While it’s a bit nerve wracking to take a baby to a restaurant, here are some lessons we have learned to make it as enjoyable as possible. We took Birch out to dinner with us this weekend to Junction in Belmont. And we had a fun, romantic time! (Note this post is dripping with sarcasm!)
Taking a baby to a restaurant can be a bit nerve wracking, but it gets easier with experience and patience! You have to be flexible, but there are things you can do to make the experience more enjoyable. Set yourself up for success with these tips on taking your baby out to dinner and enjoying a nice meal too!
How To Take A Baby To a Restaurant and Have A Good Time
Timing
Get ready at 2:00
Seriously!! Don’t wait until it’s go-time to start packing up your diaper bag.
When baby is napping, get all of his foods, bib, toys, and high chair ready.
Take it from us – we’ve had way too many times when I’m yelling “Did you pack the Cheerios?!” and he’s yelling “Yes but what about the bib?!” when we’re trying to get out the door before everyone else.
Go at 5:00
Really 4:45 would be even wiser. You have to be earlier than the early crowd.
This is a good idea for many reasons:
- Baby won’t be hangry
- The restaurant will be mostly empty so baby won’t disrupt the 7:00 date nights
- You’ll be able to actually get a table and the kind that fits with a high chair (not bar stool height!)
- You’ll get home in time for baby’s bath and bedtime with plenty of extra time for you two to relax with a movie
Picking A Good Kid Friendly Restaurant
Pick a restaurant that is loud enough that little squeals won’t bother
Our favorite places to take the kids are big brew-pubs that are loud enough that other patrons won’t hear them.
Mid-level restaurants work too, but we avoid anything with a white tablecloth.
Because those are usually whisper only and because baby will try to pull said tablecloth off!
Look at menu in the car
Do not dilly dally with the menu!
It’s best to order right away since your ticking time bomb might decide dinner is over at any minute.
If you can, check out the menu in the car so you have an idea of what to order and can get dinner on the way ASAP, especially for the baby if you’re ordering them something from the kids menu.
What To Bring With You
Pack whole bags of favorite foods
Don’t just pack a tiny container of Cheerios. Pack the whole damn bag!
Because if your baby is like ours, he’ll eat his 25 Cheerios in three minutes and start signing for more right away.
It’s always better to have twice as much food if you need. We either share our entrees with Birch, giving him bites of soft foods, or order him a kids meal, but sometimes what we order isn’t baby friendly or he just doesn’t like it.
We always pack a backup assortment of somewhat healthy baby foods to supplement his dinner.
Pouches are great to keep in the diaper bag for this kind of situation.
BYO high chair
This is optional, but highly recommended!
We have the Lobster that clips onto the table and it’s so nice for a handful of reasons.
For a younger baby who can’t sit in a wooden highchair, it’s more supportive.
Wooden high chairs also sometimes don’t reach the table, so it’s would be extra hard for Birch to reach his food.
We like that it brings baby to table height and comes with its own carrying bag.
And it fits in your diaper bag.
It’s also great to have if you’re in a booth so you can put the baby between you or if your restaurant is so busy it’s out of high chairs! (It happens.)
Or ya know, the straps don’t work and you’ll spend the whole meal trying to get baby to sit down.
Bringing our own means we know we have what we need. We don’t use the little tray that it came with.
We’ll either use a restaurant plate or one of these stick-on placemats (that are also great to keep baby entertained!) Depending on the restaurant, we also bring our ezpz mat in the washable carry bag they come with.
Don’t forget to pack your bib and baby’s water cup if he’s too young for a kids’ straw.
How To Keep Baby Occupied At A Restaurant
Remove all throwing hazards from baby’s reach
This might seem like an obvious one, but I once saw a baby throw a glass of wine!
Their little arms can reach much farther than you think, so do be sure to double the length you guess they can reach and remove all table decor.
Pack a few toys in a wet bag
Pack washable toys that can be cleaned with soap because your baby will toss them all on the floor one by one!
The wet bag serves as a place to store dirty toys until you can get home and wash them. A ziplock also works!
