RFK Rankings · Toronto
Best Restaurants for Family-Friendly in Toronto (2026)
Family-friendly dining · Toronto · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published May 14, 2024 · Updated June 18, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
Pizzeria Libretto stocks high chairs and crayons on the Danforth, and the Old Spaghetti Factory has fed downtown families on the Esplanade for decades. A Toronto room works with kids when it has the space, the chairs and a kitchen that plates something simple without a fuss. These six, ranked, are where a family meal stays easy.
1.Pizzeria Libretto
Neapolitan pies, high chairs and crayons make this Danforth room the city's easiest family table; book a weekend booth.
Rocco Agostino's Pizzeria Libretto runs its family flagship at 550 Danforth Avenue, where the wood-fired Margherita lands around $18 and a kids cheese pizza keeps the youngest happy. The Danforth branch is the most kid-ready of the group, with high chairs, crayons and activity sheets at the table.
Both washrooms hold changing tables and a step-stool at the sink, and staff seat families fast and bring gelato to close. Service runs to 10pm most nights and 11pm Friday and Saturday, so an early family dinner is easy. Call ahead to flag high chairs or a celebration.
2.Old Spaghetti Factory
A heritage Esplanade room with the city's most generous kids menu; walk in for an early family dinner before a game.
The Old Spaghetti Factory at 54 The Esplanade is a downtown institution, a stained-glass room a short walk from Scotiabank Arena, Meridian Hall and Union Station. The kids meal is the draw: a complete plate with bread, soup or salad, ice cream and a free pasta refill, while the adult Mizithra spaghetti runs about $20.
Every entree arrives as a full meal with minestrone or salad, baguette and dessert, so the bill stays predictable for a family. The room is large, loud and walk-in friendly, with high chairs on hand and service to 10pm Sunday to Thursday. Come early before a Leafs or Raptors night to beat the rush.
3.Fanny Chadwick's
An Annex diner that welcomes strollers and kids for homemade brunch; arrive early on a weekend morning.
Fanny Chadwick's sits at 268 Howland Avenue in the Annex, a homemade-everything diner that opened in 2012 and welcomes children with open arms. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 10am, with pancakes and eggs around $14 to $18 and a relaxed, bistro-leaning kitchen.
The room is small and warm, strollers fit at the front, and the Annex setting near the University of Toronto and Bloor Street makes it an easy stop after a museum morning. There is no formal kids menu, but the kitchen plates simple eggs and pancakes for younger diners. Arrive early on a weekend before the line builds.
4.Emma's Country Kitchen
A relaxed St. Clair brunch room with big portions and fair prices; walk in early with the family on a weekend.
Emma's Country Kitchen at 810 St. Clair Avenue West is a family-style brunch room serving all-day breakfast Friday to Monday from 8am. The signature cinnamon-bun pancakes run about $16, and house-cured meats and biscuits anchor a generous, fair-priced menu.
The atmosphere is relaxed and family-like, with portions large enough to share with a child and an early opening that suits young ones. The St. Clair West strip is stroller-friendly and close to Wychwood Barns, a popular family weekend spot. Weekend brunch builds a line, so arrive early or settle in for a short wait.
5.Sunnyside Pavilion Cafe
A lakeside patio beside the boardwalk and beach, open all summer; walk in for a casual family lunch by the water.
Sunnyside Pavilion Cafe sits at 1755 Lake Shore Boulevard West, a heritage bathing-pavilion cafe on the Sunnyside boardwalk open daily from May to mid-September. The wood-oven pizzas, burgers and seafood run an easy lakeside menu, with most plates in the $16 to $24 range.
The patio looks out over the beach, the Gus Ryder pool and the volleyball courts, so children can play in the sand between courses. It is walk-in, casual and built for a relaxed summer lunch with a stroller alongside the Martin Goodman Trail. Go on a clear day and let the kids run the boardwalk after.
6.Terroni
A heritage Italian room with pasta and pizza kids will eat; book the Adelaide table or its summer garden patio.
