Family-friendly restaurants in Toronto

Kids love cheese and every one of these family-friendly restaurants has it. Cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese and pepperoni pizza, macaroni and cheese. Toronto parents looking to take a break from their dinner duties have some serious options with so many menus offering simple meals for the wee ones along side savoury dishes for the tastebuds that are a little more refined. [Image credit: iStock.com/mediaphotos]

Family-friendly restaurants in Toronto
Karen Lloyd By

The Ace

1
231A Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2L6

For a menu full of comfort food the whole family can enjoy, look no further than The Ace. With items like cheeseburgers and fries for kids and steak and frites for parents, this restored Roncesvalles diner is perfect for dinner with the clan. Even vegetarians will enjoy the kale salad with beets, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

2
386 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1X4

With pop and pizzettas (mini pizzas) for kids and dishes like pistachio pesto primavera for parents, Famosa is a hotspot for families in The Annex. All kids specials come with a soft drink and a scoop of gelato or sobretto. Oh, and the cheekily named Dolce and Banana is a great dessert choice for anyone over the age of 12.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Barque Smoke House

3
299 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M3

For real family dining in Roncesvalles, head to Barque. On Sunday evenings, this family-friendly restaurant features large BBQ platters designed for sharing, and you can bet it includes favourites like smoked wings, pulled pork, and brisket. But don’t worry – it also features gourmet sides and accouterments like chevre and balsamic veggies and Greek fries and dessert. Sunday night Family Dinner is 35 bucks a head for adults, while kids eat for just $10.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

The Old Spaghetti Factory

4
54 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON M5E 1A6

This Toronto mainstay offers hearty Italian feasts - think pasta, soup and salad starters and spumoni for dessert. The decor is going to be a hit with the kids: carousel horses, secluded seating nooks, antique elevator and a streetcar you can sit make getting seated fun.

Caplansky's Deli & Catering

5
356 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S6

This popular deli offers kids lots of colouring activities to keep them busy while they wait for their sammies.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Uncle Betty's Restaurant

6
2590 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 2J3

Kid-friendly faves like mac and cheese, hot dogs, ice cream and sandwiches feature prominently on the extensive kids' menu here, with free sides available.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

The Good Fork

7
1550 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1T5

The pint-sized set can brunch for $7 with family-friendly amenities and colouring sheets available. Small hands will have no trouble scarfing down the mini pancakes, mini burgers, omelettes and one egg breakfasts.

Chuck E. Cheese

8
2452 Sheppard Ave. East, North York, ON M2J 1X1

This mecca for children's birthday parties has several locations in Toronto and the GTA. On the menu is pizza, subs, all-you-can-eat salad bar and buffet lunch on weekdays - if your kids can take a break from the games long enough to eat!

More from Karen Lloyd Karen Lloyd
Karen Lloyd is a Queen East scribe who fancies gritty dive bars, street meat smothered in French’s mustard and hanging out at dog parks. In addition to writing twisted non-fiction about her neighbourhood for The Local Rap, Karen also specializes in digital marketing, website design, food photography and social media.
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