Like food, bring more than you think you need because you probably won’t want to hand your baby his chew toy back after it’s covered in floor hair and food grime.
Entertain with food, toys, crayons and a play mat
Keeping the baby busy is the key to an enjoyable experience! Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: bring toys, snacks, crayons, and a play mat. The restaurant might have crayons too.
Best Restaurant Toys For Babies
Look for things that are washable and can get gummed with food or fall on the floor and be cleaned.
- Stackable teethers
- Silicone tools
- Sensory toy
- Foodie toys
- Suction cups
- Indestructible books
- Fun placemats
- Fidget toys
- The best puzzles for older toddlers
Logistical Tips
Don’t take the baby super hungry
You might be tempted to wait until you get there to give baby some snacks, but you might encounter a wait or a melt down in the car.
It’s best to give him a small snack before you leave and then the other 75% of his dinner when you get there.
Learn to eat super fast
Because taking a baby to a restaurant is one of the most unpredictable activities (even with a good plan!) you need to make sure you actually eat.
See above notes on packing enough food and toys that they stay happy long enough for you to finish your meal.
Ask for check when entrees come
Since you’ll be ordering your meal shortly after sitting down, you might as well ask for the check when your entrees come.
See ticking time bomb statement above. Just make sure you’ve thought about dessert first!
Order dessert to go
One way to carry the date night home is to bring a little dessert back in a to-go box.
That flourless chocolate cake will taste a lot better if you can savor it bite by bite after baby is asleep!
Clean up the floor before you go
A quick swipe with your biggest napkin will get the majority of the big food off the floor that baby has rejected or tossed with delight. A small courtesy.
Pro Tips For Taking A Newborn To a Restaurant
Newborns can be easier than toddlers because if you time their nap correctly they might be falling asleep when you arrive from the car ride and sleep through the meal!
Booths are great because you can put the car seat up next to you. You can bring a muslin blanket to cover them, bring portable white noise (although restaurant noises make pretty good white noise!), and if you are nursing, a breastfeeding cover was always something I wanted (kudos if you don’t feel you need one!)
Sometimes when I had an older nursing baby I would pump before and bring milk in a bottle so I wouldn’t have to nurse without all my pillows.
Best tip: Leave a large tip
And the final key to taking a baby to a restaurant: leave a large tip. The wait staff at Junction was so nice and helpful when we asked for our food to come out “as fast as possible” and requested extra napkins for clean up.
We are always thankful for great service, so a large tip is a must.
Eliza says
Seriously, we almost never went out for dinner when our kids were babies.
Kath Younger says
It’s a haul for sure, but most of the time it’s worth it!
Elyse says
Haha, I love this! We’ve taken my 2.5YO son out since he was born and he loves restaurants! We’ve definitely had some less than ideal experiences but I think taking kids out really gets them used to going so you can keep eating (and drinking) great stuff. Pack extra clothes for spills, stickers for entertainment and an extra side of patience for mom and dad!
Kath Younger says
Agreed on the “getting used to it” 🙂 Fingers crossed B continues to go well! I remember when Mazen really started to want to hop down and explore all the time it got a bit harder. Maybe we’ll take a break when he’s 2 for a year, but we love going out so much that I hope it’s short lived! And at least now he has a playmate in Mazen to help us watch him!
Jordan says
We take our 14 month old daughter (I think she’s a week younger than Birch) out all the time, and I think we use literally all of your tips too (except maybe the one about the toys in a wet bag – so smart!). I think it also helps that we love to eat out, so we do it on a regular basis with our daughter. She’s used to the restaurant routine, so she kind of knows what to expect!
Whitney R. says
This is very helpful – thank you! Writing style reminded me of “If you give a mouse a cookie.” 🙂 Thoroughly enjoyed. 🙂
Kath Younger says
Haha! Great book.
El says
I rarely comment anymore but these are basically the exact things we do! Great list. With 4 kids ages 2-8 years my husband and I have added a few more rules, like always having some crayons and something to draw on (if not provided) and thin cheap books (like what they get in the chick fil a kids meal). We do screens as a last resort so the kids do not expect it at all. They get SLIGHTLY more civilized as they get older, lol, as you know! But we still usually ask for the check when the entree arrives or shortly thereafter. Ha!
