Best kosher restaurants in NYC

The kosher oasis, founded in 1954, has left its longtime East Village location and resettled in Murray Hill. Steer kids toward old favorites like noodle pudding, supermoist brisket and fruit blintzes with sweet maple syrup, or new options like miniburgers and franks-in-blankets, any of which tots can wash down with a glass of fountain-pulled chocolate soda. The famed deli sandwiches are large enough to split among three children or two adults; they arrive with a basket of rye bread that makes divvying up the house-cured corned beef (superior to the pastrami and salami) as easy as gobbling it down. Picky little ones will gladly slurp down a belly-warming bowl of matzoh ball soup—lovingly named "Jewish Penicillin."

If you want to know how good hummus should taste, check out this slender East Village restaurant (there are two more locations, one in the West Village and one on the Upper West Side). We’re particularly fond of the supersmooth traditional hummus, which kids can scoop up with bubbly, house-baked pita bread. Hungry youngsters can dig into a falafel sandwich served with a side of crispy fries.

Born from the namesake rabbi’s pushcart in 1910, the soft, house-made knishes at this time-honored LES favorite, baked in a basement brick oven and hoisted upstairs via dumbwaiter, are a taste of bygone New York. The old-world nosh, a thin dough shell filled with potato, comes savory (kasha, red cabbage) or sweet (blueberry, chocolate) and filled with cheese. Kids will love picking up the hefty bundles and eating them with their hands. Make it a meal with a pickle and coleslaw, and wash it all down with a fizzy cherry-lime rickey.

Falafel doesn’t usually come in different flavors—unless it’s made by an Israel-born chef who’s worked under Bobby Flay. At her falafel and smoothie bar, Taïm, Ludo chef Einat Admony seasons chickpea batter three ways: traditional (with parsley and cilantro), sweet (with roasted red pepper) and spicy (with Tunisian spices and garlic)—kids with sensitive palates will want to opt for the first two. Youngsters craving a fruity treat will enjoy the exotic smoothies as well—with blends like date-lime-banana, or pineapple–coconut milk—which can be made with whole, skim, soy or no milk.

Unlike its megachain neighbors, this kosher French bistro in Times Square does most things well (dessert can be skipped) and some things superbly. Parents can thank the on-site butcher for the dry-rubbed, meltingly tender beef short ribs and the piquant steak au poivre, and the younger crowd will especially appreicate brunch items like waffles with fresh fruit and cinnamon cream or a classic hamburger. A side of the crisp and satisfying house frites will get any kid on board with the idea of French cuisine.

A great concept in a chaotic, tiny location, this falafel joint offers chickpea patties with unlimited fixings—serve yourself at the salad bar. Once kids have scored their fill of seemingly endless toppings, such as shredded cabbage and carrot medallions, experiment with four different sauces, including a mild traditional tahini or a worth-the-wait garlic sauce, which does the pommes frites a world of good.