Manhattan is a city known for its innovative and unusual, one-of-a-kind restaurants. Whether your kids are into dolls, ninjas or Martians, you may find that special themed restaurant to make their visit to New York City extra special. Always verify hours, location and menu before visiting.
At the American Girl Cafe in New York, your girl can enjoy lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or Sunday brunch with her favorite American Girl doll, who also gets a seat at the table and her own tiny place setting. Menu choices include chicken noodle soup, pretzel bites, macaroni, chicken tenders, tic-tac-toe pizza, root beer floats and banana splits. If your girl doesn’t have her doll, don’t worry; they have extras she can borrow. Reservations are suggested and can be made online or by phone.
Watch out for Martians at Mars 2112, a multi-level interplanetary experience that members of the whole family will enjoy. Guests can read the “Mars Today” newspaper, watch Mars TV and dine under a crystal tree with a view of Earth and the Martian stars. Guests can also play games in the Cyberstreet arcade if desired. Menu choices include Pluto’s pasta, solar-flare chicken fingers, celestial chicken club and cosmos Cobb salad.
Take your girl to a special breakfast, lunch, brunch or afternoon tea at Alice’s Tea Cup, a whimsical Alice in Wonderland themed-tea room with three locations, as of 2011. Drink tea brewed to a perfect 180 degrees Fahrenheit from all over the world. Menu items include Alice’s BLT, king of heart’s tea-smoked chicken Ruben, curried chicken salad sandwich, scones and cookies.
Dine at Ninja New York, a Japanese restaurant designed to depict a ninja castle from the Japanese feudal days. The waitstaff are well-trained “ninjas” who entertain guests throughout their meal. Menu choices include teriyaki chicken, vegetable rolls, ninja paella, sushi and California rolls. Ninja New York serves dinner only, and reservations can be made by phone. Note that Ninja New York is more appropriate for families with older children or teenagers, but they will accommodate families with smaller children.
If your child loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then take him to Peanut Butter & Co., where she can order an old-fashioned PB&J sandwich. She can also try something new, such as sandwiches made from peanut butter and chocolate syrup or peanut butter and maple bacon. At 1950s-themed Ellen's Stardust Diner, kids can dine on hamburgers and french fries while watching '50s television videos on 1956 Predicta televisions. The waitstaff also sings. For the older and braver teenager, eating popcorn shrimp and pizza, for example, in the eerie and scary Jekyll & Hyde Club may be what tops his list of Manhattan favorites.