Kath Younger says
4 kids!! My list will definitely evolve as Birch gets bigger. And this one was baby focused, but we have a whole slew of things for Mazen. His favorite is Minecraft Uno, which is a bit of struggle because it requires hands that we need for eating, but we usually promise to play until our entrees come and that’s enough for 1-2 rounds!
Taylor says
With our three year old we always make a point to look at all of the artwork in the restaurant. Pointing out what we see and describing it in detail. He also gets to get a special drink. Juice and seltzer or lemonade, something that makes it feel fun for him too!!!
Barbara says
We were never blessed with children. Sometimes it takes everything my husband and I have to get us out of the house and where we need to be, dressed, on time, and in a good mood. I don’t know how parents do it. Now, when I see young families in restaurants, I’ll know what it took to make that happen and give them a wide berth so that they can enjoy their night out. I appreciate the education.
Kath Younger says
<3
Maribeth says
We love to go out to dinner, but bringing a 2 year old can be challenging. I often feel like there is a narrator saying, “And that was the last time they went out to eat.” I try to relax on what he’s eating when we’re out – if he’s happy eating ketchup, it’s fine for a night 🙂 We went out last weekend and had a great experience! Not sure if it was luck, or he was happy sitting in a booth looking out at everyone, but it was a fun night!
Kath Younger says
Haha!!
Laura says
We bring our own water bottles for the kids. The kid cups with straws are too easy to spill as they try to turn them up to drink from like normal water bottles and you cut down on disposable waste by bringing your own options!
Kath Younger says
Yes about turning upside down haha!
Kelly A Haag says
I love everything about this post!! As a mom with two kids (one just a few months older than Birch), I am *feeling this*!!
Lindsay says
Bring Grandma! When the mini terrorist must be taken outside for a while (which WILL happen), she’ll volunteer, giving you and your spouse actual alone time!
Kath Younger says
Yes!!
Denise says
I haven’t been out with my own babies for 20 years, but I’m still a great “auntie” who clears glasses and silverware away. It’s ingrained! And I don’t want my friends to have a meltdown should little hands get hold of their wine glass
Lindsay says
Instead of restaurants, we often opt for one of the many breweries down the road from us (in Austin). Many are super kid-friendly (a couple even have playgrounds), are super casual, and have food trucks so we can eat out. but there’s no pressure for toddlers to stay at the table. We love it!
Kath Younger says
I wish ours had outdoor playgrounds!! (FENCED IN!)
Kristin says
My best advice is to just keep trying! My kids (ages 10 and 6) have been going out to dinner with us since they were newborns, and although there were some hard years to muddle through (hello 1-3yrs!), I think the best thing we did was keep taking them. At this point, they are used to the experience and are generally very well behaved and respectful to other diners. Just as an example, our niece (age 8) was rarely taken out for meals because it was ‘easier’ and she still has a hard time sitting in her chair, being quiet and is constantly fidgety. It really does pay off in the long run, and you will end up giving your kids great experience with patience and table etiquette (and of course exposure to new foods!)
Going back to tips for babies…I totally agree with your tips of prepping with snacks/toys/coloring to take to the restaurant. Ordering right away and getting the servers attention is also important so you don’t hit the hangry stage too early. If you can, request a table outside for fresh air and better people watching and for an easier exit if you need to take them for a walk. PS – I can totally relate to the wine glass situation..move those things as far away as possible! 🙂
Megan says
Haha!
My tips:
Do breakfast or lunch instead (this was always so much easier for some reason?)
OR
Get a sitter and go out for dinner! 🙂
(Bonus tip: get the sitter to come early ((think 430…)) then let sitter do dinner/bedtime routine and still get home early enough to enjoy some home time with already asleep children.
