Did you hear about that East Coast restaurant that tried to ban kids? With stuff like that going on, it's no wonder parents have a hard time picking a place to celebrate their kids' birthdays! Instead of settling for those impersonal big chains, consider these kid-friendly spots in Halifax first.
Peanut butter and burgers are two of the most popular kids' foods around. Clearly someone at Darrell's had a stroke of genius, slapping the two together to form this city's much celebrated, gooey peanut butter burger! This place clearly has an infatuation with peanut butter, mixing it with chocolate to form a to-die-for milkshake too. The mozza sticks, pitas and poutine are also firm favourites. This colourful family-friendly place gets packed, but there's plenty of seating to accommodate a group, and a great outdoor patio as well.
This restaurant has two levels to choose from, serving up a wonderful quirky atmosphere with lots to look at on both floors, including the chairs and tables – each one different from the next! Your kids will love the food too, with the special "roasties" french fries, along with the gourmet pizzas, bacon cheeseburgers and amazing pitas. There's lots of healthy fare too, with many gluten-free items appearing on the menu. The servers are also known to entertain the kids with cute plush monkeys!
How about grabbing a poutine and having a picnic party? That's what you'll need to do if your birthday star is dreaming of having the best poutine in town. Located downtown, this super popular burger joint has great varieties on the classic gravy and cheese-curd smothered fries, topped off with delicious stuff like donair, steak and pulled pork. You can't sit down at this window-only service spot, but the kids will love the food so much that it's worth grabbing your birthday bite here first before hitting a play area downtown.
This Italian-inspired restaurant packs them in all through the week, and it's no surprise with the super friendly staff who make everyone feel welcome, young and old! Of course the food has a little something to do with the place's popularity too; your kids will love the standard classics like pizza and burgers, while you can savour the beautiful truffle lasagna and risotto dishes. No worries about your group of kids making noise; this bustling place is constantly bursting with the raucous chatter of happy diners!
For an older child's birthday celebration, this welcoming pizzeria is spot on, serving up large wood-fired gourmet pizzas in an authentic, dimly lit cozy Italian atmosphere to provide just the right sense of occasion. The pizza pies are rated by Haligonians as the best in the city, and the kids will have fun building their own creations from the menu of tantalizing selections. Instead of birthday cake, try the sweet cannolis – pastry stuffed with ricotta and chocolate, and dipped in toasted almonds. Drooling yet?
This cozy Halifax pub is what a public house should be, attracting families and serving comforting favourites like shepherd's pie, fish and chips, burgers and chicken wings. You'll be served with wonderful, authentic Irish charm in this cheerful, bright spot too. For a birthday gathering, it might be a good idea to arrive slightly ahead of dinner and lunch rushes, as this popular pub can get pretty packed. On the right night, the birthday kids might even get to enjoy some live music!
This family-friendly local favourite is a fantastic spot to host a kids' party, having plenty of booths and table seating, and serving up classics like fish and chips, Angus burgers, ribs and chicken, and milkshakes. Make the birthday star feel special with a traditional Shirley Temple! Don't worry about the noise from a large, boisterous gang – the super friendly servers here welcome the energy of any celebration! There's also a private room that can be reserved for a group of about 15 diners.