Been there, done that - once.

I left, we left.

Paid for the food we hadn't eaten and left. No conversation, no dinner, no party because we were there to celebrate a birthday ( was a normal little restaurant nothing fancy )

Never happened again, and in fact my girls were praised not long after for being models of decorum in a very fancy restaurant - so much so the manager sat at our table and taught the girls how to make fancy napkin motifs :)

The harsh treatment worked, it made that night horrible but was what was needed. Never happened again.

Even it never happened to me, thank God for that. I would say, the kids had to be taught a lesson that they will not forget, and they would not repeat doing.

Yes, if I will be in that situation, I will give them a warning or two, if after that they are still unruly, won't listen, I will give them an ultimatum, "behave or we're leaving". Leave without eating if they did not behave, so the kids will know who's the parent, who they should obey, that their behaviors are not good. I'm sure all the way home, they would hear a long sermon of what just happened and what they should have done not to get to that point. Parents should not keep quiet, kids have to be told what is proper, don't give them the silent treatment meaning your angry, it is better to be clear in what you want to teach them. So, next time, if ever you decide to take them again, you can see if there is a progress. When there's not, repeat the same process, until they learn.

Parents have to be firm on their stand when kids challenge your authority, sometimes it needs a harsh solution, but it is always for the better.

When my own children were smaller, they sometimes tried to act silly while we were eating at a restaurant. My younger son would try to climb on the bench, stand up and talk to the family sitting and eating behind us. Some of the other customers would respond rather friendly and strike up a conversation with my child, while others were clearly annoyed by “this misbehaving child”. My husband and I have always set clear rules for going out to eat and to us it was not acceptable to make loud noise and run around in a public dining facility where others were trying to enjoy a meal as well. But it’s not always so easy to make a 2-year understand proper dining-out etiquette. When my (then) small son tried to go his own way to explore the restaurant and giggle loudly as he turned the corner of each table, my husband and I would try to find ways to improvise and improve the situation. If we had allowed our son to sit like a big boy in a booster chair to eat and he took advantage and climbed out of his seat, then he would have to regress to sitting in a high chair, where his movement (and ability to escape) would be more limited. We would also explain to him once again why certain behavior within a restaurant was so important: “See all the people sitting down to eat? They all came here to eat yummy food and not to run through the aisles. If you keep running you could actually hurt yourself or bump into a waiter and spill the food he’s carrying”. Sometimes we were lucky and our son listened, while other times he was not so understanding and was ready to do anything to get his way. In this case it is important to stick to your guns and remain consistent. It would only send mixed signals to the child, if you were to give him a “last chance” and let him fall back into his previous behavior. Make sure he knows the consequences beforehand (even toddler can understand some rules and consequences associated with them) and if he chooses not to listen, let him feel the consequences, no matter how hard it may be for you. This is a good learning experience for your child, even if it may seem harsh for many parents who would feel giving in is easier than following through (and it is, especially in public when all eyes are on you and your child who may be throwing a tantrum). Next time around, the child may remember your rules and what happened when he did not follow them. If the situation spirals too much out of control, you and your spouse can always opt to get carry-out cases for your food and continue the dinner at home. Try to warn the child beforehand, that if his behavior does not improve your family may have to leave the restaurant, and then follow through if needed. But be careful. If the child is the one who wants to leave and throws a tantrum because he does not want to be in the restaurant, you may want to reconsider giving in to his wishes and actually packing up your family to go home. You don’t want to give your child the feeling that he controls the plans and activities of the family. I have known two different families who have let their young children dictate what they do and when. As a result they could not enjoy a nice time out with friends and other family members, because at some point early in the evening the children whined and complained they wanted to go home. Rather than explaining to the children that the family was having a fun evening out and was spending some quality time together, they adhered to their children’s wishes and left with a helpless shrug saying “well, I guess we should take her home if she wants to go so badly”. Needless to say, their children are still acting this way because it has worked in the past and continues to work. (Sadly some of these children are now Kindergarteners and First Graders and still throw tantrums).
So overall I would say set clear limits for your children and expect compliance to your rules as is appropriate for the child’s age. But remember, enforcement of important rules starts at a young age. Never underestimate your child’s understanding of family rules and appropriate behavior. Also, try to be more preventative when going out to eat. Bring things that can entertain your child, such as small toys, crayons, puzzles, and other fun things for younger children, so that the wait for the arrival of the food is somewhat sweetened and does not appear so long. Older children could also bring a book, card game, or their electronic game device while waiting. Being proactive may help alleviate any trouble that could arise when children are bored in the restaurant waiting for their meal to get there. (Adults have the luxury of talking about various topics, but children may not be interested in doing this yet, or may not be able to express themselves fully yet, so they seek out other interesting activities in the meantime, many of which we may not agree with). Chances are, when your child finally does receive his meal, he will be fully engulfed by the food on his plate without paying further thought to running through the restaurant.

Ugh, I have a two year-old. So I've been there. When she's tired, or teething, or the moon is full then there's no punishment or reasoning that will make things right.

So we:

1. Take her outside the restaurant. Try to calm her down away from other diners.

2. If she's still inconsolable, then one of us gets all the food instantly packed into "to-go" containers, pays the bill, and we leave. We take the kid home, instantly put her to bed (no matter what time of day, that means she needs sleep!), and then we enjoy a picnic of take-out food.

Sometimes that even means that we will have food packed up that's barely arrived on the table. There's no point in suffering through screaming toddler and ruining dinner...not to mention disturbing other people.

Always hit the EJECT button!