Characterful restaurants suitable for kids London

[Nenanena]

Can anyone recommend a characterful place to go for lunch in London with two kids age 4 and seven and the rest of the family for someone’s big birthday (an adult)? Not fine dining but equally not chain or too ‘run of the mill’. Somewhere known for its good food too would be ideal! My kids are fussy so children’s menu a bonus although combining this with somewhere a bit ‘special’ may be tricky.

Giraffe in Southbank.

Benihana or Inamo is good for kids.

Yes, we had an adult birthday dinner (with kids) at Benihana Chelsea a couple of years back. It was amazing! So entertaining and delicious for everyone. A lot of fun.

If you like steak:

https://coalshed-restaurant.co.uk/london/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/A-LA-CARTE-OTB-AUGUST2-2.pdf

One of the Ivy Cafes maybe?

They have a child's menu at the Ivy cafe but you have to ask for it/it isn't on the website. It's basic stuff like fish and chips / burger and chips though.

The kids menu for Ivy Cafe is on the website.

Oh I didn't realise they'd put it up, thank you!

The Darwin Brasserie is kid friendly and added bonus you can visit the Sky Garden.

Maxwell's in Covent Garden. It has a children's menu for £9.99 with a main, a side and a dessert plus you can add a drink for £1-£2, the portions are huge too. For adults they do amazing burgers and cocktails with regular happy hours and special offers. Interior is nice and they accomodating with choosing where you'd like to sit then you have Covent Garden just outside the door.

Thank you all!

For something a bit different I always recommend din tai fung. The one at Tottenham Court Road is very swish and the food is great. They do plain noodle dishes and less spicy stuff but as it’s dim sum they generally try new things in an unthreatened way

Funny I disagree with you on a couple of things. Only ate there once though.

Food was very nice but some of the portions were very small. The bowl of mash was tiny !!!
Also we were upstairs and found it very dark and pokey .

Vey expensive . We paid about 200 euro for 4 of us . Nobody on kids' meals though.

If I were going again I would definitely ask to sit outside or near the front .

My recommendation based on our last trip to London would be Hard Rock Cafe in Picadilly Circus .

Thanks. We have a well-meaning but snobby member of the party who thinks we should go for as nice/cool as possible but I’m trying to please everyone as there are fussy kids involved. Hence ‘characterful’ might do it - be somewhere ‘cool’ and ‘quirky’ but better for kids.

So Hard Rock Cafe would definitely cause ructions 😂