Miami’s best restaurants where kids are welcome—and the adults will be happy, too

Part food hall, part rooftop bar, part multi-purpose event space for pop-up shops and community activations, The Citadel injects new life into Miami's Little River Business District with its modern, eclectic design and curated selection of local eateries. Pop over on a Sunday morning for a perfect iced matcha latte and almond croissant from Vice City Bean, nosh on one of the best burgers in Miami from USBS or swing by on a weeknight for a family-friendly happy hour, which goes until 7pm. There are options for all ages and the vibe is inviting for both kiddos and adults.

Little River’s 10,000-square-foot brewery and restaurant is a veritable playground for kids and their adults. The Key West-inspired patio is full of games and regular events, like live music and salsa lessons. And the Sunday Funday includes interactive art classes for those of drinking age and the ones who still have a few years to go.

Bayshore Club is an expansive open-air, multi-concept restaurant right smack on the water in Coconut Grove with views and a vibe that’ll likely earn it loyal customers forever and ever. A massive, Jetsons-style curved roof propped up by spindly columns stretches over the elevated outdoor dining space and large circular bar. Down by the marina, there’s seating around fire pits, a free-standing bar and an inviting swath of artificial turf dotted with cabanas. Without a doubt, Bayshore Club is a worthy stop for a boozy sunset happy hour, but on the weekends, families also flock here to enjoy the sunshine, bay breezes, lawn games and lively atmosphere.

The outdoor hub of food, drink and entertainment that used to headline Wynwood moved out to the ‘burbs, where it’s now the heart of downtown Doral. There’s plenty of space for the children to run around, lots of kid-friendly food options and regular concerts for them to burn off energy in dance scrums and afternoon pet adoptions where they can find a new best friend.

One of the best views of the city is tucked away inside the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key. At La Mar, Chef Diego Oka artfully plates Peruvian marvels ranging from ceviches and causas to anticuchos and wok-fried rice. And while this might be one of the best restaurants in town, it’s also still glad to welcome children. Little ones can distract themselves with the restaurant’s sea-themed coloring book, while grown-ups take in the magnificent view of the water with a signature pisco cocktail.

If there's one thing everyone can agree on, it's pasta. This family-run Italian concept expanded from a casual pasta cafe to a full restaurant steps away in the historic MiMo District—a testament to just how good the pasta is here. The larger restaurant offers a simple menu of homemade pasta (plus a tight selection of antipasti and secondi) complemented by friendly service and just enough ambiance to elevate a weeknight dinner with the family. The portions and pricing are refreshingly fair and the beer and wine lists are small but solid. Have the kiddos split a bowl of squiggly mafalda and definitely don't miss the chocolate drizzled profiteroles to finish.

Looking for a solid breakfast spot with plenty of options for the whole fam? Every single thing at Chug’s is at least as good as you hoped it would be. That is, after all, the idea behind Michael Beltran’s ode to an American diner, to reinvent and recreate dishes we’ve known all our lives into something better. He does it by adding a bit of flavor from his Cuban heritage and Miami upbringing to mostly traditional diner dishes. Think wedge salad, soft scrambled eggs and a Big Mac-inspired burger. The vibe is hip and nostalgic with lots of natural wood, comfy booths and ‘50s rock loud enough to get brunch going but not too much for the hangover crowd.

If you're craving Miami's best Mediterranean food but you've got the kids in tow, consider Mr. Mandolin, where the focus shifts to fast-casual Aegean street food. Located up the street in MiMo, the bright, sleek space belies its affordable, approachable menu. Find gyros, kebabs, salads and assorted house-made dips that are made fresh and pack in the authentic Greek flavors. They even offer a Feast menu that feeds four. Priced at $78, it includes all the shaved meats and dip options plus five sides and a selection of homemade desserts. It's a great value, and you'll most likely have leftovers to bring home and enjoy the next day.

Located in the sprawling CityPlace Doral, Kings combines bowling alley and arcade with a restaurant to create a playhouse that’ll keep the kids, and their adult chaperones, well entertained. Alongside the venue’s 14 lanes, guests can enjoy private room karaoke, a rum lounge, shuffleboard, pool and a deep food menu. Book the private King Pin room and let the kiddos do their best/worst on four lanes to yourself.

Located next to a marina, this popular Grove hangout is a great place for drinks and seafood. Thatch-roofed, open-walled miniature tiki huts surround a stage from which reggae and calypso bands do their damnedest to persuade the diners and drinkers to dance. Those who believe young kids and alcohol don’t mix should avoid it on Friday afternoons—when the happy hour crowd (heavy with thirsty UM kids) are eagerly slurping up strong frozen drinks. But on weekends, feel free to bring the whole family. Order a basket of fried seafood and a pitcher of beer for yourself, and send the kids off to dance to the live music.

