Kid-Friendly Restaurants On Icon Of The Seas
Icon of the Seas℠ offers a wide variety of dining options for kids. Look for themed venues, creative dishes and playful experiences that make meals memorable.
By Melissa Alvarado Sierra | Published on February 15, 2024
Family memories are often made over the dinner table. As a result, the best kid-friendly vacations offer a combination of exciting dining options and familiar favorites that cater to kids and parents alike. Onboard Royal Caribbean's new 5,610-passenger Icon of the Seas℠, dining options are specifically tailored for families with kids of all ages, ranging from toddlers to teens. With everything from themed kid-friendly restaurants to interactive dining experiences like cupcake decorating and build-your-own pizzas, picky eaters will find all of their familiar go-to dishes and young adventurers are sure to discover a few new favorites at sea.
Presentation is key since it is crucial in enticing children to try new foods. The chefs onboard Icon of the Seas deliver dishes that are not only tasty but also visually attractive for kids. Colorful fruit platters, for example, are arranged in the shape of animals, pancakes have faces and whimsical desserts resemble beloved characters. These are just some of the things that make dining on Icon of the Seas an unforgettable experience, encouraging little ones to really enjoy their food and allowing parents to relax knowing that even kids with more limited palates will find choices. Read on for where to go and what to order when you get onboard.
Enjoy Kid-Friendly Restaurants In Surfside
Mealtime onboard Icon of the Seas is about family play and making the best of your time together at truly kid-friendly restaurants. Start your culinary adventures at Surfside℠, a neighborhood designed for families with kids. Here, kids can go down water slides at Splashaway Bay℠ or swim in a pool with uninterrupted views of the horizon. When they're ready to dry off, they can play for hours in the huge arcade or go round and round on a picture-worthy carousel. There's even a pool, designed within sight of different parts of the deck so parents can keep an eye on older children without getting out of the water.
When it comes to dining, you don't have to go far for kid-friendly restaurants that are sure to please the entire family. Look for Surfside Eatery℠, an all-day buffet catering to kids and their parents with fuss-free classics at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Think smiley-face pancakes with chocolate chips and funny-shaped pasta with either marinara or cheese sauce. At night, the restaurant offers more elevated takes on children's classics that render them into contemporary dishes.
Surfside Bites℠ serves as a quick stop during the day to refuel in between adventures with popcorn chicken, hot dogs, burgers and mac and cheese. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon sugar donut holes and soft serve, too.
Another great option is Pier 7℠, the spot for California-inspired, laid-back food and drinks as well as an all-day brunch menu. After all, who doesn't love breakfast for dinner every now and again? Try the mango-lime shrimp tostadas, the surf n' turf tacos, the smoked salmon eggs Benedict or the signature buttermilk pancakes.
Then pay a visit to the Lemon Post℠ bar, an open-air hangout serving refreshing drinks for all ages that go way past traditional lemonade stand offerings. Kids can choose from a kid-friendly list of conversation-worthy, color-changing drinks and souvenir cups, and parents can choose something from the grown-up menu of lemonade-based cocktails.
For even more refueling, head to Basecamp℠, where you can walk up to any window for quick provisions to take with you to the pool or play areas. The hand-held foods, including pretzel bites, hotdogs, and smash burgers, make this one of the most kid-friendly restaurants onboard.
And make sure to save some room for Desserted℠, which offers seriously massive milkshakes featuring sky-high candy toppings, whipped cream, dripping drizzles of chocolate and caramel and tasty flavor mashups the kids will swoon over. Best of all, the adults can grab a boozy milkshake and join in on the fun.
More New Dining Options
One decadent new venue kids are sure to love is AquaDome℠ Market. This food hall features five exciting stands offering a wide variety of options, many of which are crowd favorites that will have kids asking for more. Look for fresh bowls and pitas at Feta Mediterranean℠ and macaroni and cheese with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and smoked gouda at Mac's℠. If you're in the mood for something lighter, Toast and Garden℠ will hit the spot with flavorful salads and sandwiches. Meanwhile, GNGR℠ serves up Asian food with dishes like Korean beef with broccoli. For dessert, fruit crepes from Crème de la Crepe℠ will surely satisfy a little one's sweet tooth.
Pearl℠ Café is another expansive kid-friendly restaurant, and the perfect place for a quick panini or a hearty salad, sweets and tea or coffee. It's also a nice spot for the kids to unwind with juice and a donut as they enjoy the floor-to-ceiling ocean views. After all, kids and grown-ups alike are sure to play hard on this ship, and everyone needs a moment to relax after a day in the sun.
Tried And True Favorites
For families who have sailed on other Royal Caribbean ships, some of the Icon of the Seas restaurants will feel like familiar favorites. Windjammer is a buffet-style restaurant that's designed to satisfy all-day family cravings with a wide range of international dishes that families have loved for years. Kids can explore various food stations, including a dedicated children's section with favorites like pizza, pasta, chicken nuggets and — for a sweet ending to the meal — colorful desserts.
Other instant favorites include Sorrento's — home to specialty pizzas that are super satisfying after a morning in the sun — and Park Café in Central Park®, where you can grab bagels, soups, salads or sandwiches. The Kummelweck sandwich, made with a towering pile of roast beef, is a masterpiece, and a crowd favorite. Kids may also enjoy sharing after-hours tapas at Park Café. And El Loco Fresh® brings delightful Mexican fare to the mix with breakfast burritos in the morning and tacos, nachos and quesadillas at lunch — just be sure to save room for the tres leches cake!
Meanwhile, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi℠ offers a variety of Japanese and Asian-inspired dishes, including sashimi and flavorful stir-fries. Kids who are open to exploring new flavors and textures will have the chance to try sushi rolls with familiar ingredients like cucumber, avocado or cooked shrimp, as well as teriyaki chicken or beef dishes that are sure to please their palates. And while Izumi exists onboard other Royal Caribbean ships, onboard Icon of the Seas it's located in the open-air Central Park neighborhood with a to-go window for fast and quick service. Families dining in will love watching the showmanship of the restaurant's expert chefs as they work right by your table making nigiri, rolls and Japanese sweets that will have them asking for seconds.
Chops Grille℠ is also onboard, located within the beautiful Central Park neighborhood. The iconic American steakhouse offers family favorites like tender filets and more high-end dishes like wagyu beef. With a brand-new butcher's display, Chops Grille is an excellent place for an elevated family dinner. The kids can marvel at the skilled chefs working their magic in the open kitchen, preparing choice cuts and serving them alongside savory side dishes like truffled fries, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and cheesy tator tots.
Then there's the beloved Giovanni's℠ Italian Kitchen, with a menu showcasing some of Italy's more kid-friendly options, like simple but delicious spaghetti and meatballs and hand-tossed pizzas.
Icon of the Seas restaurants offer dining options that can help kids engage with their big imaginations and turn meals into exciting play. Transforming meals into events means the memories will stay with them long after the cruise adventure ends.
