CocoJam in Barbican is the clearest choice for food and play in one stop. It markets family meals, activities for all ages and a game room, and it is open Wednesday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For a longer outing, Devon House at 26 Hope Road combines a Kidz Zone with gardens, shops and several food spots.
Food and play under one roof: CocoJam
CocoJam is at 29 East Kings House Road, Shops 12A and 12B, in the Barbican Centre in Kingston 6. The menu is built for families and picky eaters, and the game room has activities for all ages. Its kitchen closes one hour before the game room, so eat first if you want the whole play session.
CocoJam pairs a family menu with a game room, and the kitchen closes an hour before it.
Hours are Wednesday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and debit cards are accepted. Outside food and drinks are not allowed. Ask for item prices before you go.
A longer outing: Devon House
Devon House, at 26 Hope Road in Kingston 10, is a family recreation and dining complex where you can tour, shop, dine, relax and play in the garden. The food spots on the grounds include Devon House Bakery, GrogShoppe Restaurant, La Pizzeria, Bad Dawg, Lemongrass and Pimentos. Scoops Unlimited serves Devon House I-scream in flavours such as chocolate, coffee, mango, stout and seasonal sorrel, and it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fruit Pops, Kerk Box, Bowl & Spoon, TacBar and Coco Raw are also on the property.
A garden playground, like the Kidz Zone, gives children room to run between courses.
The Kidz Zone has a jungle gym, slides and swings. It is part of the Devon House property beside the dining and dessert businesses, rather than a play area belonging to one restaurant. A single Kidz Zone entry is J$850 (about US$5) per child, effective June 1, 2024. The wider property is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the South Lawn from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mansion tours run Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. The same June 1, 2024 price list sets a local adult tour at J$2,300 (about US$14) for age 12 and over, a local child tour at J$1,495 (about US$9) for under 12, an international adult tour at US$24 and an international child tour at US$16.
Gardens, zoo and park
Hope Royal Botanical Gardens is on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew. It is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and garden admission is free. As of October 2026, parking is J$200 (about US$1) for cars and SUVs and J$300 (about US$2) for buses, trucks and vans. The gardens also describe the site as suitable for family fun and children's birthday parties.
A garden or park pairs well with a picnic or a nearby meal.
The Hope Zoo is on the same road. As of October 2026, its admission is J$1,500 (about US$9) for adults and J$1,000 (about US$6) for children, and its phone number is 876-927-1085. Also as of October 2026, the Chinese Garden costs J$200 (about US$1) for adults, J$100 (about US$1) for children aged 12 to 16 and J$50 for children aged 3 to 11, and children under three are free. Tourist admission is US$5 or J$600 (about US$4).
Emancipation Park is at Oxford Road and Knutsford Boulevard in Kingston 5. It is a public green space for a family picnic, walking and play, and it is open Monday to Thursday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 5 a.m. to midnight. The park has accessible paved walkways, public restrooms and picnic areas. It is a park rather than a restaurant, so bring food or buy it nearby. Its phone numbers are 876-926-6312 and 876-968-9292.
Kids' meals and family chains
KFC New Kingston at 15 Dominica Drive is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Its biggest family meal is the Family 12 at J$7,050 (about US$44), with 12 pieces of chicken, family fries, four biscuits, three coleslaws, three mashed potatoes and a 2-litre drink. The Family 9 costs J$5,680 (about US$36) and comes with nine pieces of chicken, two large fries, four biscuits, three corn portions and a 2-litre drink. Smaller KFC options include the Chicken Box at J$650 (about US$4), or J$730 (about US$5) with a drink, the Small Popcorn Chicken combo at J$680 (about US$4), the 3-piece Krispers combo at J$1,030 (about US$6) and the Meal Deal at J$1,130 (about US$7), which comes with two pieces, regular fries and a drink. KFC also has a kids meals page online. Those KFC prices are as of October 2026.
Shareable meals keep a family table simple.
As of October 2026, Pizza Hut's menu includes Create Your Own Pizza at J$775 (about US$5), a Pizza Patty Cheese Combo at J$850 (about US$5), Family Breadsticks at J$1,075 (about US$7) and a Dealicious Value Pizza at J$2,800 (about US$18). Its pizzas, pizza patties, melts, pasta and shareable pizzas suit a table sharing a meal.
