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Original poster

Taking newborn to nice London restaurant - recommendations

45 replies

Lagirl20 · 21/03/2022 11:34

Hi, I will have a newborn this summer and would love to go to a nice restaurant in central/east London to celebrate our anniversary. Can anyone recommend baby-friendly restaurants that still feel fancy/special? Wondering about the Ivy / Ivy chain etc.
Or is bringing a small baby to a nice restaurant generally not advised? I am conscious of not ruining the dining experience for others.
Thanks!

OP posts:
Alfixnm · 21/03/2022 11:35

At night time - I would say no, it's never appropriate to bring a newborn to a fancy restaurant. Day time may be different (maybe...)

Favourodds · 21/03/2022 11:41

We took our newborn to the Wolseley and they were extremely charming about it. Would say any in that chain would be nice.

As for other people, eh. I tend to take my (now toddler) out to 'nice' places in the day or very early evening and try and be out of anywhere considered 'adult' by half 6/7ish. But newborns don't tend to be any bother, I did whole meals with her asleep in the sling. I assume you're a normal person who would take your baby for a little walk outside if they had a huge cry.

People will say you won't manage it with a newborn but I went out every day of my husband's paternity leave and loved it. So. Yeah. The Wolseley gets my vote!

Original poster
Lagirl20 · 21/03/2022 11:53

@Alfixnm

At night time - I would say no, it's never appropriate to bring a newborn to a fancy restaurant. Day time may be different (maybe...)
Thanks! I forgot to mention in my original post that this would be at lunchtime, not evening
OP posts:

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Original poster
Lagirl20 · 21/03/2022 11:53

@Favourodds

We took our newborn to the Wolseley and they were extremely charming about it. Would say any in that chain would be nice.

As for other people, eh. I tend to take my (now toddler) out to 'nice' places in the day or very early evening and try and be out of anywhere considered 'adult' by half 6/7ish. But newborns don't tend to be any bother, I did whole meals with her asleep in the sling. I assume you're a normal person who would take your baby for a little walk outside if they had a huge cry.

People will say you won't manage it with a newborn but I went out every day of my husband's paternity leave and loved it. So. Yeah. The Wolseley gets my vote!

Sounds great! Thanks
OP posts:
OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo · 21/03/2022 11:53

We took our eldest to several nice restaurants when he was under 1. He was an "easy baby" and was no trouble at all. He is much more disruptive now and we tend to go out for lunch rather than dinner at the moment! I say go for it!

RandomQuest · 21/03/2022 11:59

The Wolseley is great, I’ve taken my 2 as babies/toddlers several times. Just tell them you’ll have the pram so they can book you an appropriate table as some can be a squeeze. I think anywhere you like is fine though as long as it’s daytime given newborns mostly sleep and eat! If they were to cry obviously take them out but at that age mine were most likely to sleep through the entire thing. Enjoy!

FinallyHere · 21/03/2022 14:53

I love the Wolseley and think it would be great for a relatively small baby.

Other more stuffy restaurants, not so much.

FoggySpecs · 21/03/2022 15:09

Generally smarter restaurants are great at accommodating kids of all ages. It will be fine.

OrchidFlakes · 21/03/2022 15:11

Ivy city garden we’re wonderful when I met a friend and her baby there last summer

Viviennemary · 21/03/2022 15:12

It isn't really advised unless they have a specifically babies and toddlers welcome policy.

Qwill · 21/03/2022 15:19

I’ve been to loads and the newborn stage is the best as you can just feed them and hold them when sleeping. It’s when they want to climb on everything it gets tricky!

ShadowPuppets · 21/03/2022 15:25

Definitely do it at lunchtime, it's much less stressful (and if you have a baby with colic the last thing you'll want to do is be out after 5pm!)

We took DD to Sushi Samba in Covent Garden for lunch when she was 4 weeks old. She slept through the whole thing and we ate loads of sashimi and drank wine. I'd been living for it all through pregnancy, it was lovely! Would really recommend. They had a lift too which made getting the pram into the restaurant much easier, something to think about. We weren't the only people there with a tiny baby either.

