Wagamama38/80Fresh fun food for children - while not the most child-friendly restaurant we surveyed, they offer a good variety of interesting, healthy choices, with not a sausage or chip in sight. 
- They like to offer children the same food experience as adults - a good variety of tasty, appetising and balanced meals - our parents definitely approved.
- Healthier foods are hard to dodge, with just juice and milk on the drinks menu and lots of veg on the side or incorporated into meals.
- Their open plan kitchen and restaurant is not just for show, you can rest assured that most of the food on your child's plate is chopped and cooked for the first time in the restaurant.
- Their food might be fresh, but they don't shout about where it comes from on their menu or in the restaurant. Parents struggled to get a straight answer when they asked “where was your meat produced?”
- More child-friendly touches, like cutlery and better activities, would go a long way to make this restaurant more of a hit with kids and parents.
- It would be good to see Wagamama follow the lead of other restaurants and use free range eggs in all their meals.
It was very nice looking food, perfect amount, great colour, great smell.
Very good for kid's food, but it’s not a kid friendly restaurant.
When I asked where meat came from very little detail was given – our waitress was unsure, she asked the chef and he could not give a definite answer.
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Wetherspoons38/80A surprise entry at number three, their meals might not be fresh, but if you're looking for cheap eats, good choice, and a family friendly experience you could do a lot worse.
- They let the menus do the talking, highlighting that their spuds, ham, ice-cream and sausages are all from the UK.
- There is veg with every meal and lots of fruity options for pudding, even the meals that count towards your 5-a-day are highlighted - one of the best we've seen for making healthy eating easy.
- Parents rated Wetherspoons well for their family friendly approach - activities linked to healthy eating were provided and staff treated children well.
- The kids' menu lacks imagination compared to their main one, great to see a roast on there, but on the whole, the usual suspects and chips dominate.
- Most of us eat out to be cooked for, but the majority of their kids' menu arrives in the restaurant having already been cooked elsewhere.
- There is little flexibility on portion sizes, and they don't serve children's portions of adult meals - this left some children hungry and others too full.
Lovely restaurant and child friendly, could have had children's cutlery and offered adult meals in child portions.
Too much for 3yrs old, just right for 12yrs - I had to order an adult meal for my 12yr old.
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Harvester34/80Parents rated this as one of the best pub chains for children. With an 'as much as you like' salad bar, and super-flexible menu, Harvester are showing other chains how to meet the needs of their young guests. Their meals are a bit predictable, and they declined to tell us where their food is from or whether it's cooked for the first time in their pub kitchen - but with a few healthy mains and pudding options in the mix, it could be a lot worse.
- With large and small appetite options, and baby food too, they are one of few restaurants to cater properly for the different needs of children from baby to toddler and beyond.
- Every meal comes with salad and/or veg - they're one of few restaurants who will help to top up a child's 5-a-day regardless of the meal chosen.
- As well as catering for children, they welcome them too, activities linked to healthy eating and suitable cutlery offered on arrival.
- Their menu lacks a bit of imagination, with the usual suspects dominating meaty dishes, and veggie meals restricted to pasta and sauce.
- Free refills of Pepsi Xtra Cold? While they've got pure fruit juice on the menu, sugary drinks dominate - milk and free water made fun would be a good addition.
- They wouldn't tell us if their food was cooked fresh and compared to other restaurants, £4.29 is quite a lot for a meal that doesn't include a drink or dessert.
Staff very helpful and friendly, good child friendly restaurant.
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Frankie & Benny's31/80Parents were pleasantly surprised to find a flexible menu and a child friendly welcome at this New York Italian restaurant and bar. While meals come in all shapes and sizes, variety is lacking and the 'usual suspects' dominate the menu.
- Great for children of all ages - organic baby food is offered next to the big and small appetite menus.
- They throw in a free apple, but when the set menu includes desert it's arguably more likely to end up in the fruit bowl than a child's belly.
- Good to see a range of activities on offer to keep children of all ages entertained.
- Some parents were offered children's portions of adults meals, others weren't – it's good to hear that they sometimes do, but this option should be offered to all children as standard.
- While there are loads of meal options, there is not much variety, the usual suspects dominate the menu, and vegetables sides are considered as 'optional' rather than coming as standard.
- Some staff didn't know where their meat was from, others were certain it was British - what is the truth? The menu doesn't let on.
Healthy options were limited, my daughter requested burger and chips, which said it came with cucumber and tomato (a slice of each!). Fruit salad option for desert but healthy options are certainly not promoted and meals are not balanced.
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Strada29/80Strada buck the trend on a number of fronts – while they provide healthy choice across their mains and drinks there is still much room for improvement on some basic things.
- On the whole Strada performed very well for meeting the needs of families, they provide good activities to keep children entertained, have welcoming staff and children's cutlery is offered as standard.
- With not a fizzy drink in sight, their drinks menu will refresh children without giving them a nutrient-free sugar hit.
- As well putting Italian words on the menu, they also let their customers know which of their ingredients are sourced in Italy.
