The best kid-friendly restaurants in Singapore

The 45,000-sqft grounds of The Summerhouse is home to Poppy Flora Studio; Nomad the Gallant, an on-site coffee roasting facility; Wildseed, a casual café and bar; and the Summerhouse Dining Room, the main restaurant perched on the second floor of the conserved colonial bungalow. It dishes out ‘farms’-to-table creations, serving food carefully and personally sourced from Singaporean and Malaysian producers, garnished with herbs freshly plucked from the garden within the premises. The sharing plates are easily accessible and plenty enjoyable for both the young and the young at heart.

Escape from the bustle of the mainland by popping into this seafront oasis at Keppel Bay. Bayswater Kitchen focuses on fresh seafood. Expect dishes such as Seared Stingray ($32) with capers, chargrilled octopus with smoked roe ($22) and the Fisherman's Feast ($38 per person)– a platter of lobster, prawns, mussels and fish tossed with handmade linguine. While it's more of a restaurant for grown-ups, the little ones aren't forgotten with options like fish and chips on its kids' menu and a ping pong and foosball table for entertainment.

What’s a trip to the beach without lazing on a deckchair, Mai Tai in hand while the little ones roam free? At this sprawling seaside restaurant in Sentosa, you can do just that. Besides tropical cocktails, Coastes stocks a formidable array of draft and bottled beers ($14-$19), and the nosh is unfussy yet vibrant enough to live up to the restaurant’s beachy vibe. Go for the refreshing citrus crab salad ($18). The little ones are well taken care of too with five pizzas ($20-$25) and plenty of pasta options on the menu.

Getting messy with a saucy slab of barbecued pork ribs is best done outside, the sun in your face and grass under your feet. And you’ll have the whole hog at this out-of-the-way American BBQ joint along the Kallang River. We mean that literally: Camp Kilo Charcoal Club is famed for its whole roasted pig ($12/100g) and boneless lechon ($12/100g), as well as chipotle pork ribs ($15-$30) and roast chicken ($10-$18) that come fresh off the grill. The sides aren’t to be sniffed at, either. Corn sautéed in jalapeno butter and chipotle mayo, with a fistful of furikake crowning the dish ($10), makes for the perfect accompaniment to the heavier meats. While you're busy stuffing your face with grilled meats, the little ones are plenty occupied with activities planned during Camp Kido, a bi-monthly Sunday fun day for kiddos aged five to 10.

No lie, we once saw a party of little girls dressed up as unicorns at Super Loco Customs House having tea so you know that this restaurant goes all out to keep the kids happy. The contemporary Mexican Cocina Y Bar located in The Fullerton Heritage precinct has stunning views of Marina Bay Sands and the waterfront. Grab a seat outdoors under the fairy lights and order dishes such as tlayuda cecina ($20), Mexican flatbread topped with house-cured wagyu that is air-dried for three months, black bean hummus, fresh Oaxaca cheese and peppery rocket; de cangrejo ($14), a taco filled with soft shell crab, barbecued pickled pineapple, radish and lime mayo.

It’s the details that make a place stand out. And Little House of Dreams has those in spades: glittery fairy lights, a masak-masak play area, and a unisex toilet so that both dads and mums can accompany their kids. It even holds special activities on the first Sunday of every month, where children can get glitter tattoos, learn balloon sculpting and marvel at a magic show. 

When it comes to the food, the young ones can order their favourites, like fish and chips ($9.90) and spaghetti pomodoro ($9.90). The menu for adults is as extensive: light bites include a salmon quinoa bowl ($13.90), while medium-rare grilled lamb chops ($30.90) will tip your meal into heartier territory. 

PasarBella @ The Grandstand just got a lot more fun with the launch of KIDZLAND. The indoor children’s playground takes up 14,000 sq ft of space beside the food hall, so parents can enjoy a conversation over food while the kids tire themselves out climbing up the rainbow net or scooping sand at the indoor beach. 

For munching, PasarBella is home to a variety of traders including Winchester Pies, Keith Crackling Roast and Papito’s, the latter of which serves family-sized paella. Gather the brood and order from the many stalls – after all, sharing is caring. 

We confess: themed cafés are not known for whipping up the best food. But we’ll give it to Gudetama Café for its decor and downright cute plates. Every inch of the space, from the walls to the tables to the napkins, is decked out in something Gudetama related. The lazy egg’s pained expression also makes an appearance on dishes like Le Slider Set ($12.90), a teriyaki chicken slider served with mini cheese sausages and fries, as well as the Pumpkin Bambini Set ($12.90) of Brazilian rice  with sausages, pumpkin soup and greens. 

Ask any parent where’s the best place in town to shop for the kiddos, and it’s likely they’ll point you to Forum the Shopping Mall. Stores like Toys’R’Us and Mothercare make it easy to spend a day there, picking up new additions to the wardrobe and toy chest. 

And when it comes to refuelling, you’ll rarely do better than Jamie’s Italian, which serves classic Italian dishes like pork Milanese ($37.95) and tagliatelle bolognese (from $19.95). The kid’s menu is tailor-made to feed even the pickiest of eaters, plating up dishes like Happy Chicken Lollipops ($12) and Secret Seven Tomato Gnocci ($12 ), made with seven types of vegetables, both are served with a salad and drink of choice. 

You’d expect an establishment that’s selling buzzwords like ‘organic’, ‘low carbon footprint’ and ‘hand-picked herbs’ to be all judgmental, but Spa Esprit’s farm restaurant, Open Farm Community (OFC), is actually super friendly, unpretentious and totally kid-friendly. The menu and chirpy staff don’t bully you to eat your greens. Housemade pastas, as well as meat and seafood feature heavily, and course there are plenty of yummy desserts to end the meal with too.

Fancy eating Saint Pierre-style is played out in a long room on the second floor of One Fullerton, where tables of twos and threes get shimmery vistas of the Bay. Bigger groups of six can book a private room, or settle into one of the nooks carved out at the back of the echoey space. Meals are served in seasonal tasting menus: the four-course Adventure ($148) and eight-course Discovery ($188), and the 12-course Adventure ($248) grazing through a variety of seafood, meats and seasonal vegetables.  

There's also the Enfants menu ($85/child), designed to educate kids aged nine and under about the five tastes: sour, umami, sweet, salty and bitter, using a range of ingredients like lily bulb and honey tuile. 

This Swiss-style restaurant's got its marketplace concept nailed, and is a good option for when the whole family can't agree on the one cuisine to eat. Golden-brown röstis (from $7.90) are always a good bet, as are the pastas with mixed vegetables ($12.90), with the option of a cream or tomato base. The aptly named Picky Kids Menu ($14.90/three- to ten-year-olds) offers one of five main courses, including rösti with a sausage, or savoury crêpe, complete with a soda or juice to complete the meal.

The best seats in the house are by the balcony overlooking the horses’ paddock and training circle which keeps both parents and kids entertained. Thankfully, this is one cafe that doesn't ride only on its location. Crowd favourites include the Riders Burger, Homemade Banana Bread and the juicy Fried Buttermilk Chicken BLT. Save space for the decadent chocolate cake blanketed in a velvet chocolate sauce, while the deconstructed strawberry shortcake hums with cream so light it’s practically foam. Post-meal, take the kiddos out to the paddock for a closer encounter with the friendly horses. 

Make Huber's your one-stop shop for groceries. It's connected to a playground so you can leave the kids there to entertain themselves while you pick up all your cooking needs. If you feel safer keeping an eye on the young ones while they play then park yourself at the bistro for a cup of coffee and a quick meal while the kids run free.