Rotorua restaurants happy to cater for all ages

ALL WELCOME: Aorangi Peak owner Paul He (front) and general manager Joyce Gouk say they welcome young diners to their restaurant. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Some Rotorua parents are calling for adults-only restaurants but dining venues throughout the city are adamant they will continue to welcome all ages.

An upmarket restaurant in Australia this week banned children under 7 after management grew tired of toddlers screaming and throwing tantrums.

There was support to leave children at home from readers on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page.

Tracey Flay is a mother of a 3-year-old boy but has also had 15 years of hospitality experience in Rotorua. She said there were plenty of alternatives to eating out with kids.

"Fine dining is not a place for children unless you can absolutely guarantee their behaviour and who can do that? I've got an active 3-year-old and I wouldn't dream of taking him to a fine dining restaurant - that's the kind of environment to have a peaceful dinner," Miss Flay said.

"When you dine out, you're not just paying for the food and drink but the experience. I have never taken [my son] out for dinner. We get a babysitter and it's my time away. If we were to go together it would be a place that is family friendly and appropriate.

"I've been on the other side and have had to apologise to customers being disrupted. Being a parent myself, I don't think there's any situation to take a child to a fine dining restaurant."

Mother of two boys Yvonne Vincent agreed. She said when dining out with her husband they specifically looked for restaurants that didn't have a children's menu.

But when they ate out as a family they chose restaurants with entertainment areas for their 9and 11-year-old sons, and had taught them proper etiquette for eating out, so "not to impact on any other diner's experience".

Aorangi Peak general manager Joyce Gouk said her restaurant rarely had disruptive children and most parents were responsible.

"So far in the last three months it would probably be about two occasions. We've had tables near them say that children are being too noisy.

"We usually approach the parents and ask if there's anything we can do to help. We've also had complaints about adults being too noisy," Miss Gouk said.

"We have children in quite a bit and we welcome them. We're popular with the Asian market. It's Asian custom to dine as a family and quite often the children are well behaved. Most parents do take them out of the room if they are being disruptive.

"They will try especially when they know they are in a fine dining restaurant. People are dressing up formally and you have others watching your table."

Owner of Urbano Bistro Richard Sewell said he happily catered for all ages.

"We're very children friendly and have children here on a daily basis. The reality is you're coming out for a dining experience and in our case as an offshoot we have a small person's menu and provide crayons and colouring in. We certainly don't have an issue with children," Mr Sewell said.

He said there was a need to be able to provide a service for adults and children as Rotorua was a tourist town and families often preferred to dine together.

"I think 99 per cent of restaurants that have any [good] reputation will," he said.

Bistro 1284 co-owner Denise Gray said children did not often dine there but when they did it had never been an issue. The restaurant offered a children's menu.

"People want to eat in a nice restaurant and Rotorua is getting a lot of tourists who don't have an opportunity to leave them with grandma or family, so they do come in with their children."