Your Vacation Reviews

There are two places all kids love, whether London or Brighton, and that’s Gourmet Burger Kitchen (best burgers in London!) and Wagamama (oriental, not Chinese, some Japanese + Thai blend style) . This restaurant will appease all of you.

Both informal dinning experiences, child-friendly with kids menu & portions to suit.

Try Giraffe, locations around London.

I know that Brighton Local Expert Bojangles’ kids love Wagamama, locations around London, The Garden Café, Regent’s Park, Strada, branches around London, The Orangery, Kensington Gardens, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, branches around London.

Your kids might like ‘Yo Sushi’ – branches everywhere in central London, (in Selfridges, in Piccadilly, London Victoria, etc. they’d probably love ‘Planet Harrods’ in Harrods Fourth Floor children’s department, (next to the toys!) The food is good and reasonably priced, and there are cartoons on TV.

I also suggest a walk through Chinatown to check out the restaurants there.

You could also give ‘Nando’s Chicken a try – it’s not very up-market, but kids usually like it.

Most fussy junior members of the tribe will run through the children’s menu & try all sorts of things, the balsa junior chopsticks (more boards than sticks) are a novelty – as is the whole shtick/vibe/ordering process.

ASK quite good for kids.

“Yo Sushi” also popular – maybe break the raw fish mime gently. But then there are plenty of fully cooked dishes.

“The Blue Kangaroo”, Chelsea has integral downstairs play area. Main course coast approx. £4.95

“Frizzante” at Hackney City Farm is the Time Out Best Family Restaurant 2004 for its organic food and lively atmosphere. This place can explain where food comes from. Children’s pizzas coast £2.50.

“Rainforest Café” has wildlife sounds and light show accompanying the meal. Main course coast approx. £ 10.25

“Giraffe”in Battersea, Chiswick, Hampstead, Islington, Marylebone, Muswell Hill, Richmond, Heathrow, Spitalfields, Royal Festival Hall, Kensington. It`s the best For Kids in the 2005 Observer Food Monthly Awards. It`s the space for buggies.

Alfred Prasad, chef of “Tamarind” , helps kids to swell their palate. Price : £10.25 for main course and desert.

I don’t think you can go wrong anywhere that displays wonderful cakes, even though you keep them on the straight & savory. Patisserie Valerie on Old Compton Street has wonderful cakes & sensible menu options, go upstairs for lighter brighter decor. Maison Bertaux round the corner has some charm.

NANDO’S – Portuguese restaurants. Very informal.

Branches all over town, of note are on the South Bank close to Clink Street & Soho. Easy going kids menu. My only reservation is that the herb & chicken (non chilly) version has been too hot for a couple of seasoned juniors, & that it’s worth asking for the chicken to be grilled completely plain, & throw on the seasoning afterwards.

The Founders Arms on the Thames is one of the few London pubs that admit to being child friendly. We also ate in the upstairs restaurant of the Princess of Wales near Charring Cross.

A vegetable soup is carrot based instead of tomato based. Sandwiches have a brown pickle relish.

The Wetherspoons pub chain has a children’s area in the no smoking section of most of their pubs. Children are allowed only if they are having a meal. I think they have to be out of the pub by six. We frequented Wetherspoons for their low prices. The kids liked the spaghetti and fish and chips.

Carluccios is a small chain of very good modern Italian where the food is more like real food, not restaurant Italian.

And if you have plans on visiting Hackney City Farm then gets a good family restaurant review.

And if you are around St Pauls/Horborn/Farrington area there is it’s an 24hr American Dinner, so not original , but I would go there just for the milkshakes they are yummy.

Also, London has a Chinatown, so walk around there to see if there’s a restaurant that will appeal to your child.

Most pubs have burgers (I can’t vouch for how good they are though)

There is not a lack of restaurants in London, so I’m sure you’ll find something for your picky eater – almost every menu had some kind of pasta dish.