London is definitely a great place for a family day out. However, a long day of dragging your kids around the endless attractions is going to lead to some hungry stomachs, big and small. But where can you safely take the little darlings without having to go Nando's yet again? We're here to share the good news that there are plenty of terrific places to eat around London that will be just as accommodating to your child as they would to any adult.
Our pick of the best restaurants for children in London includes places you’d probably choose to go even without kids, because you deserve a treat too. We’ve rounded up the best fancy restaurants that are still child-friendly, as well as some more casual places to grab a piece of pizza from or enjoy a burger at should the craving for a little bit of junk food hit come the half term holidays.
Some of our choices below have special set-ups to help your meal go as smoothly as possible. While a handful of the best child-friendly restaurants provide entertainment via the likes of colouring in equipment, almost all of them provide specially selected kids menus with your mini me(s) in mind. These selections of dedicated dishes are carefully prepared to appeal to little taste buds so are often kept simple and delicious. On many menus you’ll find pasta options, while things like mini burgers and chips are also a popular choice. An additional bonus of taking your gang to a restaurant which is child-friendly in London is the cost-factor. Everything is expertly portioned to allow fro as little waste as possible, and with that you get cheaper eats for the kids – plus menus often come with a a drink and a dessert.
So, whether you’re after something casual and easy or somewhere more formal where your kids will feel just as much of a grown-up as the person footing the bill, here’s our pick of the best child-friendly restaurants in London.
The best formal child-friendly restaurants in London
There's a place and a time for formal dining, and if you have the whole gang with you there's no need to miss out on a special meal. In the capital there are plenty of formal restaurants that are also child-friendly, from Soho to Shoreditch, and make the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday or catch up with friends (big and small).
Bar Boulud at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Why: While Daniel Boulud’s brasserie may have a chic, business-like vibe, staff are very obliging when it comes to children. A set lunch and pre-theatre menu offers great value for money at £24 for three courses, including tea and coffee. An extra bonus for dads (or perhaps mums) is a baby-changing space for men.
Where: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, SW1X 7LA
What’s nearby: Hyde Park and Winter Wonderland (around Christmas only), Harrods and Knightsbridge shops, the Royal Albert Hall
Café Murano Covent Garden
Why: Expect an old-fashioned Italian welcome for families at Angela Hartnett's Café Murano. The restaurant offers a dedicated children's menu which costs just £10 and includes either chicken Milanese or a bowl of pasta, followed by ice ceam. The perfect way to bring families together - whether a stop off from a day at the theatre, or just the treat of a grown-up lunch, the menus are deliberately made to the same high standards as the adult a la carte.
Where: 36 Tavistock Street, WC2E 7PB
What’s nearby: Covent Garden and Strand theatres, the London Transport Museum, Somerset House ice rink
Daphne's
Why: While it may be the personification of its Chelsea clientele – handsome, refined and utterly assured – that doesn’t mean this classic Italian won't welcome children. One of Daphne's trump cards is the usual slick service from owners Caprice Holdings (The Ivy et al), not least from Italian waiters who win reader praise for having “a good sense of humour” – which should come in handy when they're dealing with kids.
Where: 112 Draycott Avenue, SW3 3AE
What’s nearby: Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Natural History museum and Ice Rink
The Goring Dining Room
Why: Only a stone’s throw from Victoria, The Goring can provide a quiet respite from the mayhem around the station. The children’s menu might not be the cheapest around, but the likes of a gooey cheese omelette or knickerbocker glory are worth paying for. The Goring’s garden also provides an opportunity for kids to blow off some steam.
Where: The Goring, 15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW
What’s nearby: Buckingham Palace, The Apollo Victoria, Palace and Other Palace Theatres, Victoria station
The Grill at the Dorchester
Why: The Dorchester’s grown-up glamour might not scream child-friendly, but being a parent shouldn’t stop you enjoying the high life, and the hotel’s famous Grill will happily accommodate you and your child. Take in the striking Murano glass chandelier while tucking into one of the many sweet soufflés on offer.
