The last time we were supposed to go out for a meal together was on my husband’s birthday in January, but instead of having a delicious dinner together I accidentally gave birth to our second little girl on the bathroom floor. So when were invited to review Middleton’s Steakhouse and Grill on it’s family-friendliness, even though this would mean we would have both Mini Mumblers in tow, we jumped at the chance!
We’d booked a table for 5.15pm in the hope that Mini Mumbler wouldn’t get too ‘hangry’. We’ve not risked taking them both out for dinner by ourselves so I was slightly apprehensive. The fact the restaurant is situated on Timber Hill, at the top of Castle Mall & car park, means it is very handy to get to. The main entrance has a few steps to get in, making getting in with a buggy a bit tricky – but I didn’t realise they do have a sloping emergency exit, which they were happy to open for us to leave by.
Those on the Norwich Mumbler Chat group will know that Teeny Mumbler has a bit of a reputation for, how shall I put it, becoming ‘very relaxed’ EVERY TIME we go in the car and often needs a complete change of clothes when we reach our destination. She did not disappoint. So the first place I visited on arrival at Middleton’s was the baby changing facilities, ideally placed on the ground floor in the Disabled toilets. There’s a drop-down changing table and paper towels to dry hands on (I don’t know about you but hand dryers scare the heeby-jebees out of my two, so I try not to use them when I have them in tow!)
One of the best features of our dining experience was the fact that you can PRE-ORDER your food. We usually get somewhere & order A’s meal straight away as she isn’t good at waiting. But, this means that by the time she’s eaten her meal our food has just arrived and it’s a case of trying to keep her entertained whilst shovelling hot food into our mouths before she runs off/starts jumping on furniture or wailing like a banshee. So the evening before our visit we chose what we were going to order, smug in the knowledge that we wouldn’t have the impatient hangry toddler issue! Fab.
The food didn’t take long to arrive. In the meantime, a squash had arrived for Mini Mumbler (with straws, a highlight!) and she was given some crayons to colour in her children’s menu. Middleton’s have recently launched their new children’s menu based on customer feedback. There is a ‘Little Kids’ size, aimed at up to 3 years, and a ‘Big Kids’ size for older ones. We’d ordered the ‘Little Kids’ haddock goujons and there was more than enough for her (nearly 3) and enough for Mummy and Daddy to sample too! The goujons were very well received. My only critique of the children’s menu would be that it would be nice to have the choice of chips AND salad or vegetables.
I’d read on Middleton’s Facebook page that they had small cutlery for little ones but I couldn’t seem to find any. I was just about to ask when I realised my husband was using them – ha! Great to have them for her smaller hands though, when she eventually got to use them.
Even though we don’t have any dietary requirements I did notice that the menu was clearly labelled (V) vegetarian, (df) dairy free or (gf) gluten free, which I imagine makes eating out for families with these requirements much less stressful.
I hadn’t really given any consideration to where Teeny Mumbler was going to sit but I didn’t relish having to have her sit on my lap while I ate. Luckily we could choose from two types of highchairs: wooden or plastic ones. The plastic IKEA ones were perfect for our 6 month old and she happily sat whilst we ate. She is still mostly having milk but the Manager did offer to bring a plate for her to share, which was thoughtful.
The children’s dessert choice was a no-brainer…build your own banana split! This was definitely the highlight for Mini Mumbler. She was given a huuuuuge banana, ice cream and cream with a little pot of sprinkles, chocolate chips and strawberries for her to add on top, although a lot of the sprinkles got scooped straight from pot to mouth.
The staff were another best feature of our visit to Middleton’s. All were helpful and friendly, and all interacted with our little ones, making us feel very welcome. I’ve told a few parents friends about our visit to Middleton’s and most have said they hadn’t thought about taking children, thinking it was somewhere mainly for adults. However, the service we received and their attention to the child-friendly details show that Middleton’s are opening their doors to families and aiming to please.
A big thank you to Middleton’s Norwich, and their staff for making our first family dining out experience a lovely one.
Middleton’s Steakhouse and Grill Website
11-15 Timber Hill
Norwich , NR1 3JZ
01603 920397
Open Mon-Sun: 12pm – 11pm
