Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

London restaurant recommendations

40 replies

maomao · 29/09/2003 16:19

Hullo,

My family is coming for a visit in a few weeks (hooray!). I'm looking for restaurant recommendations in London for my dad's 70th birthday dinner. By no means does it need to be fancy, but it most certainly needs to be child-friendly (DD is 5 months). We'll eat anything, so there are no constraints there.

Any thoughts? Thanks for your help!

OP posts:
Janstar · 29/09/2003 16:22

Which part of London?

ks · 29/09/2003 16:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
maomao · 29/09/2003 16:35

Central London or NW London would be ideal. Duh. Should've said that before! Thanks for asking Janstar.

Thanks for the recommendation ks---my dad loves lamb, and my wallet loves not very expensive!

OP posts:
Janstar · 29/09/2003 16:51

TGI Fridays. Jonathan's in Stanmore. Had a lovely Greek meal in Hampstead last week, can't remember the name of the place but it was right opposite Hampstead tube station.

Original poster
maomao · 29/09/2003 17:09

Ahhhh I've been wondering about that place. "Bacchus" I think it is....

OP posts:
Tillysmummy · 29/09/2003 18:34

House on the Hill (on Rosslyn Hill) in Hampstead is nice. Very atmospheric. Averagely priced.

ks · 29/09/2003 18:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ks · 29/09/2003 18:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
maomao · 29/09/2003 19:31

thanks! i'll have to check out house on the hill (sorry for the lack of caps, but i'm bottlefeeding my dd-balancing bottle w/ chin-and typing w/ the other hand).

ks, i don't mean to be thick, but was that link for sofra?

OP posts:
Davros · 29/09/2003 19:33

Try Greek restaurant Halepi in Belsize Village NW3. MILES better than Lemonia in Primrose Hill which is very popular and well know but I think rubbish food.

hoxtonchick · 29/09/2003 19:35

Here's the Sofra link

ks · 29/09/2003 19:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
maomao · 29/09/2003 20:49

Oooo, Greek, yum! Between that and Turkish, I know not what to do. But I do know that you are all making me hungry!

Davros, what would you suggest ordering?

Thanks for the link to Sofra, Hoxtonchick!

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 29/09/2003 21:30

Yes I have to second the vote for Halepi. It's super good...excellent lamb (and goat!) and I've been there with the kids and they are very child friendly. In fact I think we took my father there on his birthday (72 or 73?).

Mooma · 29/09/2003 21:56

If you like the idea of something a little further East, try Alounak for traditional Persian (Iranian) food. It's wonderful, not spicy but so flavoursome.

Original poster
maomao · 29/09/2003 22:28

thanks everyone! you're making me drool.....

OP posts:
Janstar · 30/09/2003 14:28

What I liked about the Greek Restaurant I mentioned is that the menu was just like a real Greek one - the kind of dishes you might eat in a real backstreet Greek taverna. I had a salmon steak cooked in paprika, it was delicious, with a dish of garlic potatoes and a salad. The menu mentioned things like Greek lentil soup, spanakopita, saganaki, souvlaki, oven-baked pasta - all the things you find on sale everywhere in Greece as well as the more standard dishes like dolmades and moussaka. My friend had the moussaka and she really enjoyed it. We went to meet some other friends later though and stunk them all out with our garlic breath

beetroot · 30/09/2003 14:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Twinkie · 30/09/2003 15:17

Message withdrawn

Original poster
maomao · 30/09/2003 16:23

Ahhh Twinkie, I was just there last night, in fact! Thanks for that suggestion. It took me awhile to find the "Child Friendly" list though.

Any of you have thoughts on gastropubs? Would that be a good place to bring an infant? I don't drink, but I LOVE to eat!

beetroot and Janstar, you're making me want to throw all my rented crockery into my nonexistent fireplace! I'm soooo hungry.....

Janstar, have you been to Louis Patisserie here in Hampstead? They have some of the best pastry ever! It's on Heath Street, diagonal from Bacchus.

OP posts:
Janstar · 30/09/2003 16:26

No, sorry. Have been to Haagen-Dazs restaurant

Where else? Lots of pubs. It's a favourite haunt of mine for quiz nights with my anorak friends. The Spaniards Inn used to do good food, but that was years ago, don't know if it still does.

Original poster
maomao · 30/09/2003 19:44

Goodness, someone was just asking me how to get there. Where the h* is it?!

And have you been to the Holly Bush? It looks lovely.

OP posts:
Janstar · 30/09/2003 23:09

Maomao - a friend of mine was manager of the Holly Bush for a little while, about 4 years ago. It's a wonderful building, really old with lots of little nooks and crannies inside.

Janstar · 30/09/2003 23:12

How to get where? The Spaniards Inn? You go out of Hampstead along past the tube station on your right, and then the Coach & Horses on your left, past the little pond by the traffic lights, turn right at Jack Straw's Castle and where the road narrows is the Spaniard's Inn.

I don't think you mean the Haagen-Dazs restaurant as you probably know where that is, by the King William IV pub going towards Belsize Park.

Janstar · 30/09/2003 23:16

Just thought of another nice place to take the kids. By car follow the road past the Spaniards Inn. Up along that road is Kenwood House where the gardens are open to the public and they have open air concerts. If you keep going and turn right into Highgate High St and follow the road through Highgate Village there is a massive park with herds of deer roaming about which is great for picnics.