18 kid-friendly restaurants in Miami even your pickiest eater will enjoy

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.

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.

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, along with regular concerts for them to burn off energy in dance scrums and afternoon pet adoptions where they can find a new best friend.

Okeydokey's three-story building on the edge of Brickell offers lots of space for the kids to explore. The offspring will be happy to check out the vendors, peruse the vibes of the various seating areas and sample the wares, from pizzas to ramen and pretty much any other food they desire. The DJ scene at night might not be as family-friendly, but by day, Okeydokey’s sun-filled dining rooms seem ready for a luncheon play date.

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 ooey-est, gooey-est and most creative cheese sandwiches in the city—like the Frito Pie Melt with house-made chili, American cheese and Fritos on sourdough bread. 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.

By day, this 30,000-square-foot riverside station makes for the perfect family-friendly afternoon outing. With a carnival-like atmosphere, little ones will get a kick out of lawn games such as cornhole and ping pong, along with the live acts featured weekly. A rotating roster of vendors and food trucks accommodates all sorts of palates, most recently La Santa Taqueria and Spris Artisan Pizza. Your pup is even welcome to join in on the fun—just make sure they’re leashed.

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—helmed by Chef Aaron Brooks—consistently churns out some of the best meals in the city, including dishes like roasted oysters with chili crab butter, a grass-fed Australian filet and a charred cauliflower steak that'll make the night of the vegetarians at the table. 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.

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.

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.

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 a stop-off at the Japanese ice cream stand, where cold treats come in cute fish-shaped cones.

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.

Willy Wonka has nothing on this sugar emporium, which has South Beach and Aventura locations. Bulk bins overflowing with sweets and adorable rubber duckies are sure to lure little ones in, but it’s the brasserie that cinches the deal. Massive-sized plates of pancakes, burgers, rainbow-bun sliders and outrageously large shakes are sure to please the kids in the crowd, while the adults partake in goblets of candy-filled cocktails.