Street food or variety in London

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Travelling to London next week for a few days with DS (5) and he is starting to be open to trying new foods. He has seen sushi and ramen on TV so they might be on the list. I think there is a big risk that he won’t like some of these things yet so wondering if any one has any recommendations for places to go that allow us to try different things without fully committing to one thing.

I had been thinking Borough Market have been put off with how busy it is.

Maltby street market is not far from Borough and much more chilled.
Seven Dials in Covent Garden is easy with kids.

You could try Mercato Metropolitano, they have lots of different stalls selling food. I’ve been to the one at Elephant and Castle but they’ve also got venues in Mayfair and I think a new one in Canary Wharf.

Thank you! We are staying near Covent Garden so will deffo visit Seven Dials! And then will try to fit in one of the other suggestions when I figure out the rest of itinerary!

Inamo is an Asian-fusion tapas restaurant. Basically you just rider several small plates. They do a kids menu but if you’re not sure he’s going to like something, I’d order several smaller items off the general menu. There are loads of things on that menu which he’s bound to like. To make it even better, the table has an interactive surface with build-in games to play while you wait, and there’s even a chef cam to watch what’s going on in the kitchen.
Another possibility is Yo Sushi, where the small dishes come along a conveyor belt and so you watch your food pass you and take anything off the belt that takes your fancy.

If you want to try sushi I recommend Yo Sushi for a first go. Food goes round on a conveyor belt which is fun, and you get little dishes so if he doesn't like it you can always get one of the more familiar options. They have stuff like gyoza too. Salmon nigiir is a good place to start for kids.

Spitalfields market near Liverpool Street has some nice food stalls and is good for that age. Lots to see and nowhere near as rammed as Borough.

Chinatown would be good. You can buy lots of small portion type things, corn dog, bao buns, etc

Borough market is heaving. We were in Camden the other day, and it was a lot quieter than I remember

It’s not always there but I’ve taken my similarly adventurous son to the little food market behind rhe royal festival hall and near Waterloo. He’s ordered one thing, I’ve ordered another, we can swap and share. Venezuelan and Thai last time we were there I think!

borough market is just too busy and more “ingredients” as well as food choices.

It’s not like it’s used to be sadly

Market Halls at Victoria or Oxford Street might be worth a look.

the food market that is sometimes behind the Royal Festival Hall tends to be more international than Borough Market and not as stupidly busy. There’s also a branch of Ping Pong dim sum there which is an accessible way to try different foods.

Sushi has been a massive hit with my kids since they were 4-5, especially kaiten/conveyor belt style. Yo Sushi has a diverse snd kid friendly menu and will generally appeal to kids but Kulu Kulu in Soho is worth a look if you don’t want somewhere with branches all over the place.

https://jrc-globalbuffet.com/restaurants/croydon/

they have literally everything