London family restaurant recommendations please...

[fellrunner85]

We're taking MIL for a weekend in London for her birthday and I'm after your best recommendations for a family-friendly place for a relaxed Saturday evening dinner please.

I'm after somewhere with good food (all cuisines considered!) that's child-friendly without being a slightly crap chain place. Happy to push the boat out a bit price-wise.

We're staying in Bloomsbury, so ideally something fairly central and preferably north of the river. TIA...

Coppa Club
Basuba
Masala Zone
Tuttons
Bar and Block

The place with interactive tables, tech.

I really like Dishoom (depends on if you all like Indian, but it's very good - dh and I used to live in India and it's one of the few truly good Indian restaurants I've been to in the UK). If you really want to push the boat out, I took family including then 6 year old dd to Hutong at the Shard. It's expensive if you go as crazy as we did and order lots of cocktails, but it's an amazing space. The views - the bathrooms are incredible - and they were incredibly accommodating and happy with having a young child there in the evening. There were lots of children btw, including babies. Oddly, I work in Bloomsbury (in normal non-COVID times) and I've completely blanked on restaurants near there.

I love Dishoom, @mindutopia - that was already top of my shortlist!
Thanks so much for all the suggestions, I'm checking them out now

There are hundreds of places that would fit that bill

Do you have any preferences/idea about cuisine? Any favourites? Do you want to try something new?
How old are the DC?
Are you going when the weather will be warmer? Outside dining can be a lot easier if your DC are little.
Do you want something more than just good food eg a view, beautiful building, something quirky like the video games place a PP mentioned, live music, roof top dining?

Ciao Bella on Lamb’s Conduit Street.

Family run, glorious Italian food, very family friendly.

ciaobellarestaurant.co.uk/

(I once turned up about 7:30 with a hungry toddler and asked for a table for two. They were terribly sorry but they were full. I wheeled DS back into the street and was overtaken two minutes later by a running waiter...was the second person the toddler? Yes. Well then of course they’d squeeze us in!)

If you like Dishoom, there is one in Granary Square at Kings Cross, which is a nice location and convenient for Bloomsbury. They don't normally take bookings except for very large parties though, although things keep changing because of COVID guidance.

You might want to consider Hoppers, Hankies, Gymkhana, Lokhandwala or any of the many Indian street food places like Roti Chai, if you like Dishoom.

Thanks everyone! Kids are 4 and 8. Cuisine can be anything apart from seafood, although not too "fine dining" as MIL is a bit fussy, and cautious about food she doesnt recognise
Something "extra" like a fabulous view or live music would be good but not essential. We're going at the end of May.

What's the budget. When you say n London, how far will you want to travel, ifnyoure staying in Bloomsbury would you travel into the City instead

The restaurants at The Sky Garden in Fenchurch Strret are really good with amazing views.

Oh I was going to suggest bentleys as they are perfect gents and Ive taken my 5 and 7 year olds there. Was heavenly but obviously pretty seafood heavy. It’s fine dining but not stuffy.

For a fun quirky dinner then din tai fung is Covent Garden is my kids’ favourite. Dumplings noddles rice etc but it’s quite busy and anonymous so not a wow dinner spot and may be a bit much for a less adventurous older person.

Imad's Syrian Kitchen in Soho, currently top of my list to visit when I am next in London, food looks amazing, really positive reviews and they do so much for good causes.

Would happily travel into the City, or similar distance. Budget - ceiling would be around £30/£35 a main?

The Lighterman in the new Kings Cross area is nice, with view over the Regent Canal with the boats and you can walk from Bloomsbury

Spaghetti House.

It's on Sicilian Ave- a short walk down from Bloomsbury.

We love it there, looks quite upmarket when you walk in but they are always so good with my children. Lovely food, wine and atmosphere.
I love that the adults can have a "grown up" meal and a bottle of wine but the children are catered for equally well.
The last time we went they made my son a smaller portion of something that wasn't on the children's meal deal but still charged the same.
Oh, and their pizzas and tiramisu are to die for.. 😋

Fischers in Marylebone. Austrian food. Very cosy. Love it there.

My favourite restaurant in Bloomsbury is Chili Cool which is Sichuan so maybe not so good for your MIL? The Norfolk Arms is a gastro pub on Leigh Street that serves great tapas. Another one close by that could fit your bill is The Gilbert Scott in the St Pancras building. We've been there with kids a few times, and the staff have always been accommodating

If you want somewhere a bit swanky then Helene Darroze at the Connaught is lovely and they are brilliant with children. We have had extended family meals there together for children's birthdays and everyone always enjoys the food.
If you like Indian food then I would suggest Darjeeling Express in Covent Garden, it's in the old Carluccios and has fabulous food and interiors. You can have a lovely walk around the area before or after too.
Hutong is nice because you have the view but it's quite dark and the bigger tables are away from the windows. I would prefer Duck and Waffle, it's more casual and has a great view and I think the food would be to everyone's tastes.
For more casual fun how about teppanyaki dinner at Benihana.

About 60 streets in Soho, Marylebone, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia and Paddington have been closed to traffic for outside dining this summer. It's great but I would say Soho is a bit chaotic on a Saturday night so I would avoid it. Marylebone High St, Market Place, Charlotte St, St Christophers Place, James Street, New Quebec Street, Connaught Village. Air Street all have lots of restaurants and will have a good atmosphere but will be less crazy than Soho.

Duck and Waffle is another good venue in a skyscraper. I would look at places like Butlers Wharf (next to Tower Bridge), Gabriels Wharf, the Southbank for places with river views and outside dining that are family friendly to see if anything takes your fancy. You could take the river bus.

Closer to Bloomsbury, Lambs Conduit Street, Charlotte Street and Granary Square have lots of good places.

I would look at Hardens to see what there is and what you like the sound of and come back to ask for candid opinions.

I amp, the interactive tables etc.

Probably wouldn’t take a 4 and 8 year old to The Lighterman at the moment. Might be a bit more chill after Monday but I’ve been twice since April and both times have been quite rowdy.

inamo

It's Thai ish food, plates come when they come but if keeping a four year old entertainment then this is it

Otherwise what about an afternoon tea? The Charlie one at one aldwych is amazing as is fortnum.

Demartino in Great Portland St is a great family friendly Italian. Or Gerrards corner in Chinatown for Chinese. We loved both these as kids and kids do now. Demartino is posher looking for ma in law