A true South Florida institution, Joe’s is where families have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and graduations for a century. While Joe’s might give off stuffy vibes at first, friendly servers and kid-friendly menu options like excellent fried chicken and a killer burger make this an ideal spot to teach a new generation how to crack stone crab claws like grandpa.

What kid doesn’t love grilled cheese? Spun off from an award-winning food truck, Ms. Cheezious now has a permanent location in the Upper Eastside, serving up some of the ooiest, gooiest and most creative cheese sandwiches in the city. The back patio is a great space to let kids stretch out their legs a bit, while a collection of classic board games also comes in handy.

Aventura’s JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa is like a mecca for well-heeled families, an upscale resort with a water park that’s an all-day and all-night scene for kids. Because we’re talking upscale here, you’ll be eating well: Corsair’s menu spans Mediterranean and comfort pub fare, all done well enough that it’ll be a rewarding splurge after a morning spent working up the bravery to go down the water slides.

This Downtown food hall takes up residence in an impressively renovated historic building. While many food halls seem to stick to the same game plan (pizza, burgers, fried chicken), Julia & Henry’s covers a far wider spectrum, meaning every member of the family should be able to find something they're in the mood to eat. The kids will be mesmerized by the maze-like central atrium while the parents will be impressed by details like a stories-high, glass-enclosed wine cellar.

It might be tempting to eat inside and enjoy the sleek, contemporary dining room at this beautiful Brickell mainstay, but its outdoor terrace is where you’ll want to be. Situated inside the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, Edge’s kitchen consistently churns out some of the best meals in the city. Outside, kids can explore the hotel’s garden and end the night with s’mores they’ve roasted themselves in the fire pits on the terrace.

Midtown’s charming sidewalk cafe goes well beyond your average kids’ menu, with dishes that are as stuffed-animal-cute as they are tasty, including the Ms. Peanut Beaver, a PB&J that looks like, yup, a beaver; the Ms. Oscar Crab, a waffle that uses fruit to embody a crustacean; and the Mr. Gus Green, avocado toast with fruit and veggie slices formed into a smiling mug. Even if Junior doesn’t finish his meal, he at least might make a new plate-based best friend.

Wynwood’s Asian-centered food hall has a semi-covered outdoor area where the kids can dance to the DJs during the day. The little ones can also thank the schoolkids from next door who lobbied Gold Marquess to add fries to its menu. A visit here will end—as the kids will surely demand—with Slurpee-sized bubble tea full of fruits and sugary things.

Shoma Bazaar in Doral adds a few extras to the food hall experience to make it more kid-friendly. Just as the parents like to start the night, with a drink, kids will go crazy for the alcohol-free Ocean Punch, made with grenadine, pea vine flower and Sprite and topped off with shark gummies. Check the bazaar’s calendar beforehand to time your trip with events like balloon twisting and face painting—the kids have something to do while you’re making your way through the 15 vendors.

Jarana is a festive Peruvian fusion restaurant by way of New Jersey at Esplanade in Aventura. The menu features Nikkei and Ceviche bars, wok-fried saltados and other Peruvian staples with Japanese, Chinese and Italian influences, but the specialty here are the Jaranas, which are family-style sharing dishes. There’s not only a kids’ menu but also a Peru-themed coloring activity (a super cute llama scene) that comes with crayons.

Visited by presidents and celebrities, Versailles isn’t Miami’s best Cuban restaurant. But it is an institution, and we’d argue you’re not raising Miamians if you’re not taking them here. Almost at any point of the day, the big tables in the sprawling restaurant will be filled with several generations of locals and tourists, so your kids will almost certainly never be outnumbered. Pro parenting tip: If the little ones get hangry, avoid the line for the dining room at the cafecito window near the main entrance. 

Coconut Grove is well known as a mecca for outdoor dining, but Glass & Vine’s patio might be the most scenic of all of them. Especially good at brunch or lunch, the patio offers a fine place for the adults to have a leisurely meal while the kids explore the Peacock Park playground that’s well within helicopter-parent-approved distance.

The indoor-outdoor space that winds its way up into the sky at the Frost Science Museum is inarguably a great way to spend a day with the kids, while—who knows?—maybe also teaching them a thing or two. Afterward, grab a turkey bacon club sandwich, veggie pizza or a Miami bowl, best eaten while soaking up the water views next door in Maurice A. Ferré Park.

The Coral Gables outpost of this always-solid burger chain has foosball, shuffleboard and ping pong—all sure to keep the kids busy while you wait for your frozen custard concrete. Or there’s the Lincoln Road location, where kids can romp around the pedestrian mall before, after and maybe during burgers.

Miami’s first Neapolitan pizzeria has been a South of Fifth mainstay since it opened in 2005. Stopping in for a pie with the kids sounds like a fine idea, but Fratelli la Bufala also hosts “Let’s Dough It” pizza classes on the first Tuesday of the month, where the restaurant’s head pizza maker will teach the little ones how to make their own damn pizza next time.