A successful visit to London, as any parent knows, depends on feeding and watering the kids regularly. Use our guide to find the best places for all budgets, close to the must-see key museums, galleries and attractions, where the children’s menus offer more than just chicken nuggets and chips.
Tate Modern, Globe Theatre and South Bank
The children's afternoon tea at Swan London.
Swan London (21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT) - In addition to the usual burgers and fries, the restaurant at the Globe Theatre shakes things up with options like tempura green beans and garlic mayo and mushroom croquettes with chips and peas. They also do a nice line in kid-friendly afternoon teas.
Oxo Tower Brasserie (Barge House St, London SE1 9PH) - With fabulous views over the river, this waterfront restaurant offers a children's menu that's a genuine delight, including dips and hummus, mozzarella sticks, fish finger butties and vegan meatballs.
The Table Cafe (83 Southwark St, London SE1 0HX) - the all-day brunch cafe has a children's version where they can go for a Full English, pancakes and waffles or baked beans or avo on sourdough. Sides include chips, hash browns and sweet potato fries.
Limin (56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP) - if your kids love all things Caribbean, then this Thames-facing restaurant will be just the place. The kids' menu has three options - wings and chips, BBQ chicken with plantain and slaw or portobello mushrooms with rice.
Passyunk Avenue (22 Leake St, London SE1 7NN) - teens and tweens will approve of the cool graffiti tunnels where this American restaurant is located. There are plenty of kids' dishes including smash burgers and pesto pasta but most of the main menu is child-friendly too.
Tonkotsu Bankside (4 Canvey St, Bankside, London SE1 9AN) - Tonkotsu's kids okosama menu offers two bento box meals - one meat, one veggie - which includes a drink option too.
Museum Mile
The Ninos menu at Tapas Brindisa
Tapas Brindisa (7-9 Exhibition Rd, London SW7 2HE) The food here comes quickly, and it's of a high standard - two bonuses. Get a plate of jamon to share and then keep the dishes coming, including padron peppers and croquetas.
Farm Girl (8 Exhibition Rd, London SW7 2HF) for a healthier-than-usual offering for kids, try this Aussie-inspired cafe group. Their children's menu features a mini avo toast, scrambled eggs on sourdough, and both the chicken schnitzel and beef sausage mains are served with sweet potato and broccolini.
Rocca di Papa (73 Old Brompton Rd, London SW7 3JS) Swerve the large pizza chains and head to this independent spot instead, where both the pizzas and pasta are good value for this part of town.
Oddono's (14 Bute St, London SW7 3EX) - We're long-time fans of the amazing gelato at this Italian ice cream group. The stracciatella, in particular, is amazing.
National and Portrait Galleries and London Transport Museum
Dumpling-making classes at Din Tai Fung
50 Kalo (7 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5DU) - Even though it's one of the world’s best pizzerias, the good news is this is surprisingly good value for a family meal.
Din Tai Fung (5 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8PS) - for a fast turnaround, you can’t beat this Taiwanese spot and its famous soup dumplings. They also run the occasional dumpling-making class for kids in the school holidays.
Bar Giorgio (12 St Martin's St, London SW1Y 5BS) - the casual Giorgio Locatelli outpost inside the National Gallery does a very child-friendly range of pinsa and freshly-made maritozzi.
Pho (65A Long Acre, London WC2E 9JD) - The kids' menu can be tailored for fussy eaters and there’s even a picking plate aimed at toddlers.
Jamaica Patty Co (26 New Row, London WC2N 4LA) - if you want to grab and co, the patties here are the perfect, good value eat-on-the-go snack.
Tate Britain & Churchill War Rooms
Bento box delights at Sticks n Sushi
Kimchimama (28 Upper Tachbrook St, Pimlico, London SW1V 1SW) A bowl of Korean fried chicken is always going to be a winner with kids (and grown-ups). They also do a nice line in chicken katsu cupbaps that will keep everyone going.
Bleecker - (205 Victoria St, London SW1E 5NE) Bleecker’s cheeseburger was this year voted the best in the world so it's surely worth a visit if you're in town.
Sticks n Sushi - (3 Sir Simon Milton Sq, London SW1E 5DJ) As the name suggests, this is a good spot for teenagers who’ll love the yakitori sticks and decently-made sushi.
Tozi (8 Gillingham St, Pimlico, London SW1V 1HJ) This Italian restaurant specialises in Venetian small plates - put plates of Parma ham or zucchini fritti on the table and watch them get hoovered up.
Madame Tussauds & The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Fresh pasta at Emilia's Crafted Pasta
Phoenix Palace (5-9 Glentworth St, London NW1 5PG) - This old-school Chinese restaurant is incredibly family-friendly with lovely, warm service. If you're here at the weekends, the place is knee-deep in children and their parents hoovering up the great dim sum.
