In a city of nine million people, we’ve sure as hell got a lot of restaurants, it has to be said. With everything from Michelin-starred spots to ones specialising in street food. But where do you go when you’ve got kids in tow? Well fear not, as our beloved capital comes up top trumps there, too. Here’s our rundown of 15 of the best family-friendly restaurants in London!
1. Where The Pancakes Are
Pancakes are bound to please everyone; even the fussiest of fusspots. So where better than Where The Pancakes Are? Even the name is based off a popular children’s book. I don’t need to sell this place to you adults, because I know you’re already on board, but here’s the deal with bringing the kids:
It’s build-your-own-pancake stack, and little ones can choose three of their favourite toppings, so long as one of them is sausage, bacon or halloumi (gotta get your protein in, kids). The others include baked beans and eggs, or sweet stuff like blueberries and maple syrup. It’s £8.50 a pop, and drinks range between £1.75–£3. There are also options to suit all dietary requirements.
📍 You’ll find Where The Pancakes Are at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
2. The Coal Shed, Tower Bridge
Situated just a stone’s throw away from Tower Bridge, this rustic spot offers up some of the best steak in London. Don’t believe us? Well the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Their menu is designed to celebrate a combination of seasonal, sustainable meat and seafood, with the star attraction being a range of 35-day, dry-aged Lake District steaks that are expertly cooked over hot coals.
But it’s not all about the steak at The Coal Shed – they also do a great roast and some excellent seafood – and they’ve got a children’s menu here that includes mac and cheese, a burger, and fish and chips for just a tenner. What’s not to love?
📍 You’ll find The Coal Shed at One Tower Bridge, SE1 2SE.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
3. T. Rex Restaurant, South Kensington
Based in the Green Zone of the landmark National History Museum, the T. Rex Restaurant is a family-friendly eatery that specialises in pizzas, salads, and burgers and chips too.
They’ve also got a whole host of gluten-free dishes here, and the kid’s set menu features all the classic children’s dishes like fish fingers, chicken nuggets and pizza too. The set menu for kids is just £7.50—and for adults with an alcoholic drink from £22—so this is a great one to visit before or after the museum.
📍 You’ll find the T. Rex Restaurant at the Green Zone of the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD.
🚇 Nearest station is South Kensington.
4. Pastaio, Soho
Pastaio is a no-frills Italian spot specialising in, you guessed it, pasta. Though, when your name translates to “the pasta maker”, that’s probably expected.
Pastaio hand makes fresh pasta every single day using simple, seasonal ingredients, and the menu will have you umming and ahhing for hours. From a classic carbonara to a whole lobster linguine made to be shared, this menu is a dreamy spot for adults alone. But bring the kids along, and you’re looking at £6 half-portions of Bolognese or tomato pasta (or even just buttered with parmesan if your kid’s anything like mine). Included in that price is a fresh veg pot and a scoop of ice cream for dessert.
It also happens to be dog-friendly, so bring the whole fam along.
📍 You’ll find Pastaio at 19 Ganton Street, Carnaby, W1F 9BN.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Street.
5. Poppie’s Fish and Chips
Now, you can’t go wrong with fish and chips right? Founded by born and bred Eastender Pat ‘Pop’ Newland, inspired by his first job in a chippy cutting up copies of The Daily Mirror to wrap fish and chips in, Poppie’s is filled with retro memorabilia from Pop’s childhood. But this 1950s style chippy has far more to offer than just homely gimmicks!
Fat fillets of flaky fish enclosed by crunchy batter and surrounded by fluffy yet flavoursome chips – what’s not to love here, hey? They also do halal options here, and the kids’ options include cod bites, fish cakes and sausage and chips. All of these are just £8.50.
📍 You’ll find Poppie’s at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
6. Koya Ko, Hackney
A firm feature in our list of London’s best restaurants, this is a top choice for dining out with the kids. You’ll find it hidden away down a Hackney side street, but it’s no secret that this place has some top noodles.
Kiddy trays are the order of the day for little ones, featuring hot or cold udon, a side of tofu or chicken karaage, and a mini apple juice. They’ll also get a colouring sheet and some child-friendly chopsticks to boot.
📍 You’ll find Koya Ko at 10 Broadway Market Mews, E8 4TS.
🚇 Nearest station is Cambridge Heath or London Fields.
7. Homeslice, Neal’s Yard
All kids love pizza, right?! Homeslice have become legendary in London for their table-dominating pizzas, which are 20 inches wide – yep, seriously! Flavours here include mushroom and ricotta and salami, rocket and parmesan, and you can also get margherita, mushroom and salami by the slice here for just £4.50 a pop.
There are a whole bunch of beers and cocktails here for adults, and there are also soft drinks available for kiddiwinks too.
📍 You’ll find Homeslice Neal’s Yard at 13 Neal’s Yard, London, WC2H 9DP.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
8. Heddon Street Kitchen, Piccadilly
Let’s cut to the chase: kids eat for free all day, every week day at Gordon Ramsey’s Heddon Street Kitchen. And it’s all the crowd pleasers: mac and cheese, burgers and chips, sausage and mash… a total win when dining out with kids. Desserts are £3.50 and include vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, a chocolate brownie, or sticky toffee pudding.