Where: The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA
What’s nearby: Hyde Park and Winter Wonderland, Green Park, Buckingham Palace
Le Gavroche
Why: Michel Roux Jr’s two-Michelin-starred bastion of haute cuisine probably isn’t somewhere that most parents would dream of taking their kids. But Le Gavroche does welcome little ones, although it’s worth noting that they do not provide high chairs or baby-changing facilities. There’s no children’s menu, but tip them off when booking and the kitchen can arrange appropriate dishes.
Where: 43 Upper Brook Street, W1K 7QR
What’s nearby: Hyde Park, Selfridges and Oxford Street shops
Nobu London
Why: Nobu is the savvy parent’s secret posh lunch, providing all the necessary amenities, as well as helpful staff happy to warm bottles or recommend child-approved dishes. Although dinner gets booked up well in advance, at lunchtime, same-day bookings are common. The children’s bento box includes the likes of tiger shrimp and squid tempura.
Where: COMO Metropolitan London, 19 Old Park Lane, W1K 1LB
What’s nearby: Hyde Park and Winter Wonderland, Green Park, Buckingham Palace
OXO Tower Brasserie
Why: For a meal with the children which has the bonus of an incredible view across London, the OXO Tower Brasserie is tough to beat. The brasserie sits up on the eighth floor of the famous tower, which overlooks the Thames, and serves a dedicated children's menu which costs £15 for three courses and features dishes such as hummus with crunchy vegetables, fish and chips, and a chocolate brownie.
Where: Barge House Street, SE1 9PH
What’s nearby: The London Eye, Royal Festival Hall, The Southbank Centre, The National Theatre
Tredwells
Why: Some restaurants aim to simply accomodate children while others go the extra mile to actually provide kids with a unique dining experience. Tredwells certainly falls into the latter camp. Offering a five-course culinary kids menu for just £17, the Covent Garden restaurant aims to show children how exciting food can really be. Dishes on the menu range from vegetable tempura to salted caramel soft serve.
Where: 4A Upper St Martin's Lane, WC2H 9NY
What’s nearby: Covent Garden, West End theatres and the National Gallery
The best casual child-friendly restaurants in London
If posh nosh isn't the order of the day, then there are plenty of more laid-back joints to bring your little ones to in London. A casual bite to eat will allow you to fully relax knowing that nobody is going to get upset if there's a bit of noise coming from your table, and there are sure to be options on the menus of the below restaurants that your children will enjoy. From pizza places to burger restaurants, these are the best tried-and-tested child-friendly restaurants to take your gang to.
All Star Lanes Holborn
Why: This bowling alley-cum-American diner has the unique advantage of not only being a place you can take the young’uns for dinner, but also giving them something fun to do. At All Star lanes, it’s all about the four B’s: bowling, booze, burgers and bacon. With the exception of the booze, kids are guaranteed to love this place, and parents should too. While there are lanes reserved for walk-ins, it’s definitely worth booking ahead.
Where: Victoria House, Bloomsbury Place, WC1B 4DA
What’s nearby: British Museum
The Coal Shed
Why: The idea of restaurant that is focused on serving predominantly steak and fish-based dishes probably sounds rather grown up. Luckily, The Coal Shed by Tower Bridge serves a children's menu which offers bite-size versions of the restaurant's signature dishes. Kids can therefore tuck into either fish and chips or a minute steak, followed by homemade churros or ice cream for just a tenner a head.
Where: 4 Crown Square, SE1 2SE
What’s nearby: The Tower of London
Franco Manca Covent Garden
Why: This unbeatable sourdough pizza chain has a Covent Garden branch that is a perfect pitstop during a day out in the capital. The low prices offer fantastic value for families: the kids’ menu includes a pizza, a drink and ice cream for just £5.
