Bringing baby to a nice restaurant

[Anonymous]

If the restaurant allows it then tough luck for other people dining there. choose a restaurant that does not allow kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you got your answer, but I'm curious--why do you want to take your baby to a nice restaurant? It's not like she will be able to tell the difference at this age, and if you can afford to eat out so often, and to go to nice restaurants, you can probably afford a sitter for a few hours. So why take the kid along?

DH and I do get out for nice dinners on our own every 6 weeks or so, but we both work long hours during the week and treasure every minute we get to spend with DD. It's been really nice family time going out to these dinners every weekend but I miss frequenting the nicer restaurants in the area. I just dislike having to choose between going out to a nice dinner or spending the evening with DD.

Thanks for all the input. I'm thinking that out of respect for the other diners, we'll hold off on family dinners at upscale restaurants for now. DH and I may just have to start getting out on our own a little more.. maybe late dinners once the little one is in bed so we don't feel like we're missing out on anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you got your answer, but I'm curious--why do you want to take your baby to a nice restaurant? It's not like she will be able to tell the difference at this age, and if you can afford to eat out so often, and to go to nice restaurants, you can probably afford a sitter for a few hours. So why take the kid along?

DH and I do get out for nice dinners on our own every 6 weeks or so, but we both work long hours during the week and treasure every minute we get to spend with DD. It's been really nice family time going out to these dinners every weekend but I miss frequenting the nicer restaurants in the area. I just dislike having to choose between going out to a nice dinner or spending the evening with DD.

Thanks for all the input. I'm thinking that out of respect for the other diners, we'll hold off on family dinners at upscale restaurants for now. DH and I may just have to start getting out on our own a little more.. maybe late dinners once the little one is in bed so we don't feel like we're missing out on anything.

Oh, sorry, forgot to note that I'm the OP.

[Anonymous]

12:10 Sounds like a wretched bitch to be honest. If I am out for a nice dinner I frankly don't care if I look over and see a well behaved child sitting at another table. If they aren't screaming and are just sitting there with their family what does it really matter to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NO. NO. NO.

OP, I will try my best to put this as clearly and nicely as possible. I strongly believe I am in the majority, and I definitely am within my social circle. If DH and I get out only twice per year for special occasions (we do); have NO help and NO family bear by (we don't); and are saving our money and looking forward to a nice night out - we DO NOT want it to be around anyone's DC. NOT EVEN YOURS. Is that clear?

OP asked for advice and feedback, not a verbal smackdown. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

I haven't taken my daughter to very upscale places, but she's been to a lot of nicer restaurants. (Restaurant 3 in Clarendon, Circa, Sea Pearl in Merrifield, basically places that entrees are $20-$30, but not super special occasion places.) The "do they have high chairs?" question is a good one to ask. I take her very early in the dinner hour, we bring stuff for her to do (books, crayons) and 99 times out of 100 she has been fantastic. The one time she sucked was in a casual Thai place that literally had only one other table occupied, so I didn't lose any sleep over that meltdown.

we've been doing this since she was a couple weeks old and she's grown into a 2.5-year-old who is really well-behaved in restaurants. She'll eat things that aren't on the kid's menu, use her napkin properly, and it's been a long time since I had to pick food up off the floor around her. A lot of my friends are jealous because they don't feel they can take their young kids out.

i wouldn't take her to a very romantic place, or one where the bill easily hit $200 for a couple. But there are an awful lot of choices with good food and atmosphere that aren't specifically geared toward kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NO. NO. NO.

OP, I will try my best to put this as clearly and nicely as possible. I strongly believe I am in the majority, and I definitely am within my social circle. If DH and I get out only twice per year for special occasions (we do); have NO help and NO family bear by (we don't); and are saving our money and looking forward to a nice night out - we DO NOT want it to be around anyone's DC. NOT EVEN YOURS. Is that clear?

Oh please. This is absurd. No one is saying that the child should be allowed to behave badly and carry on, but there is no reason a child should not go out to eat in a fine restaurant if it is at a reasonable hour and they are well behaved.

