restaurants in london

[lulu2]

We are taking dd to London for the weekend on her 7th birthday and would like recommendations for somewhere nice for lunch/dinner please? I thought if i booked ahead i maybe able to organise a birthday cake at the restaurant.

what sort of food? and budget?

the wolseley is lovely. Fancy enough to feel special, but still a lovely place to take DC.

she really likes chinese food but is also very keen on italian. Budget not huge as train and hotel costing loads.

Japanese rather than Chinese, but Benihana is great fun, the chefs cook the food in the middle of a huge table while you sit round the outside basically, so you can see them chopping frantically etc - they put on a bit of a show. If you google the website there are a few quite centrally. Dim T is also a nice Chinese/Thai chain, they do good kids menu and you can get various vouchers on their website for meal deals.

Buona Sera at the Jam on Kings Road (Italian)is supposed to be good - there are tiered tables that you have to climb up to which sounds fun, I've never been but heard its good.

PS sorry but I don't like the Wolsely, it is massively over-rated IMO!!

Oh, and if you really fancy something Tourist-tastic there is always the RainForest Cafe (try to move swiftly through the Gift Shop on the way out though!!)

great suggestions thanks Ohluckyyou. i will take a look at their web sites. Oh i am all excited now. DD's first trip to london and she really wants to have tea with the Queen!

Italians
Carluccio's (Covent Garden),

More standard fare nice for kids and adults:
Brown's (Covent Garden),

Touristy burger's
Hard Rock cafe (Hyde Park Corner), Ed's Easy Diner (Piccadilly Circus I think)

I loved Benihana (not been to the one in London) - loads of fun. Mostly meat/seafood/veg griddled in yummy Chinese-y type flavourings. Really nice. I think kids would love it!

I've heard the Rainforest Cafe is very fab for kids too!!! All the animatronics etc.

thanks for all the suggestions.

Just wanted to add - if you really fancy chinese, have a wander through china town of course - most of the restaurants have menus outside but it's been a while since I've been there so no idea what's good and what's not anymore I'm afraid!