Best children’s menus in New York City

Sushi bites, mini burgers and more, at Sushi Samba 7

Barrio
Mexican specialties are simplified for young palates here, so everything’s fresh and savory, not saucy or spicy. Kids can order quesadillas with cheese or chicken, or mini tacos stuffed with short ribs, roasted pork or market fish and topped with avocado slices ($6–$7). Each entrée comes with a drink and a choice of two sides; my son made quick work of his rice and beans. In nice weather, your family can enjoy the abundant sidewalk seating on Seventh Avenue.—Nicole Caccavo Kear
210 Seventh Ave at 3rd St, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-965-4000, barriofoods.com)

Blue Smoke
Danny Meyer’s ’cue house serves fired-up favorites like grilled salmon and Memphis baby back ribs in addition to more traditional kid fare (mac and cheese, for instance). The $9.50 prix fixe offers fries or mashed, salad or vegetables, a drink and ice cream. My eight-year-old son amused himself with an unbaked sugar cookie and a cup of sprinkles. After he decorated the treat, it was whisked away and reappeared, fresh out of the oven, with dessert.—Jill Cornfield
116 E 27th St between Park Ave South and Lexington Ave (212-477-7733, bluesmoke.com)

Bocca Lupo
This spacious and welcoming enoteca on a peaceful Cobble Hill corner lets kids enjoy high-quality vittles while their parents ease into happy hour with some vino and bruschetta. The $5 children’s meals include a drink and a luscious hazelnut pudding dessert, along with entrée choices like pasta and sauce, mini cheese pizza, and irresistible mac and cheese. The owners’ daughter, eight-year-old Shira Lederman, is sometimes on hand to offer suggestions.—Amy Sirot
391 Henry St at Warren St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-243-2522)

Buttermilk Channel
It’s not enough that this restaurant is winning raves for its grown-up seasonal fare; it also boasts a fantastic kids’ menu. Instead of chicken nuggets, your children can feast on the justifiably praised buttermilk fried chicken. Mini cheeseburgers are also winners, and for very picky eaters the option of butter, olive oil or tomato sauce on pasta comes in handy. The $10 meal includes juice, choice of a side dish (tasty veggies or fries) and a clown sundae. Go before 7pm to avoid crowds.—AS
524 Court St at Huntington St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-852-8490, buttermilkchannelnyc.com)

Cercle Rouge
Head straight to the back of this neighborhood resto, where comfy banquettes and plenty of stroller room await. Perfectly executed kid classics include house-made cheese ravioli ($7) and pint-size cheese pizzas ($4). Mac and cheese ($7) arrives in a cast-iron dish and packs an unexpected spicy punch; ham and cheese ($7) is grilled on buckwheat bread direct from Cercle Rouge’s Williamsburg bakery.—Melissa Fleming
241 West Broadway between Beach and White Sts (212-266-6252, cerclerougeresto.com)

Cowgirl
With its deer-antler chandeliers, plastic gingham tablecloths and Patsy Cline photos, this Southern-fried hangout is kitschy in the best possible way. Though the menu may horrify health-conscious parents, your little cowpoke will happily wolf down the corn dog, pulled pork sandwich, giant hunk of mac and cheese, or decadent Frito pie (a ripped-open bag of corn chips doused in chili). Children’s items run around $6 each and come with hearty sides like buttery corn on the cob or carrot sticks and dip. One caveat: You’ll have to steer the kids past a counter full of old-fashioned candy to get to your table, so be prepared for the “buy-me’s.”—Marisa Cohen
519 Hudson St at 10th St (212-633-1133, cowgirlnyc.com)

The Farm on Adderley
On the locally sourced, superfresh kids’ menu here, Texas-sized grilled white American cheese takes a full side of fresh salad greens (though admittedly, it may be you and not your child who eats them), and an Applegate Farms organic beef hot dog comes with the restaurant’s addictive, if not quite health-conscious, fries. For the discerning young vegetarian, there’s crispy tofu with snap peas or buttered egg noodles with broccoli and Parmesan (entrées $8). Moms with newborns have ample space to rock their babes, while squirmy toddlers can stretch their legs in the paved garden out back.—Nancy Davidson
1108 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (718-287-3101, thefarmonadderley.com)

