Marcel Kazda argues that children also have a place in haute cuisine

Marcel Kazda is the chef and owner of garbo zum Löwen, which offers children's menus of three to seven courses, ranging from €45 to €85. The idea originated at El Celler de Can Roca, owned by the Roca brothers, in Girona, where he went with his children. There were no problems: children were welcome, and at the next table, a mother was breastfeeding her baby during service. "That's when I realized: it works, and it works wonderfully."

In Germany, according to Kazda, children are not usually welcome in fine dining restaurants, and many advertise "Children over 16 years old." "Family is part of life, so why not in a restaurant too?" she asks.

On their children's menu, kids don't get a scaled-down version, but real food presented differently. They can have double-clarified consommé and a poached egg cooked at 64 degrees with spinach purée and golden butter foam, no seafood. There's also pasta with butter and tomato sauce, which they can add themselves, and an authentic Wiener Schnitzel, crispy and delicious. Everything is of the highest quality.

Kazda believes children's sense of taste is underestimated. Between the ages of four and eight, they are very open and will try almost anything if taken seriously. What they dislike most are overly strong herbs or excessive essential oils, and a single basil leaf can be too much for them. According to him, children usually only cry when they are ignored, so at the table, the staff speak directly to them and ask what they would like to eat.

The Instagram video on the topic was her most successful post to date, with over 129,000 views and around 350 comments. Many parents wrote that it gave them the confidence to take their children out to eat, although there was also criticism, such as the question of what happens if a child cries. Kazda believes that this is precisely the debate, because it concerns parental responsibility and the reopening of restaurants. One little girl who saw the video wanted to celebrate her birthday there, where she could make her own dessert in the kitchen, and later her parents and grandparents joined her.

For Kazda, the concept works when a child enjoys their meal seated at the table and the parents are relaxed, with no one feeling out of place. After all, she says, the restaurant business is about welcoming people, regardless of their age.