For the grown-ups, it’s also comfort food at its finest. We’re talking fish and chips, butter chicken curry, or things like slow-roasted pork belly. It’s a bit of a jumble of things, but that just means it’ll suit everybody. And it’s Ramsey, for goodness sake – you can hardly go too far wrong.
📍 You’ll find Heddon Street Kitchen at 3-9 Heddon Street, W1B 4BE.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
9. Darcie and May Green, Paddington
Brunch on a boat, anyone? These pop-art barges, Darcie and May Green, are not only a super fun open-air deck hangout, but they also serve an amazing daily brunch until 4pm. With the option of adding free-flowing fizz and mimosas for adults, you can taste their award-winning brunch dishes (one sweet and one savoury each), which have strong influences from Melbourne and Sydney café culture.
They’ve also got some lovely pancakes on offer here, which kids will no doubt love, and an award-winning banana bread sandwich too. It’s also right on the canal near Paddington – so the young’uns will be happy spotting all the wildlife that’s found here!
📍 You’ll find Darcie and May Green at the Grand Union Canal, Sheldon Square, W2 6DS.
🚇 Nearest station is Paddington.
10. The Pear Tree, Surrey Quays
This lovely spot in Surrey Quays is also inspired by Antipodean fare, and its aim is to ‘to bring people together with great food and artisan drinks’. They do everything here from brunch to dinner and deli options, and there’s also a great kid’s menu for children under the age of 12.
Options include buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, blueberries and vanilla ice cream as well as fish goujons, chicken nuggets and ice cream sundaes, too. You’re bound to find something for the little ones here… You’ll also get 50% off a kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult main course. Winner, winner.
📍 You’ll find The Pear Tree at Greenland Place, Yeoman Street, London, SE8 5ER.
🚇 Nearest station is Surrey Quays.
11. Café Murano, Covent Garden
Owned by highly-regarded chef Angela Hartnett, Café Murano is all about ‘true Italian dining’. Though their Mayfair branch is a Michelin-star award-winner, their Covent Garden joint is much more family-friendly.
The children’s menu here is a choose-your-own-pasta kind of affair and it costs just a tenner per dish. There’s also ice cream and sorbets for pudding and options for adults including rigatoni with sausage ragu, gnocchi and chicken milanese too.
📍 You’ll find Cafe Murano Covent Garden at 36 Tavistock Street, London, WC2E 7PB.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
12. Pizza East, Shoreditch
There’s certainly no shortage of good pizza in East London, it has to be said. Yet Pizza East is the place to go if you want some authentic Italian fare and great cocktails to wash it down with – for adults of course. They serve seasonal dishes, wood-oven dishes, pizzas and ‘some of the best cured meats and cheese in London’, so it’s not a half bad spot to come if you’re looking to get your dough fix.
But the best thing about this family-friendly restaurant? Well, the fact that kids under the age of eight eat for free all day, every day. They’ll be able to choose from lasagne, margarita pizza or burger and fries, with an optional scoop of gelato for afters, too.
📍 You’ll find Pizza East at 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
13. Hard Rock Cafe, Hyde Park
Now, you knew we’d mention this one at some point! One of the best family-friendly restaurants in London by far, the Hard Rock Cafe has been going for over 50 years, and they bill themselves as ‘London’s Ambassadors of Rock’. They’ve got their own museum of Rock’n’Roll here called ‘The Vault’, and it features some of the most valuable pieces of music memorabilia from all across the world.
Add in the fact that they’ve got a whole host of things on the menu for kids ages 10 and under—as well as some succulent steak burgers, sandwiches and bowl-style food for adults—and you can see why this one’s a good choice.
📍You’ll find the Hard Rock Cafe at 150 Old Park Lane, London, W1K 1QZ GB.
🚇 Nearest station is Hyde Park Corner.
14. La Gamba, Waterloo
If you find yourself around Southbank this half-term and are looking for a slap-up meal, then you could do worse than making your way to La Gamba – one of the best family-friendly restaurants in London. London’s newest tapas restaurant, it specialises in great fish, excellent service, jugs of sangria and panoramic views overlooking the River Thames. What’s not to love?!
The children’s menu features smokey Spanish meatballs in a tomato sauce, grilled free-range chicken thighs, or wild mushroom croquettes – which are, of course, all served with fries.
For dessert there’s a selection of ice creams and sorbets, and who can say no to a portion of sugar-dusted churros?
📍 You’ll find La Gamba at Unit 3, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, SE1 8XX.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
15. Rasa Sayang, Chinatown
Our final addition to this roundup of the best family-friendly restaurants in London is Rasa Sayang – a traditional, no-frills Malaysian spot right on the edge of Chinatown who specialise in luscious laksa and nasi lemak.
This is the place to bring the kids along if they’re feeling adventurous, as the food here offers all the Singaporean and Malaysian favourites (thought they’re not overly spicy). Perfect if you’re wanting them to try something new!
📍 You’ll find Rasa Sayang at 5 Macclesfield Street, London, W1D 6AY.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best family-friendly restaurants in London. From burger joints to barge boats, there’s plenty to keep everyone in the family happy, so see where takes your fancy!