Family Friendly Restaurants in Boston

Like chocolate and champagne, well-behaved children are welcome almost everywhere. Most Boston-area restaurants can accommodate families, and many youngsters can be stunned into tranquillity if a place is fancy enough. If your kids can't or won't sign a good-conduct pledge, here are some suggestions.

The nonstop activity and lively crowds at Durgin-Park will entrance any child, and parents of picky eaters appreciate the straightforward New England fare. Other good non-chain choices are Redbones, the Barking Crab, and the Cambridge location of Jasper White's Summer Shack, which has a giant lobster tank.

The Bertucci's chain of pizzerias appeals to children and adults equally, with wood-fired brick ovens that are visible from many tables, great rolls made from pizza dough, and pizzas and pastas that range from basic to sophisticated. There's a location near Children's Hospital (1 Blackfan Circle) and two in Cambridge: at 5 Cambridge Park Drive and 799 Main St., a short walk from Central Square.