Dining at a Restaurant With Your Baby

2 min readUpdated January 28, 2025

When our baby was a little over a year old, my wife and I decided the time was right to go for a family outing to one of our favorite, pre-pregnancy restaurants. Personally, I'm more of a take-the-baby-and-see-what-happens kind of guy, but my wife was really worried that our daughter would have a meltdown and we'd be horribly embarrassed.

Once Burned, Twice Shy

Our first time out was, as my wife feared, a complete disaster. Every thing that could possibly have gone wrong did. It took us a month and a half to summon up the courage to give it another try. And try we did but this time we had a plan (see below for our suggestions).

Naturally, my wife and I were both a little nervous about our next foray into the exciting world of dining out. Never being one to disappoint, our daughter knocked over a glass of water and took a big bite out of one of the crayons our waiter had thoughtfully brought. But all in all, we knew that our careful planning had paid off when the couple at a nearby table complimented us on our well-behaved child.

Choosing Where to Go

Stay away from crowded, noisy places unless you know your baby loves that kind of environment.
Call ahead to see whether babies are welcome and to make sure the restaurant has enough high chairs.
Keep it casual. White tablecloths and crystal wine glasses are to babies what red flags are to bulls.

At the Restaurant

Sit near an exit. You may need to take an upset baby out of the restaurant quickly.
If the baby will be eating with you, don't forget her food and a few extra spoons, just in case one (or two) ends up on the floor.
If your baby is walking, don't let her visit other tables unless you're absolutely sure that the people there really want to be visited. It may be cute to you but annoying to others. Also, wandering (and crawling) babies are tripping hazards to waiters.
If you're holding the baby on your lap, be very, very careful. Babies are born with a sixth sense about restaurants. They will lunge for whatever's hottest and sharpest and what will make the biggest mess when it's spilled.
The restaurant staff will usually not have time to entertain your baby. They've got plenty of other stuff to do.
Don't be embarrassed if you have to leave suddenly. Babies melt down, have blow ups, get sick.
Try to make it home for your baby's bedtime. Being in a new place can be stressful enough.

About Armin BrottRead More

Explore Baby Sleep Learn all about Diapering, Diapers, and Newborn Baby Care Parenting Life Care Activities Teething Feeding Newborn Development Health

See more articles

Tips6 min read

Why You Should Wake a Newborn to Eat

Learn if newborns can skip feeds and when to wake them up if they are still sleeping.

Tips5 min read

When Can Babies Drink Water?

By Christopher B. Peltier

Find out when babies can drink water. Get guidelines and insights on the right age for their first sip. Essential info every parent should know.

Tips4 min read

When Can Babies Have Juice and How Much?

Curious about baby juice? Learn when to introduce it and which types are best with our comprehensive guide to all your baby juice questions.

Mother lovingly breastfeeding her baby in a cozy setting.

Tips10 min read

Baby Feeding Chart: What to Feed and When, From Newborn to 12 Months

By Christopher B. Peltier

Learn about newborn feeding schedules and how much milk your baby needs with our helpful feeding charts from birth to 12 months.

Tips9 min read

11 Tips From a Lactation Consultant to Help Breastfeeding Get off to the Best Start

You may be overwhelmed with breastfeeding tips from other mothers and friends. To make things easier, we’ve compiled the best tips by lactation consultants to help with breastfeeding basics.

Tips6 min read