Best fancy restaurant good for adults and children

[snoodles]

Any recommendations of fancy/Michelin/amazing food restaurants that also cater well for children and where children are also welcome?

Wow, I wasn't looking for anyones opinion on whether to take my children or not, what a rude bunch of people some of you are.
I asked about restaurants that welcome children. This is a once in a lifetime experience for us too, and we want to take the children somewhere. If you don't have recommendations then please mind your own business. Thanks.

A very useful thread.

I'm making a list of the "child-friendly" places to make sure I give them a miss.

DH took me to Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road for my 40th, which has 3 stars and is really formal

There were 2 tables in there with children..! One table has a toddler, another had a child of about 8

After the initial shock of ‘omfg are they ordering from a £200/head menu for kids?’, we didn’t notice either of them at all.
The loud Americans talking at full volume were far more noticeable than anything either child did

It doesn’t have a star (yet) but there is an excellent restaurant in Chelsea called Medlar which we’ve taken our DCs to before, and might fit the bill

They are very used to families, and it’s very accommodating for groups

Your DC are far too young to appreciate it.

You and DH should go, and the money saved not taking DC should be used for a babysitter and a family dinner at Pizza Express.

We've taken a young baby to a fancy restaurant before. The website made it clear children were welcome at lunch not dinner, and in fact there were quite a few children there, all very well behaved.

You know your children well enough to judge whether it's a good idea or not. I'd definitely go for lunch or a very early dinner though personally 🙂

😂😂😂😂 so you are those parents!

Thanks for all your options. There's some great places you have recommended that I haven't thought of before. I think we have decided on Benihanas, a bit of theatre and some good food should keep my wonderful children happy too.

If you don't have recommendations then please mind your own business. Thanks.

😂😂😂

Well that's an about turn!

Benihanas sounds a good choice and will be more relaxed 🙂

Benihanas will be more relaxed (but a few of my friends have had food poisoning after their visits - independent/separate occasions). Although it now makes me think of Wolf of Wall Street.

As someone said upthread, Tredwells catered for kids (they had a kids' tasting menu) but it's no longer open.

That said, I wouldn't take a 2 year old, however well behaved, to most of the higher-end London restaurants. I'd probably play it safe with somewhere middle of the road like the Ivy Cafe or Bills which are are informal and noisy enough that I wouldn't feel self-conscious about my kids disturbing other diners. Each to their own, but however good the food is, it's not much fun if you feel on edge.

Not in London, but I've heard that Le Manoir prides itself on being very welcoming to young kids if you want a more fancy option.

My favourite posh eats in London are Trinity Clapham ( going Monday), Chez Bruce (Wandsworth), Orrery Marylebone and Quaglino's Mayfair.

Sorry but I'm another that doesn't think you should bring the kids and my daughter was v well behaved and are out from an early age. Go upscale Chinese/Indian perhaps if you really want to bring them - Dishoom Kensington is fab or the Ivy Asia in St Paul's but don't bring them to a staid upscale dining room. I'd be raging if our £400 lunch next week was interrupted by little ones.

You say it's rude for posters to comment on this but sounds like you are lacking self awareness. Cut your cloth according to their stage in life. Just compromise on the venue if you really want to share the venue

Chez Bruce doesn’t allow children under 8

Trinity only allows them in the summer when you sit on the outside terrace bit, although take them to Upstairs

orrery would be fine, because it’s part of the d&d chain but I wouldn’t assume they would have a high chair for the 2 year old if needed. But it’s not formal fine dining so no one is going to complain if there are children there

Dishoom and Ivy Asia are just run of the mill chain restaurants so children would be fine at either

Nothing wrong with taking young kids to v nice restaurants, so long as they behave. How else will they learn? Parents shouldn't have to put up with dodgy Italian chains for special occasions for a decade.

If I'm paying upwards of 300 per head for lunch, I do not want to be seated next to children the OP's age. In fact, I wouldn't want to be sitting next to parents who thought it was appropriate, either. I don't want to have to tolerate performance parenting, adults harping on about their prima-Picasso's crayon drawing, bluey or Peppa the fucking pig. Opinions weren't sought on appropriateness or otherwise but what about some advocacy for those nearby.

The alternative doesn't have to be a dodgy Italian - those are surely the two extremes with an acceptable middle between.

This is a strange argument. I didn’t go to a fine dining restaurant until I was in my 30s, but I knew how to behave myself because I hadn’t been allowed to run around, shout and fuss in Pizzaland or the local Harvester, which was as fancy as it got when I was a child!

There are loads of options between Bella Pasta and Michelin stars anyway, not to mention the fact that if you can afford the latter you can presumably afford a babysitter.

I think my view is clouded because I was taken to fine dining restaurants from very young. I was an only child and we travelled round the world with my parents' jobs. I spent most my time with adults and loved it because it was all I knew. I used to read a book at the table - or go to sleep sometimes if there was a set up with a sofa bench - when I had finished eating.

I wouldn't do it with my 2 year old because he's in bed at 7pm and wouldn't be able to handle it, it wouldn't be enjoyable for either of us, but I certainly wouldn't mind well behaved children at a fine dining restaurant if they were well behaved. There was a 4/5 year old at Ekstedt last time I was there for dinner, he was behaving beautifully. It was actually lovely to see - and I told his parents so when I passed their table on the way back from the bathroom.

There's a difference between can and should. Oft forgotten.

Have a wonderful time, Benihana is a much better choice for kids than a fine dining restaurant.

I know you've decided on somewhere now, but there was a very young (very well behaved) child at the Waterside Inn when we went. Restaurants don't come much more 'staid and upscale' than that (not a fan, to be honest), but they seemed to be very welcoming of her, so presumably many of them will deal well with whoever wants to pay.

Haven't seen children quite that young at Le Manoir, but I imagine they would deal with it well, far more bright and upbeat and a much nicer atmosphere.

I’ve never had a problem with either of my kids there although we’ve only been for lunch and not dinner. In fact the owner was wonderful with them, came over to speak to us and had a little chat with the kids and told us they were wonderfully behaved and welcome any time.

So yes, they very much welcome small children!

If I'm paying upwards of 300 per head for lunch, I do not want to be seated next to children the OP's age. In fact, I wouldn't want to be sitting next to parents who thought it was appropriate, either. I don't want to have to tolerate performance parenting, adults harping on about their prima-Picasso's crayon drawing, bluey or Peppa the fucking pig. Opinions weren't sought on appropriateness or otherwise but what about some advocacy for those nearby.

There are plenty of fine dining restaurants that don’t allow children. So just chose one of those if it bothers you that much.

If eating somewhere like this is really a once in a lifetime experience for you then save your money and wait until the kids are a bit older to be able to enjoy it more.

@snoodles not Michelin but Zedel Brasserie is lovely and really child friendly. You haven't mentioned a budget, but it's a treat for me. What's the occasion?