Eating out with babies and toddlers when you’re on holiday can be fraught with angst.
You want somewhere that welcomes you as a family (as soon as you try to shush a toddler they bring out their best tantrum!) but you don’t want to be stuck in a plastic palace eating cold chips. We’ve found four great options in lovely Somerset where you can be sure of a welcome for the whole family, especially the youngest members, and satisfy your need for a grown-up food treat!
The Vobster Inn
Lower Vobster, Near Radstock, BA3 5RJ
Once you’ve got little ones in tow it can be hard to find a lovely pub which serves great food and welcomes children, but the Vobster will tick every box. This seventeeth century inn really welcomes children and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the lovely ambience inside or, if you’re lucky with the weather, the great gardens outside. We enjoyed a fantastic al fresco meal at the Vobster with eight children under 7 years old and it was one of those wonderful afternoons when the children were as happy as the adults! There’s plenty of room in the garden for little ones to run and the food was exquisite.
Tel: 01373 812920 www.vobsterinn.co.uk
Woody’s café
Farleigh Road, Norton St Philip, BA2 7NG
If you’re searching for a relaxed spot to feed the kids which sells delicious local food then Woody’s Café, just off the A36 Bath to Radstock road, is exactly what you’re looking for. If it’s sunny you can eat on the terrace whilst little ones play in the enclosed playground or enjoy the mini tractors. There’s also a fantastic farm shop with a butcher and a fishmonger. This comes highly recommended by local families!
Tel: 01225 720006 www.woodysfarmshop.co.uk
The Windmill
58 Nore Road, Portishead, BS20 6JZ
If you like a view with your food then this is the place for you! Always popular, the Windmill Inn has recently added a fantastic double storey glass extension which enables diners to take advantage of the fabulous views over the Severn Estuary. With plenty of room for families you’ll be sure of a welcome. What better way to enjoy your beer-battered fish, freshly caught off the south coast, than with a view of the sea?!
Tel: 01275 843677 www.windmillinn.org
Picnic on Ham Hill
On a balmy spring day there’s no nicer way to lunch as a family than a picnic rug full of treats in the sunshine. Head for Ham Hill in south Somerset for an award-wining picnic spot! You’ll find woodland, meadows and lots of peace and quiet; the rural Somerset idyll! Climb the hill for magnificent views and an excuse to munch pork pies without feeling guilty! To find it, head for Stoke sub Hamdon (off the A303) and look for the brown signs for Ham Hill Country Park.
