The best London restaurants that go the extra mile to cater for little guests.
If you enjoy eating out at the best London restaurants, you probably don’t want to sacrifice gastronomic experiences, or some of the best interior design just because you’re bringing children along.
But fortunately there is a wide range of high end restaurants who happily encourage mini diners. From children’s menus that will please even the pickiest of eaters, to tasting menus for the more adventurous types, with complimentary activity books and crafting sessions, play areas and reading zones, the most innovative restaurants are thinking up ways to engage with children, encourage a love of eating, and make a lasting experience out of fine dining.
Which is music to any parent’s ears.
Swim And Dine At Haymarket Hotel, Haymarket Best for pre-theatre
All the Firmdale hotels are extremely welcoming to children, with children’s menus, mini mocktails, and activity books filled with colouring and quizzes to keep them entertained while they wait for food. But if you want to make sure your children are especially hungry before dinner, book into Swim & Dine at Haymarket Hotel, so they can spend some time in the sleep 18metre pool. Plus the hotel is tucked away in the heart of theatre land, and benefits from Kit Kemp’s signature design that blends comfort with luxury.
Apricity, Mayfair Best for mini foodies
For adventurous eaters (up to the age of 12), Apricity has its extremely unique ‘Culinary Kids’ tasting menu, a five-course experience which aims to expand children’s taste buds, as well as teaching them more about where food comes from, and exploring seasonality. Dishes include (but do change) Leghorn chicken and Cornish mackerel, and Crispy Oyster & Black Pearl mushrooms – what won’t be a problem is telling them to leave room for not only pudding, but a pre-pudding dish, too. For those who love to cook (and to add in an activity), there is a 50-minute add on lesson they can do before eating.
Berberè, Multiple London Locations Best for pizza lovers
What kid doesn’t like pizza? Berberè’s sourdough pizzas are delicious adult fare, too, but the restaurant offers its little guests a special menu where they can add extra toppings to their margherita pizza, a colouring page with activities including design your own pizza, quizzes, a soft drink, and a scoop of gelato for dessert.
Fallow St James' Best for picky eaters
With its decadent interiors and Michelin-recognised gastronomy, Fallow is a place where adults go to enjoy plates of Carlingford oysters and famed Saracha sauce. But the restaurant caters for children, too, with its unique “Mini Fallowers” menu, where kids get to tick what they fancy from the “build your own” breakfast or Sunday lunch, add on extras, complete with colouring activities. High chairs are available for babies, too.
Jaego's House, Kensal Rise Best for active kids
The chic waterside restaurant at Jaego’s House is a haven for parents; while there is delicious food for adults (think Peri Peri chicken or a Donburi bowl), children have a full gambit from coconut milk porridge on the breakfast menu to chicken goujons and sausages for lunch or dinner – and they even eat free with adults at certain times. What makes it really unique is that they can burn off energy in the restaurant’s play area (complete with slide) or have some quiet time reading on bean bags. Note: This is a member’s only club.
Claridge's, Mayfair Best for a fancy breakfast
There’s a fun children’s menu on offer at Claridge’s as part of its collaboration with Dante NYC, with Manhattan classics like steak and halibut (or penne pasta), and a chocolate brownie and soft serve for pudding. But kids are also welcome for breakfast in the art deco Foyer & Reading Room, where they have the choice of a mini Claridge’s breakfast, pancakes or boiled eggs on toast as part of their mini menu.
Roe, Canary Wharf Best for space to run around
Roe, from the founders of Fallow, has a dedicated children’s menu, Mini Roe’s, including child friendly cheeseburger or venison sausage with gravy, and of course, ice cream for pudding. It’s a big, bright, beautifully designed restaurant, and there’s plenty of room to run around outside on manicured lawns down near the banks of Canary Wharf to let off a bit of pre-dinner steam.
Can Club, East London Best for educational play
Can Club is a very chic play cafe in East London run by three former primary school teachers that serves restaurant-worthy lunch and dinner, all cooked from scratch, including dishes such as chicken tinga quesadilla platters, stews and chilli packed with vegetables, sriracha egg mayo sandwiches, all with versions for little ones along with their signature build your own “picking plates” or giant crumpets for snackers and picky eaters. That is, if you can tear them away from the (educationalist-approved) play.
The Kids' Table Best for a meal in peace
Not one restaurant in particular, but this brilliant pop up childcare service is in operation around London, including at restaurants like Shoreditch House, Hoxton Hotel, and Gordan Ramsay’s Heddon Street kitchen. Children from ages 3 and up can be dropped off at a crafting table, where they make imaginative projects, while parents have a meal in peace.
Cafe Murano, Covent Garden Best for Italian lovers
Cafe Murano is an institution, famous for its relaxed Italian fare, spearheaded by Angela Hartnett – and children are very welcome, too, with an extremely affordable £10, three course children’s menu across three of Hartnett’s Cafe Murano restaurants in Covent Garden, St. James and Bermondsey, with options including arancini, chicken milanese, and rigatoni.
Bao, Battersea Best for Bao
There’s an element of fun in every Bao restaurant (it has a karaoke booth in several of its restaurants), but it offers a dedicated kids’ set menu at its noodle shop in Battersea, which allows children to choose three items from a selection including classic bao, pork rice, noodles, Taiwanese fried chicken, and smacked cucumber – while the menu itself is designed with space for kids to draw their own bao bun.
El Pastor, Soho, Coal Drops Yard, Battersea, And Borough Market Best for Margaritas (for the parents!)
Children will be kept busy making Mexican masks and nibbling on a children’s menu made up of quesadillas, tacos, corn and carrot sticks at El Pastor – while parents can sip on the restaurant’s legendary margaritas and eat the tacos inspired by a decade the founders spent in Mexico City running the cult nightclub El Colmillo. The children’s menu is at all sites, but the large, covered space at Coal Drops yard is particularly good to accommodate for children and buggies. If you’re there late, expect DJs and tunes from Wednesdays to Saturday.
Lead image credit: Jaego’s House
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