Last year, I had the privilege of penning 2 articles for Preschooler Survival Kit, a publication which is distributed to parents of preschool kids. So if you are the parent of one such child, chances are you may have received a copy too.
And since I have wrote about Short Family Vacations and Singapore's Top 10 Indoor Playgrounds in last year's edition, I thought I will focus on dining out with the children this time around.
If you are an avid follower of our blog, you will know that I had in fact compiled a list of Kids-Friendly Restaurants in an earlier blog post. So this article is essentially an elaboration of 8 of those restaurants, complete with their price range, food that will appeal to the kids and what kind of activities to keep them busy while parents chomp away.
Here is the article reproduced in full.
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Ever since I became a parent, I am always on the constant lookout for restaurants that satisfy both my palate and my children's with understanding wait staff in a relaxed dining environment. And an even greater bonus would be extra activities within that restaurant to keep them occupied. No, I do not mean the iGadgets.
So here's a listing of 8 kids-friendly restaurants that hopefully, will provide you with some enjoyable and affordable dining options that will leave everyone in your family feeling full and happy.
Restaurant: Eatplaylove Cafe
Location: 28 Aliwal Street, Aliwal Arts Centre, #01-07, Singapore 199918
Kids Like: Where else in Singapore can you find a quaint retro cafe that serves up reasonable food fare, coupled with an awesome crafting corner for kids? EatPlayLove Cafe is such a place - a stylish retro cafe with all things vintage, whimsical and full of nostalgia. An entire crafting corner for kids is THE main highlight for kids here, with loads of crafting materials and ideas abound.
Kids Eat: The eatery serves a mix of Thai-inspired cuisine, Western dishes and sandwiches, and the best thing is that the prices are rather reasonable with each dish averaging $10 to $15. Kids should adore the Pineapple rice and Macaroni & Cheese.
Price Range: $$ per pax | Crafting Corner Costs: $5/child per 2 hrs (Weekdays) & $10/child per 2 hrs or $7.50/child per 1 hr (Weekends) *Craft Prices correct at time of printing
Website: www.facebook.com/eatplaylovealiwal
Restaurant: Nook: D.I.Y. House of Pancakes
Location: Bukit Timah, 21 Lorong Kilat, #01-03, Singapore 598123
Kids Like: If you are looking for a dining place where kids (and the parents) can play with food to their hearts' content, then Nook is it. This is one cool place where you get to make, doodle, flip your own pancakes and eat your own creations! And the best part? The kids polished off every single morsel on their plates without me having to nag.
Kids Eat: Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes! But in case you are craving for something saltier, the restaurant serves all-day breakfast meals too. But the one must-try item on the menu is Nook’s Awesome Cheese Burger soup – yes, I never knew that slurping the soup form of a cheeseburger could be so addictive!
Price Range: $$ per pax
Website: http://nook.sg/
Restaurant: Belly View Restaurant
Location: 10 Changi Coast Walk, National Service Resort Country Club (beside Constant Wind Sailing Centre), Singapore 499739
Kids Like: Tucked away in a hidden corner of Changi is this gem of an alfresco dining place that whips up delicious tze-char food. Families can choose to dine on the boardwalk, right beside a kick-ass scenic coastal view and under the rustling palm trees. Kids will be preoccupied with the mini playground, wooden swing, hammock and the vast open space. Or if that isn't enough, there is always the common sightings of aeroplanes which whizz by as they are making their landing at nearby Changi Airport.
Kids Eat: Admittedly, the main draw here is the secluded location so while the food wouldn’t win any food awards, the tze-char fare is pretty decent. The dishes that particularly stood out were the Fish Head Curry (their signature dish), Home-made Tofu, Salted Yolk Prawns and Fried Mee Sua.
Price Range: $$ per pax (No service charge and GST)
Restaurant: VeganBurg
Location: A total of 3 outlets (Jalan Eunos, The Grandstand and Marina Boulevard) and 1 kiosk (Golden Shoe).
Kids Like: Think fast food is always junk food? Here to dispel that notion, VeganBurg is a wholly vegan - including NO eggs or dairy products - fast food joint which sells mainly burgers. We patronized the outlet at The Grandstand, primarily because of an entire dine and play area devoted to kids.
