non kid friendly restaurants

[ClareH37]

I love the Blue Zoo at the Dolphin, fabulous food and ambiance - only ever seen one family there (both children were asleep in their chairs!).

 

[Colleen27]

Victoria & Alberts doesn't allow children under 10.

Shula's and Bistro de Paris subtly discourage bringing children by not offering kids' menus.

Anywhere else, you're likely to find at least some families with kids. We've done quite a few signature dinners with our crew, including Yachtsman Steakhouse, Artist Point, California Grill, and Narcoosees, and we didn't feel out of place dining with children at any of them.

 

[Pakey]

Bistro de Paris at Epcot does not have a children's menu, hence their way of discouraging children diners. I would put it on the list with V&A of places to avoid.

I've seen children at all of the "signature" restaurants, the more upscale dining (jiko, citricos, ca grill, etc). It really depends on whether or not your children (and you) want to do upscale dining where meals can run 90-120 minutes. As long as you are fine with longer meals, then the only two you need to avoid are V&A and bistro.

 

[keith-atl]

There were no kids at Shulas when we went in December and we had a fairly early reservation - 7:00PM

Take into consideration the time of year you go, the last few times we have gone to Shula's we have seen a lot of kids. We bring our daughter everytime we go as well.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Restaurants board.

 

[wendy1974]

While kids are welcome just about anywhere on Disney Property with the one exception there are going to be several restaraunts that aren't kid friendly as far as atmosphere and menus go. Most are but I would say Califormia Grill, Le Cellier, Chefs de France, those types of places may not have some kid friendly items on their menus and the overall atmosphere isn't laid back and welcoming in the eyes of a child. You shouldn't have a problem finding tons of places your whole family can eat and enjoy.

 

[shellybaxter]

Take into consideration the time of year you go, the last few times we have gone to Shula's we have seen a lot of kids. We bring our daughter everytime we go as well.

I'm not sure it was the time of year as their were PLENTY of children at WDW in December. How old is your daughter? Maybe we have a different definition of children? There is no child's menu at Shula's correct? What does your child eat?

 

[redrosesix]

Personally, I think it's good for kids to have a "dress up for dinner" type of experience once in a while. I started doing this with DD when she was about 3 or 4 -- certainly makes a difference in the way she behaves in ANY restaurant.

But I would never pay for an expensive meal at a restaurant if I knew she wouldn't like anything on the menu.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm not sure it was the time of year as their were PLENTY of children at WDW in December. How old is your daughter? Maybe we have a different definition of children? There is no child's menu at Shula's correct? What does your child eat?

We haven't taken the kids to Shula's at WDW, but when we go to the one near us we pay the shared plate charge for DD7 and let DS11 order whatever he likes. Since all of their steaks are larger than I'd normally order (I like a 6oz filet, theirs is 12oz!) there's no question of having enough to share, and like most nicer restaurants, they divide the meal in the kitchen before serving. No kids menu might be a problem for kids used to eating normal kids menu foods, but kids with reasonably varied tastes shouldn't have a hard time. The food is pretty simply prepared.

 

[Colleen27]

While kids are welcome just about anywhere on Disney Property with the one exception there are going to be several restaraunts that aren't kid friendly as far as atmosphere and menus go. Most are but I would say Califormia Grill, Le Cellier, Chefs de France, those types of places may not have some kid friendly items on their menus and the overall atmosphere isn't laid back and welcoming in the eyes of a child. You shouldn't have a problem finding tons of places your whole family can eat and enjoy.

And this is a great example of how much opinions can vary on these things... I thought California Grill was the most kid-friendly of the signature restaurants we've tried so far. Th hostess called DD "princess" and made a fuss over how nice she looked (in costume from BBB earlier in the day), she was chosen to "start" the fireworks, and we discovered the single most imaginative kids' dessert anywhere on Disney property (rice krispy & fruit roll-up "sushi"!).

We haven't done LeC or Chefs yet, but with the addition of Remy at Chefs my older two want me to try to fit it in on our next trip.

 

[keith-atl]

I'm not sure it was the time of year as their were PLENTY of children at WDW in December. How old is your daughter? Maybe we have a different definition of children? There is no child's menu at Shula's correct? What does your child eat?

She is 7. We have been taking her to nice restaurants since she was a baby, so I guess she is used to it. She absolutely loves Shula's. The only downside is that there is no kids menu, but we just share part of our steaks with her, It really much more food than my wife and I could eat.

 

[Duck143]

I would recommend Blue Zoo at the Dolphin.
Bistro de Paris in France at EPCOT
Victoria and Albert's
JIKO at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Most are but I would say Califormia Grill, Le Cellier, Chefs de France, those types of places may not have some kid friendly items on their menus and the overall atmosphere isn't laid back and welcoming in the eyes of a child. You shouldn't have a problem finding tons of places your whole family can eat and enjoy.

Um, all the places you listed have 'kids' menus - at least for those considered kids in Disney's eyes: kids nine and under.

I agree, if your kids are picky eaters, some adult menus may be too exotic for kids 10 and up. Then again, I've also heard some adults who feel this way. Though I think on the whole WDW does an amazing job of offering a few (somewhat) unique choices and some very main stream choices in most of it's restaurants.

I also know that if you ask nicely, some places will lets older kids have an adult sized portion of child menu item - like chicken nuggets, or will allow a substitution of say french fries for a baked potato provided they already serve it.

Buffets are almost always a good option for kids because they will have some 'plain food' options, as well as more adult items to sample.

I also agree that kids should learn how to dine nicely, and the way to do that is to take them out to eat. I think of any place on the planet, WDW is perfect for this. When you go to WDW, well, it's not like you can leave the kids at home to eat dinner. You can hire a baby sitter, but the kids will still need to eat, so it's not a reaistic option for most families. WDW was made for family vacataions, so it's a great plce to teach our kids how to do fine dining, in a somewhat more understanding environment than you might get outside of WDW.

My one other suggestion is that you work within the limits of your children. If you plan on starting your days two hours before their normal wake up time, then a 9:30 pm dinner might be out. On the flip, if your kids have a nice long afternoon nap, a 9:30pm dinner might be fine for them. If they are getting low blood sugar waiting for an ADR, give them a snack before dinner. If the weather is particularly uncooperative, it might be best not to drag them halfway across property.