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Our Favorite Kid-Friendly Brooklyn Restaurants

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Overall Most Recommended Restaurant:

“Graziella’s seems like a classic red-sauce Italian joint at first glance, but it’s one of Brooklyn’s most baffling restaurants: How is it that couples on a date can feel a sense of intimacy in the brick-lined dining room, even while six feet away, raucous toddlers are dumping piles of linguini on the floor and giggling maniacally? If any guests or staff are secretly cringing at your noisy kids, you’d never guess it. The warm Graziella’s welcome extends to everyone who walks in, and you won’t get side-eye when your kid makes a sloshy pasta-sauce mess, or when your three-year-old jumps out of her chair and goes racing through the restaurant.

For years, my husband and I have been going on date nights there and also bringing our two under-five kids for dinner on Sundays, when we often meet up with other toddler-laden friends. Everyone goes nuts for the incredibly satisfying, generously proportioned pastas (the rigatoni Bolognese and linguine Fra Diavolo are always on our table) and the crisp brick-oven pizzas. The kitchen executes the classics expertly, and keeps up a sense of adventure with daily specials that stretch the repertoire. On warm evenings, kid-free adults who don’t want to dine anywhere near children have an even more appealing option for their night out: They can head upstairs to the no-kids-allowed rooftop terrace for an al fresco dinner and moonlit Fort Greene views.”

–Salma Abdelnour, CrunchTimeParents.com

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Burgers/American:

Burger Village (Park Slope)

“There are a few things I look for in a child-friendly restaurant, but first on my list is the presence of other kids. If there are no other kids in the restaurant, I’m just not going to feel comfortable when my three year-old inevitably starts screeching or throwing food on the floor or running in circles when it’s time to leave. I feel worse about ruining the experience of other customers if we’re the only ones making a scene. There are often half a dozen kids in the bright and spacious Burger Village, which makes me feel like I’m in a “safe” child-friendly space and immediately puts me at ease so that I can enjoy my meal…as much as possible with a child trying to climb on top of me! They are also really friendly and accommodating of food allergies, provide crayons and a coloring placemat, and have a good kid’s menu that offers a side of baby carrots instead of fries.
While I don’t love the multiple TVs, they are often showing quality kid’s programming that distracts my son for a moment so that I can enjoy my burger. And I know it’s not always the most important factor in picking a family-friendly restaurant, but I think the food is quite good! It’s not the best burger I’ve ever had, but I am always impressed by the quality of the ingredients and the large range of options, including more obscure meats and healthy/vegetarian options. (I am not a vegetarian but I love the black bean burger, and I’ve heard the impossible burger is great.) Of course, one of my favorite things about Burger Village is that I can cross the street afterward to get a very necessary post-lunch caffeine fix at Blue Bottle.”

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Pizza:

Speedy Romeo (Clinton Hill/Bed Stuy)
Their award-winning (Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list every year since 2013) dishes are  prepared in a hardwood fired Italian pizza oven, and on a wood grill from Mesquite, Texas per their website – basically everything is wood fired on the menu – so good & yummy pizza. This place gets back early especially when they have their weekly Hopalong Andrew sing-along at 11:30 on Thursdays.  Pro tip: ask for no chili flakes on the margherita pizza for the kids.

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Brunch:

Hill Cafe (Clinton Hill)
Brunch Sat-Sun 11a-4p
“This cafe is awesome for brunch because they have french toast, millet pancakes or crêpes with mixed berries or chocolate sauce and lots of yummy stuff for grown ups.”

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Dizzy’s on 9th (Park Slope)
“This place is packed on weekends because it is so close to the park, but that is also what makes it great. This neighborhood, kid-friendly staple immediately give you tiny muffins with strawberry butter and crayons to entertain the kids.”

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Lovely kids’ corner at Roots Cafe

Weekday Lunch:

Roots Cafe (South Slope)
“This place is great for a quick and affordable lunch. They even have a little garden when it gets warmer. I always get the egg and avocado sandwich called a Sammie.”

 

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For Coffee and Desert:

“The OS Cafe (Park Slope) on 6th Ave is really my favorite with Van Leeuwen ice cream and friendly local owners.”

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“The best coffee, I almost hate to tell. It is CUSP (Park Slope) on 7th Ave near 9th. They are brilliant cappuccino makers.”

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Runners Up:

67 Burger (Fort Greene)
Kids menu, Yummy fries, Shakes and Yummy burgers

Habana Outpost (Fort Greene)
The main outdoor area opens up again 4/14. They have free playtime for toddlers on Tuesday mornings in the outdoor court and crafts on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Westville Dumbo

Westville Kid’s Menu Mac and Cheese is actually pretty sophisticated

“We were invited to check out this place for a review and treated to lunch. I was thrilled try this veggy-centric place as we are vegetarians, but not big fans of fake meat. We found plenty of choices in the menu, especially the lunch menu which was entirely veggy friendly. I got the Greek rice bowl and my husband got the quinoa veggy burger which was a too-tall-to-get-your-mouth-around, interesting combination of flavors with a generous slice of avocado. The rice bowl was good, but I like my humus and rice mixed together in any case. It was heavy on the greek/italian spices which I also like.

My daughter ordered the mac and cheese from the kid’s menu which turned out to be nothing you would expect from a kid’s menu. It was big, smokey, and “meaty”. We had leftovers.

The space was good for private party. We were a bit concerned that the indoor/outdoor seating area would be cold but it turned out it seat was heated. If you like the warm butt effect you get with heated car seats, you should ask for the heated bench when you go.

Overall, it was good for kids and they even had the crayons and placemat iconic of kid-friendly places.

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