3 of our favourite child-friendly restaurants in Santa Ponsa

We love dining out on holiday and I always spend lots of time researching the best restaurants to visit when we travel to new destinations. Santa Ponsa is a bit of a weird one as there are a lot of typical pubs serving Full English Breakfasts and Sunday Dinners and cheap eateries serving up three courses for less than a tenner. This is fine if this is the kind of food you like, but for us, we always like to hunt out gems which are unique to the destination and offer either local food, gorgeous views or something we'll remember rather than a typical burger we could get from pretty much any pub in Newcastle. There are also some real gems in Santa Ponsa and dining out with kids was an absolute breeze. We stayed all-inclusive for the second half of our week so only managed to dine out on three evenings - if I was to have my time again, I'd probably stay self-catering for the full week as a few other places caught my eye too.

I was so surprised at how child-friendly dining was in Santa Ponsa. Most restaurants are very geared towards families and offer so much more than the typical colouring in sheets you'd find in the UK. I walked past a couple of restaurants which even had signs up saying they offered free childcare! The best restaurants in Santa Ponsa are very popular - we visited in what I would say was off-peak season (first week in October) but still needed to book and I'd recommend you do the same (we just popped in on the day/day before we wanted to dine to make a reservation).

The Blockhouse 

Lots of people recommended The Blockhouse to us as the best place to enjoy steak in Santa Ponsa. It was just a short walk from our hotel (Pirates Village) and the menu looked lovely. The Blockhouse was super busy and every table was taken in their outdoor seating area. I loved this restaurant as there is a play park for kids to enjoy as the grown-ups dined. Apparently, there is often additional children's entertainment including treasure hunts and storytelling too.

As the kids were otherwise entertained, we all decided it was safe enough to order 2 courses. The Blockhouse offers a fab deal where you can pick a starter (from a selection of salads, soups or onion rings) and a steak with a side from as little as 20.40 euros. I went with the 'Mrs Striploin' deal and ordered tomato salad with a steak, jacket potato and sour cream. You could switch the jacket potato for fries if preferred at no additional cost. The food was all absolutely delicious - perfect steak and jacket potato. I was really impressed and this meal felt like an absolute bargain. The staff were lovely and attentive too. 

I love that the children's menu had the option of plain fries for just a couple of euros - perfect for fussy eaters who just want to play in the park whilst the grown-ups eat and it makes for a cheap night out. There are also other proper meals for kids priced at around 5 euros. As well as the play park, kids are provided with a colouring sheet and then a branded Blockhouse pencil case (with stationery inside), sweets and a Blockhouse balloon when they leave. The restaurant really does go the extra mile and dining here was such a relaxing experience. My total bill for one adult and two children was 40 euros here which included one round of drinks.  Find out more about The Blockhouse here.

Meson del Mar 

We decided to book Meson del Mar mainly due to this restaurant's stunning views of Santa Ponsa harbour. I'd recommend booking a table early (we booked for 7pm) and asking for a table with a view. We watched the most stunning sunset over dinner and although one of the more expensive restaurants in the area, it's worth paying more for a treat here I think. 

At first glance, prices do seem pretty expensive with children's meals starting at around 10 euro. However, we all ordered some of the more expensive dishes on the menu, had two courses and a couple of drinks (including a large wine and cocktail for me) and our final bill was only 77 euro for 1 adult and 2 children which I thought was excellent. You could easily dine here for under 50 euros if you chose carefully.

This restaurant specialises in Paella but as with most places, there is a 40-minute wait and a minimum of two people must order the same dish and this wasn't going to work for us but we were still really impressed with the other options on offer. I went with the suckling lamb shoulder roasted in rosemary at a low temperature and it was gorgeous - so succulent! My brother went with the homemade lasagne and was also really impressed. My mam did have one gripe that there was no salt and pepper on the table and it was pretty difficult to catch someone's eye to ask but apart from that, we had no complaints with the food.

As well as the view, what I loved about Meson del Mar is that it had a free soft play area for children to use (remember to bring socks or they won't be allowed in). The area is unsupervised and right at the back of the restaurant so not really suitable for toddlers (unless you want to stand and watch them) but it was perfect for Heidi and Jack. The play frame was fantastic and kept them entertained as we waited for our dinner and between courses. The fact that it's free probably explains the premium children's menu price.

Jack and Evan loved the burgers here and give them the thumbs up. I'd also recommend saving space for dessert here and making the most of the glorious evening views. Delicious!

The restaurant is old-school and offers you some complimentary schnapps with your bill and the kids are given lollipops.  A nice little gesture we thought. If you're looking for somewhere special to dine with the family on holiday, definitely check this place out. Find out more about Meson del Mar here. 

Cafe on the beach 

Santa Ponsa beach isn't the biggest of beaches and there's only one cafe that's right on the sand. It's lovely though and we popped in a couple of times over our holiday. The staff are welcoming and if you pop in more than once, you'll be welcomed like an old friend. What I liked about this place is that it's physically on the beach so you can sit and enjoy a drink or light bite while the kids build sandcastles on the sand in front of you. Prices are at a premium here due to the monopoly they have on the location but again, we didn't mind paying more and it was worth it for us. My tomato and mozzarella salad was one of the best I've ever had - the mozzarella used was so creamy and I could have eaten this dish twice over. I think it was around 11 euros and my Pina Colada was 7 euros. Be warned - ice creams are pricey here. It was 10 euros for three ice lollies! Yikes.

Other places we tried

Now this may be a controversial choice but whenever my kids visit a new country, they are obsessed with visiting McDonalds and comparing their happy meal with others from around the world. I don't mind doing this as it's a cheap lunch option and keeps them happy. McDonalds in Santa Ponsa is right by the beach and there are ducks you can feed outside too. It's ideal for a quick and cheap lunch after a trip to the beach and the kids give it the thumbs up. As a side note, they serve beer for adults, have an eclectic range of shakes on offer and their bacon and cheese topped fries were lush (if a little salty).

We fancied a curry one night so decided to visit Taste of India Santa Ponsa as it had pretty good reviews. I wouldn't say this restaurant was as child-friendly as The Blockhouse or Meson del Mar as there are no play areas or children's activities. However, kids meals were cheap (less than 5 euro) and they offered alternatives to curry (such as fish and chips) if your kids are fussy. The service was really good here too. I usually order Madras curry and I just wasn't a fan of their version and the naan breads were nice but again, not outstanding. I also wasn't keen on their chips which were actually french fries and not the proper thick wedges I am used to.

My brother ordered beef vindaloo and said it was the best he's ever eaten and didn't stop raving about it for the whole holiday. I wouldn't return, but it was cheap enough (less than 40 euros for 1 adult and 2 kids to have a main, couple of sides and drinks) and I think if you love curry and are looking for somewhere that's cheap and easy to dine with kids, it's worth a punt.

If you like dining in lovely restaurants and have kids in tow, Santa Ponsa really does have lots of options. I'd love to hear if you've tried dining here and if you have any restaurant recommendations for me to add to my list......

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