Kath Younger says
Love the bonus tip!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Such a fun guide! You seem to have mastered the art of dining with a baby, haha! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Elizabeth says
Some restaurants or servers think they are doing patents a big favor by bringing out the kids food first. WHY? In our experience, that always works out poorly. The child got children get done eating before the parents food even arrives…so the kids are completely “over it” before the parents even eat. We always polite say “no thanks” when servers have offered to bring out kids meals first—but a few have done it without asking.
My other tip is to NOT start screen time with your babies and toddlers at restaurants unless your are content with it always being okay. I see so many parents having their very young kids using phones or tablets for the entire dining experience. I’m sure it works well for some families, but we eat out with our 3 young kids 1-2 meals a week and are so glad we never got them expecting to be entertained the entire time by a phone.
Kim says
Yes to allllllllllll of those. Both of my kids were always pretty restless when they were toddlers (still are as elementary age), so we opted for a booth when we could. We would use a booster and at least could wedge them in so they couldn’t go rogue. Thankfully, there are a lot of kid-friendly places where we live (Northern VA)–especially the breweries, like you mentioned. Most have a kids nook and we have one that has a playground. Best of both worlds for the adults and kiddos!
Julie says
I ate out with my 14 month old this weekend and it wasn’t him, but me, who dropped and shattered a plate on the floor 🙂
Kath Younger says
Haha!
Tonya says
You said “I once saw a baby throw a glass of wine!” hahaa! Must have been filming Real HouseBabies of C-ville!
Kath Younger says
hahaha yup!
Tracie says
I have celiac disease, so we don’t eat out often because it’s not worth the risk for me BUT we are going to Italy in April and our son will be 16 months. I’m nervous because 1) he’s doesn’t have a lot of experience eating in restaurants 2) dinner time in Italy is closer to 8pm and 3) the cultural expectation is to linger over and enjoy the meal, which is so hard with a toddler! We are just praying for the best and will take it one meal at a time I suppose!! At least the bread, pizza, cheese and pasta cater to his favorite foods 🙂
Kath Younger says
Sounds fun!! Good luck!
Beth says
I took my daughter to Italy when she was 14 months! It was a beautiful experience. The Italians loved seeing a child in the restaurant and no one looked at us funny. Due to the time difference, we just put our daughter on a later schedule or gave her an extra nap. We were able to get dinner at many places around 7/7:30. Whenever possible, grab dinner in a plaza with outdoor seating. That allows you sometime to walk around.
Vera says
What is a good sweet tasting inexpensive wine for new drinkers?
Carla says
Hehe my personal favorite here was to prep the diaper bag like at 2pm. Yes yes yes. We bring my 2 year old’s dinner milk in her own sippy cup and that’s poured and waiting in the fridge until it’s go-time. Someone else also mentioned booths and I have to say this is a favorite of mine, cuz if they’re small enough (I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old), they can stand/wriggle around/lay down with minimal disruption to other tables (if this is a more casual place of course). Yes to the pouch supplement, lol.
Emma says
As someone who has spend many years working in the service industry I wanted to say how much I appreciate your comments about a quick sweep of thrown food and tipping etiquette. Sometimes people treat service workers like furniture (or worse, like servants), and being the recipient of the kind and aware behaviour that you described has definitely turned my work day from challenging to sweet. Thank you.
Kath Younger says
<3
The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
My husband became a non cheap tipper when we first started feeding our oldest out at restaurants!!! Ha!!! We would order her a side of broccoli or something like that instead of a kids meal because honestly, she didn’t eat the crap they put on kids meals! We always fed her what we ate and then we’d go to a restaurant and there were things like hot dogs , pbj, or whatever and she hadn’t even had those things! So we’d share our food and get her a side of something. Kids meals have com ea long way in the 8 years we’ve been ordering!
elizabeth says
Last tip from your old lady reader:
Enjoy this time with your child. It goes sooooo quickly. Blessings!
Alice Carroll says
You made a good point that I should remove anything that my baby can throw within her reach. She’s at the stage of growth when she starting to learn to grab things with her hands so she enjoys throwing her toys around. It’s great to know that romantic dates in restaurants with my husband are still possible to do even if we have a child now.