What places are acceptable to share/split meals: I will be in England, France, Italy, Switz, and Germany this summer for 6 weeks this summer with 3 kids ages 17yr,14yr,13yrs.
My kids are not big eaters at all and sometimes we split meals when we dine out...
Thanks
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
In Germany, Switzerland and Austria you find "Kinderteller" or "Für unsere kleinen Gäste" special kids plates on menues in pretty much every restaurant. They can contain small Wiener Schnitzels and fries, or small bratwursts or other saussages and fries and whatever else kids like to eat.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Sherry: In 2004 we took a picky 13yr old girl and a sometimes picky 8 year old boy for two weeks in Italy then two weeks in France. It worked out great. Virtually every restaurant would dote on them and get them just what they wanted - whether it was on the menu or not - in Italy it was almost always just a plain pasta with some cheese - some bread and butter, etc. In France it was a whole variety of things. We interspersed our dining experiences with creperies (kids loved those) and two visits to McDonalds (not bad for a 29 day trip with kids).
We found that a good smile and a quick explanation of the situation to the wait staff was all that was necessary - Europeans generally are very indulgent with children. We had no overly negative restaurant experiences. Have fun.
Posted by
Bend, OR
576 posts
My teen daughters have shared meals in London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Venice...the list goes on. No one anywhere was ever rude to them or made any indication that being a light eater was unacceptable. My husband and I have also occasionally shared meals and no one has had a problem. Sometimes there's a small fee for an extra plate. We don't dine in ultra expensive places, so that might make a difference. I think it's morally wrong and wasteful to order more food than you can eat and throw it away. If a server was rude to our family about our order, I would just leave.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
I would be aware that in some places they may not let you order off a childrens menu for a 17 yr old, or they may at least give you the " hairy eyeball" .
Another thing is the portions in many Europeon countries are not as huge as in America.
Sometimes my friend and I would just order two or three appetizers and just share for a dinner. In many casual places and cafes this is not an issue. In some nicer places it may be,, I personally wouldn't do it in a nice restuarant, especially since your kids are actually quite old. If children are under 12 I think they are much more lenient. A 17 yr old looks like an adult to me( and is actually when it comes to being served alcohol in many countries, so if you order wine they may bring you three glasses, LOL