When you become a mum at 40, eating out as a family takes a bit more planning than it once did. Gone are the days of deciding where to go, grabbing a handbag and leaving the house. With a toddler, there’s always something to pack, somebody to change and sleep to consider. Even a light lunch can feel like an exercise in organisation, especially when you’re trying to work around everyone’s routines.

Between work, family life and finding time for the gym, we didn’t eat out together as often as I would have liked. And with H’s family living some 4,000 miles away in Iran, our family gatherings usually took place over video calls. It felt like there was always somebody eating dinner while somebody else was preparing for bed. It was lovely to see everyone, but it wasn’t quite the same as sitting around a table, sharing food and catching up properly.

So when two family birthdays fell in the same week and H’s cousin, known affectionately as Pesar Khaleh, travelled up from London, we decided to make an occasion of it. In Persian families, food is central to almost every celebration. Nobody arrives without being offered something to eat, and nobody leaves without being encouraged to have another helping. It’s a form of hospitality I’ve come to love, even if it means preparing enough food for twice the number of guests.

This time, however, I fancied letting somebody else do the cooking. I wanted to enjoy the celebration without spending half the day preparing food and the other half clearing up afterwards. With Little C still at an age when kitchen cupboards were endlessly fascinating, the prospect of a relaxed meal somewhere else was appealing.

Ordinarily, a family birthday would mean saffron rice, slow-cooked stews, fresh herbs and a table full of dishes. I enjoy cooking Persian food, especially when we’re entertaining H’s friends, but preparing a feast with a toddler underfoot wasn’t exactly relaxing. I wanted to sit down, enjoy a conversation and eat something that hadn’t taken several hours to prepare.

A friend had recommended The Imperial Restaurant in Low Fell, Gateshead, describing it as a good choice for families with young children. I’d heard positive things about the food, and the prospect of a Chinese lunch sounded tempting. Chinese and Persian food are very different, of course, but both cuisines offer dishes that lend themselves to sharing, which appealed to us.

There is something about passing plates around a table that makes a meal feel more sociable. In Persian households, eating together is not a hurried affair, and I liked the idea of bringing a little of that spirit to our birthday lunch. We decided to give The Imperial a try and hoped Cyrus would also enjoy it.

We were greeted upstairs by manager Steve, who showed us to our table. The restaurant was busy with families, and there was a pleasant atmosphere of people chatting and enjoying their meals. It felt welcoming rather than formal, which was exactly what we needed with a toddler in tow.

Before we’d even looked at the menu, Cyrus had spotted the basket of prawn crackers. He picked one up, examined it suspiciously and gave it a tentative sniff before taking a small bite. Within seconds, he was reaching for another, apparently delighted by this new discovery. I remembered enjoying prawn crackers as a child, so watching him try them for the first time made me smile.

While he worked his way through the basket, we studied the menu. There was plenty of choice, including à la carte dishes, hot pots, noodles, vegetarian options, European dishes and bird’s nest specials. It was an extensive selection, which suited us because we all fancied something different. I also appreciated having time to read the menu without repeatedly retrieving Cyrus from underneath the table.

I chose chicken and sweetcorn soup, priced at £3 during our visit, while H and Pesar Khaleh ordered a quarter crispy duck (£8.20) and seafood soup (£4.30). Our waitress, Steph, was friendly and attentive from the outset. She took an interest in Cyrus and seemed genuinely amused by his enthusiasm for the prawn crackers, which by this point had become the main attraction as far as he was concerned.

Anyone who has eaten out with a toddler knows how much difference a welcoming member of staff can make. You want to enjoy your meal without feeling that every noise, dropped spoon or sudden declaration is inconveniencing the rest of the restaurant. Steph made us feel comfortable, and it was lovely to be able to relax rather than spend the entire meal worrying about what Cyrus might do next.

My soup arrived piping hot, with tender chicken, vegetables and a pleasing balance of flavours. It was comforting and satisfying, exactly what I wanted from a familiar favourite. The crispy duck was another success, with crisp skin, tender meat and a plum sauce that provided a lovely sharp contrast to its richness. It didn’t stay on the table for long, particularly once everyone had helped themselves.