Il Blandford's Cafe (65 Chiltern St, London W1U 6NH) - As a change from the Carluccio's and Cafe Pastas, take the family to this wonderfully trad Italian just off the main drag. You can't go wrong with the pizza or pasta and the Spanish eggs for breakfast would set anyone up for the day.
Emila's Crafted Pasta (215 Baker St, London NW1 6XE) Having said avoid the chains, this boutique restaurant group is a good spot if your kids are on pasta-only diets.
Fischer's (50 Marylebone High St, London W1U 5HN) - Pop in for a pastry or some more substantial schnitzel and enjoy one of their amazing hot chocolates. This Marylebone High Street establishment is a great place to take grandparents who’ll appreciate the classic decor.
Chicken Shop (134 Baker St, London W1U 6SH) This fast-food offshoot of Chick n Sours serves up exemplary free-range fried chicken - as wings, tenders or burgers. There's also a cracking veggie version too. And if it's good enough for Beyoncé...
The British Museum, Wellcome Collection and The Cartoon Museum
The free ice cream at Flat Iron
Flat Iron - (9 Denmark St, London WC2H 8LS) at the end of a hard day of culture and fun, the steak deal here is both good value and delicious. And all meals end with a free ice-cream.
Mowgli Street food - (5 Charlotte St., London W1T 1RE) the ‘mini Mowgli’ menu includes butter chicken and rice and mango sorbet for dessert.
Abeno - (47 Museum St, London WC1A 1LY) for a bit of tableside theatre, head to this Japanese pancake restaurant where all the tables feature hotplates where the chef cooks the savoury pancakes on (this might be better for older children).
See also: Most of the noodle and hotpot restaurants in Bloomsbury's growing Chinatown can be relied upon for good value and delicious family food.
Barbican & St Paul’s
For tight budgets, the kids eat free at Bread St Kitchen can't be beaten.
Kennedy’s Goswell Road (184-186 Goswell Rd., London EC1V 7DT) - You can’t beat a good fish & chip shop for a family supper and this one offers both fried and grilled fish (along with plant-based options), and hand-cut chips plus their own Aberdeen Angus beef burgers.
Bread Street Kitchen ( First Floor One, 10 New Change, London EC4M 9AJ0 - You can’t really beat the price at Gordon Ramsay’s St Paul’s restaurant; kids get a free main when an adult dines from the à la carte. Options on the kids' menu include bangers & mash and meatball pasta.
Paternoster Chop House (35 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7AU) - This lively City brasserie lets the grown-ups tuck into a nice grass-fed steak while the kids enjoy grilled chicken and spinach or mac ‘n cheese.
Pilpel (5 Queens Head Passage, Paternoster Row, London EC4M 7DZ) - The St Paul's branch is handy for both grab and go as well as a quick pitstop lunch, the falafel here is second to none and served up with pitas and houmous.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge
Emilia's Crafted Pasta
Emilia’s Crafted Pasta (Unit C3, Ivory House, St Katharine Docks, London E1W 1AT0 - Pasta is made fresh every day on-site at this spot down at St Katharine Docks with pretty reasonably (for London) priced dishes including rigatoni with tomato and mozzarella sauce.
The Coal Shed (4 Tower Bridge, Crown Square, London SE1 2SE0 - You’ll find this steak restaurant in the One Tower Bridge development south of Tower Bridge. The children’s menu includes cheeseburger sliders followed by ice cream.
Le Pont de la Tour (36D Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE) - More for a special occasion visit, this riverside restaurant has a well-priced set menu for children with elevated options like l'oeuf parfait and sea bream with risotto.
London Museum Docklands
Big Easy
Big Easy (Crossrail Pl, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 5AR) - Children and grown-ups alike will love this lively spot on the water, serving up great platters of BBQ. The children’s menu comes in under £10 and there are virgin cocktail options and jumbo milkshakes for the tweens and teens.
The Parlour (40 Canada Square, London E14 5FW) With a large alfresco area this is a good spot for families and their children's menu is interesting, with Goan curry and stargazy pie all options for the kids' deal.
Market Halls (25 N Colonnade, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 5HD) - When no one can decide what they want to eat, a food hall is the obvious answer. The Canary Wharf branch has tacos, egg rolls, sushi and more to offer.
Cutty Sark and National Maritime Museum
Greenwich Market
Crosstown Greenwich (5 Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ) Parents can grab a coffee while their kids peruse the doughnuts menu. Everything from the dough to the fillings and toppings is made in-house, and there’s also a wide vegan selection.
Goddards at Greenwich (22 King William Walk, London SE10 9HU) For a traditional pie and mash meal, this longstanding Greenwich restaurant is hard to beat. They also do a mean apple crumble with custard for dessert.
Greenwich Market (5B Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ) - This popular market features a diverse set of traders from Da Fish Ting with their sustainable fish burgers and Korean Corn Dogs.
15 Grams (28 Greenwich Church St, London SE10 9BJ) - This coffee house serves up pastries from St John and must-have hot chocolate with blowtorched marshmallows.
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