Best NYC Restaurants for Families with Kids

What are the best NYC restaurants for families with kids? And more specifically, for families who want to dine well–not just on mediocre pizza or takeout that they could get anywhere.

Here are my favorites, based on where we go ourselves with our 6 year old, where we take our relatives with kids when them come to visit us in NYC, and the places I recommend to my clients with kids.

1. Blue Smoke (BBQ)

Address: 116 East 27th Street between Park Ave. and Lexington

My husband and son don't always agree on where they want to go out to eat, but one of the places they do agree on is Blue Smoke. My son loves that he gets to decorate a pig shaped sugar cookie (the sprinkles are even red and green during the holiday season) and get to order baby back ribs or his favorite macaroni & cheese from the kids menu, which also comes with a vegetable side, choice of juice or milk, and choice of brownie or ice cream for dessert, all for just $11.

My husband and I often split a full order of baby back ribs and collard greens, and find it hard not to start off with the addictive warm barbecue potato chips with blue cheese and bacon dip.

Recommended dishes: Warm Barbecue Potato Chips with Blue Cheese & Bacon Dip, Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork, Macaroni & Cheese, Collard Greens

2. Fish Tag (Weekend Brunch, Modern Greek)

Address: 222 West 79th Street between Amsterdam and Broadway

While I mourned the closing of Anthos, Michael Psilakis' Greek fine dining restaurant, particularly for the ethereal sheep milk dumplings, my consolation is that the chef since then has opened Fish Tag, which offers these sheep milk dumplings with a crab fonduta, adorned with crispy speck. That dish is on the dinner menu, which is handily grouped by dishes from lightest to heaviest, with wine pairings.

Yet these days we most often find ourselves at Fish Tag before or after a visit to the nearby American Natural History Museum, where my son never seems to tire of hearing Meryl Streep narrate the dinosaur and vertebrate evolution films. Brunch is very well-priced for the Upper West Side, and the pancakes in particular are excellent value and pretty much guaranteed to fill up your kid for a good several hours.

Recommended dishes: Sheep Milk Dumplings with Crab Fonduta, Smoked Octopus, Grilled Branzino Stuffed with Head Cheese, Lamb Burger, Smoke Trout Hash (brunch only), Ricotta Pancakes (brunch only)

3. The Vinegar Factory (Weekend Brunch Only)

Address: 431 East 91st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues

I'll confess that this is far from one of my top picks for brunch, but it is one of my son's, so I'm putting it on this list. The Vinegar Factory is the East Side cousin to Zabar's on the Upper West Side, with all the overpriced groceries that entails. But I do have to give props for the large, family-friendly space upstairs, open only on weekends for brunch from 8am to 4pm, and the fact that they always have helium balloons for the kids.

Recommended dishes: Lox & Bagel with Cream Cheese, Cheese Blintzes with Jam, Wild Mushroom & Spinach Omelet

4. Somtum Der (Northern Thai / Isan)

Address: 85 Avenue A between East 5th and East 6th Streets

It might seem odd to bring kids to a Northern Thai / Isan restaurant, given that authentic Northern Thai cuisine offers some of the spiciest dishes in the world, but fortunately any kid who likes fried chicken will have some of the best fried chicken ever here, with yummy sticky rice (or even coconut sticky rice, if s/he's feeling adventurous). It's also easy to order some off the menu steamed vegetables so that your kid can get his/her vitamins. This off the beaten track place will have your family feeling like a true New Yorker in the know, and is also friendly on the pocketbook in what is undeniably an expensive city.

Recommended dishes: Sa Poak Kai Tod Der (Deep Fried Chicken Thigh with optional spicy sauce on the side), Som Tum Thai (Spicy Green Papaya Salad), Moo Rong Hai Der (House Special Grilled Marinated Pork) + Rice, Grilled Coconut Sticky Rice, Larb Ped (Spicy Minced Duck Salad)

5. The Clam (Seafood, Modern American)

Address: 420 Hudson Street, between Leroy and Morton

There's no question The Clam is in too small a space given its popularity, so definitely book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment. We were introduced to this gem by friends of ours in Tribeca, and we've loved pretty much everything we've tried here, with the exception of a mediocre dessert. That's easy to remedy, since Grom (Italian gelato) is a quick walk away. The place is always so popular, with the accompanying ambient noise, that no one will notice if your kids are a bit loud. Try not to fill up on the homemade warm Parker House Rolls, delicious as they are.

Recommended dishes:Chilled King Crab, The Clam Dip, Spaghetti & Clams, Soft Shell Crab (if offered as a special), Clam Chowder, Old Bay Fries

6. Oriental Garden (Dim Sum)

Address: 14 Elizabeth Street, between Bayard and Canal Streets

The best Chinese dim sum is not in Manhattan, as it has long since moved to Flushing, Queens, but in Manhattan, Oriental Garden remains our favorite place. This is traditional dim sum, no fusion or yuppified dim sum here, and be prepared to sit at a communal table if you're in a smaller group. I highly recommend going on late morning on a weekday if possible, to avoid a wait. As you'll notice, there are plenty of local and visiting families with kids, including infants, so your kids will feel right at home and chances are they'll bring your kid a fork before you even ask for one.

Recommended dishes: Panfried Chive and Shrimp Dumplings, Lotus Leaf Wrapped Sticky Rice, Har Cheong Fun (Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls), Baked Custard Buns, Egg Custard Tarts

7. Cafe Katja (Austrian)

Address: 79 Orchard Street between Grand and Broome Streets

If you find yourself on the lower East side, Cafe Katja is a great place for a hearty Austrian dinner or a delightful Sunday brunch. It's larger than it used to be, but still very popular, so I recommend getting there early for Sunday brunch, which is served 11am – 3:30pm. While there are no reservations for smaller parties, Cafe Katja does take reservations for parties of 6 or more, so definitely reserve well in advance if you'll meet this minimum.

Recommended dishes: Beef Goulash with Spaetzle, Emmentaler Sausage with Quark Dumplings, Warm Apple Strudel with Cream, Cheese Blintzes with Sour Cream and Homemade Jam (Sunday Brunch only)