If you’re in Hoi An with kids you’ll want to know where the best kid friendly restaurants in Hoi An are. Luckily for families, there is a bountiful supply of kid friendly restaurants in Hoi An. But what does that mean? Well, with two kids of our own, including a teenager, it means food to their taste and, where possible, a ‘kid’s menu’. We have also based our list on how safe the environment is so restaurants next to busy roads are out. If a venue has gone out of its way to make the area enjoyable for kids, such as putting in a Kid’s Room or climbing apparatus, they’ve been listed and price of course is also a factor. So here is our list. Whether it be beach-side, in the rice fields or in a cat sanctuary, we are sure there will be at least two or three venues perfect for you.
Between Old Town & Beach
Dingo Deli
When you’re all activity-ed out and can’t physically manage another tour, fear not, we’ve got a great escape for you and your family. Dingo Deli is a long-standing expat favorite in Hoi An and an ideal place for kids. In a leafy enclosure out back, the littlies can play ’til their heart’s content on the swings and in the treehouse while you kick back with a delicious coffee. There’s an indoor-games room with an abundant toys, chalkboards, cubby house as well as a couple of slides too!
Located half way between the beach and the Old Town on Cua Dai, Dingo Deli offers capacious booths outdoors and a crisply air-conditioned interior of tables and lounges. The delectable Western menu proffers some great kids’ favorites such as fish fingers, chicken nuggets, chips and more. We recommend the highly addictive macaroni cheese, our kids love it. As for the adult menu, it has an excellent selection: from gourmet pies, pasta, Mediterranean salads, baked dinners, all-day breakfasts to Mexican treats and more.
The Hub & Coffee
The Hub & Coffee, just near Ba Le Market is one of Hoi An’s best kept secrets and a perfect place for parents with kids in Hoi An. Walk through the gates (just meters from the hustle of Cua Dai’s busy main road) and you enter a tropical haven of calm and tranquility where the only noise is that of chirping birds, mellifluous taped music and the odd barking dog. But the most impressive aspect of this garden wonderland is the incredible bamboo playground for kids. There’s climbing towers, see saws, swings, bamboo walkways, little bridges, green grass, ponds, expansive grounds for running around as well as many nooks and crannies for kids to explore. A visit here is sure to set your child’s imagination on fire.
Aside from the café’s amazing playground, you’ll find an plenty of seating both inside and covered. The Hub & Coffee does not do food outside of snacks so it’s more of a coffee, drinks or ice cream stop. We highly recommend their lime passion fruit lassi, smoothie detox and coconut coffee. The Ice cream ain’t half bad either!
The Field
Our daughter loves coming to The Field Restaurant and Bar. That’s pretty surprising because you’d think a place of serenity like this would be the last thing a hyperactive, constantly needing stimulus, 8 year old nightmare would want. But you see, that’s ‘The Field’. The Field has ‘it’. That special quality. And the management want to keep it that way, so ‘shhhhh!’.
Set by the river, in the rice fields of Cam Thanh, a short distance from Hoi An Old Town, amidst abundant foliage, this large grassy venue with tasteful artistic touches everywhere (their life-sized Vietnamese straw men are gorgeous) is your ultimate getaway. Try a cocktail by the river as the sun sets and watch the ducks swim quacking home to roost to sample just one of The Fields’ very special pleasures. And whilst you wax poetic on nature’s wonders, your children can eat ice-cream, run, climb or swing on the bamboo play apparatus’ or discover a myriad of wonders by the waters edge such as the incredibly cute, Shy Plants that shrivel when you touch them.
Food is Vietnamese and dishes such as chicken skewers, soups or spring rolls should keep the kids happy.
