Kid-friendly restaurants near Times Square
Written October 2026
Eating right on Times Square with kids is loud and busy, and that's fine, because so are they. The places on the square are the fun ones: singing waiters, cheesecake, a dessert that's become its own reason to go.
Walk two or three blocks west, to Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and it gets calmer and easier to find a table before a show.
On the square
Ellen's Stardust Diner
Broadway at 51st
The waiters sing Broadway songs between orders, and your kid will stop eating to watch.
- High chairs
- Yes
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- No
- Wheelchair access
- Yes
Junior's Times Square
Broadway at 45th
Diner plates and the famous cheesecake, right in the middle of it all. When the line is long, there's a second Junior's four blocks up Broadway at 49th.
- Reservations
- No
Havana Central
West 46th
Cuban comfort food in a lively room: chicken and rice, empanadas, and mac and cheese or chicken fingers on the kids' menu.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- Yes
Virgil's Real Barbecue
West 44th
Southern barbecue platters with sides for the whole table to share, so everyone eats from the middle.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- Yes
Serendipity 3
West 47th
Come for the frozen hot chocolate. There's a kids' menu for the meal first if anyone insists.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- Yes
Friedman's at the Edison Hotel
West 47th
Mac and cheese, chicken and waffles and blueberry pancakes all day, and almost all of it can be made gluten-free.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- Yes
The View Restaurant & Lounge
Broadway at 46th
A revolving dining room high above Times Square, so the city goes slowly past the window while you eat.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
- Reservations
- Yes
A few blocks west
Eighth and Ninth Avenues, in Hell's Kitchen, a five- to ten-minute walk from the theaters.
Joe Allen
West 46th
Theater posters and memorabilia on every wall, and an easygoing dinner before a show.
- Kids' menu
- No
- Reservations
- Yes
Westway Diner
Ninth Avenue
A classic diner with a menu long enough that everyone gets what they want.
- Reservations
- No
Don Antonio
West 50th
Neapolitan-style pizza, when you want a sit-down meal that's still pizza.
- Reservations
- No
McHale's Bar & Grill
West 51st
A bar and grill with a kids' menu, close to the theaters on the north side.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
Schnipper's
Eighth Avenue
Burgers, chicken and comfort food ordered at the counter, for a quick meal before the show.
- Kids' menu
- No
- Reservations
- No
Amy's Bread
Ninth Avenue
A bakery for sandwiches and pastries to take to the park or back to the hotel.
Schmackary's
West 45th
A cookie shop with flavors you won't find anywhere else, for the walk to the theater.
- Kids' menu
- No
- Reservations
- No
Toward Rockefeller Center
Benihana
West 56th
The chefs cook at your table, onion volcano and flying zucchini included, and there's a kids' menu.
- Kids' menu
- Yes
The Little Beet
West 50th
Vegetable-heavy bowls for a quick lunch when everyone has had too much cheesecake.
- Kids' menu
- No
- Reservations
- No
More in New York
3 days in New York
The best family hotels in New YorkPhoto credits
Ellen's Stardust Diner: Ken Sturm (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Joe Allen: Jim.henderson (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Benihana New York West: Leonard J. DeFrancisci (CC BY-SA 4.0)