NigellasMicrowave · 21/03/2022 19:48

I once saw a tiny, tiny baby at Odette’s in Primrose Hill - it’s a great restaurant and they have a lovely garden in the summer.

Otherwise, any one of the Wolseley, Delaunay etc will be very welcoming.

Tulipmonster · 21/03/2022 19:53

J Sheekeys were fantastic both times we took a baby under 6mos for lunch.

byvirtue · 21/03/2022 19:58

Some restaurants won’t accept children under a certain age. Tell them you will need room for a pram and you will soon find out.

blockbustervideo · 21/03/2022 20:00

Anywhere really.

Even if tight on space these places will accommodate. We used to take DD1 to nice restaurants all the time when she was tiny, if no space in restaurant for the big buggy, we'd pop out the bassinet bit and rest it on a chair. Newborns sleep through anything!

Once she got to about 5 months though she was too curious with all the noise and it was more difficult to take her out and enjoy just a meal with DH and uninterrupted conversation.

I'm taking my 4 and 3 year old to the ritz on Mother's Day. So long as little kids are well behaved, no one is bothered!

Clymene · 21/03/2022 20:02

The Wolseley treated me like an absolute queen when I went when I was heavily pregnant and were fabulous when I took my baby.

Clymene · 21/03/2022 20:03

@Viviennemary

It isn't really advised unless they have a specifically babies and toddlers welcome policy.
Oh do shut up.

Also OP I've never had any issues taking a newborn to first sitting in the evening either. Newborns are usually asleep.

nearlyspringyay · 21/03/2022 20:04

Lunch anywhere is fine. Dinner is a bit different if you're not blessed with one of the sleep anywhere babies - dts definitely wouldn't have tolerated it and I would have felt awful inflicting them on someone's special meal at claridges or wherever.

DollyPartBaked · 21/03/2022 20:05

I went to Hawksmoor at lunchtime (missed steak while pregnant!) - and they were absolutely fine. We were sat in a booth and I was breastfeeding. No issues!

Myee · 21/03/2022 20:11

I now know where to avoid!

Kids in restaurants especially high end are not on. I suppose every single parent has the sweetest, cutest, quietest child taking up no space at all, but they do take over, even if it is the attention given to them.

If you can afford Claridges or the Ritz you can afford a sitter.

gogohm · 21/03/2022 20:14

I took mine to all kinds of places and they were always welcomed. They never were allowed to disturb other customers, but actually other customers always wanted to talk to them. Too many years to have specific suggestions except tell them when booking you have a pram.

karmakameleon · 21/03/2022 20:19

We took DS1 to lots of high end restaurants as a baby. Put him in a sling, breastfed him if he murmured and took him out for a walk if he cried. Never a problem. I’d particularly recommend Hakkasan and Yauatcha but suspect that any Asian restaurants or restaurants from other cultures that welcome children would work just as well.

saltedcaramelanything · 21/03/2022 20:20

@Myee

I now know where to avoid!

Kids in restaurants especially high end are not on. I suppose every single parent has the sweetest, cutest, quietest child taking up no space at all, but they do take over, even if it is the attention given to them.

If you can afford Claridges or the Ritz you can afford a sitter.

We're talking about newborns here, not toddlers, you realise? How is a sleeping newborn at the next table going to bother you?

OP, especially if you're talking lunchtime I think anywhere would be fine. I'd mention it when you book, just so they can advise about space issues for buggies, etc. But at newborn stage is when you can still go and enjoy a nice restaurant (assuming you're a normal person that takes them out for a walk, etc if they really start to cry).

karmakameleon · 21/03/2022 20:21

@Myee

I now know where to avoid!

Kids in restaurants especially high end are not on. I suppose every single parent has the sweetest, cutest, quietest child taking up no space at all, but they do take over, even if it is the attention given to them.

If you can afford Claridges or the Ritz you can afford a sitter.

With a newborn it’s often not about paying for a sitter. Two of mine were breastfed and the third was severely disabled. We couldn’t leave our babies with anyone and not wanting to pay a babysitter wasn’t the reason.