Hoi An Old Town
The Noodle House
What kid doesn’t like noodles? And what parent doesn’t like spacious, kid friendly environments that offer exquisite food with an educational twist? The Noodle House in Hoi An could be described as the ‘Home of Asian Soul Food’. Here is the best possible introduction you could have to Vietnamese noodle dishes in just about every configuration possible. Naturally pho and bun dishes are very prominent as are Hoi An’s own cau lau and mi quang. And there’s heaps more. You can have your noodle dishes the traditional way or go with seafood, duck or other more exotic combinations. The vibe is busy and bustling without being uncomfortable. Great for families, tour groups or romance with divine small-table riverside seating available outside and large tables inside. Not to be missed! See the Noodle House’s fabulous ‘Noodle Directory’ to get your head around all the noodles on offer (and to gain a comprehensive background to all the noodle variations in Vietnam.)
The Noodle House is great value for money, the portions are huge and come fast. To experience something extra special go at sunset and nab one of their outside seats overlooking the river. Glorious!
Beach Restaurants
Salt Pub
Families will love Salt Pub. Why? Because this spacious, tasteful venue, with an ambiance of casual luxury has something for everyone. For pub loving, footie game craving mums and dads there’s the sports bar. Offering beer on tap, sport on TV, sporting decor and bar stools, this is a truly authentic pub experience. For those seeking a place to unwind, with good food and somewhere for kids to run around, head straight out the back to the restaurant/beer garden. Overlooking the beach, this visually stunning venue offers a variety of seating options. Choose to relax on the elevated deck or sink into one of the luxurious cane lounges on ground level. Alternatively, choose one of the tables overlooking the water and soothe your soul to the sound of rolling waves. For the littlies, the swings on the beach along with the sprawling garden are great places to let off steam and play with new-found friends.
Salt Pub offers Vietnamese and staple kid-friendly Western food such as fish and chips, burgers and bangers and mash. If you like Vietnamese phố, theirs is delicious. As any pho connoisseur knows, it’s all about the broth and Salt Pub get this right too.
Kahunas
If you could say one venue had it all, it would be Kahunas.
Brilliant blue central pool, wide leafy expansive grounds dotted with tasteful wooden seating, swings, boules, great family food (their Eggs Benedict breakfast followed by spicy Bloody Mary is highly recommended) and chilled music all overlooking a quiet private stretch of pristine beach.
For families Kahunas is private, uncrowded and perfect – until 1pm. At this witching hour trickles of the soon to be crowds of reveling, party going backpackers begin to descend. Around 3pm the party starts. Music is cranked to 11, free shots start firing from the very accommodating bar staff and the mood turns very merry. Now this doesn’t mean families need to leave, the party crowd are a fun-loving lot with a warm, welcoming energy that everyone will enjoy. We’re just letting you know!
The food menu at Kahunas is perfect for children. You’ll find pies, chips, sandwiches, pasta, chicken nuggets and more.
Soul Beach
There are many beautiful beach spots in Hoi An for kids and each one has its own special charm. One of our favorites when we want to get away from it all and totally relax is Soul Beach. Situated at the far right of An Bang Beach (opposite end to its sister venue, Soul Kitchen), Soul Beach is the epitome of ‘chill’.
Spacious and enclosed, we find Soul Beach not to be as crowded as many other An Bang haunts (maybe coz it’s more out the way). You’ll find comfy cane garden sofas, private thatched bamboo cobanas, a dedicated beach, friendly staff, other families with kids (and the odd dog) and a very lazy, laid-back atmosphere.
And if all this chilling is too much for your manic, energy bomb tweens and teens, there’s a range of adventure water sports like parasailing next door. And if that isn’t enough: there’s live music several times a week (see our calendar for details).
On the menu you’ll find Western and Vietnamese dishes and plenty on offer to keep kids happy such as mashed potato, chips, spring rolls, burgers and more.
Soul Kitchen
If you haven’t been to Soul Kitchen, you haven’t been to An Bang! One of the first of its kind, this iconic beach restaurant/music venue remains a firm favorite within the Hoi An community. Not just a great spot in Hoi An for kids, Soul Kitchen with its relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, is a great spot for just about anybody.
With its sweeping green lawn, abundant, comfortable open air cane seating, Western and Vietnamese food and doorstep beach it’s perfect for kids to run around, play in the sand or go for a swim while remaining within easy bird’s eye view of relaxing parents.