Where: 39 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LJ
What’s nearby: Covent Garden and Strand theatres, Royal Opera House, the London Transport Museum, Trafalgar Square, Somerset House ice rink
Granger & Co King’s Cross
Why: Bill Granger’s relaxed, cool, and seemingly effortless café is well known for its brunch options, especially its ricotta hotcakes. Such sweet treats are bound to be a hit with kids, and at this child-friendly eatery parents can opt for more savoury options including an endless selection of egg dishes and the fabulous soft-shell crab fried rice.
Where: 7 Pancras Square, N1C 4AG
What’s nearby: Platform 9 ¾ and the Harry Potter shop at King’s Cross, St Pancras station
Inamo Covent Garden
Why: Inamo is a no-brainer for any parent dragging kids around London. This futuristic restaurant’s tables double up as an entertainment centre where you can spy on the kitchen with ‘Chef Cam’, play retro videogames like Pong or design your own place setting. Ordering the Asian cuisine by iPad will thrill the kids, too.
Where: 11-14 Hannover Place, WC2E 9JP
What’s nearby: Covent Garden and Strand theatres, Royal Opera House, the London Transport Museum, Trafalgar Square, Somerset House ice rink (in the winter only)
Pique-Nique
Why: The perfect option for London-bound families in the summer, Pique-Nique’s location in Tanner Street Park is a great place to soak up the urban buzz. It also means there’s somewhere to let the kids run around after you’ve tucked into some affordably-priced rotisserie chicken with properly crisp French fries and relax with a glass of something chilled and white.
Where: 32 Tanner Street, SE1 3LD
What’s nearby: Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, The Shard, Fashion and Textile Museum, London Bridge station
Poppie's Fish & Chips Camden
Why: Over time Poppie's has earnt itself a reputation for serving some of the finest fish and chips in the Capital and the good news is that it doesn't just do vast adult-sized portions. A section of the menu called 'food for kids' includes small portions of favourites including cod bites and sausage with chips, which cost just £6.50 each. Head to the Camden outpost which has a particularly relaxed vibe, and then head on to the colourful markets which the children will love.
Where: 30 Hawley Crescent, NW1 8NF
What’s nearby: Camden Market, Regent's Park
Rainforest Café
Why: We couldn't write this guide and not include Central London's most famous themed restaurant. The Rainforest Café isn't just child-friendly, it's made for children. Featuring a dining room designed to look like a jungle, complete with sounds and life-sized toy animals, the Rainforest Café also boasts an ultra-child-friendly menu of crowd pleasing dishes and staff who are used to screaming toddlers. It's also perfectly located for a pre-show meal.
Where: 20 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EU
What’s nearby: Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, and China Town
Wahaca Southbank
Why: Wahaca’s South Bank outpost is made up of eight recycled shipping containers which are decorated with graffiti and murals, something that should keep younger visitors distracted – as too the riverside location. An affordable children’s menu at Wahaca gives the choice of building your own tacos or cheesy toasted quesadilla sandwiches with a drink for £5.75.
Where: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
What’s nearby: National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, IMAX Waterloo, the London Eye, Waterloo station
Wright Brothers South Kensington
Why: If your child is the kind that loves seafood then they will be ‘Wright’ at home here. Wright Brothers' menu has oysters at its heart and there’s not much these folk don’t know about all kinds of shellfish. You can expect well-heeled locals and fellow museum visitors at this South Kensington branch.
Where: 56 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3DY
What’s nearby: Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Natural History museum and Ice Rink
York & Albany
Why: This Gordon Ramsay-owned gastropub is great for people watching, while children receive the red-carpet treatment. Kids under 12 eat free at York & Albany, as long as there is an adult dining from the a la carte menu, while slam dunk meatballs are among some stealthily nutritious dishes. A collection of children’s activities can be found and the menu is curated by Ramsay’s daughter Tilly.
Where: 127-129 Parkway, NW1 7PS
What’s nearby: Regents Park, Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, Primrose Hill, Camden Market
Looking to treat the little ones like royalty? Why not check out our round up of the best children's afternoon teas in London and across the UK.