Eating Out with Kids in Frankfurt: Family-Friendly Tips

Eating out with children on holiday is often the toughest discipline: everyone is tired, hungry and has different ideas about what belongs on the plate. In Frankfurt it works surprisingly well if you know the right districts and keep a few things in mind. Let me show you where families eat comfortably in Frankfurt, what Hessian cuisine offers children and how to plan the restaurant visit stress-free.

The most family-friendly districts

Not every district is equally suited to a restaurant visit with children:

• Bornheim (Berger Straße): the relaxed neighbourhood street of Frankfurters themselves — with many cafés and restaurants, wide pavements and an unhurried atmosphere. Ideal for families.
• Nordend: quiet residential streets with pleasant cafés where children are welcome.
• Sachsenhausen: the apple-wine taverns are cosy and loud enough that children’s noise doesn’t stand out. Good during the day and in the early evening.
• Museumsufer: handy if you’re visiting a museum anyway — many houses have a café.

Less suitable for small children is the Bahnhofsviertel in the evening: exciting for adults, but rather bustling at night.

Typically Hessian — and kid-friendly?

Hessian cuisine is hearty, which isn’t always to children’s taste. A few classics work well though:

• Schnitzel with chips: available in almost every apple-wine tavern and a safe hit.
• Bratwurst: straightforward and usually popular.
• Potatoes and dumpling sides: milder and good for smaller children.
• Green sauce: the famous Frankfurt herb sauce is often served with egg and potatoes — mild and worth a try.
• Handkäs mit Musik: honestly, more for adventurous children — the flavour is strong.

To drink, children in apple-wine taverns naturally get apple juice instead of apple wine — and it’s often especially good here.

Breakfast and brunch with children

For families, breakfast is often the most relaxed meal. Frankfurt has a lively café scene, especially in Bornheim, the Nordend and Bockenheim. A breakfast buffet is ideal with children because everyone finds something they like and nobody has to wait long for food. A Turkish breakfast with lots of little dishes also often goes down surprisingly well with children, because they can assemble everything themselves.

Eating around the sights

If you’re out with children, it pays to fit meals around your route:

• Frankfurt Zoo: catering on site, so nobody has to walk on hungry.
• Palmengarten: a café in the park — ideal for a break between the greenhouses.
• Museumsufer: almost all the big museums have a café; the Museum of Communication and the Städel are good for a pause.
• New Old Town: around the Hühnermarkt there are small restaurants and ice-cream parlours — perfect after a wander through the old town.

Practical tips for the restaurant visit

• Eat early: between 5.30 and 6.30 p.m. places are emptier, the staff have more time and the children are still fresh.
• Reserve: at weekends and during holidays, book in advance — with children you don’t want to wait.
• Ask for a high chair: request one when you reserve.
• Ask about small portions: many places offer them even if they’re not on the menu.
• Sit outside: in good weather, terraces and beer gardens are more relaxed because noise stands out less.
• Pack a snack: an emergency snack bridges the wait until the food arrives.
• Clarify allergies in advance: if in doubt, call ahead rather than improvising on the spot.

Conclusion

Eating out with children needn’t be stressful in Frankfurt. Residential districts like Bornheim and the Nordend offer a relaxed, family-friendly café and restaurant scene, the apple-wine taverns in Sachsenhausen are cosy and uncomplicated, and around all the major sights you’ll find somewhere to pause. My advice: eat early, reserve in advance at weekends, ask about small portions — and plan breakfast as the most relaxed meal of the day. That way eating together becomes a lovely part of your Frankfurt trip rather than an endurance test.