- The set menu left some smaller children too full, as it includes a starter, main, drink and pudding. It would be good to see children and parents given some different portion and price options.
- While there are a good variety of main courses, some come without any veg or salad, and puddings too don't offer the option of fresh fruit.
- A little more detail on where their food comes from would be welcome. Staff said their meat was sourced 'locally' and chicken is free range, if they are, that's great – let people know about it.
Excellent family restaurant, good fresh kids' food, focus on healthiness, uses Italian words for food - good for learning about different cuisines.
It was rather too much, not too excessive, but we finished it.
Staff were very happy to be asked – they said all chicken is free range, red meat sourced locally.
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McDonald's28/80McDonald's serve a lot of meals to children, so it's good to see them giving even the higher end chains a run for their money when it comes to sourcing quality ingredients. Their children's food isn't fresh, but they pick up points for linking farm to fork – milk is organic, eggs are free range, they use Freedom Food pork, MSC fish, and British beef and potatoes. But with choice limited to a 'one size fits all' box of three fried main meals, they can hardly claim to offer healthy choice to the millions of youngsters they feed.
- Aside from Jamie's Italian, their animal welfare standards and local sourcing practices are second to none, and staff were happy and able to answer parents who asked where their meat is from.
- They offer fresh fruit or carrot sticks as a side instead of chips.
- Calories for each meal option are on the menu.
- With no veggie option, and only three main meals on offer, their menu lacks variety especially compared to their adult offering.
- Parents didn't rate the restaurant's child friendliness; yes they do toys, and the box appeals, but not much else – staff didn't welcome children, nor did the fast service style.
- A one size fits all box of food left some children too full - flexible portions are a must to cater for big families and smaller appetites.
The restaurant is very child friendly but this doesn't really translate to being healthy for children.
Staff said beef was from British and Irish farms and potatoes were British too – they gave me a leaflet.
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Hungry Horse28/80A menu of the 'usual suspects' and an underwhelming welcome for children sits Hungry Horse down in the lower half of our league. While they offer four different portion sizes and organic baby food, nothing much else sets them apart. They refused our request for more information on whether their food is cooked in the kitchen, and where it comes from, and staff couldn't give our parents any idea either.
- They provide a very flexible menu, with organic baby food for very little ones to choose from.
- They top up the 5-a-day with an extra veg portion offered for free, and the choice of a portion of fruit on the pudding menu.
- They are keen to keep children happy with playgrounds and TVs showing cartoons in booths - it's not everyone's cup of tea but most like their child-friendly approach.
- There seems to be more attention given to fun than food – there is little choice for most children beyond the usual suspects, and the food that did arrive wasn't appealing.
- Staff couldn't tell parents where food was from, and there is no sign of UK sourcing on the menu. Hungry Horse declined to offer information on where they get food from or where it is cooked. More transparency would be welcomed, inside and outside the restaurant.
- Parents gave a mixed response when asked if the restaurant was child friendly. Some details were lacking, like clean baby changing and accommodating staff.
Child menu promotes unhealthy foods. Mains were brown and carby.
Wow. It had a TV in booth showing cartoons, bouncy castle in garden, good play equipment, very family orientated.
Not enough high chairs, sticky tables, cleaner baby changing facilities needed.
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Giraffe27/80We hear this restaurant is a family favourite, but it didn't wow our parents or us – one of few to serve chips with nearly everything, and make healthier eating more expensive, Giraffe could do better to make sure they keep up with their reputation, and their competitors.
- Staff were welcoming to families, and good with children.
- Great to see MSC fish and free range eggs used. They are one of few restaurants to offer a good variety of protein options, with chicken, red meat, white and oily fish on the menu.
- Refreshing to see their drinks menu promotes a range of fresh juices and milk, next to a couple of fizzy drinks.
- They're one of few restaurants to offer chips with nearly every meal, and their children's menu lacks imagination, particularly compared to their adult choices.
- A bit more consideration to children's needs would be welcomed, better activities to keep them entertained, and children's cutlery would be good for starters.
- We were shocked to see the more interesting and healthy options not included in the meal deal.
My overall impression of the restaurant was that it was friendly enough and what they didn't have in the way of child friendly amenities they went some way in making up with the extremely helpful and child-friendly staff.
It wasn't the greatest for food for my little one, it wasn't as appetising as it could be and they did not know where it came from. There was also no children's cutlery or crayons for colouring.
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Beefeater27/80With a children's menu described as 'uninspiring' by parents, and much room for improvement when it comes to their service for children, Beefeater have some work to do on all fronts to really make children and parents happy.
- They pick up more points than most in the bottom half of our league table for making healthy eating easy, doing their bit to top up their young guests' five a day, with a portion of veg or salad served as standard and one of the better pudding menus for offering fruit we came across.
- Unlike others, they don't make children choose between veg and starchy sides, offering them choice of a portion of each and highlighting what counts towards their 5-a-day.
