American Girl Cafe in New York City

Familiar with American Girl dolls?  If you are, and if you're the mama to a very special young lady (or a grandma, aunt, friend)... you simply have to check out the American Girl store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.  Assuming you're coming to the city, that is.  If you're planning a Mother-Daughter trip to NYC, the American Girl store is a must on your list of things to do in Manhattan with kids.  Especially if you've got a girlie-girl, and she loves dolls and all things American Girl!

Now, I have to admit... I don't have a super girlie-girl, but we did have a really good time touring the American Girl store on 5th Avenue and learning all about the history of American Girl and about several of the dolls.  I had no idea there was so much thought and planning that went into each and every American Girl doll that is created.  The outfits, accessories, the stories and the characters of the dolls themselves.  American Girl dolls each come with a story that is historically accurate to the period that the doll is from.

Not only are the dolls fun to play with for children, but when they are playing with the dolls and reading their stories, they are learning bits of history.  What a wonderful way to incorporate education into an age-old favorite toy: the doll.

After we toured the store,  we enjoyed a luncheon at the American Girl Cafe.  There are several seating times, and then each seating enters and is served at once.  Drink orders are taken, appetizers brought out, and then the waitstaff comes back to take entree orders.

An assortment of snacks are served for the appetizer:

We loved the decor of the American Girl Cafe in New York.  It was undoubtedly cutesy and girlie, but hey!  What else would you expect of a store that is all about everything girl?  The pink floral lampshades were a highlight of the design, and something that could easily be mimicked in any young girl's room.

There are a few options for entrees.  My daughter ordered Tic Tac Toe Pizza while I had a Chicken Sandwich.  The serving sizes were more than adequate and neither of us entirely finished our meal because we wanted to save room for dessert.

The desserts served at the American Girl Cafe lunch are so cute.  I loved that you get to try a little bit of each one, and that it wasn't necessary to look on a menu to order.  One of the things I really enjoyed about the whole set-up is that all the meal is one price.  You know what you will be paying before you go in, and unless you order fancy drinks, you won't be paying more.

We enjoyed flower pot mousse, a little fruit kabob and a dainty little cake.  All three were exceptional.

Next time you're in New York City with your little one, plan a stop to the American Girl store on 5th Avenue.  Its definitely worth the trip, especially if your daughter is a fan of American Girl dolls.  The cafe is a nice place to eat lunch, and they even have loaner dolls so your little girl can borrow a doll to sit with at the meal if she didn't bring her own.  What a sweet idea!

(Disclosure: We received a complimentary meal during our tour of the American Girl store in New York City.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.)