The Beige Dilemma: Why Kids' Menus Are So Predictable
As a parent, the routine of ordering fish fingers, chips, or pizza for my four-year-old daughter at restaurants has become a source of guilt. It feels like a missed opportunity to nurture her adventurous spirit with food that expands her palate rather than reinforcing a bland, beige diet. This predictability isn't accidental; it's a commercial strategy by the hospitality industry to keep children content while parents eat quickly. However, some restaurants are challenging this orthodoxy, and I embarked on a month-long mission with my daughter to find more exciting options.
Starting with a Chip Pizza in Sheffield
Our quest began at Domo, a Sardinian restaurant in Sheffield, which offered an unusually varied kids' menu including caprese salad, multiple pasta dishes, and pizza with customizable toppings. My daughter chose a chip pizza, a novelty from Naples, but it highlighted a key issue: children often don't make the best choices without guidance. Food writer Mallika Basu notes that while restaurants need to serve what kids will eat, this reinforces a boring diet unless more adventurous options are introduced.
Pub Grub and Japanese Bento Boxes
At the Devonshire Arms in Baslow, the kids' menu featured cottage pie and beetroot burgers alongside the obligatory fish and chips. Despite my efforts to make alternatives sound magical, my daughter stuck with the classic. Later, at Tonkotsu, a Japanese restaurant in London, the experience went beyond food with crayons, stickers, and kids' chopsticks. The Yummy Yasai bento box, with edamame and colourful sauces, was a hit, earning a rating of "one hundred forty million a billion." This aligns with Thomasina Miers' advice that letting children experiment with ingredients like lemon or vinegar encourages trying new foods.
Michelin-Starred Extravagance in Mayfair
In a bold move, we visited Apricity, a green Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair, for a five-course kids' taster menu. Chef Chantelle Nicholson designed it to push children gently out of their comfort zones. Dishes like chickpea doughnuts and beetroot gazpacho delighted my daughter, who even tried mushrooms despite initial protests. The theatrical presentation, reminiscent of Pizza Hut's ice-cream factory, added to the fun. She rated it "forty one hundred or a billion thousand," showing that challenging menus can succeed with young diners.
Cultural Insights and Shared Meals
At Dishoom, an Indian chain, the kids' menu offered murgh malai or paneer tikka with bombay potatoes, avoiding carb-heavy options. Executive chef Arun Tilak emphasized that in many cultures, children eat the same food as adults, just in smaller portions. My daughter's favourite was the chilli butter-bhutta from the regular menu, supporting Basu's view that restaurants should serve smaller portions of adult dishes. This approach fosters a more inclusive dining experience.
Home Cooking and Final Reflections
Our journey included Lebanese and Iranian restaurants where we ordered from the adult menu, with mixed results. At Saffron in London, my daughter enjoyed jojeh kebab and saffron rice, rating it "a gazillion billion." However, at Sargasso in Margate, without a kids' menu, she mostly sucked on a lemon slice before gobbling some fish outdoors. This highlighted that a good kids' menu depends on context: sometimes simplicity wins. After a month, I agree with Miers that delicious, well-cooked food is key, and it's time for some beans on toast at home.
