70th birthday day out in London advice please!

[gleegeek]

Hi I've namechanged as this will out me!

It's my MILs 70th birthday soon and she's decided she'd like to spend it in London. We live in the home counties, her other son lives in Kent and she's from up North. She'll be bringing her partner who we've only met a few times.

There will be 6 adults and 3 children 4, 8 and 10.

So far we have booked a boat trip from London Eye to Greenwich. She is happy to spend the day in Greenwich but we'll have to have an early dinner near Waterloo to get the youngest child home to bed.

We are on quite a tight budget but want her to have a nice day. Any ideas of what we could do during the day, for lunch and places for dinner? I am in dread of it raining for the whole day so if we plan a picnic it all goes to pot

Thank you for any suggestions, we are going round in circles!

Well Greenwich has the Maritime museum and Cutty Sark. In terms of food near Waterloo there is loads along the Southbank I imagine.

Not that familiar sorry but bumped.

We had a similar party of people celebrating my Grandad's birthday - we went on the London Eye (we didn't book a pod just for us as it was too expensive, but they gave us one to ourselves anyway). We took a birthday cake on with us and ate that as we were going round! We went to the Slug & Lettuce for food beforehand, we also found some vouchers online for 241 meals there which made it cheaper.

Have a good day!

Book the Eye in advance if going on it. Loads of places to eat nearby - Oxo Tower brasserie if pushing the bad out, Skylon in RFH has recently hiked prices or Id recommend that. A few French places and Pizza Express just off the south Bank.

Greenwich - Cutty Sark, the indoor Market, Maritime Museum and Queen Anne House. Observatory is fab with a planetarium but is up a long steep hill.

Back at waterloo try the Old Fire Station or on The Cut there's excellent tapas at Meson des Felipe - both are fairly quiet early in the evening.

Could buy picnic stuff in Greenwich market and eat there or in Maritime Museum if raining. MM great for rainy days, and then go back to Waterloo via DLR to Tower Gateway so 4yo can 'drive' the train.

Thank you so much everyone! Sorry for late reply - my computer has been on the blink...

We're getting there... MIL has decided she wants Italian for dinner, so any ideas of decent Italian restaurants gratefully received Would prefer not Pizza Express if possible, but it's an option if all else fails.

We've ordered a picnic from Marks and Spencer to be picked up in Greenwich so we're praying for sun. Is there anywhere set aside inside the Maritime Museum to picnic if it tips down????

notcitrus - I've taken a note of the restaurants you suggested near Waterloo for future reference, they look really nice.

MIL has already been on the London Eye so I get out of that one (severe vertigo!) although I was wondering about the new cable car thing...