Should I cancel this reservation?

[poohteacher]

We are staying at Universal for the first time this August (DH and I with two DD's 5 and 2) I made reservations for Bice because I had read so many nice things about it and nice meals are a very important part of our vacations. Anyway, I started thinking about our young ones in the resteraunt and I got worried. I assumed that since it was located at Universal that children are often present, just like at Disney's signature restaurants. Am I wrong? Is this a place that is not really suitable for young families? Generally speaking, our girls usually do pretty well when dining out, but they are children. Has anyone brought their kiddos here?

 

[rpbert1]

Never at Bice, but always took our children out when they where young, and if other people have a problem with children, well thats their problem not ours, So go and enjoy yourself.

 

[wen8jr]

Just got back not long ago from Portofino - we were celebrating our anniversary while there and the front desk suggested Mama Della's since we had our 14 year old and also suggested Bice if he was not going to eat dinner with us.

While I agree with rpbert1 in most cases...I have to say, I did not see any younger children at Bice while we were there. It is pretty upscale and has a bar. They have piano music, etc. Most people are pretty dressed up.

Really overall while we were there...there were not a whole lot of young children at Portofino period...not like at Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. More of a mature feel, not exactly like Disney.

If your comfortable with it take them, if you are worried I would eat somewhere else. Do what makes you happy.

 

[lilheathen]

I disagree with the notion that if other people have a problem with your children behaving, that's their problem. Of course children should be welcome, but they should be well-behaved, especially if it is a more upscale place where people are spending good money. It's our responsibility as parents to make sure our children don't spoil someone else's evening.

To the OP...if you're concerned about the menu options, call the restaurant and ask what they offer for young children. That might give you an idea how kid-friendly they are. You can also plan on bringing some simple things to keep them occupied while they're waiting for their order. If it's a more elegant restaurant, slower dining is often deliberately part of the experience, and any child who's bored can act up even if she's normally well-behaved.

In my experience with three boys (the youngest is now 8), they always did better at family-friendly places or buffets. I wouldn't have taken them at a young age to a fancy restaurant because they wouldn't have liked the food, and would have been bored. They can still get bored if it takes too long for a meal, but at restaurant that are interesting, like Hard Rock Cafe, they are well occupied with the environment.

I hope you get some more responses that help you figure out if it's a good place for kids. If it's not, I am sure you can find many options for a nice meal at a kid-friendly place. Ironically, our best meal during our trip was at the pool-side bar at our resort, the Marriott Grande Vista. The burgers at Copa Loca were among the best we've ever had!

 

[damo]

As long as the children are well behaved, there should be no issue. I assume that since you are used to eating out, your kids are fine. If they misbehave, just remove them.

It is an expensive restaurant and people won't take kindly to having to listen to yelling kids or be disrupted by children running around the place.

Here is the link to their restaurant website. http://orlando.bicegroup.com/3/index.html

 

[Pooh Fan]

As long as the children are well behaved, there should be no issue. I assume that since you are used to eating out, your kids are fine. If they misbehave, just remove them.

It is an expensive restaurant and people won't take kindly to having to listen to yelling kids or be disrupted by children running around the place.

Here is the link to their restaurant website. http://orlando.bicegroup.com/3/index.html

Well said. We have taken our kids with us to nice restaurants since they were little. If they misbehaved, we took them out, disciplined them, and returned. Now that they are older, they definitely know better than to misbehave.

To the original poster. You know your kids. If you think they can handle it and if you are willing to take them out if not, then I say go for it. We are like you and enjoy eating at nice places when we go out.

 

[B's Marie]

Well said. We have taken our kids with us to nice restaurants since they were little. If they misbehaved, we took them out, disciplined them, and returned. Now that they are older, they definitely know better than to misbehave.

To the original poster. You know your kids. If you think they can handle it and if you are willing to take them out if not, then I say go for it. We are like you and enjoy eating at nice places when we go out.

I totally agree! Nobody knows your kids better than you. We have taken our kids to nice restaurants since the day they could go out...all three are used to dining out. If you think they could get antsy, have something quiet but entertaining for them to do.

 

[Modeltrf]

I have been there. It is not a place you would normally take children. But that didn't stop me and DW. We eat out often and have high expectations of our children's behavior. We do balance those expectation with the reality they are children and not mini adults. I believe it is a teaching opportunity for children to eat at a variety of places and learn what is expected.

I would not start teaching my children here though. If they have a long history of good behavior in restaurants you should enjoy yourself. If not, it could be an uncomfortable experience for all.