For us though, Soul Kitchen really hits its stride at sundown. It’s here over evening dinner, to the backdrop of rolling waves, arresting sunsets and incredibly talented musicians tuning their guitars for the great music gig to follow that you get that ‘good to be alive’ feeling.
You’ll find many children’s favorites on the food menu at Soul Kitchen such as mashed potato, casseroles, chips, noodles, chicken wings and more.
Bungalow Beach Bar
What’s not to like about the Bungalow Beach Bar? Absolutely nothing! This large, open venue with an easy, cruisy vibe is one of our favorite An Bang haunts and perfect for families. Just up from the beach at An Bang, the enclosed, expansive interior of Bungalow Beach Bar enables parents to relax whilst their kids remain in full view should they roam around. There’s also an outside, adjoining swimming pool to keep kids happy. For teens there’s pool and darts and for the big kids there’s a great assortment of drinks including 23 craft beers (try their craft cider, it’s delicious). The Bungalow Beach Bar serves a combination of food and snacks with a Mexican slant. We particularly like their chicken wings that come in an array of different sauces. Prices are very reasonable and if you can’t drag the kids away, sit back and enjoy some of the live music that is frequently a fixture here.
Cosy Corner Cafe
Cosy Corner Café has garnered massive popularity since its opening and it’s not hard to see why. As the name suggests this fabulous venue filled with nooks and crannies, lanterns and all types of seating provides a lovely quiet and snug oasis away from the hustle and bustle of An Bang. Between the beach and An Bang’s main drag, Nguyen Phan Vinh street, Cosy Corner Café serves a great (and very reasonably priced) all day breakfast, coffee and a combination of Western and Vietnamese food. If you’re in town with kids, this little haunt situated firmly off the street, is a great place to take them. They have board games and building blocks and whilst the kids are beating dad, mums can look through the onsite jewelry and clothes from Melbourne designer, Ruth Maloney. Don’t miss Cosy Corner Café, its languid atmosphere will soothe your soul.
Puku Cafe & Sports Bar
If you’re looking for things to do with kids, Puku Cafe & Sports Bar is worth a visit. Sprawling wide open spaces, balancing poles and rubber tire swings overlooking the sea are only a fraction of what ‘Pukhu’ has to offer. Inside there’s a pool table, dartboard and fussball. Further on you’ll find a substantial pool with changing rooms and if that’s not enough to keep the nippers occupied there’s an adventure playground with tree house, swings, climbing structures and soft synthetic grass to break falls. Put all this against the sea beach background and you’ve got a pretty good kids venue.
The downside to Puku is the food. Aside from chicken wings and burgers it isn’t that good (don’t go near their nachos). The beach at this side of Cua Đại has eroded so don’t expect an expanse of wonderful yellow sand. At time of writing it’s Hessian bags amidst pockets of sand and water (but the beach may return). Ironically, this is a plus when there’s small kids involved. The small catchment of sea water is ideal for little kids to play in. We always find Puku empty but I believe the cafe caters for busloads of tourists. Should this happen move along to Salt Pub or Kahunas which are just 10 minutes’ bike ride away.
Vegetarian Cafes / Restaurants
Jack’s Cat Cafe
Must like cats and the odd cute dog … and vegetarian food … and places off the beaten path … and, well, cats … lots of them, ninety-one to be precise. Jack’s Cat Cafe offers quality vegetarian fare in a shaded, spacious oasis of trees, ponds and pagodas where the cats roam free and you can kick back, relax and enjoy a cold bevy or a bite. Be prepared to share your table and some love with more than a few active kittens whose curiosity will have them in your bag, on your head and if you’re not careful – in your food! The only way this amazing cat rescue center continues to run, however, is through generous donations from compassionate people and volunteers who come to help run the cafe and rescue. 100,000 VND (4.30 USD), including a free drink, is a very reasonable entry fee. (Read up on the cat (and dog) meat trade in Vietnam to see just how much of a sanctuary Jack’s Cat Café really is.)
Strictly vegetarian, the menu offers egg dishes, crackers and dips and salads. Their fruit juices are delicious.
