it is my husband and I's remarkable parenting, but I think it is just in her nature to be that way. To anwswer another posters question yes it will be the three of us, and I believe that DH requested seats 5-8.

Since our daughter is an only child, she goes everywhere with us, everything from Broadway shows to the Art Museum. People are often complimentary on how grown up she acts, but I still wanted to make sure that it was appropriate for this setting.

I will be sure to dig this thread up with a report on our experience!

 

[Mackysmycat]

I agree. It's Disneyland. Rock it up with your baby - that's what it's all about!

 

[Malcon10t]

I agree. It's Disneyland. Rock it up with your baby - that's what it's all about!

First, to the OP, you know your child, and you know if she can handle it appropriately.

However, just because it is Disneyland does not mean children should be able to disrupt other's meals. I have absolutely no problem with well behaved children in fine dining, however, I have had major experiences with children who do not behave appropriately in nice restaurants.

In November, we were at the Club for dinner, and we were seated 2 tables from a "young family". Seated at the table next to us was 2 elderly couples, one couple's first time, celebrating the other couple's anniversary. The "young family" consisted of mom and dad, with 3 kids, ages about 18 mos, 4yo and 7yo. The 18 mos old had mom's number as when he screamed (and if you have been to the Club, you know that will echo), she gave him anything he wanted. The 4yo wasn't much better, and the 7yo couldn't figure out how to stay in his chair. The 4yo wanted to be in dad's lap, and threw a fit every time they tried to have him sit in his seat. The servers did their best to get food to them as fast as possible, but neither mom nor dad were really getting a chance to eat, as the kids' really took everything they had to control. After an hour or so of this, dad took the kids out on the balcony, and they proceeded to run and jump up and down the balcony (which could be felt inside! Never had that happen before!) The elderly couples were quite upset and were complaining to their server, as were people from 2-3 other tables that I heard. The family finally had everything boxed and departed after about 90 mins of what normally is a 2.5-4 hour meal. There is no way they got to experience the full "experience" of a Club dinner. It couldn't have been comfortable for the parents, as I know at least 2 of the tables were making their complaints loud enough the parents should have been able to hear over the kids.

I didn't get why the parents would even think behavior that doesn't even belong in Denny's would be acceptable. So, just because it's Disneyland, doesn't mean every child should go everywhere....

 

[Pinup Mommy]

If your daughter can sit through a 3 hour meal I say go for it!

We sat at the chef's table for my birthday and you are away from pretty much everyone. The meal takes place at a counter with standard chairs, you will be alone since they only seat 4 per area. You will have a view of the kitchen which is entertaining.

So any people who are afraid of hearing or seeing children will not be disturbed.


I would post a picture, but I have not figured out how to link a photo...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...Just as an FYI, you may order the Vintner's tasting menu from any place in the restaurant. But only at the Counter will the chef create a custom tasting menu just for you.

We were told the same thing about the Vintner's Menu, but also that the Chef's Tasting Menu could be ordered, too. The only difference is that the chef/s probably won't come to the table to talk with you; your server will take all the necessary info to the kitchen. I don't know anyone who has done this recently, so perhaps the policy has changed. But it was still in place last year, I think.

 

[Disney Dreams]

This picture was taken to show the kitchen, not Chef's Counter, but if you look to the right, near the kitchen, you can see someone sitting at the counter. She is the left-most person sitting at the Chef's Counter. The rest of her party is to the right. That is the Chef's Counter.

- Dreams

 

[wallawallakids]

At 5:30 I would think you would be fine. I will also honestly say that if I paid that much for a dining experience with another adult, I would not like to be seated next to a 5-year-old. However, we would likely be dining much later than 5:30 and at a time when children wouldn't be likely to be eating. If I went at 5:30 I probably would not feel the same way since it's still family dining time.

I hope that made some sense. There are times when I love to be out with families and times when I feel that a meal should be more of an adult experience, so for the latter I choose times when I would not expect children to be heading to dinner . We like to enjoy wine and conversation that would not really be suitable to little ears.

I love treating my kids to a "grown-up" experience! What a great opportunity to expand their food horizons and give them a chance to show off their good manners. I think your plan sounds great.

I completely agree with this.

OP, sounds like your DD would enjoy this. I can tell you that my children would NOT ever enjoy a 3 hour dinner. They would much rather be out in the parks riding rides and having fun. DH and I go to Napa Rose alone and I can't say I don't relish that "adult" atmosphere. It is a lovely break from the park. And as parents who don't go out alone often, it is usually our once a year break from the kids for a few hours. As long as you are positively sure she can handle 3 hours and behave then go for it. However, if she starts to tire out just be aware that there may be patrons in there that will be less than thrilled.