- More effort is needed to raise the standard of their service to children across the board – their needs could be better met by offering children's cutlery, more entertaining activities and different portion sizes.
- A predictable menu could be improved by offering a few interesting dishes, matching those available on their main menu.
- Staff said their beef was British, but they didn't know about other meat, so it would be good to let customers know this by putting it on the menu, alongside where other ingredients come from.
Kids activities pretty poor, kids menu uninspiring, kids not particularly welcomed. But decent high chairs and baby change, quick service, enjoyed by toddler.
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Pizza Hut25/80Taking everything into account, there's not much between this and other popular pizzeria chains. What they lack with an inflexible menu, they make up for with an all you can eat salad bar and putting calories (and there are lot of them) on the menu. Their ice-cream factory pudding option may be a hit with kids, but parents didn't rate the experience of run down facilities and uninspiring activities to keep their little ones entertained.
- 'All you can eat' salad bar is an enjoyable novelty for kids.
- Parents liked the child friendly atmosphere, and in most cases staff were welcoming and helpful.
- Unlimited fizzy drinks, on top of just ice-cream for pudding, alongside a high calorie main course doesn't make for a healthy choice.
- Their baby changing facilities are in need of a revamp, and their colouring activities were not always made available.
- Several parents felt portions were on the small size for older kids, more flexible portion sizes would be great.
- Staff were "totally clueless" when parents asked where their meat came from, they also declined our request for further information on where food is from and how it's cooked - leaving us all guessing.
[Portion size was] okay for toddlers but 6-8yrs would have been hungry.
Staff didn’t know where meat was from, just that is was pre-packaged.
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Zizzi23/80We were surprised to see this popular Italian falling behind other family favourites. With a limited but comparatively expensive set menu, Zizzi could learn a thing or two in offering the service and food parents and children expect.
- Like a few others, they give the choice of a smaller option for 'tiny tummies' which pleased our parents with very little ones.
- Colouring in activities were provided, but parents said they didn't keep children happy for long.
- Vegetables are hard to come by, and with just ice-cream for pudding, they do little to get children eating their 5-a-day - a seasonal salad or vegetable based dish would be a good start.
- With spaghetti and pizza to deal with children could do with a helping hand by being offered children's cutlery.
- For a high end Italian we'd expect to see things like meatballs, roast peppers and tomato sauce prepared and cooked for the first time in the restaurant.
Kids menu very limited, no vegetables, just tomatoes, expensive for what we received. Classy place, but aimed at adults.
Our 1yr old had mini meal which was the perfect size.
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Prezzo17/80Of all the Italians on our high street, Prezzo needs to up their game when it comes to the food and welcome they offer to children. Their menu offers little choice, and while they claim that "they make every effort to make sure our restaurants are child friendly" – our parents said the opposite "we got the feeling that they only cater for children because they have to". Their score says it all.
- Good to see the usual fizzy drinks not featuring on the kids' drinks menu.
- They offer lots of vegetarian options – it's great to see meat not dominating the menu for once!
- Like the other Italians, they don't revert to chips as a side on the children's menu.
- More effort’s needed to make their restaurant a good place to take children. A few things, like offering better activities to keep them entertained, or providing children's cutlery would be step in the right direction.
- Their 'one size fits all' children's menu could be improved by offering different portion sizes for children, or the option of a child's portion of adult meals.
- Few meals come with vegetables, and there is no fruit on offer for pudding – with no indication of which meals are healthy, they don't make healthy choices easy.
- There is no indication of where food comes from on the menu, and staff failed to answer our parents' questions about where their meat comes from.
Although friendly to the children, we got the feeling they only cater for children because they have to.
Hardly any choice of children's meals and only choice of ice cream for dessert.
Staff told me that meat was locally sourced, but did not tell me where it was from.
We were very disappointed as we had been looking forward to visiting somewhere we considered to be more 'upmarket'. I think we will stick to Pizza Hut in future!
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KFC14/80It might not shock you to see a restaurant serving fried chicken in the bottom three of a survey rating healthy choice and fresh cooking – their children's menu falls short, even compared to their main menu. KFC differ from fellow fast food chains, steering clear of tempting toys and playgrounds to turn children's heads, but they do appeal to families and this high street icon could do more to show children that treat food can be finger lickin' good and healthy too.
- Chips are one of a few side options, alongside corn on the cob and beans.
- They're soon to switch to using free-range eggs, and are taking great strides in a journey to improve the source and standard of their chicken.
- They do offer water and juice alongside the usual lengthy list of fizzy drinks.
- It would be good to see children offered the same if, not better, quality and variety of foods as adults.
- While they steer clear of aggressive marketing strategies directed at children, once they're in the restaurant, they could consider their needs more to keep them happy.
- Like Nandos, they're famed for their chicken, unlike Nandos they don't offer a veggie option anywhere on their menu.
Activities such as colouring would be a good idea to encourage the children to stay sitting at the table.
Too much for the youngest (age 4) too little for the oldest (age 7).
It would be good to have something for them to do while waiting for us to queue up and get the food.
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