Child-friendly Restaurants

Places include here are recommended more for drinks and light meals. Many of the larger places would be a good choice if you were planning a mom´s get-together. Café by Tretters in Palladium is a great choice if the kids are getting a bit tired of the mall. It seems to have been specifically designed with mothers and children in mind with an enclosed play area and its own bathrooms so no traipsing back through the mall when an emergency occurs. Prague 7´ers and others who like Stromovka Park will be pleased to discover Vozovna, a café and restaurant in the park. Lots of outside tables plus a nearby playground means the fun can continue while mom and dad take a breather. Vozovna also puts together picnic baskets so you can sneak off to a more secluded corner if you so desire.

Kavárna na Londýnské (website in Czech only) opened last winter in Prague 2. Small but colorful, the new and modern interior looks like a place you wouldn´t want sticky hands to invade. But do come in, the staff is unbelievably welcoming and really super with the kids. There´s a good corner filled with a small table and chairs, blocks, etc. however it isn´t portioned off and there´s really just one couch and table close-by. Nice days see tables out front and these are fenced in next to a large grassy area and the staff has put a blanket put for kids to play on. Prices are very reasonable, quality is high and the food, from couscous to cakes, is presented beautifully. Kafe a Kakao, (website in Czech only) also in Prague 2, is a place you should probably only go with kids in tow. Little ones seem to expand and grow to cover the two rooms and the floor begins to look a bit like a playroom. The room in back is orientated especially for children with a colorful wall and lots of toys. They have really good coffee and birthday parties can be arranged.

At the bottom of Havlíčkovy sady you´ll find Park Restaurant and Café. While this could probably fall into the restaurant category as they have a full menu, it´s an excellent place to bring the kids on a nice day. The children´s corner inside is a bit small and not roped off, however outdoors is a big grassy area with a small play set. Those in Žižkov should head over to the park off of U Rajské zahrady. Here you´ll find both an indoor and outdoor play area for the kiddies and a nice café with friendly staff for you. A good outside choice for play groups as they can accommodate a bit more people than many cafes.

A good place to know about if you are near Wenceslas Square is Postu (website in Czech only). The café is actually part of a workout studio; but they´ve got a decent children´s corner and is non-smoking. The kid´s area is bright and beautiful and the café is adjacent to the Franciscan Garden, which also has a small playground. To find the café, it´s best to enter the garden from Jungmannova náměstí. Also quite central is Vesmírna, a café that employs mentally handicapped people. Their second room is a kid haven with a raised platform area filled with cushions for lounging.

If someone suggests Žofín for lunch or dinner, don´t frown but thank them for thinking of your children. The garden restaurant on the island is really a covered patio that has a kid´s area at one end and leads out to a playground, so a refined choice for families all year round. A more casual place in Holešovice is La Creperie. Yummy crepes are the main reason to come, however under the eaves a nice little play area has been fashioned out for the little ones. The Bohemia Bagel on Masná has been a favorite of nearly every expat who has been in Prague since 1996. Kid friendly food is a draw for the youngsters; free refills for the overworked parents. The kid´s area here is quite small, and there´s not a lot of seating close by, however the restaurant is accommodating and does periodic children´s events.

Pizza + children = happiness and many Prague pizza places cater to the kids. Pizzerie Gusto near Jiřího z Poděbrad is well-designed; the large kid´s room is behind the main dining area, past the bar. Childless diners in front may not even realize your precious ones are sharing space with them. The food is good, they offer a children´s menu and there´s a park across the street if any extra energy needs to be run off. Hands down, the number one place recommended by nearly every parent in Prague is the Ambiente Group´s Pizza Nuova. Located near Náměstí Republiky, they offer babysitting at the weekend, a non-smoking area and a brightly colored spot for kids to kill time waiting for their pizza. Pizzeria Rugantino has two locations; the one at Klimentská 40 has a good play area plus offers children´s parties twice a month. Entertainment plus a chance for kids to make their own pizzas means mom and dad can talk over a meal in peace. Pizza Coloseum has six locations around Prague. They offer a children´s menu and the one on Wenceslas Square in Koruna Palace has a kid´s corner. If you are in Průhonice, the Coloseum there has two play areas.

Malls. You either love them or hate them. For moms they are a good inside escape when the weather is bad and everyone has a touch of cabin fever. Most offer play areas where you can drop the kids and get some shopping done or have a coffee in peace. Letňany and Chodov generally receive the highest marks from parents.

Sunday brunches, while not often cheap are an excellent way to spend time together as a family. Lots of the restaurants offering Sunday brunches have prepared areas, staff and activities for the little ones, plus either free food or discounted prices depending on the child´s age. A great choice is Zinc inside the Hilton Prague Old Town, whose kid´s area is huge, fun and includes a Nintendo Wii. The Movenpick in Prague 5 has a couple things going for it; you´ll need to ride a cable car up a “mountain” to get to the restaurant, and they offer two play rooms for kids with “big kid” and “little kid” activity separation. Many other hotels offer Sunday brunches, including the Radisson and InterContinental.