Annie’s
Cuisine: Italian
Non-smoking section? There is a non-smoking section; however, you can smell cigarettes throughout the restaurant.
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: Yes
General kid-friendliness of menu: The menu is very child-friendly with complimentary bread and pesto served at the beginning of the meal.
Kid-friendly staff? Friendly, English-speaking staff offering a high level of customer service.
Bathroom: Clean, with sit-down toilets. However, you must walk through the smoking section to get to it and there are no changing tables.
Best items for kids: Bolognaise from the main menu is a good option and it can easily be shared between two children. The grilled vegetable platter is surprisingly yummy. From the kids’ menu, try the Italian-style mashed potato or penne with butter and Parmesan.
Kids’ play area: The indoor play area includes a cubby house, fish-tank and toys. It is a little grubby and well-used, but it will suffice. There are also TVs in the main dining area.
Seating: Booths and stools, with highchairs available.
Price: RMB 200
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: Pepperoni pizza. Vegetarians will love the Melanzane Grigliate con Ricotta – stacks of eggplant filled with ricotta and walnuts.
Award: Best Family Favorite
In a nutshell: Prompt service, delicious (though not entirely authentic) Italian food and helpful staff make this a reliable family dining spot. Take advantage of their speedy, city-wide delivery service.
Daily 11am-11pm. Jiuxian Qiao, Jiangtai Lu, Shangye Jie, Chaoyang District (6436 3735); 朝阳区酒仙桥将台路商业街 See Directory for more locations.
Comptoirs de France
Cuisine: French bakery
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: No, but kids’ items are incorporated into the standard menu.
General kid-friendliness of menu: Very kid-friendly. However, those with severe allergies should steer clear as there are a lot of nut and dairy products floating around.
Kid-friendly staff? The staff speak English. There is no table service and you usually have to ask for things twice.
Bathroom: There’s no bathroom inside the café. The closest bathroom is in the neighboring Starbucks.
Best items for kids: Waffles or pancakes with ice cream, bite-sized tartlets and sandwiches made with freshly baked bread, including classics like ham and cheese.
Kids’ play area: No
Seating: Booths and stools. No highchairs available. Outdoor seating during warmer weather.
Price: RMB 150-200
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: Chocolate bomb tartlet or a croissant.
Award: Best After-School Treat
In a nutshell: Offers freshly baked goods that taste even better than they look. Sweet treats in mini sizes are great for takeaway. The small size of this café makes it best for older children who don’t mind sitting still.
Daily 7am-8.30pm. 1/F, Bldg 5, Hairun International Apartment, 2B Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (5135 7645); 朝阳区将台路乙2号海润国际公寓商业5. See Directory for more locations.
Element Fresh
Cuisine: American and Asian
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: Yes
General kid-friendliness of menu: The menu is extremely kid-friendly, with a wide range of fresh and healthy food. The portions are gigantic and can easily be split between two children.
Kid-friendly staff? The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating.
Bathroom: Clean and spacious with a sit-down toilet and change table.
Best items for kids: The kids’ menu has staples like ham and tomato sandwiches, and chicken teriyaki – and for dessert, ice cream with fruit. The standard menu offers chicken salad BLT, macaroni and cheese as well as sizeable fresh juices and smoothies. Everything is MSG-free.
Kids’ play area: No play area, but there’s an outdoor area for the warmer months. Crayons and coloring sheets are available.
Seating: Couches, booths and outdoor seating. Highchairs available.
Price: RMB 400
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: Laffa bread salad (grilled chicken breast and goat cheese salad served on laffa bread) with miso-yogurt dressing. Delicious. The weekend brunches served until 4pm are good crowd-pleasers.
Award: Best Healthy Options
In a nutshell: Huge portions of healthy salads, sandwiches and all things fresh, served in an upbeat and spacious environment.
Daily 10am-11pm, 6 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (6433 5058); 朝阳区 丽都 将太路6号. See Directory for more locations.
The Taj Pavillion
Cuisine: Indian
English menu: Yes
Kids’ menu: No, but the staff is happy to recommend dishes and can provide smaller portions for kids.
General kid-friendliness of menu: There are many mild options suitable for children.
Kid-friendly staff? Friendly, English-speaking staff is dressed in colorful saris.
Bathroom: Located in a hall outside the restaurant. Clean, sit-down toilets. No changing tables.
Best items for kids: Butter chicken, potato-stuffed naan and vegetable samosas are all mild options. The mango kulfi ice cream is a great choice for dessert.
Kids’ play area: No play area, but the restaurant is situated next to a bowling alley, ideal for some post-meal entertainment.
Seating: Booths, stools and highchairs available. There’s plenty of space to wheel prams around.
Price: RMB 350
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Must-order item: The feast platter, which includes a range of curries, rice, naan, yoghurt and dessert. A great option for sharing but be warned: It is gigantic.
Award: Best Indian
In a nutshell: The manager is very helpful and willing to accommodate families. With authentic flavors, sounds and smells, it’s a little slice of India.
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30p. 3/F, Holiday Inn Lido, Jiangtai Lu, Shoudu Jichang Lu, Chaoyang District (6436 7678, 6437 6688 ext 3811); 朝阳区首都机场路将台路丽都假日酒店广场缤纷廊3层. See Directory for more locations.
