Dani

We are after a 'nice' restaurant in Vancouver that would be appropriate with a 10 & 12 year old. A good selection for the fussier diner, while still allowing mum and dad a smart dining option. Lunch is fine.

leigh

Your best bet is to stick to the chains: Earls, Milestones, Cactus Club and Red Robin. Childrens' likes and parents' desires are NOT compatible. Childrens' menus mean deep fryers - same old, same old. Fries, chicken strips, fish and chips, plain pizza, hamburgers, etc. Why not let the parents dictate where the dinner will be, for once! Order the kids a pizza in the hotel room!

leigh

Okay, I'll stop being testy.<BR><BR>I've thought of a great place we take our fussy 7 year old to: Yaletown Brewery (Brew pub?). Lots of options for parents and kids.

Dani

Are there no other options. I am happy to do chains for the everyday food, but I just thought there may be a suggestion for a one off special lunch or dinner while we are there, that they would not frown upon 2 quiet kids tagging along. Otherwise we'll set them up in the hotel room and off we go for a night on the town. Hmmm sounds good.

gary

The Spaghetti Factory in Gastown, (actually the original), in an old but authentic trolley. what kid doesn't like Spaghetti??

Robyn

Hi Dani,<BR><BR>There are a ton of excellent restaurants in Vancouver that aren't chain restaurants that welcome kids, however, it all depends on how picky your kids really are. It also depends on how classy and gourmet you want the restaurants to be. The very top restaurants like Ouest, Lumiere or Bishops aren't exactly places to bring kids... but there are a lot of great places that are steps above places like Red Robin where kids can also eat.<BR><BR>One question, are they so fussy that they'll only eat chicken burgers, white bread and carrot sticks? Or will they gladly eat anything as long as they recognize it and it's cooked to their liking? <BR><BR>Most restaurants, for example, say if they specialize in seafood - they will usually offer a non-seafood entree, such as New York steak, hamburgers, fettucini alfredo, thin-crust pizza, or something along those lines. Those are usually meals that can be shared and enjoyed by kids.<BR><BR>Cardero's is one restaurant I'm thinking of that you could all enjoy. They're located on Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver. The view is one of the best in the city - it's literally over the water, looking over the yachts, the mountains, Stanley Park, the boat traffic and the seaplanes landing and taking off. If it's a nice day, you could even sit at their outdoor patio. <BR><BR>Here's their website. Check out their menus:<BR><BR>http://www.sequoiarestaurants.com/carderos_main.html<BR><BR>Cafe de Paris is a local favourite gourmet French bistro located on Denman Street downtown. It has a really charming and cozy atmosphere. While duck, lobster, salmon and lamb is on their menu, if your kids like peppercorn steak or roast chicken, I'd definitely recommend eating here. Your kids would also probably like their famous French Fries! <BR><BR>I found a local amateur's review here, and coincidentally, they have a picture of a family (with 2 kids) sitting down eating dinner:<BR><BR>http://www.evevancouver.ca/food/denman.htm#Paris<BR><BR>The Yaletown Brewing Co (in Yaletown) and Steamworks Brewery (in Gastown) are good options for a casual yet classy lunch. It has a bit more personality than the typical Earls or Milestones, and if you're a beer fan, that's the place to be. Note: these aren't gourmet restaurants, but casual places with excellent food.<BR><BR>Steamworks - http://www.steamworks.com/<BR>Yaletown Brewing Co - http://www.yaletownbrewing.com/restbrew/yaletown/yaletown.html<BR><BR>One website you might want to check out is Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Mini Reviews:<BR><BR>http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/westcoast.html<BR><BR>They have listed a lot of key Vancouver restaurants (organized them into categories along the right side) and have summarized their atmosphere and cuisine. If you scan through the lists, maybe you'll get a better idea of what's out there and whether or not they'll have something that your kids would eat.<BR><BR>Anyhow, I hope this helps!

desert dweller

Try the restaurant at Prospect Point in Stanley park. Great spot, large outdoor deck overlooking the Lions Gate Bridge. There is an observation point to watch the ships enter the port. Fine dinning and elegant service in a casual atmosphere very nice setting among the large trees.... there is a kids menu.

Joe

Dani: There are many 'nice' reastaurants in Vancouver that would gladly accept well behaved children. We often took our children to fine restaurants in our travels around the world. How else will they learn?<BR>Cafe de Paris (bistro), as mentioned, would be a good choice as would the little French Restaurant, The Chef and Carpenter (traditional French); right up the street from Cafe de Paris on Robson. By the way, this part of Robson is loaded with great little ethnic restaurants of every conceivable persuasion (some not so conceivable). I can think of Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Cambodian, Hungarian, Russian, Ukranian, Mexican, Salvadorean, Argentinean, there are many more. Fun area with ethnic shops, cafes, etc. By the way, The Chef and Carpenter is an elegent little restaurant with very good food and service. Have a great trip.