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.
Belgo — for mussels and frites!
Twenty years ago London had a reputation for having bad food (let’s be honest, ‘bangers and mash’ are not the most innovative of foods). Now however, thanks to an influx of new British chefs, even traditional English food can be tasty. But, what truly makes London’s food so interesting in my opinion, is the growing number of international restaurants in this city. You can now find some of the world’s best French, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Middle Eastern and Chinese restaurants across London. (My only complaint is the lack of good Mexican restaurants!) Seriously, if you’re craving it chances are you can find it!
Belgo is one such restaurant… where you can walk from the rainy streets of London straight into a Belgian world of traditional (and tasty) mussels, frites and hundreds of Belgium’s best beers.
There’s nothing really fancy about it, but the food is good and the atmosphere is authentic. And what’s more? It’s extremely kid-friendly with loads of highchairs and a kid’s menu which includes a mini pot of mussels and an activity kit. And, want the best news? Kids eat completely free!
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Primrose Bakery — our favourite cupcakes in London | Daunt Books | Kenwood House |
Daylesford Organic
When Notting Hill organic grocery store Fresh & Wild closed down last year, it left an empty void in its coveted location on Westbourne Grove. The once buzzing street felt empty without the little tables outside and the beautiful window displays of organic fruit and veg. Finally, however, the street is once again alive and thriving with the recent opening of Daylesford Organic!
The stylish restaurant/café/shop took over the big Westbourne Grove location with gusto, and offers up something even Fresh & Wild never did: highchairs for kids! (Up until now mums were forced to choose style over comfort if they brought their kids with them to Westbourne Grove!)
The decor is simple and chic, with it’s sleek, white, organic interior (fresh grass growing in the middle of the table!). And the food is good, specializing in what is organic, seasonal, local and fresh.
It offers the perfect pit-stop for all that shopping in Notting Hill!
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| Natural Mat | Hearts will Melt… | Daunt Books |
Duchy!
Nearly 20 years ago, long before this huge wave of organic foods began arriving at our local foodshops, HRH The Prince of Wales believed we needed to think about the long-term future of our environment and our rural communities. It was this thought that launched the idea of Duchy Originals, and in 1992 the company began with its first product, the oaten biscuit.
Duchy Originals is now a rather booming company with more than 200 quintessentially British food products. It also has made and given over £6 million to The Prince’s Charity Foundation in support of local farmers and with the intention of tackling climate change.
Aside from the interesting history (and the fact that its founded by a Prince!!), Duchy Originals food products are delicious and unique. In fact, I’ve never bought a Duchy product that didn’t impress! (more…)
Petersham Nurseries
Take the train from central London to Richmond Station and follow the high street through town toward the river. Turn left and walk along the river past the cafés and kayak sheds. Cross the pasture filled with buttercups and cowpies, and venture toward Petersham Nurseries. Set within this lovely garden center is a restaurant that will impress on many levels with delicious food and beautiful décor.
Award-winning head chef, Skye Gyngell, uses the highest quality ingredients in respect of the season, and with support of small farmers and producers across England. The food is amazing, and don’t even get me started about the desserts…
Petersham Nurseries Restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants in London. It’s a beautiful setting (a garden – it doesn’t get prettier than that!), and it just has a very special feeling to it. It’s also the experience of heading to Richmond for the day, which is a lovely little village. (more…)
ALSO IN THE AREA:
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| Brora | Daylesford Organic | Gracelands Café |
Orangery Restaurant
If you’re visiting London, you’ll probably want to make a booking for afternoon tea to be assured a true English experience. If you’re coming to London with your kids, you should plan on having tea at the Orangery Restaurant in the beautiful Kensington Gardens.
The Orangery, located literally smack in the center of the park, is directly opposite Kensington Palace, and right next to one of London’s most famous playgrounds: the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (known to London mums as the ‘pirate ship’). The location is ideal for an afternoon outing for families, and their ‘kids’ version’ of afternoon tea allows you to bring them along without feeling out of place. (more…)
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| Blossom Mother and Child | Brora | Byron for proper hamburgers |
Inn the Park!
My husband took our little family to this restaurant on Mother’s Day this year. It was a lovely (but cold) day, and was a perfect setting for a Mother’s Day brunch. Inn the Park is, as the name implies, in the middle of the lovely St. James’s Park, overlooking ‘duck lake’.
Last week, with the warm summertime weather we were having, we went back for dinner on their terrace, and I was reminded of how much I love this restaurant. The tear drop shape of the building was designed to fit into the ‘gently undulating landscape’ of London’s oldest royal park. You can’t see it from the road, and so it feels like a little treasure once you’re there. Surprisingly, this sleek restaurant is also extremely kid-friendly. (more…)
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| Bugs, Frogs and Fish at the London Zoo… | Paddington Street Gardens and Playground | The Charlotte Street Hotel |
French bread in London
When most people think of French bread, they probably think of a long, white crispy baguette — the kind you find in almost every market in France. But actually, traditional French bread is not the slender, crispy type, but rather round, dark, sourdough loaves; it wasn’t until after World War II that Parisiennes started to prefer the white bread, in opposition to the dark flour loaves they had to eat during the war.
Pierre Poilâne opened his first bread shop in Paris in 1932 selling the traditional French sourdough loaves. He baked his bread using stone-ground flour, sea salt from Guérande, and a wood-fired oven. And despite the overall trend toward white baguettes, Poilâne flourished. Today, there are two bread shops in Paris and one in London, and the bread is supplied to retailers and restaurants across Europe. (You can read the whole history here.) (more…)
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| River Café | Hope for your feet… | The Polka Theatre |
Ottolenghi
Ottolenghi is a restaurant/café here in London that is famous for its eye-catching window displays of scrumptious treats as well as for their take-away food and coffee. I used to live around the corner from their Notting Hill branch, and it was such a luxury: fresh muffins and scones in the morning, great sandwiches for lunch, and the most delicious take-away food for dinner! My husband actually joked that our dinners were more often made by our friend, “Otto” than by anyone else!
Ottolenghi is also our ‘go-to’ place for party food and canapés. Their catering menu is impressive, and they’re always extremely organized and helpful; they’re happy to give suggestions, and everything comes with ‘how-to’ instructions for sauces and spices. Whether it’s a baby shower, grown-up party, or even a sophisticated kids’ party, the food will surely impress your guests!
Ottolenghi has four locations across London; the biggest one (and best for dining) is on Upper Street in Islington.
And if you’re like me, and can’t get enough of Ottolenghi, you’ll be happy to know that they’ve just released their first cookbook
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| Brora | Kew Gardens | Petit Aimé |
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…)
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| Konditor & Cook | Inn the Park! | Princess Diana Memorial Playground |
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!
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| Daunt Books | Tricycle Theatre | Elias & Grace |
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…)
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| Gracelands Café | Natural History Museum | Hearts will Melt… |
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.
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| Kidsen | Daylesford Organic | Hope for your feet… |
