“Would it be safe to say that most restaurants that don’t require a reservation would be ok with a 2 year old in Paris?” Reservations are needed at almost all good-quality restaurants and bistros. It’s a huge rookie mistake to wander around Paris hoping to find a good meal at some cutesy bistro that you like the look of. The good places will be completely booked, the bad (by Paris standards) will have tables for naïve tourists. Of course, some tourists, used to Olive Garden back home, will probably consider even mediocre French food to be quite good.
There are no hard and fast rules but, judging from my own family and friends with kids, small children of that age are almost never brought to good restaurants in Paris. It’s different when on holiday in, say, the south of France. And the logistics often make it impossible for kids to be a part of the equation. By American standards, most Paris restaurants are tiny and cramped. Impossible to insulate the rest of the diners from the unpredictable behaviour/ noise levels of a 2-year old. (I should add that the #1 complaint about American tourists in Paris is that they are too loud and, in a restaurant, easily exceed the noise levels that most Parisians would consider to be polite.) I do occasionally see small kids with parents at restaurants but almost always on the outside terrace where they have to share time and space with smokers. Which has its own problems and cultural differences: I once witnessed a huge fracas on the terrace of a landmark café between an American couple with toddler and the smokers at surrounding tables. Rants (in English) about second-hand smoke condemning her child to death by cancer or heart disease from the mother and bemused but increasingly angry reactions (in French and Franglais) from the smokers. A clash of entitlements. In the end the Americans were asked to leave by the waiter. Which led to a predictable anti-French tirade on the way out.
I have the impression that French parents are less rigid about routines and it is not unusual to see children, even toddlers and infants, out and about with parents at all hours. In contrast, I see American parents with children insisting on eating meals (in empty restaurants) at 6pm because that’s the time the children usually have dinner. If you stick to your routines back home, your choices and eating options in Paris will be very limited. The vast majority of restaurants don’t open until 7 or 7:30 and the vast majority of Parisians don’t go out for a dinner until 8pm (and later at weekends).
Your best bets for child-appropriate places because they are considerably larger than bistros and restaurants and most have continuous hours (from, say, 8am to midnight) are traditional brasseries and family chain restaurants, especially those with lots of outside seating. Unfortunately, most aren’t exactly famous for the quality of the cuisine. Bottom of the quality ladder are the no-reservation Chartier group of cheap brasseries/ “bouillons” (Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards in the 9th, Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse, Bouillon Chartier Gare de l’Est in the 10th). Yet, often tourist favourites and tourist guide top picks because of their polished and re-polished olde-worlde décor. Perhaps a fine touristic experience if you don’t mind crappy food but hardly an authentic parisian experience in a city justly famous for the quality of its cuisine.
With a very few exceptions, the continuous-hours brasseries and family chain restos are not destination restaurants. And, so, final recommendations will be determined by exactly where you are staying and which brasseries/ family restos are convenient. In the meantime, have a look at La Rotonde Montparnasse for an example of a much better-than-average example of a parisian brasserie, and kid-friendly Huguette seafood bistro in St-Germain-des-Pres, and the rather hip Brasserie Martin near Square Gardette in the 11th to see if the menu, style, and the prices match your own tastes and budget. https://larotonde-montparnasse.fr/ and https://www.huguette-bistro.com/ and https://nouvellegardegroupe.com/brasserie-martin/infos-reservations/
Another suggestion when with kids. The French and especially parisian food culture features neighbourhood outdoor food markets and covered food markets. Lots of opportunities for “déjeuner sur le pouce »/ lunch on the go. The most foodie with 8 or 9 mini-restos and deli-like food stands is the Marché des Enfants Rouges on rue Bretagne in the very trendy Haut Marais in the upper 3rd (a very different world than the ultra-touristy Marais in the 4th and lower 3rd)… some counter seating and tables here and there, and a lovely park (Square du Temple) for picnics just a few minutes away.
Re Biarritz vs St-Jean-de-Luz. Impossible for me to answer. I love the faded “glamour” (pronounced in the French way) of Biarritz , it’s a larger city with more to do, great for surfing, and, if you decide to leave the car at home, excellent rail and bus links to the surrounding area. St Jean-de-Luz has more of a cutesy factor, a great beach just minutes from the town, punches above its weight in terms of restaurants, but a little more inconvenient for getting around the Pays Basque, more difficult parking (always a huge factor along the coast of the Pays Basque after 15 July).
Both put on very good firework shows for 14 Juillet. Each has a usually (not always, depending on the band) very enjoyable “bal populaire” before and after the fireworks.
I suspect that Biarritz with its many more possibilities could be more enjoyable with a 2-year old in tow.
But, in the end, eeny miney miney moe is probably the best way to decide.
In Spain, “early” is before 10pm. I usually adjust to a Spanish rhythm when in Spain and have an early evening siesta. So, I just have no experience of early eating in San Sebastian. Because it attracts so many early-eating Germans, Scandinavians, Brits, Poles, etc in the summer, I do suspect that San Sebastian will run on a different non-Spanish schedule and you could have a lot of competition if you want to eat early.
Whew ! Sorry, I talk too much. Evil grin.
