Review: Giggles and Hugs

Instead of going to Universal Studios Hollywood last Tuesday, we ended going to the beach instead. But on the way to the beach, we got hungry and decided to grab some lunch first.

Good thing I did my research the night before on the internet and discovered a restaurant on the Westside called “Giggles and Hugs.” It’s a kid themed restaurant that serves real food and little kids can also keep busy with the toys they have available.

Normally, it costs $9 for open play and you can just order whatever you’d like. But they are having a special for August that for every adult entree you order gets you one free admission to the play area. Hey, that works for us! Other indoor play areas already charge about $7-$9 for admission, and you don’t even get the option of “real food”

We ordered an eggplant parmesan, a chicken bbq pizza and nuttella on lavash. I think the food was actually good.

The whole theme of the restaurant was interesting. They have beautiful murals all over the walls and it was appealing to children. Even the restrooms doors were painted accordingly, a prince for the boys’ restroom and a princess for the girls’ restroom.

The play area was a decent size. It had a lot of things you would probably find at Ikea. They have a lot of toys for small cars and tracks. There was a climbing toy, some ride alongs and soft blocks for constructing. A small area was available for the girls to play with dolls and dress up. It was pretty cool that there was also a corner for drawing and a staff member comes in every once in a while to do face painting.

Is there anything I disliked with Giggles and Hugs? Well, just a few, I wished there were more tables for eating. They also have a sign mentioning a “1 hour time limit” for the tables and maybe they should change it to “1 hour time limit on tables if busy.”

And maybe there should be other entertainment for older kids. The toys available are appropriate for children ages 7 and younger. I can imagine older kids getting bored.

But will I go back there again? Yes, I sure will. The food was actually good. So much better than I expected and in decent portions too. The kids had a great time playing and exploring. And the best part of it was, the hubby and I had a peaceful meal together and it almost felt like a date (even when the kids were there).

www.gigglesandhugs.com
Giggles N’ Hugs Children’s Restaurant
11701 wilshire Blvd # 11
Los Angeles Ca 90025
(310) 478 – HUGS (4847)

Looking for more kid friendly places in the LA area?
Check out my list here!