Terroni Adelaide occupies the 1852 York County Courthouse at 57A Adelaide Street East, a sunlit Gruppo Terroni room where the open kitchen turns out classic southern-Italian pasta and pizza. A Margherita runs about $19 and the spaghetti pomodoro is an easy plate for younger diners.
The dining room is roomy across multiple levels, and in summer the garden patio opens for a calmer family meal away from the bar. There is no dedicated kids menu, but simple pasta and pizza suit children well, and staff seat families across the day. Reserve ahead for a weekend table or a larger group.
Not for the kids
Great rooms, wrong for children
Alo. Patrick Kriss's third-floor tasting-menu room on Spadina is Canada's most decorated table and a long, formal evening at $300-plus a head. Save it for a grown-up night out, not a family dinner.
Sushi Masaki Saito. The two-Michelin-star Yorkville omakase runs a 17-course counter with a smart-casual code and no children under 10. It is a destination for adults, not a room for young diners.
Edulis. Michael Caballo and Tobey Nemeth's intimate Niagara Street room serves a quiet, seasonal tasting menu in a small space. The hush and the pacing make it the wrong fit for a family with small children.
How to dine out with kids in Toronto
Toronto's family rooms cluster by neighbourhood: the Danforth (Greektown) and the Annex for casual sit-down spots, the Esplanade and St. Lawrence for downtown institutions, Leslieville and the Beaches for relaxed brunch, and the lakeshore at Sunnyside for a summer patio. Most are an easy ride on the subway or a streetcar, and the Danforth, the Annex and St. Clair West are all stroller-friendly with wide sidewalks and TTC elevators at the major stations.
Aim for an early sitting, around 5pm to 6pm, when rooms are calmest and high chairs are free. The casual picks here, including the Old Spaghetti Factory, Sunnyside Pavilion and Emma's Country Kitchen, take walk-ins, though weekend brunch builds a line by 10am. Pizzeria Libretto and Terroni take reservations, so book ahead and ask for a high chair when you call. Note that Sunnyside Pavilion is seasonal, open daily only from May to mid-September.
Frequently asked
What are the best family restaurants in Toronto?
Pizzeria Libretto on the Danforth is the marquee family pick, a Neapolitan pizzeria with high chairs, crayons and changing tables in both washrooms. The Old Spaghetti Factory on the Esplanade is the other easy choice, an institution with a generous kids menu near Scotiabank Arena and Union Station.
Which Toronto restaurant has the best kids menu?
The Old Spaghetti Factory on the Esplanade runs the most generous kids menu in the city, a complete meal with bread, soup or salad, ice cream and a free pasta refill if the first plate disappears. Pizzeria Libretto and Fanny Chadwick's also keep simple kid plates and gelato or pancakes on hand.
Are Toronto restaurants good for young children and babies?
Yes at the casual rooms. Pizzeria Libretto stocks high chairs and changing tables, Fanny Chadwick's in the Annex welcomes strollers, and Emma's Country Kitchen on St. Clair seats families for an early breakfast. Seasonal Sunnyside Pavilion sits right on the boardwalk with sand and space to roam.
Where can families eat outdoors in Toronto with kids?
Sunnyside Pavilion Cafe on Lake Shore Boulevard West is the summer answer, a lakeside patio beside the boardwalk, beach and the Gus Ryder pool, open daily from May to mid-September. Terroni Adelaide opens its garden patio in warm months, and Fanny Chadwick's runs a small sidewalk patio in the Annex.
Do you need a reservation for family dining in Toronto?
Not usually for the casual rooms. The Old Spaghetti Factory, Sunnyside Pavilion and Emma's Country Kitchen take walk-ins, though weekend brunch builds a line. Pizzeria Libretto and Terroni take reservations, so book ahead for a larger family table or a weekend dinner and ask for a high chair when you call.
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More from RFK
Browse the full Toronto dining guide, compare the city's casual rooms in the Toronto walk-in ranking, find a counter seat in the Toronto solo dining ranking, plan a night out with the Toronto first-date ranking or the Toronto team-dinner ranking, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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