Traveling to London with kids? Here's an insider guide for what to do and where to go, tested by us and proven to be kid-friendly and cool.
Villandry
I just got back from a lunch date with a girlfriend… We drank wine, ate mussels and squid, felt very stylish and enjoyed ourselves immensely… even WITH the kids! (That never happens).
We went to Villandry, the gorgeous gourmet food-shop and restaurant on Great Portland Street in central London. Stylish décor, buzzing ambience, great food, charming staff…and VERY kid-friendly. (They even have a “paint your own ice cream” dessert plate for kids, complete with paint brush and “paints” (chocolate, strawberry and white chocolate sauces). (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Brunch at The Wolseley | The London Duck Tours | Hanover Gate Playground in Regents Park |
A week in London
Monday:
Head to Lazy Daisy Café on London’s famous Portobello Road for a quick lunch. They’re all set up for kids, with a basket of toys and even changing tables (nappies and wipes) in the bathroom! If it’s a sunny day, you can even sit outside. After lunch, walk a few blocks south on Portobello Road to the Electric Cinema. They have a 3:00 screening slot set up for mums and their babies under 1-year-old. You “valet park” your buggy, take your seat at one of the cozy armchairs, and enjoy a coffee and treat. Your baby sits on your lap, and no worries if they scream– it’s actually called “Electric Scream” because it is to be expected! This is the perfect way to stay up-to-date on recent films, and is a fun way to meet other mums with babies. (Buy your ticket early on Monday because they always sell out)!
Primrose Bakery — our favourite cupcakes in London
Cupcakes are big in America (I’ll never forget my first bite of a Magnolia Bakery cupcake… mmm), and they are becoming more and more popular. Bakeries are opening up across the U.S. selling “freshly made and hand-frosted” cupcakes. They’re the new “it” treat! I just LOVE them! So you can imagine my disappointment when we moved to London 4 years ago and there was nothing here that could compare. Unlike America, handmade cupcakes didn’t seem to be on the rise.
Thankfully, Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas of Primrose Bakery are taking charge, and London now seems to be catching up!
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Ottolenghi | Huggle — A shop, café and playspace in one! | Belgo — for mussels and frites! |
Kentish Town City Farm
I grew up on a farm so the idea of a “city farm” seemed a bit silly to me. “Surely it couldn’t be great. How can there be enough space in the middle of a city to house all those animals?” I thought there would be a few chickens, ducks (pigeons, probably) and maybe a few rabbits…
So when I took my son to one of London’s city farms for the first time, I wasn’t expecting much. (I think I even warned him that this wasn’t a real farm)!
But real it is! And definitely worth a trip, especially if you live here and the only exposure your child has to a grunting pig or a galloping horse is in one of those “My First Farm” picture books…
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Tricycle Theatre | Hampstead Heath | Daunt Books |
Carluccio’s
With more than 10 different locations across central London, Carluccio’s is a good ‘go-to’ restaurant for decent food, friendly service and great accommodations for kids!
Carluccio’s Italian restaurants are kid-friendly without being obnoxious, and comfortable without losing their charm. It’s a great family dinner spot where you can share a bottle of wine with your husband, while your kids stay entertained!
The kid’s menu, which includes breadsticks, entreé, a drink, and ice cream for dessert, comes as an activity set with cute wooden coloring pencils, a color-your-own puzzle kit, and fun games. It’s super cute, and my kids LOVE it! (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Brora | Gracelands Café | Petersham Nurseries |
Hearts will Melt…
My husband and I are huge, huge chocolate fans. Every single night after dinner, we bring out our trusty tin of chocolates. We’ve traveled Europe in search of the best chocolate, visiting chocolate shops big and small in Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, etc. Luckily for us, we have never managed to find anything better than the chocolate from a little shop here in London…
Melt, a chocolate shop on Ledbury Road, is the crème de la crème of chocolate shops, and certainly worth a visit if you’re in town. Melt’s chocolates are hand-made in a small room at the back of the shop by award-winning chocolatiers and chefs. Their bonbons and truffles are divine! You can literally taste every unique ingredient in each of their concoctions. In fact, I’ve never had a chocolate from Melt that wasn’t amazing.
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Kew Bridge Steam Museum | Couverture | Kidsen |
