Eating out with children in Los Angeles works best when the meal is part of the fun: a magic show at brunch, knights on horseback, a robot waiter, a 1950s diner with jukebox looks, or a café where the kids can run onto the sand between bites. This guide to the best family restaurants in Los Angeles for 2027 groups the city’s most reliable kid-friendly places by type, so you can match the meal to your day and your children’s ages.
Every place below was checked against its own website or a recent local source in November 2026, and several restaurants from earlier versions of this list have been removed because they have closed. Hours, age rules and prices change, so check before you go, especially for dinner shows and anything booked through a members’ club.
What Makes a Good Family Restaurant in LA
The places on this list share a few practical traits. They are used to children, so noise and spilled milkshakes are not a problem. They have food that a picky eater will accept next to something the adults actually want. And most offer something to look at or do while you wait, whether that is a live show, a classic car in the parking lot or a market full of stalls to wander. Parking and stroller access matter in LA too, and we note them where the venue publishes details.
Dinner Shows and Theme Dining
The Magic Castle (Hollywood): Weekend Brunch Only for Kids
The Magic Castle, the Victorian-style clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts in the Hollywood Hills, is one of the most memorable meals a family can have in LA, but the rules are strict and worth reading before you promise it to anyone. It is a private club: you must be a member or have a guest invitation from a member. No one under 21 is admitted in the evening. Children are welcome only at the Saturday and Sunday brunch, and the Castle says it welcomes children 5 years and older.
Every guest must order a brunch, entertainment fees are charged per person when you book and are non-refundable, and photos and video are not allowed inside. There is a brunch dress code for all ages, which the Castle describes as country club casual or party wear: no denim, shorts, sandals, flip-flops or athletic clothing, and dress shoes from age 12. If your family can get an invitation and dress the part, kids get close-up magic in a building full of secret doors that most adults never see.
Medieval Times (Buena Park)
Medieval Times at 7662 Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, near Knott’s Berry Farm, is a dinner tournament with horses, knights and jousting, and the audience is split into sections that cheer for their own knight. The four-course feast is garlic bread, tomato bisque, roasted chicken with corn and potatoes, and dessert, served without silverware unless you ask for it. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals are available on request.
For families, the details that matter: children under 3 are free if they sit on a parent’s lap and share their plate; children who need their own seat pay the child rate. The show runs about 90 minutes and uses strobe lights. Seating is first come, first served, so arrive when doors open. Toy weapons and balloons are not allowed, and knights meet guests in the Hall of Arms after the last show of the day.
Pirates Dinner Adventure (Buena Park)
A short walk down Beach Boulevard at number 7600, Pirates Dinner Adventure swaps knights for sword fights, stunts and acrobatics, with dinner served during the show. Audience participation is the whole point, and the venue says the show is designed so shy children can enjoy it without being singled out. In autumn it runs a Halloween version called Vampirates on select nights (through November 10 in 2026), so check which show is playing before you book. Both Buena Park shows are in Orange County near Knott’s Berry Farm, so they pair well with a theme park day.
Miceli’s (Hollywood and Universal City)
Miceli’s has been run by the same family since 1949 and calls its Las Palmas Avenue dining room Hollywood’s oldest Italian restaurant. The food is classic Italian (it began as a pizzeria), but the reason families come is the singing servers and piano. The second location, opened in 1980 on Cahuenga Boulevard near Universal Studios Hollywood, is the easiest stop after a theme park day. Both are open daily from 11:30 a.m., which makes an early dinner with young kids easy.
Classic Diners and Coffee Shops
Mel’s Drive-In
Mel’s opened in San Francisco in 1947, and the original drive-in appeared in the film American Graffiti. In LA it has four diners serving burgers, shakes and breakfast, each opening at 7 a.m.: Hollywood (1660 N. Highland Avenue, in the historic Max Factor building), West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, Sherman Oaks and Santa Monica. The Hollywood location is just north of Hollywood Boulevard, which makes it an easy refuel during a day on Hollywood Boulevard.
Norms (La Cienega Boulevard)
Norms has been feeding LA families since 1949 and serves its full menu, from hotcakes to steak, all day. The location at 470 N. La Cienega Boulevard opened in 1957 and is the chain’s longest-operating restaurant, a Googie landmark designed by Eldon Davis with an upswept roof and the famous sawtooth sign. The City of Los Angeles made it a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2015. A plan to turn the building into a fast-food chicken restaurant was withdrawn in late 2024, but the lease has been in the news, so confirm it is open before you go. Norms has 24 diners across Southern California and Las Vegas if this one does not suit your route.
Bob’s Big Boy (Burbank)
Built in 1949 and designed by Googie architect Wayne McAllister, Bob’s Big Boy at 4211 W. Riverside Drive in Burbank is the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy and is known for its 70-foot neon sign. Kids like the giant Big Boy statue and the burgers and shakes; car-loving parents like Friday nights, when the parking lot fills with classic cars for a free weekly show from 4 to 10 p.m. It is close to Warner Bros. Studios and Universal, so it fits naturally into a studio day.
Food Halls and Markets
Markets are the easiest answer when everyone wants something different: each person picks a stall, and you meet back at a shared table.
The Original Farmers Market (3rd & Fairfax)
The Original Farmers Market at 6333 W. Third Street has been an LA meeting place since 1934 and now holds more than 90 grocers, shops and restaurants under one roof and around open-air courtyards. Families can mix several cuisines at the same table, and The Grove shopping center is right next door. Merchants validate parking for a limited free period with a purchase; ask at the stall where you pay. For more of the city’s markets, see our guide to the best farmers markets in Los Angeles.