Kids Eat: The kids had the VeganKidz meal, which consisted of a mini-burger - a non-GMO soya patty sandwiched in an organic mini-wholemeal bun - and accompanied by franks, fries and apple currant juice. And I just have to give a special mention to the Vegan Franks. I don't know how they do it, but the franks tasted exactly like real hotdogs! They are actually made of tofu, and you should have seen my kids fighting over the franks. Suffice to say, they thoroughly enjoyed their first-ever vegan meal.
Price Range: $ per pax
Website: www.veganburg.com
Restaurant: District 10 at UE Square
Location: 81 Clemenceau Avenue #01-15/16/17, UE Square Shopping Mall, Singapore 239917
Kids Like: Who can say no to a hearty brunch on a lazy Sunday morning with the entire family? Especially when a huge bouncy castle is thrown into the mix! That’s right - a Bouncy Castle is specially inflated for the kids every Sunday (11am to 3pm) and it is strategically placed right beside the outdoor dining area, so that parents are able to sneak a peek at what their young-lings are up to via a see-through netting at the side of the bouncy castle.
Kids Eat: We had the Hoegaarden Battered Fish & Chips while the kids tucked into the Eggs Florentine and Pandan-Coconut Pancakes with Gula Melaka Syrup.
Price Range: $$$ per pax
Website: http://district10.com.sg/uesquare
Restaurant: Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe
Location: A total of 6 outlets at Liang Court, City Square, Bukit Timah Plaza, Toa Payoh Central, Hougang 1 and The Cathay.
Kids Like: If your kids have as a voracious appetite like mine, you can probably empathize how dining outside is getting tougher on the wallet. So thankfully, there is Saizeriya – a Japanese chain of casual, low-priced Italian Restaurant famed for its wallet-friendly jaw-dropping prices. There are no special playrooms or activities for kids here though, but the food prices are enough to turn us into repeat customers, especially with the Free Flow Kids Drink Bar ($1.40 per child)!
Kids Eat: Just how affordable is the food at Saizeriya? Try the half-dozen escargots for $5.90! Or how about the Pineapple & Bacon pizza at $6.40 and Chicken Bolognese Cheese-baked rice at $4.90? Overall, the food is above average and that alone will keep us going back for more.
Price Range: $ per pax (No service charge and GST)
Website: www.saizeriya.com.sg
Restaurant: The Bank Bar + Bistro
Location: 1 Shenton Way, #01-01 One Shenton, Singapore 068803
Kids Like: Located in the redeveloped part of the Central Business District (CBD), The Bank Bar + Bistro exudes an old world charm with its dark wood furnishings and leather seats, complete with motifs of Straits Settlement money. But what really endeared me to the place was a separate playroom specially devoted to the kids while the adults tucked into saliva-inducing Weekend Roast and All-Day Breakfast offerings (9am – 6pm on weekends).
Kids Eat: The kids’ menu consists of the usual suspects – ham & cheese sandwich, pancakes, fish & chips and pasta while the adults can take great delight in choosing between Roasted Striploin, Roasted Half-spring Chicken and other All-Day Breakfast items. And here’s something even sweeter - Kids eat FREE all weekend (information correct at press time)! For every main course ordered, your kid will get to enjoy his/her entree FREE-OF-CHARGE.
Price Range: $$$ per pax (No service charge)
Website: www.thebankbar.com
Restaurant: Slappy Cakes
Location: 200 Turf Club Road, #01-20/21, The Grandstand, Singapore 287994
Kids Like: Another DIY pancakes eatery where kids need no invitation to play with their food, kids can have their say in choosing the pancake batter and toppings. Squirt, slap and paint the griddle with whatever batter you fancy and then splatter it with your choice of fixings and toppings, before eating it all up like a messed up kid. Who says food can't be fun? And the best part - kids can never complain about the food because they made it themselves!
Kids Eat: Purely pancakes with five batter mixes to choose from – Buttermilk, Wholegrain, Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Zucchini. Yes, the latter is a rather refreshing and interesting flavor I have to say.
Price Range: $$ per pax
Website: www.slappycakes.com.sg
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