To think why is it so hard to find somewhere decent to eat?

[anothergilmore]

Whenever we go away as a family, whether it's abroad or at home food always becomes such a big issue that it ruins most of the day! Food should be enjoyable! DD is 5 and is quite fussy (which is infuriating but a seemingly unavoidable situation atm) and whenever it comes to lunch time or tea time we have the usual trawling round everywhere to find something she will eat. Places like pizza express are ruled out because other than the dough balls she won't actual eat anything they make (and in her defence I think the food there is fairly dire too).

We are currently in London, have come down for a few days for a nice pre Christmas treat. Can anyone recommend any good family friendly pubs in central London? She is usually ok with pub food because it looks how she expects it to look - for example a roast or sausage and mash can only really look one way whereas a pasta dish or risotto she'd eat at home she won't eat when we're out because it looks/smells different.

Please help, I'd really like to enjoy the next few days!

Thank you

Has she eaten at a Browns before? Not a pub but OK for basic food with children, eg plain sausage and mash, burger, steak and chips etc- www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/childrensmenu

There are a few in central London. Worth checking ahead that they have a table as they are likely to be jammed with Christmas parties etc.

Most good pubs for food that I know are probably not central enough for you. IME pubs in the middle of town tend to be proper gastropubs (so not the simple food you're looking for) or mainly just for drinking or pretty grim.

There's a million weatherspoons

I can't believe you can't find a single pub serving food in any British town never mind London so yabu

Can't go wrong with a wetherspoons lunch

Ha ha great minds!

If this has got to the point that you can't find a place your daughter will eat in LONDON there has to be something wrong. It sounds like you are being too soft with her. Do you make her sit at the table until she eats? Tell her to eat the food that's given or go hungry? Or do you say "oh dear darling I'll make you another meal, whatever you want"?

You need to find a solution to this problem by changing your behaviour. I would not let my 5 year old dictate where we were eating unless she had bad allergies or health problems. She's got you wrapped around her little finger.

There's a Wetherspoons called the Tower Bounds across the street from the Tower and Trinty Gardens.

www.red-lion-barnes.co.uk/
Red Lion - -and Barnes is nice - river, duck pond, not far from centre on the train. Just a thought

www.gbk.co.uk/menu branches everywhere - usually good kids menu

Can't you just take her to McDonalds?

Bill's have a varied menu that included crowd pleasers like burgers, fish and chips or mac n cheese. There are a few branches around London, including one in Soho.

If she likes sausages and mash I really recommend Mother Mash. They only do sausages and pies with mash. Not expensive and supertasty. Near Carnaby st (and Hamleys)

There are so many fun places to eat in London!

Go to the Borough Matket and have heavenly pasta at Padella, then delicious donuts at Bread Ahead
Southern US food done well and in a fun way at ChickNSours in Covent Garden
Conveyer belt Chinese hot pot at Shuang Shuang in Chinatown
Leon for healthy fast food throughout the city
Ping Pong for dim sum (multiple locations)
Great sourdough pizzas at Franca Manca in soho and South Kensington

Loads of good gastro pubs inLondon, but most are not located in the centre

Of course YABU. If you can't find ANYTHING that you will enjoy eating in London, then the issue is with your family, not the food industry. Big cities do not lack choices of places, or types of places to eat.

Thank you for the suggestions!

And it's not that I couldn't find anywhere for her to eat more that I didn't know where to look in London.

And of course she'll eat McDonald's and places like that it's more than I want to have a decent meal as well and I don't fancy eating McDonald's for 3 days.

Thanks

Agree that this sounds like an issue with your DD rather than the quality and variety of food available.

Maybe she'll grow out of it? Otherwise it is something that you need to work on or else she might grow into one of those infuriatingly fussy teens or adults who dictate where all their friends and family have to eat because they have a long list of 'won't eats' like one of my friends daughter who had us trailing all over a similarly sized city looking for something suitable and then wouldn't eat what she ordered because there were herbs on the otherwise plain vegetables that had been specially requested. .

Do you only have dd? If so I would choose somewhere that you like to eat and she can pick and eat bread. Don't make it all about her. We used to go to wagamama when the dcs were small and dd3 wouldn't eat anything except a few edamame beans. But we all loved it so she had to lump it! She's 10 now and it's her favourite place to eat!

If you want a nice burger, Honest Burguers, Five Guys or GBK as previously suggested.

Five Guys chips are a caloric bomb but SO GOOD.

I'd also recommend bills as a pp said. Whereabouts in London are you staying?

I have a similar grumble. Also have a fussy 5 year old and I'm vegetarian. Everywhere is so expensive for food which is just 'meh'. I can't remember the last time I had a meal that was tasty and good value. Actually, I can't remember the last time I had a meal out that was really tasty at all. The high street seems to be flooded with chains selling the same thing. The last time we ate as a family at lunch time we at at a chain. £40 later - just for mains for the three of us, we left feeling like it just wasn't worth it necsuse the food just wasn't great. My works do was £30 a head and my only 'option' was a plate of tagliatelle. They wouldn't offer an alternative and at 35 weeks pregnant I couldn't justify it (not when I couldn't take advantage of the free wine!). Not helpful at all but I sympathise.

Loads of veggie options at wagamama and it's relatively inexpensive!

I promise I don't work for them

If you are staying in a hotel, ask at the reception for recommendations for places to eat. Give them your budget and they will usually have a number of suggestions.

A third vote for Bill's - kind of place where you can go for a fishfinger sarnie or a three course meal with wine. Casual atmosphere but cosy as well. There's a nice one near Holborn station on Kingsway (ask for a booth if you can). There's also quite a trendy one in Seven Dials (nr Covent Garden). Have fun!

Where are you staying / what are you planning on doing? Then we can recommend convenient places.

YABU for slagging Pizza Express - it's great.

Canteen is great for unfussy "traditional"food or agree with all the pp's about Bills.