7 Favorite Family-Friendly Restaurants in NYC

Here are seven family-friendly restaurants for visitors looking for a more unique dining experience than the chain restaurants crowding every city block.

1. Café Lalo

It’s all about the ceiling fans at this adorable neighborhood café that was a Hollywood set for Meg Ryan and Tom Hank’s You’ve Got Mail. Most New Yorkers who hang here are big fans of the foamy cappuccino, the selection of over 100 gourmet desserts, and the sandwiches and salads. I was a huge fan of the whirling ceiling fans that cast a hypnotic spell over my son Alex while I satiated my sleep-deprived state with a latte and grown-up conversation. We lived across the street from Café Lalo and spent many mornings, afternoons and evenings there—beneath the ceiling fans.

201 West 83rd Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway), tel. 212-496-6031, www.cafelalo.com. Open Monday through Thursday 8 to 2 a.m.; Friday 8 to 4 a.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.

2. Peanut Butter and Co.

Kids go nuts for the “Peanut Butter Cup” sandwich—freshly ground peanut butter that’s kissed with a layer of Nutella—at this whimsical SoHo spot. Extreme-sports type kids dig the “Heat Is On Sandwich,” spicy peanut butter and chilled chicken with a smidgen of pineapple jam. Yep, there are non-peanut butter items on the menu like tuna, turkey, grilled cheese (boooring). Bonus: benches out in front.

240 Sullivan Street, tel. 212-677-3995, www.ilovepeanutbutter.com. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Café Lalo, a perfect spot for late-night dessert.
• rachellogan

3. Mickey Mantle’s

A grand slam for baseball families (you know who you are!). Even if you’re not into sports, kids enjoy eating in this upbeat, noisy restaurant that rivals ESPN Zone as my son’s favorite place to eat in the city. Big screen TVs punctuate the multi-leveled dining room, as do displays of authentic autographed baseballs, bats and T-shirts (they’re for sale but pricey). Snag a booth and order off the Little League Menu for kids 12 years and younger (think chicken fingers, pasta and tomato sauce, burgers and waffle fries). Health-conscious adults can order off the low-carb, low-fat Spring Training menu.

42 Central Park South, tel. 212-688-7777, www.mickeymantles.com. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

4. Bubby’s Pie Co.

There’s more to this Tribeca eatery than pie—although the pies are incredible. We happened upon it quite by accident while walking uptown from Ground Zero (about 10 blocks away). We were drawn to the hip family crowd who we expected to see enjoying pie but instead were devouring generous portions of meatloaf and fried chicken.

120 Hudson Street (at North Moore Street), tel. 212-219-0666, www.bubbys.com. Open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday 8 to 12 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday dinner from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. There is also a limited menu available Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m.