London dining for 6yr old with a 'wow' factor

[THERESA]

Am from Newcastle and coming to London for weekend 15/10/04 with 6yr old dd (her 1st visit). Going on London eye & have tickets for Chitty.. Need some recommendations for somewhere 'special' to eat. Have seen the following in quide book:- Smollensky's Balloons, Rainforest Cafe, Sweeney Todds, Rock Island Diner.
Any thoughts, experiences or other recommendations. Sounds daft but the food is not the most important part. She eats a good variety of food, but not much of it (wish I was the same!).I'm also going to go on the Ducktour thanks to recommendation on another thread. It looks fantastic!

will watch this carefully...the duck tours look brill
sorry, no ideas about eating

We did the Rainforest Cafe on New Years Day before Chitty. (6 and 4 yr old) It was OK but pretty scuzzy to tell you the truth. And it's good that the food isn't important coz it was horrid.Not sure about the other 2.Have also eaten at Bluebird with the boys. Not much wow factor but a really nice experience and fab food.

have also been to rainforest cafe and found it quite expensive. I suppose it looks quite good - big fish tanks and all decorated like a rainforest but my dd started to get frightened by the thunder/storm sounds and after a while, it just felt like an overcrowded restaurant (you're quite close to other tables!). I think the kids found it quite exciting (they're 4 and 2) but I'm not sure what a 6 yr old would think.

Now, I haven't been here but I'm constantly being told that it's a good place to go with kids and that's Bodeans in Poland Street (just off Oxford Street). I'm not sure it has a wow factor - one of dh's friends takes his kids there on the weekends when he has them and they love it (and I think they are nearer your dd's age). I think they have a kids chill out area which may be why!! bodeans

avoid rainforest cafe - it was scruffy and tired-looking the last time I went (2 years ago) serving overpriced junk food. I couldn't believe that some adults minus children had chosen to eat there.

For wow factor, you could try Harrods' Ice Cream Parlour - on the top floor, very wow in an old fashioned type of way. My son loves it - it's a different expereince totally for him. Very attentive staff, great ice cream concoctions and as it's right next to the main restuarnat, you can see and hear the pianist play. If that's not right for your dd, the food halls are also very wow and have lots of eating areas, and there's a kids cafe near the toy department.

Agree with the Bodeans recommendation. We've had some lovely family meals there- very stressfree, lovely staff, good food that isn't too pricey.

Always meaning to try out the Harrods ice cream parlour, T'moth. I suspect my boys would approve wholeheartedly.

Thanks everyone, I think I'll cross the Rainforest Cafe off the list! Ice cream parlour sounds good! Keep them coming please.

Ds aged five really enjoyed the bustle of Wagamama (they write your order on the tablecloth! you get chopsticks!!) recently. It's a chain of fast-service Japanese noodle bars.
Would also recommend dim sum in Chinatown, that's quite a spectacle. Chueng Cheng Ku on Wardour St does a good dim sum and there are always lots of Chinese families there too.
Must try the Harrod's ice-cream parlour, Tigermoth, it does sound like child heaven! and Bodeans too.
I think there may be catering in Daisy and Tom, the children's department store on the King's Road, Theresa. Might be a slightly less crowded alternative to any sprees you had planned in Hamley's...
Have a fab visit to London!

I'd go for Wagamammas too, sit near the open kitchen and watch them cook

deffo Harrods, its brilliant for kids, and the Krispy Kreme donut factory on the ground floor is HEAVEN. There is also the amazing staircases, fab toy dept and the wonderful ice cream parlour. I am taking dd1 up to London for the weekend in a couple of weeks and I intend to spend a good part of it in Harrods - also its near Kensington Gardens with the Peter Pan statue which is lovely to see. Also second the recommendations for dim sum - I took dd1 when she was not quite 3 and she LOVED it.

Thanks for reminding me about Bodeans, foxinsocks. Have decided to whisk my kids and partner there right now.

Theresa, not somewhere to eat, but my dd aged 7 likes going on the Tate boat (runs from Tate Modern to Tate Britain and stops at London Eye in between). Not expensive and can use the tickets for a day. More fun than the tube. You get to see the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben etc from the river.

thinking of you eating scrummy ribs

would also second Harrods - great idea Tigermoth. I can still remember being taken there as a small child (more than 25 years ago!) and my eyes almost popping out of my head - going up and down the escalators and how smart it all looked. I seem to remember they have a devine chocolate counter somewhere...mmmmm and a patisserie and sweet counter mmmmmm.

Thanks for all of your replies. Our weekend was FAB. Went to Wagamama (brilliant) & Harrods - had problems dragging her out of the food hall that seems to be devoted almost entirely to chocolates & cakes! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was BRILL - how do they get the car to fly? We couldn't see any visible means of support! The Duck tour was superb, even the commentary on the 'road' bit was good, lots of obscure little 'snippets' and the childrens faces when we drove into the water were great! We also went to Tower of London and Royal Mews which were both very good. However Jenny's favourite was watching all of the street entertainers (especially the 'living statues') in Covent Garden - and it's free!

brill

I thought the car was on a sort of hydralic bar thing from behind

although DS thinks it does fly