Grand Central Market (Downtown)
Grand Central Market at 317 S. Broadway opened in 1917 and has more than 40 vendors, from tacos and fried chicken to ramen, coffee and sweets. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., although individual stalls set their own hours. The market’s garage is at 308 S. Hill Street (first 90 minutes $5.50, then $2 per 15 minutes), and the Metro stops at Historic Broadway and Pershing Square are about a block away. For children, the bonus is across Hill Street: Angels Flight, the tiny funicular that has carried passengers up Bunker Hill since 1901, costs $1.50 each way.
Downtown and Chinatown Classics
Philippe the Original
Founded in 1908 and at 1001 N. Alameda Street since 1951, Philippe’s credits itself with inventing the French dip sandwich. It is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Families like it for the long communal tables and upstairs seating, and for its inexpensive coffee, lemonade and iced tea. It is a short walk from Union Station and Olvera Street.
Golden Dragon (Chinatown)
Golden Dragon at 960 N. Broadway is a long-running Chinatown restaurant with big, shareable plates, including dim sum and dumplings. Discover Los Angeles recommends it for groups of four or five, which makes it a good choice for families who like to order for the table.
Kouraku (Little Tokyo)
Kouraku at 314 E. 2nd Street opened in 1976, and the City of Los Angeles has recognized it as the oldest operating ramen shop in the country. The draw for kids is the robot server that rolls dishes to the tables. The menu goes beyond ramen to gyoza, fried rice, katsu and katsudon, with vegetable ramen for non-meat eaters. Little Tokyo’s shops and the Japanese American National Museum are steps away.
Beach and Outdoor Dining
Paradise Cove Beach Cafe (Malibu)
Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, at 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, is owned by longtime Malibu restaurateur Bob Morris and sits on the beach of a cove where Gidget was filmed. It closed briefly during the January 2025 wildfires and reopened on February 10, 2025. Children can go from table to sand and back, which is the whole point. The beach hut rents chaise lounges and palapas daily from 10 a.m. until sunset (book ahead and arrive before 1 p.m., or the reservation is forfeited). Parking at the cove is paid, and the rates change, so check the cafe’s parking page; the public can also walk in for free from Pacific Coast Highway, but the restrooms, tables and cafe are for paying guests.
Healthy and Plant-Based Options
Café Gratitude (Larchmont Village and Venice)
Café Gratitude serves plant-based, organic food, with breakfast available all day, plus bowls, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Its two LA restaurants are on Larchmont Boulevard (its first LA location, opened in 2010) and on Rose Avenue in Venice, a short walk from the beach. Both open at 9 a.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. on weekdays, and both take reservations, useful for weekend breakfast with a stroller. There is no separate kids’ menu listed, so smaller appetites may want to share.
Monty’s Good Burger (Echo Park and Koreatown)
For kids who want a burger and parents who want it plant-based, Monty’s makes 100% plant-based burgers, chicken-style sandwiches and tenders, tots and fries, and soft-serve shakes and floats with sprinkles. There are two locations, at 1533 W. Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park and 516 S. Western Avenue in Koreatown, and the website even has a coloring page for kids.
Tips for Eating Out With Kids in LA
- Book the shows early. Medieval Times, Pirates Dinner Adventure and Magic Castle brunch can fill up on weekends and holidays. Magic Castle fees are non-refundable, and you cannot go without a member’s invitation.
- Eat early. Most families find 5 to 6 p.m. dinners easiest, before the evening rush and before tired children melt down. Diners and markets open early, and Philippe’s and Mel’s both serve breakfast from early morning.
- Plan for traffic, not miles. Buena Park, Malibu and Burbank can each be an hour or more from your hotel at rush hour. Group meals with nearby sights, for example Grand Central Market, Angels Flight and Philippe’s in one Downtown morning.
- Parking and strollers. Markets and diners have their own lots or garages; validation rules vary by venue, so ask when you pay. Markets get crowded at weekend lunchtime, and a compact stroller is easier than a large one.
- Check the age rules. Some fun-looking places are bars after dark or have strict minimum ages. The Magic Castle, for example, admits no one under 21 in the evening.
- Let someone else drive. Car seats, parking and freeway traffic are the hardest part of eating out with children in LA. Our private SUV tour picks your family up at your hotel in a Cadillac Escalade, and your guide can work a lunch stop such as Grand Central Market or the Original Farmers Market into the day, so the kids can nap between sights and nobody has to hunt for parking. For a slower afternoon with older children, the classic car tour in a 1970 Cadillac DeVille convertible is a memorable way to arrive at Bob’s Big Boy or Mel’s.
If coffee and pastries are part of your plan, our guide to the best coffee shops in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills covers the morning stops.
Family Restaurants in LA: FAQ
Can children go to the Magic Castle?
Yes, but only for Saturday and Sunday brunch, and the Castle welcomes children 5 and older. In the evening, no one under 21 is admitted. You still need a member’s invitation, every guest must order brunch, and the brunch dress code applies to children too.
What is the best dinner show for kids near Los Angeles?
Medieval Times and Pirates Dinner Adventure, both on Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, are the two big family dinner shows. Medieval Times has horses and jousting, a four-course meal and free admission for children under 3 who sit on a lap; Pirates leans into stunts, acrobatics and audience participation. Plan on an evening of about two hours for Medieval Times.
Where can a family with picky eaters eat in LA?
Food halls are the easiest choice. Grand Central Market in Downtown has more than 40 vendors and the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax has more than 90 merchants, so everyone can choose their own meal and still sit together. Classic diners such as Mel’s and Norms are a safe backup, with breakfast, burgers and shakes on the menu.
Is there a family restaurant on the beach in LA?
Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in Malibu sits on the beach, so children can play on the beach while you wait for food. It reopened in February 2025 after closing during the wildfires. Parking at the cove is paid, so check the current rates on the cafe’s website before you drive out.