Looking for a meal out that appeals to both foodie parents and children as well? We scoured the famous Michelin Guide’s list of Bib Gourmand restaurants and found some intriguing new possibilities for parents to enjoy a good meal with the kids. Bonus: these restaurants are considered a good value for the price. Below are the Bib Gourmand restaurants that we recommend for your next family lunch or dinner out. Bon Appétit!
Nopalito celebrates traditional Mexican cuisine in a fun, festive atmosphere with an extensive menu that goes way beyond tacos and enchiladas. Adventurous kids might be able to share in the regular dishes like tortas and carnitas, or you can order them beans and rice with a cheese quesadilla. They’ll also enjoy the housemade almond horchata and popsicles for dessert. Nopalito has two locations; the one on 9th Avenue is a short walk from Golden Gate Park and is a great spot for a meal after a fun day at the museum.
1224 9th Ave. San Francisco, CA
306 Broderick St. San Francisco, CA Online: nopalitosf.com
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine is a feast for all the senses. The interiors are a festival of colorful lights, flowers and decorations. The dishes are similarly intense, with bold takes on Thai food including flavorful curries, fresh seafood and their signature panang neua, a whole slow roasted short rib that’s fall-off-the-bone tender. There is a small kid’s menu that includes fried chicken and rice noodles with egg and broccoli (highly recommended) and many of the dishes on the main menu are kid-friendly as well, including the crab fried rice, pad thai and chicken noodle soup.
Great China is a Berkeley fixture and for good reason: the food is reliably delicious, it’s affordable for college students and it’s spacious and clean enough for families. You can find all the best northern Chinese classics here (the Peking duck is fantastic) and tons of kid favorites like spring rolls, pot stickers, wonton soup, broccoli beef and fried rice. It can get very busy at dinnertime and on weekends, so come early if possible, or make reservations.
Pizza is a go-to when you’ve got littles, but Zero Zero offers much more than pizza. The arancini and the bruschetta appetizers are amazing and if you go for brunch, the short rib pastrami hash and the fried chicken thighs with waffle might leave you with no room for pizza. Don’t pass it up, though: the marinara and margherita pizzas probably have the most kid appeal. They will also love the Straus soft serve you can customize with toppings ranging from caramel to cookie crumble and a side of donuts or brownies.
Luna Mexican Kitchen offers upscale Mexican in a gorgeous dining room with an outdoor patio your kids will love on sunny days. They have a kids’ menu which includes chicken bowls and quesadillas. Kids might also like the beans and rice and the elote, a grilled corn on the cob. For parents, don’t miss their signature parrilladas, a tabletop iron grill with a mixture of ingredients from ribs and shrimp to steak and lobster.
Husband and wife restaurateurs, Chef Roberth and Andrea Sundell, know what it's like to dine out with kids. Parents to four kids themselves, they opened Stockhome in their Petaluma hometown with a keen eye to what would be convenient for families. The counter-service restaurant serves the popular cuisine of Stockholm including Swedish favorites like meatballs with lingonberries, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Other favorites include the kebab plate with pommes frites and the little gem salad with fried garbanzo beans. Kids will especially love the massive-but-delicate Swedish pancakes with fresh berries and vanilla cream and the pita pizza. Bonus: you can be sure they'll behave during the meal as you can bribe them with some of the restaurant's authentic Swedish candies. A few dozen varieties are available for purchase by the pound at the counter, after you finish what's on your plate, of course.
220 Western Ave. Petaluma, CA Open for lunch and dinner, Wed.-Sun. Online: stockhomerestaurant.com
Lai Hong is old-school Chinese dim sum at its most classic. Loud, packed and an endless variety of dishes rolling by on serving carts provide loads of entertainment for the kids. Don’t pass up the super-cute custard piglet buns for your kiddies, or the ever-popular shrimp dumplings, steamed pork buns, egg rolls and Chinese donut holes. Tip: the wait time at lunch can be very long, so try going at dinner when it’s less busy. They still serve a selection of dim sum at dinner!
1416 Powell St. San Francisco, CA Online: Lhklounge.com
Ramen is a kid favorite and Ramen Gaijin might become a grownup favorite too. This Japanese ramen shop and izakaya in Sebastapol makes their noodles in house and they’re a must-try. The shoyu or spicy tan tan ramen with six-minute egg are great picks, while kids get their own special kids’ noodles. Other tasty options from the menu for the littles include karaage chicken and the pork belly donburi. Not surprisingly given their wine country location, they also have an amazing cocktail, beer, wine and sake list.
Chef Martin Yan’s restaurant is a destination restaurant in the San Francisco Shopping Centre. If you sit near the open kitchen, you can see chefs pulling noodles and whipping up dishes—great entertainment for the littles. Lunch has a more extensive dim sum menu with plenty of kid-friendly items like dumplings and buns. There’s also the signature wild boar scissor cut noodles, Hong Kong crispy noodles and the crispy roast chicken. Don’t miss the sugar egg puffs for dessert. Afterwards, you can do some shopping!
Westfield San Francisco Centre 845 Market St. San Francisco, CA Online: tastemychina.com
—Anita Chu
Photos by the author except where noted.
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