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 dear reader, as our beloved capital comes up top trumps there too. So, without further ado, here’s our rundown of 16 of the best family-friendly restaurants in London you can enjoy this half-term:
1. Jungle Cave
Kicking off this roundup of the best family-friendly restaurants in London is one of our most popular spots for kids. Formerly known as the Rainforest Cafe, Jungle Cave is the ultimate in kitschy0-themed dining – complete with foliage, waterfalls, and animatronic creatures dotted about making it look like the Amazon Rainforest.
In terms of food, you’ve got everything here from burgers to spaghetti bolognese and fish and chips to jungle nachos – so plenty for both kids and adults alike to enjoy! Add in delectable desserts like chocolate fudge cake and a white choco and raspberry cheesecake and you can see why the kids will love this one!
📍You’ll find the Jungle Cave at 20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EU.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
2. The Coal Shed
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
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 come pre- or-post a visit to 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. Las Iguanas
If you’re looking to treat yourself or your kids to a slice of Latin America, then you really need to make your way to Las Iguanas in the Royal Festival Hall. They’ve got everything here from Mexican tacos to Brazilian curries and veggie chilli to chicken fajitas.
They also do their ‘niños meals’, where little ones will be able to get a main course, two sides and dessert for just seven quid. There are some pretty fantastic churros here, so if the kids are looking for something sweet, then a plate of these with ice cream will be just the ticket.
📍You’ll find Las Iguanas at Festival Terrace, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
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 1950’s 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 too, 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. Spaghetti House
Another fantastic family-friendly option here, Spaghetti House is a beloved Italian restaurant which has been serving customers all the way back since 1955. There are numerous branches dotted across town, and they’ve got everything here from arancini to antipasti and caprese salad to linguine with king prawns, zucchine, cherry tomatoes, and a wine sauce – maybe not one for the kids…
They do actually have a kid’s menu here which features everything from spaghetti bolognaise to meatballs in tomato sauce with chips. Two courses are a steal at just £7.95. Winner, winner.
📍You’ll find Spaghetti House at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
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 large – 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. Florentine
This all-day dining restaurant-come-brasserie is a great spot to take your kids, as they’ve got a relatively simple (and affordable!) menu which includes everything from Mediterranean-style fare to pizza, burgers and caesar salad too.
They’re also famous for their legendary ostrich egg brekkie, as well as their delectable flatbreads. The restaurant is currently closed for refurbishment, though keep your eyes peeled on their website to see when it reopens.
📍You’ll find Florentine at 6 Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DU.
🚇 Nearest station is Lambeth North.
9. Darcie and May Green
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
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 sundays too. Yum, yum! You’re bound to find something for the young’uns here… You’ll also get 50% off a kids meal with a 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
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
Now, you know 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 we really love this one.
📍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
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 hey?!
Even better, this October half-term, they’re offering every adult dining on the £19.95 set lunch menu the option for two kids to eat completely free from the children’s menu! The exclusive offer is available from Monday to Friday at lunchtime, from October 22 for the entire week of half-term. 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, sorbets and who can say no to a portion of sugar-dusted churros hey!?
📍You’ll find La Gamba at Unit 3, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, SE1 8XX.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
15. Rasa Sayang
Our penultimate 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 but they’re not overly spicy. Perfect if you’re wanting to try them on something new!
📍You’ll find Rasa Sayang at 5 Macclesfield Street, London, W1D 6AY.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
16. Shake Shack
Rounding off our list of the best family-friendly restaurants in London is Shake Shack – an American fast food chain that specialises in burgers, hot dogs and – yep, you guessed it – milkshakes too.
They often have limited edition burgers on their roster here too, and they’re based in a range of different locations across London Town, so you can choose where exactly you want to head.
📍You’ll find Shake Shack at various different locations across London. You can find out more here.
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!