Island Grill has Kingston-area branches at Cross Roads, Manor Park, New Kingston, Norman Manley International Airport, Ocean Boulevard, Red Hills Road, Sovereign Liguanea, Twin Gates, Washington Boulevard and King Street. Its Jamaican-style menu has familiar dishes that work for a family table. Tastee has Kingston locations on Half Way Tree Road and Cargill Avenue and one in Liguanea, and its menu covers patties, porridge, breakfast, lunch and a weekend chicken combo.
As of October 2026, Murray's Fish and Jerk Hut's Kingston menu lists a quarter jerk chicken at J$1,400 (about US$9), a fried chicken meal at J$1,500 (about US$9), a jerk meal at J$1,600 (about US$10), rice and peas at J$350 (about US$2), fries at J$500 (about US$3) and soup at J$500 (about US$3) for small or J$700 (about US$4) for large. For smaller portions, ask about children's sizes first.
Malls, food courts and the waterfront
Sovereign Centre at 106 Hope Road in Liguanea is a shopping mall with a supermarket, cinema and food court, and Island Grill has a branch there. Village Plaza at 24 Constant Spring Road in Half Way Tree is a two-storey shopping and entertainment centre with a food court of several eateries. Sovereign North at 29 Barbican Road is a cluster of restaurants and cafés, including Uncorked. Downtown, the Digicel building food court at 14 Ocean Boulevard has Island Grill and Wholesome Café.
Confirm before you go: the food-court hours, which tenants are open at each centre, and the payment methods at each branch.
Downtown's waterfront along Ocean Boulevard, Victoria Pier and Harbour Street has food options. ROK Hotel's Palate serves Jamaican and international dishes, ROK Café & Market offers pastries, wraps, sandwiches and salads, and ROKstone Pool Bar & Grill is at the hotel too. A 2025 delegate handbook also lists Gloria's Seafood City, Ribbiz Ocean Lounge, F&B Green, Kamila's Kitchen and Danya's Coffee Barrel nearby. Treat the waterfront as an open public area, and check any event or parking charge locally before you go.
Copper Cellar in New Kingston
The Copper Cellar in New Kingston describes its setting as a garden oasis, and it welcomes time together with friends and family. For a children's menu, a high chair or a play space, ask the restaurant before you go.
For a family meal with children's activities, see Devon House, Kingston: What to Eat, Ice Cream and Opening Hours. For more outings and meals by parish, use the Kingston page or the restaurant directory. Across the island, Birthday Dinner Restaurants in Kingston, Jamaica covers another kind of family night, and Family-Friendly Restaurants in Montego Bay, Jamaica covers the other big tourist town.
Common questions
Start with what your children need most, food, play or fresh air, then pick the place.
Which restaurants in Kingston are kid friendly?
CocoJam is the clearest pick because it combines a family menu with a game room and activities for all ages. Devon House is a broader outing, with a Kidz Zone, gardens and several food spots. KFC has a kids meals page, and Pizza Hut's menu includes family breadsticks and shareable pizzas.
Where to take kids in Kingston?
Take them to CocoJam for food and play in one place, or to Devon House for the Kidz Zone and the gardens. For animals, the Hope Zoo sits on Old Hope Road with Hope Gardens, where garden entry is free. Emancipation Park is a public park for picnics, walking and play.
Are there cheap family restaurants in Kingston?
As of October 2026, low-cost options include the KFC Chicken Box at J$650 (about US$4), Pizza Hut's Create Your Own Pizza at J$775 (about US$5) and Murray's quarter jerk chicken at J$1,400 (about US$9). For a free day out, Hope Gardens and Emancipation Park cost nothing to enter.
Which Kingston restaurants have a play area?
CocoJam has the clearest play area, a game room with activities for all ages, and its kitchen closes an hour before that room does. Devon House has a Kidz Zone with a jungle gym, slides and swings. Chains and mall food courts have seating, but a supervised children's play area should not be assumed.
Where to go for a family dinner in Kingston?
Choose CocoJam for an informal meal with activities, open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and until 9 p.m. on weekends. Choose Devon House when dinner is part of a day out, since the wider property stays open until 10 p.m. For a garden setting, choose The Copper Cellar in New Kingston.