The seafood soup was colourful and full of flavour, and judging by the empty bowl, it went down equally well. So far, nobody had complained, nobody had spilled anything disastrous and Cyrus was still happily occupied. By toddler standards, we were doing rather well, and I was beginning to think that eating out as a family might not be quite the ordeal I’d anticipated.

For our main courses, H chose Duck Centenary (£11), I ordered Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onions (£8), and Pesar Khaleh went for King Prawns in Citrus Cointreau Sauce (£11.10). The dishes arrived promptly and were beautifully presented, with fried rice accompanying our choices. There was a good variety of colours, textures and flavours across the table, and we were soon comparing what we’d ordered.

My chicken was fragrant with ginger and spring onions, with enough flavour to make it interesting without being overpowering. I particularly enjoyed the freshness of the ginger, which worked well with the tender chicken. It was the sort of dish I could happily order again, especially as I tend to favour food that has plenty of flavour without leaving me reaching for a glass of water after every mouthful.

H’s duck was rich and flavoursome, while Pesar Khaleh’s prawns had a pleasing citrus sharpness that balanced the sweetness of the sauce. It was probably the most unusual of our three choices and certainly worth trying. As usual when we eat together, there was plenty of discussion about who had ordered the best dish, although nobody seemed particularly keen to surrender their own plate.

What I enjoyed most was being able to share the experience. We passed dishes around, discussed the food and caught up on family news. It reminded me of meals with H’s family, where conversation continues long after everyone has finished eating. The food matters, of course, but so does having the time to sit together without the usual distractions of everyday life.

The restaurant remained busy, but service was efficient throughout. We weren’t left waiting between courses, which was particularly welcome with a toddler whose patience was beginning to wear thin. Cyrus had behaved remarkably well, although I suspected the steady supply of prawn crackers deserved at least some of the credit.

By dessert, Cyrus was getting tired. He’d enjoyed himself, but the excitement of being out, combined with a full stomach, was beginning to catch up with him. He had some ice cream, although I ended up finishing it. One of the less publicised responsibilities of motherhood is ensuring that perfectly good desserts don’t go to waste, and I was more than happy to fulfil my duties.

H offered him another prawn cracker, which briefly revived his interest in proceedings. I was beginning to wonder whether we’d created a lifelong obsession when Steve came over with a surprise. He’d put together a takeaway bag of prawn crackers for Cyrus to enjoy at home, having noticed just how much our son liked them.

It was a small gesture, but a thoughtful one. Good service isn’t always about grand gestures or attention. Sometimes it’s noticing the people sitting at your tables and making them feel welcome. Steve hadn’t needed to do anything extra, but he’d taken the trouble to make a little boy happy, and that meant a great deal to us.

Cyrus was delighted, and we left with rather more prawn crackers than we’d arrived with. It was one of those moments that stayed with me because it felt genuine. Long after the details of a meal begin to fade, you tend to remember how people treated you, particularly when you’re out with young children.

Based on our experience, The Imperial Restaurant in Low Fell was an excellent choice for a family lunch. The food was enjoyable, the menu offered plenty of variety and the service was friendly and efficient. More importantly, we felt comfortable bringing Cyrus along, and the staff made a genuine effort to include him rather than treating his presence as an inconvenience.

Eating out with young children can be unpredictable, particularly when they’re approaching nap time. Having a welcoming atmosphere and staff who understand that families don’t always operate to a restaurant’s timetable makes the experience much easier. We were able to enjoy our food, have a proper conversation and celebrate two birthdays without feeling rushed.

For us, the afternoon was also about spending time with family we didn’t see often enough. We hadn’t prepared a traditional Persian feast, but we still enjoyed what matters most about one: good food, conversation and the pleasure of being together. Sometimes it takes a meal away from home to remind you how important those occasions are.

Cyrus would probably have given it the same rating based entirely on the prawn crackers, although I suspect he’d have been just as happy taking the whole basket home.

We went out for a birthday lunch and came home with happy memories, full stomachs and a bag of crackers that kept one little boy smiling.