Fatty Crab
During a recent family outing to the Upper West Side branch of Zak Pelaccio’s trendy Malaysian joint, the adults at our table were all angling for a taste of the five-year-old’s “fish fry in a box,” lightly battered strips of fish propped up in a red takeout container, with aioli and tamarind ketchup on the side. In exchange, bites of duck and coconut shrimp—and even cash—were offered, but alas, the kid greedily downed the entire batch of fish by herself. Meanwhile, her seven-year-old sister feasted on a poached chicken breast atop a mound of tasty coconut rice, and a bowl of perfect pork dumplings. Each children’s item is $6; tamer types can go for chicken noodle soup or sliders. Now if only Pelaccio would offer the kids’ menu at his downtown location.…—MC
2170 Broadway at 76th St (212-496-2722, fattycrab.com)

Kelley & Ping’s chicken lollies

Photograph: Jeff Gurwin

Kelley & Ping
This well-priced, popular noodle shop takes care of its littlest patrons with cheerfully named Pan-Asian dishes—like “bowl of sunshine” (noodle soup with roasted chicken), “chicken lollies” (satay and sticky rice) and “the Yin Yang” (dumpling, spring roll, satay, edamame)—each $5, or free before 7:30pm with the purchase of an adult meal. The back of the menu gives instructions for using beginner’s chopsticks, but when the food came, my hungry boy dug right in with his hands.—NCK
127 Greene St between Prince and W Houston Sts (212-228-1212, eatrice.com)

Landmarc
Choose from an 18-item kids’ list at either location of this French-Italian steakhouse. Options meander from the sophisticated (petite filet mignon, $17) to the classic (English muffin pizza or PB&J, $6 each), to the classic with a twist (PB & Nutella, $6), to the downright whimsical (green eggs and ham, $7). There’s also a big selection of tiny desserts, though my son found the chewy caramels that arrived with the check to be treat enough.—NCK
•Landmarc Tribeca, 179 West Broadway between Leonard and Worth Sts (212-343-3883, landmarc-restaurant.com)
•Landmarc at the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle at Broadway, third floor (212-823-6123)

Max
The intimate Tribeca branch of this trattoria indulges kids almost as much as nonna does. Pasta fiends will have a hard time deciding between the spaghetti with meatballs, meat tortellini in a rich cream sauce, homemade spinach ravioli and gnocci with the may-I-please-have-that-recipe tomato sauce. Meat loaf with potato pancetta gratin and breaded chicken cutlet with a mountain of mashed potatoes round out the hearty offerings, all of which are $7 at lunch and $8 at dinner.—MF
181 Duane St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts (212-966-5939, max-ny.com)

Philip Marie
Everything about this quaint West Village bistro whispers romance, but if you arrive around 6pm, before the lights dim and couples start canoodling over cocktails and oysters, you’ll find a friendly family spot as well as one of the best deals in town. For $7, children get a generously sized entrée such as crispy popcorn shrimp with a heaping pile of fries or penne with a tangy tomato sauce, a soft drink and a scoop of gelato topped with whipped cream for dessert. If you grab one of the window tables, the kids will be entertained by the passing parade of humanity on Hudson Street, which means parents can sit back and canoodle all they want.—MC
569 Hudson St at 11th St (212-242-6200, philipmarie.com)

Sushi Samba 7
Sex and the City cocktail-culture reputation and Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian fusion cuisine notwithstanding, this place offers appealing and beautifully presented kids’ fare (albeit eyed with some suspicion by my picky eaters). Your $12 gets a baby bento box with skewers of chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables; sushi bites; grilled chicken, steak or salmon; or, for the least adventurous, a pair of mini burgers and sweet- potato fries. Each comes with seasonal fruit, but the real reward is the choice of mochi or a brownie sundae. Training chopsticks and crayons keep ’em occupied.—Jennifer Cegielski
87 Seventh Ave South at Barrow St (212-691-7885, sushisamba.com)

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• Restaurants where kids can eat with their hands
• Eating articles
• Articles from this issue