Kid gloves

It's not only adult diners who are eating out more than ever - some of the bums on seats are getting smaller too. Astute restaurateurs are wooing gastronomically more demanding children as the paying punters of tomorrow and a significant, as yet under-tapped, growth market.

Children's menus may be the starting point, but under-age foodies' playground talk is also about what entertainment is on offer, what freebies there might be, and what goodies they get to take home - and it's often the children who sway their parents in choosing where to eat.

These are the offspring of the dual-income regular diners of the early 1990s, used to decent, high-quality food and who don't want to downscale just because they now have children in tow. Simon Binder, managing director of Cafe Med, says: "I believe there has been an increase in family business in higher-spend restaurants. Parents are not willing to compromise their leisure time by eating in a place that, without the kids, would be an insult."

Recent research by Mintel into catering for the under-16s shows that one-third of all families eat out frequently, as do 42% of families with children aged between five and nine.

"During school holidays we get crazily busy," says Tim Power, operations director of the Belgo group. He reckons Belgo is welcoming 40% more children than a year ago, and an average two adults plus two children weekend lunch spend is £40 excluding drinks. "Eating out with kids has become a highly acceptable weekend pursuit," he adds.

With this growth market in mind, Belgo is choosing its new sites, such as the about-to-open Bierodrome in Clapham, in prime residential areas.

Family diners are not by definition lower spend. Quite the reverse - if parents feel their children are being properly looked after, not only are they visibly grateful, but they are likely to stay longer and spend more.

But cynical marketing of some hastily thrown-together colouring books and a load of sweets to boost covers for sluggish weekend lunches won't fool streetwise children or their parents. Restaurateurs need to tune into how children tick to win their repeat custom.

The most basic requirement is for children to receive appealing food quickly - ideally within seconds of sitting down. Power insists that all children dining at Belgo are presented with a complimentary bowl of chips and ketchup, a drink and a straw immediately (additional children's orders such as chicken or moules are from £5).

This tactic ensures parents have more time to browse the menu and order up. Power estimates that the Belgo group spends £40,000 a year on complimentary food and giveaways for children.

Speed of food service also explains fashionable sushi bar Tsu's success in attracting family business. Clive Schlee, co-owner with Julian "Prêt à Manger" Metcalfe, explains: "Keeping children waiting with empty stomachs is intolerable. Here you can grab 23 dishes in a minute and children are fascinated by how the conveyor belt works."

Tsu's dishes, priced between £2.50 and £3.50, are great grazing for more experimental children - crab and avocado and spring rolls are particularly popular. If they try a dish and don't like it, their parents haven't paid full whack for a main course. By not providing special children's dishes, Tsu saves on wastage too.

Providing special menus for children, often incorporating a colouring activity, requires a relatively small outlay and targets children's tastes directly, making them feel special. But the menu should not be pitched too low: all children adore fish fingers, but parents are more likely to fork out for interesting dishes, and using ingredients from the main menu saves time and money in the kitchen.

Mintel's research found that 52% of adults think children's menus are a good idea, but most also favour being able to order a children's portion of any dish on offer. "It's never too early to educate children's taste-buds," says Tony Allan, chairman of Bank Group Restaurants. The company's Fish! restaurant has a children's menu, priced at £7.95, which offers dishes appealing to children made with "adult" ingredients such as tuna bolognese and salmon burgers.

But Martin Lam of Ransome's Dock, popular for its family brunches, doesn't see the point of children's menus. "We merely offer simplified versions of dishes on the menu at a reduced price and if nothing appeals, knock up anything within reason."

Some children find the whole restaurant experience entertainment in itself, but plenty demand more diversion once they have devoured their grub in double-quick time, otherwise parents stand little chance of enjoying their meal. Pioneers such as Smollensky's first introduced a magician roving the tables and a traditional Punch and Judy show some 12 years ago and still find the entertainment costs (£150-plus a session) are amply covered by the upsurge in business.

Former art teacher Gill Reece and her chef husband Riccardo Isolini at Maremma, in Islington, take child-friendliness to new levels. Not only do children under 12 eat free (pizza slice on arrival, followed by grilled chicken, pasta, chocolate mousse, etc), but there is also an art trolley staffed by an NNEB trained nanny.

"Children behave angelically when activities are laid on for them," says Reece. "It's like a club here, with adults and children table-hopping like mad and lots of repeat business."

Giving children membership of a "kids' club" is another low-cost investment that encourages loyalty and, more importantly, helps the restaurateur to build up a mailing list of parents. Idaho, part of the Hartford group, presents each child with a free T-shirt and asks for their name and address, plus those of a local friend.

Chairman Kevin Finch says regular mailshots offering deals such as half-price meals for parents dining with their children during school holidays have enormous take-up. "They are good for promoting customer loyalty rather than an avenue for increased profit, but if the parents are dining more frequently because children are made welcome, it's good for business."

Staff need to be trained to be child-aware, not only for the safety of children in the restaurant (hot dishes, sharp utensils, providing and fixing high chairs or booster seats), but also as regards ingredients in dishes in case of nut and other allergies. The approach needs to be fun, fair, but firm.

Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is unusual among Michelin-starred restaurants in having an openly welcoming attitude to children. The menu states: "Children of all ages are not only accepted but welcome." The £12 children's menu offers such dishes as chicken kiev, risotto, floating islands, crème caramel. But restaurant director Alain Desenclos admits he is quick to intervene if he considers parents are not taking a responsible attitude towards preventing their children marring other diners' enjoyment.

Evolved ethnic restaurants are becoming increasingly popular with older children. Mintel found that 41% of children over 10 liked to visit Chinese restaurants and one in five had been to Indian restaurants and were keen to try out new dishes.

Zahid Casim of evolved Indian café Lazeez reports a significant upturn in family bookings since highlighting child-friendly dishes, such as mild chicken korma and nan breads, on the menu.

Yellow River Café in Chiswick, the first in a planned series of openings, is firmly targeting family diners. Children are offered a £6.95 meal box containing gently spiced, "grown-up" dishes such as crispy won tuns and oriental meat balls with noodles. Consultant chef Ken Hom says: "Children are our future and we feel that eating good food contributes to their wellbeing."