Café Katja

Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

Tucked into a narrow space on an increasingly swank stretch of Orchard Street, this chic and cheerful café offers a light, modern twist on classic Austrian cuisine—and an affordable haven for families. After all, a bratwurst is, essentially, a hot dog, at least in the mind of a three-year-old. Mine devoured Café Katja’s vibrantly flavored house-made variety while ignoring the pile of crisp sauerkraut (also made in-house) on which it rested.

Co-owner Erwin Schrottner—a native of southern Austria and an alum of fancier spots like the Monkey Bar—named the place for one of his three young daughters, and it seems he had them in mind when devising the menu. The lineup includes simple but precisely prepared beer-hall staples: spaetzle with mushrooms in a light, buttery sauce, fluffy quark (cheese) dumplings, tangy pickles and house-baked soft pretzels, their glossy crusts flecked with just the right amount of coarse salt. (Order one for each kid, or the meal may end in fisticuffs.)

The kitchen is happy to make adjustments to dishes (bacon in your spaetzle? Sure!), and the sole waitress handles young patrons’ needs with cheer and aplomb, even when she has to squeeze past their strollers to do so.

Café Katja. 79 Orchard St between Broome and Grand Sts (212-219-9545). Average main course: $10.