Does Koh Tao have any child-friendly restaurants?

Thailand without a doubt has to be one of the easiest and most enjoyable countries to travel with kids as the Thai and Burmese people simply love children and welcome them with open arms. You will find both men and women are very comfortable with babies and children as in their culture, families; grandmothers, siblings, cousins, Aunties and Uncles all play a role in raising the children and help is always at hand. When it comes to eating in restaurants the experience is a pleasant one here. Usually before I've even sat down one of the staff is already after a cuddle with Crew, which I welcome, and is often taken into the kitchen and will reappear with a handful of carrot, cucumber or bread, they usually ask before giving him food but as he's such a fussy eater I usually encourage him to eat anything. The only thing I will say about this is that the hand back can often be done with little to no communication on account of the restaurant getting busy or orders coming in, so just keep an eye on the staff and offer to have your child back if they look flustered.

Here is a list of our favourite family/child-friendly restaurants on the Koh Tao. Some of these choices are rated for their excellent food and fine dining, some for their children's menu and others for the atmosphere and comfort with children:

Sairee Cottage- One of the few restaurants on Koh Tao that offer a kids menu, they also have a fresh seafood BBQ in the evening, lots of Thai and western dishes, and offer some of the best pizzas on Koh Tao. Their menu will have something to suit everyone in the family. You can eat on the beach and watch the sunset while the little ones run and play. This is a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the prices are pretty good too.

Barracuda is by far our favourite restaurant on Koh Tao! I wouldn't necessarily say it was the most child-focused but that's because Ed Jones (the owner of Barracuda) focus is on 5* food.  For us, we like to go there around 6 pm and beat the crowds. We indulge in a table full of tapas with many dishes the children like to try, my kids love to eat fish and seafood, which I know not all children do but mums and dads will love this place. With children, I'd recommend going to the Barracuda 1, Sairee beach walking street. Big kids can explore the road, look at the fish massage and little souvenir stalls without the worry of a motorbike driving past. Barracuda also has highchairs for the little ones. Book ahead to reserve a table on the outside so you can have best people watching seats. Highly recommend the Seafood sharing platter and also the Toast Skagen!

In Touch Restaurant, we go there most weekends with friends, camp out for the day and let the children play in the sea, build sand castles and even meet new friends. It is such a family friendly place and by far our favourite to relax and enjoy. The menu has a great range of snacks and all their food is super tasty and not overly expensive. We really like the shakes and ice coffee there.

The Cape @ Viewpoint- Sunday Brunch/Saturday night BBQ. This is the most stunning venue on the beach with beautiful views of Chalok Bay. They have a once a month brunch which is a day well spent, you call ahead and they will arrange a taxi pick for you around 11 am and take you across to Viewpoint resort, the roads can be bumpy so put children in the cab. When you arrive the waiter/waitresses offer you tea and coffee then you can dig into the buffet serving smoked salmon, oysters, salads, barbequed meats with omelette, pancake, smoothie and juice stations. And there you can feast until around 3 pm when they start packing away. Kids can explore, swim in the pool or jump in the sea. They also have live music which really adds to the ambience. It's 900 baht a head for an adult and half price for children, definitely worth the splurge if you ask me though.  They also have all you can eat BBQ's every Saturday night and a fantastic 'a la carte' menu designed by Chef Thomas White. Highly recommend this restaurant any day of the week, call ahead for your free taxi pick up.

We like to go to Bluewater most evenings, the beach is usually pretty clean and the sand is fairly smooth and flat which is ideal for an 18-month-old running around. They sell fresh coconuts, great coffee, and yummy cocktails, the menu isn't particularly child-friendly but the pasta is a great choice for kids and good size portion for sharing. Nice music, beautiful shabby tree swing, and amazing sunsets.

Through Looking Glass Bakery is another family favourite chosen based on its affordability, fast service, friendly staff and eat in/dine out options. Both my boys love a sausage roll for lunch and I really love the coffee there so for us it's always nice to dine in. What makes our experience even more pleasant is seeing the owners, Paul and Sarah who have been residents on Koh Tao for over a decade, they have 2 children and a lot of useful information they're happy to share with fellow travellers and families. They offer fresh sandwiches with a wide variety of fillings, pasties, quiches, cakes and cinnamon rolls. If you're in a hurry it'll take a matter of minutes to have your order ready and to be walking out the door.

Fizz is rated by its fantastic location, excellent Thai and western menu, chilled vibes, freedom for children with many comfortable places to sit. Located on Sairee beach, you can watch the sunset and enjoy some of the most delicious cocktails on Koh Tao. Children can play in the sea or chill out on a giant beanbag. We often don't agree on a food genre in our family, so Fizz is an excellent choice for all family members.

Cafe del Sol is our recommendation for a breakfast venue when you're about to leave Koh Tao. It is situated on the 'down', pier road. Long-term local, owner, Roberto and his staff have been established for many years, their food is consistently delicious and they have gorgeous large round tables which give dining a very family focused intimate feeling. Our personal favourite is the diver breakfast which comes with your choice of eggs, bacon and a large baguette with butter and raspberry jam. The prices are very reasonable too.

Sairee Sairee is our absolute favourite place to get dessert, they make this chocolate cake that quite literally melts in your mouth. This restaurant is a great place to have lunch and people watch as it sits perfectly by the Sairee crossroad. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and tend to get very busy around 7 pm - 8 pm. We really enjoy going here when the kids are at Playskool and have a panini with a large helping of their homemade chilli oil, there we watch the world go by before we have to return to the chaos of kids LOL... With the children, we tend to stop in to try a selection of their delicious desserts including that amazing chocolate cake, tiramisu and chocolate mousse (nom, nom, nom)...