Calling Londoners. Where to eat for my birthday treat on on around the South Bank or London Bridge.

[spidermama]

My ahem-tieth birthday is coming up and dh, the kids and I are going on the London Eye. Then we need to eat lunch somewhere nice (because it is my birhtday) but child friendly (because we have no-one willing or able to babysit our four for a full day - SIGH!).

I love that place upstairs in the Festival Hall but it's closed for refurbishment so I'm stuck.

So we need somewhere on or near the South Bank and failing that somewhere around London Bridge would do so we could eat on route home.

TIA.

There is a Giraffe near Festival Hall and they are v child friendly, but not sure it is special enough for a birthday lunch? It is a fun place though.

:) Lockets

Well I'll investigate this then. I've never heard of it but if it's good enough for Lockets and Franny ...

Festival Square Brasserie (I think it's called) is very nice. Just behind the NFT so very close to the eye. There's tables outside (they don't look out onto the river unfortunately) but inside is pretty child-friendly too.

(provided your kids don't mind aspiring-thesp types)

They have a website, it is something like giraffe.net. Sorry not to link but am meant to be doing bedtime. I think it would be up your street Spidey.

Oh bloody hell lockets

Do you mind if I follow you around posting the exact same thing 10 secs later? :o

\link{http://www.champor-champor.com/wwwroot/champorframe.htm\Champor-Champor} near London Bridge is my favourite restaurant in London (although La Figa in Limehouse is a close second), but I'm not sure how child friendly it is in terms of the menu. How old are your dcs?

Hmmmm. I've just had a look at the \link{http://www.giraffe.net/home.html\website} for this Giraffe place of which you speak and, whilst I'm sure it's fine for an ordinary day out in town it looks a bit burgerish and casual.

As this is my ahem-tieth birthday treat I was hoping for something which has that certain quel heur est il.

Bran they're 7,6,4 and 1, but very well behaved in a restuarant setting normally. I'll have a look at the website now.

Oops, sorry, I've just looked at the website and they only do lunch by appointment for groups of 6 or more. I've only ever been there in the evening.

Oh. OK. To tell you the truth it's probably just as well because I was a bit concerned by the review which talks of 'pan-fried duck breast coated in kopi luak. Kopi luak are coffee beans that have been excreted from the arse of an Asian palm civet'. Yum. Finger lickin'

hello spidermama

you will be spoiled for choice around the london bridge/borough area.

you have:

tas - turkish, child friendly
tapas brindisa - best tapas in london, i've only been there in the eves w/o kids but if they are authentically spanish, children s/be welcome. i also think tapas is a great choice for kids
roast - much vaunted new opening, v. trendy, no idea on the child friendliness

if you are open to the idea of small chains there's also wagamama (we got really excellent child friendly service there last time we went - dd broke a glass and tipped up her food on to the floor - she's 1! - and the staff couldn't have been nicer) and fish! - but perhaps those are not so special since it's your birthday.

there's also the real greek souvlaki and bar on the waterfront near the globe theatre.

if you want to do the chain thing there's pizza express and nando's. probably not enough of an occasion though.

i know everyone raves about giraffe but i haven't found the food anything to rave about...

tate modern is brilliant for kids full stop - including the restaurants.

if any of these appeal i can do links.

hth.

ps - just about to post when i remembered the admiralty, it's just across the river from the festival hall - not sure how child friendly though - but it is quite special and occasiony.

Spidermama, I'm almost sure that they wash the kopi luak before serving it.

how could i forget cantina vinopolis? it's child-friendly (enough) and the food is good.

There's Pont de la Tour or whatever it's called. Very meaty, but nice.

I quite like Canteen in Spitalfields, but it's a bit far. They're child-friendly (no child menu! They just do half-portions of normal dishes!), but reasonably formal. And the food is pretty great.

went to roast recently it was a bit city types (no kids there on our day), but absolutely gorgeous food.