I have to plan a party [cringe] - for my mother. I need a London venue PLEASE HELP ME

[ahundredtimes]

So her needs and desires are thus:

Lunch for about 25 people.

Somewhere lovely but low-key yet sufficiently glamorous [sigh]

'Like a gastropub' she said, 'a nice one with a garden for the children.'

Does anyone have ANY ideas? I don't know nuffink.

check out here - sqaure meal

and top table

should get you started

Do you have a budget/location in mind?

Some hotels do very good deals especially on a weekday and may add the "glamour factor"

Oooh thank you. I will look.

Venue - I think probably central ish - quite a lot of people are in North London, so that might be good, and then sort of Kensington/Chelsea area I suppose.

Money - I think she's quite relaxed about this. 'Not thousands ' she said rather grandly.

• list of child friendly venues

Is Giraffe any good?

LOL at "not thousands" ...

No Giraffe would be useless for her I think! But thank you.

She doesn't want child friendly you see (oh no - not a priority, would be a disaster) but she would like somewhere for the children to GO.

In fairness, she doesn't want them to bored and annoying I suppose.

Thank you Ruby, I feel better already now you're thinking about it.

I've looked through the square meal - but I don't know if any places are any good.

I am going to hang around here pathetically and wait for someone decisive to say 'Now, this is what you want, this place with a private dining room and a square out the front'.

[sits patiently]

There is a lovely pub in Hampstead which I think would be perfect

It's relaxed, but the food is good and it's got a lovely ambience. I can dig the name out for you - it's on Devonshire Hill, I think.

Loads of parking, nice garden, right on the heath, good for kids etc., Nice, but not atronomically expensive.

where else? Bibendum, Bluebird, Quaglinos Or the bar on the Fifth Floor in Harvey Nicks - great atmosphere, but not sure about kids there?

There is a nice one in SW14 but wrong area for you

It has a kids playground adn the food is good

here

This is the place in Hampstead:

"Freemasons arms www.freemasonsarms.co.uk/"

DH and I go there loads and I can really recommend it.

Fish in Borough Market is nice and good for dc's here

Oh god THANK YOU ALL.

Am going to check them out now.

CD - looks lovely, but you are right it probably looks like the wrong area.

Fish! I like it there have been. Might not be quite right.

But the Freemasons Arms looks likely doesn't it? I looks blardy marvellous actually.

Oh and thank you for Bibendum Bluebird suggestions etc, I don't think they are quite what she wants - and she's been to all those places. [swanky mother emoticon] She wants jolly and homespun and just the right bit fun and cool.

She's going to be 70 fgs. And she wants just the right bit fun and cool. See how I suffer? See?

Odette's is lovely and someone could take the kids to Primrose Hill afterwards.

Ahundredtimes!! We feel for you!!!

Hope you find somewhere!

I think she'd like the Freemason's arms though.. It's got a nice feel....... The sort of place you'd go for a nice Sunday lunch with family.....

Norks - say you were quite a lax and relaxed mother, just SAY YOU WERE, and you had children who were 10, 8 and 6 and there were other children there who were 9 and 6 and you were having lunch at Odettes

could you say when they started to fidget and carry on

'Go off up Primrose Hill now and come back in 15 minutes'

or not?

I am lax in this respect. Is it far from the hill? It looks lovely, but I can feel my 8 y-o wriggling from here.

I'm pretty lax but I think I'd feel uncomfortable with them going off on their own.
Odette's has a conservatory that can be hired for private use so they wouldn't necessarily annoy other diners!

I've never been in in it but there's a rather grand looking restaurant called The Orangery in a gorgeous conservertory behind Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens. Very elegant and of course the kids can pile out into the park and be in view of the adults.
Google The Orangery, Kensington Gardens.

yes the belvedere in holland park

we have been there for this sort of thing...is fab as in park

www.fredericks.co.uk quite grown up, lovely venue.

Foxy! Hola.

Am off to google the belvedere, holland park

I've been to afternoon/evening do here, the downstairs gallery which you'd have to hire, along with the inhouse caterers has french windows opening onto a terrace/ornamental garden which in turn opens onto a park.

No idea if they hire it out at lunchtime though.

The Albert in Primrose Hill is absolutely lovely -- here.

hola amigo!

you may feel it too posh but ooh it's a divine setting and just what you are after on that score

will put thinking cap on for more low key place with outside space

How is the food at the Belvedere FIS? Is it okay or a bit weddingy?

And it is a very short walk from Regents Park.