Eating out with your kids!

My family has found that the best restaurants for us have kid-friendly food (not necessarily a kid´s menu, but simple food like sandwiches or omelets) and enough activities to occupy the children when they aren´t eating to allow the adults to relax at least a little. Restaurants that supply crayons and coloring books are good. Restaurants with play areas are even better. I prefer loud places so that if one daughter screams because her sister accidentally kicked her (unfortunately, a common occurrence) it won´t seem so ear-piercingly shrill. If it´s a place that also has a nice atmosphere and decent food, then even my husband´s and my requirements are met.

Alfresco dining in Prague parks – Several of the larger parks in Prague have outdoor restaurants that are lively and kid-friendly in warm weather, which I know we´re all hoping will continue through September. Combining a visit to one of these restaurants with a trip to the park´s playground is an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours. Two of our favorites are Vyšehrad in Praha 2 and Stromovka in Praha 6. Vyšehrad has three restaurants with outdoor seating where you can get a meal or snack and young children seem welcome. Stromovka has an unusual snack area that is a bit hard to find but worth the search. It´s located on the south side of the park next to a dilapidated building and hidden behind a red fence that looks like it´s covering a construction zone. The stand sells sandwiches, sodas, pivo, and snack foods. After you eat, while the kids are playing in the enormous sandbox, you can enjoy a coffee and view the strange objects in the area. (I can´t adequately describe the bizarre nature of this place; you just have to see it.) Bring your own sand toys.

Ambiente – The Living Restaurants, 59 Mánesova, Vinohrady, Praha 2, tel 222-727-851. Good American and Tex-Mex food, lots of stuff on the walls for kids to look at, and they put crayons, coloring pages, and even games on the table. Open 11:00 – 24:00 Mon – Fri, 13:00 – 24:00 Sat/Sun. Picante, Revoluĉni 4, Praha 1, tel 222-322-022, located just north of Náměsti Republiky metro, also serves up Tex-Mex food and provides crayons and coloring pages, but in a fast-food style eatery. What to do if you get a burrito craving long after you´ve tucked your little muchacho into bed? No problema. Picante is open 24 hours, so you or your spouse can run over for take away or have an order delivered. Delivery hours are limited; check www.kantyna.cz for exact times.

Italian restaurants – There seem to be hundreds of Italian restaurants in Prague. Most offer great fare for kids – pizza and pasta. We stick to casual ones, those without cloth tablecloths. In Vinohrady our favorite is Trattorie Roca, Anny Letenske 10, open daily 11:00 – 23:00. Not only is the food delicious, but they are very friendly to children. During our last visit, the owner (who is Italian) took each of my children separately into the kitchen to briefly watch the chef twirling pizzas. In Praha 1, just a block off Old Town Square, Pizzeria Rugantino, Dušni 4, 222-318-172, is another good option for families. Wide selection of pizzas, several murals featuring Pinocchio, and high chairs. Open Mon – Sat 11:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00.

Teta Tramtarie, Jungmanova 28, Praha 1, tel 296-165-174, open daily 7:30 – 22:00. This restaurant has a large indoor play area with a climbing structure, slides, and a few coin-operated rides. They serve meals and snacks. Ice cream is a bargain at 10 Kc per scoop. If you´re still up for more play time after your visit here, just out the backdoor there is a small outdoor playground in the lovely flower- filled Frantiskanska zahrada, named the “secret garden” by my children because it´s hard to find even though it´s located just off Wenceslas Square.