Eight Great Stroller-Friendly Restaurants For Dining Out with Babies & Kids

This colorful arrival in the West Village gives new meaning to "yummy mummies." The decor is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory meets the Mad Hatter's tea party meets baroque Parisian bistro. "Sweetiepie is the quintessential ice cream parlor restaurant for kids and adults alike," says Rhiannon Kubicka, director of the Bespoke art gallery in Chelsea, and a new yummy mummy herself. "Kids are welcomed and families are celebrated at this romantic and fun venue featuring classic items such as spaghetti and ice cream sundaes. It's great for brunch, afternoon lunch or birthday parties." The menu includes some healthier items, such as salads, but if Veruca Salt, the bratty girl in Willy Wonka, were to visit, no doubt she'd demand the Sweetie Pig, a massive goblet filled with eighteen scoops of ice cream and all sorts of decadent toppings—all for a mere $75! In the evenings, grown-ups can come back and enjoy the bar's eclectic drinks. Absinthe champagne cocktail anyone? NB: Also great for bachelorette parties, bridal showers and girl's nights out; try to book the table for six in the giant birdcage.

"Mi Cocina is always a Dallas favorite for something casual," says entertaining expert and young mother Kimberly Schlegel Whitman. "There are locations all over town but my husband and I frequent the Highland Park Village location for its added charm. Mi Cocina is very family friendly for lunch or early dinner. We love to take our baby boy for a walk around the Village—the oldest outdoor shopping center in the world!—and then mosey into Mi Cocina for a bite of Tex-Mex and ONE of their famous Mambo Taxi Margaritas. Kids love the big ceiling fans and bright blue light fixtures. They have tons of high chairs and boosters and a great kids' menu.  My son, J.R., loves the quesadillas, and they always give him a plastic cup with a lid and straw—thank goodness for those!" Yes, indeed ...

"It's not obvious that Sonsie would work well for children and strollers, as it's a real restaurant, not a chain or a kid focused place," explains Janet Kraus, CEO of Spire and a mother of twin girls, on why she chose to share it with me as her Insider pick for Boston. Located on the chic shopping mecca of Newbury Street, the elegant bistro serves international fare as well as pizzas and foccaccia baked in its brick oven. "It's great if you're in the city on a weekend with your hubby doing some shopping with kids in a stroller along Newbury, at Copley Place or Prudential Mall, and want to catch a nice 'grown-up' bite of food while also including the kids. We went in the summer, when the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling French windows open onto the street and let in a nice breeze. The staff were very attentive and helpful. There's no kids menu per se, but we found things on the menu the girls could munch on." NB: If you're looking to host an adults-only private dinner party in Boston, consider booking Sonsie's new wine cellar room.

Windy City parents love taking their budding broods to John's Place. "Kids get crayons and paper place mats, their drinks come in plastic cups with tops and straws, there's ample room for strollers, and high-chairs and booster seats are plentiful," says Heidi Stevens, who writes about family and parenting topics for the Chicago Tribune. "The environs are cozy—wood floors, exposed brick walls, local art on the walls—but casual and boisterous enough that no one bats an eye at a chatty or fussy child. The food is delicious, with the added bonus of being largely organic and health-conscious. Best of all, you can follow up your meal with a treat at Sweet Mandy B's two doors down, an adorable bakery that specializes in cupcakes and other homemade goodies. Kids love to sit on the swivel chairs at the bar and let their legs swing while they get their sugar fix." Heidi's friend Danielle Lutz, a fashion stylist and another one of our Insiders, says grown-ups without  kids frequent John's too: "It's totally hip to go to there with your girlfriends, or with your boyfriend on a date—it's a must for casual home-cooked food. I love their simple turkey burger and sweet potato fries."

They don't take reservations at this casual, family-friendly, modern Italian restaurant overlooking Sydney's Bondi Beach, so get there early on weekends or be prepared for a bit of a wait. "The most enticing aspect of North Bondi Italian is that it's a chic, funky grown-up restaurant that not only caters to but also encourages children," says local mother Michelle Walsh, a former model-turned-TV presenter-turned-fashion entrepreneur and founder of Mrs. Walsh. "There's plenty of room to park a large pram at the end of the table, and there are high-chairs available for slightly older children. The balcony is divine, with plenty of room for kids to move around while enjoying the iconic view of Bondi Beach. Menu faves with my kids are crab spaghetti, Parmesan encrusted flathead fillets, and of course the ice-cream with chocolate sauce. My family and I are permanent fixtures there for Sunday lunch as it's without doubt our favorite."