Also - for the people who do not think kids can tell the difference if the food is from a fine restaurant or not, that too is ridiculous. If kids only ever eat burgers and chicken tenders, they will be adults who only eat burgers and chicken tenders. If they are given the chance to behave properly in a fine restaurant they will be adults who behave well in a fine restaurant.

People should take their kids, teach them how to behave properly (and leave if they don't) and let them enjoy the experience.


Don't be such a hater!

[Anonymous]

we went to an upscale restaurant (more DC Coast than Citronelle) this past weekend. we went at 5:00 and it was fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont have kids yet but OP- I commend you on even thinking about this. Many parents with babies do not care and when they bring their chld to very nice places they also do not care how they behave.

My DH and I eat at really nice places like Mortons, Bourbon Steak, etc. Personally, I do not think it is appropriate to bring a baby to those places but I have seen it done. I caution you that as soon as the baby makes a sound please to go outside. Most people going to these places do not want to hear a crying baby and I am not saying this to be rude its just the way it is. I also would not want to hear someone talking on their cell phone. Hope this helps!

Get back to us when you have kids.

[Anonymous]

It depends on what you think of as "nice" - as with everything in DCUM, it's subjective. I think exposing your child to different foods and different atmospheres is what makes your child able to adapt. If you only take them Applesbee's - well you know what kind of kid you're going to get.

My DD love's our local Ruths Chris. She's been going since she was 6 months old and she's 2 now. The waiter knows her - and if the people who go once a year have a problem with it. Get over it.

[Anonymous]

I am no more bothered by a child at a nicer restaurant than I am by a table of loud people who've had too much wine. As long as the child isn't screaming at the top of his lungs or throwing her food across the restaurant, I really don't care. Annoying people are annoying people, regardless of age. Appropriate behavior is expected at a nice restaurant, and if a child knows how to behave, then why would it bother me for them to be there?

[Anonymous]

OP -

We love to take our kids to casual family restaurants and save the nice dinners for after the kids are in bed. They do not know that mommy and daddy go out after they are sleeping and we get a quiet evening at a nice restaurant. OUr children are well behaved and have been going with us to restaurants since they were 8 weeks old but...
1) if they were to have a meltdown it would not be fair to other dinners.
2) no matter how well behaved they are, they are still kids and they will not behave like civilized adults

Once they are a bit older (listen to instructions etc) we will try and take them to nicer places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am no more bothered by a child at a nicer restaurant than I am by a table of loud people who've had too much wine. As long as the child isn't screaming at the top of his lungs or throwing her food across the restaurant, I really don't care. Annoying people are annoying people, regardless of age. Appropriate behavior is expected at a nice restaurant, and if a child knows how to behave, then why would it bother me for them to be there?

This.

OP - I am the parent of a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old. We used to take our toddler with us out to restaurants all the time when she was very young, including some nice restaurants in DC and VA. She was always quiet, slept, etc., and no one knew the difference. I think that's fine. However, if your child is noisy (even happy noises, e.g., shrieking) that can be upsetting for some diners. Be prepared to remove your child if he.she starts getting noisy to the point of distraction. I agree with PP, I"ve been at nice dining establishments next to tables of RUDE and DRUNK adults...I would have been much happier sitting at a table next to a well-behaved and happy child. But not a child who is shrieking or tossing food onto the floor. Now that our DD is 2.5, we hardly ever go out with her because she is MUCH more difficult. We save meals out for pizza/tex mex joints that are noisy

[Anonymous]

I would and did until mine was 18 months. Up until 12 months he always was asleep any way and after that he was super good.
My kids are now 2 and 3 and they hit or miss now so we 99% of the time get a babysitter.
Babies are easier to deal with, even if they cried they are easier to entertain and pacify.
Enjoy it now bc once they are toddlers - they are not so cute at restaurants anymore.

[Anonymous]

I don't have kids yet either but I do not mind when they are well behaved. But not sure how upscale you would take them? Some restaurants do not have many good kid options let alone for adults.