Flatlander MDW

Hi All,

After years of talking about it my wife and I are finally letting the kids (12 and 13) use their passports in about 8 weeks (London and Paris). Our plan is to stay with friends of friends in Faversham,Kent and commute in for the day(s). We have 3 days in the city and will be doing a lot of the usual touristy stuff (plus hopefully seeing a Chelsea game) in the city center (or centre I guess ). However, I was hoping to be able to avoid the worst of the touristy places to eat (high prices/low quality) and perhaps have some nice "normal" meals. No white tableclothes, but no eating off styrofoam either.

Any suggestions for places we could reach easily and maybe have a nice leisurely meal (lunch or dinner) between museums, tours, plays, etc. We're pretty flexible on types of foods but Italian and good pub food tend to work well with the kids. Any and all tips appreciated and I'll add them to the Google map of London I'm building.

Thanks in advance!

Mike from Chicago

17thousandkm

I haven't lived in London for many years, so can't suggest specific places, but from memory and visits home can make a couple of suggestions:

Pizza Hut do a pretty good lunch buffet deal.

JD Wetherspoons pubs are family friendly and they have a reasonably priced menu.

M&S Cafe Revives are good (these are located within M&S department stores) - although they can get very hectic during the height of the lunchtime rush. Mainly sandwiches but they also do some hot options (soups, baked potatoes etc). M&S is also renowned for its tasty salads and sandwiches if you are prepared to grab a takeway from their food hall.

I've found it's worth checking out the cafe or restaurant in the museum or attraction you happen to be visiting. I've often been pleasantly suprised by the prices and food on offer. Many attractions will have a menu you can view on their website. Museums and attractions should not be overly crowded at the time of year you're visiting (unless you happen to be there during school holidays, which is usually two weeks around Easter).

Trains4

There are several places I would suggest. If you like Asian food, then try Wagamama. There are many around London. They are informal. Another place to try is Masters Super Fish, 191 Waterloo Rd. One of the best fish and chips around. Another great place is the Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martins in the Fields. Another good place is the Borough Market for lunch on Thurs, Fri & Sat.

ajax

Hi Mike,

You'll have a wonderful time here. Spring in London is fantastic.

Yours is of course a very open-ended question are there are literally thousands of restaurants in the capital to choose from.

I'm a huge fan of Strada. It's a chain of Italian restaurants with pasta, meat dishes and pizzas but doesn't have that chain feel; every restaurant is decorated very nicely and in the most modern of styles. There are several in Central London, including one right off of Piccadilly Circus and one just across the river from Embankment station.

I'm less of a fan of the Pizza Express chain (very similar to Strada and more ubiquitous, although the pizzas are much smaller than Strada's but the same price) but you could do much worse. They are everywhere.

Nando's is a chain of chicken restaurants but they are actually really good and high quality. They also have veggie dishes. All of their food is grilled and actually quite healthy. Nando'ses are everywhere, too.

As suggested above, Wagamama are quite good and all over the place. I'm of two minds about Wagamama. They can get really busy and hectic and if you're unlucky, your dish won't be filling at all. But generally the flavours are good and it's very decent value for money.

These are all definitely not tourist establishments as I go to all on a fairly regular basis and wouldn't be caught dead in a tourist restaurant.

I would avoid any "steak house", especially one with "Angus", "Aberdeen" or "Scotch" at the beginning of the name. Pure tourist traps.

I'll keep thinking and let you know what else springs to mind.

It'd be great if you knew the areas where you'll be spending the most time - in the West End? In South Kensington? Somewhere else?

Cheers

Wingnut

For the love of God. Someone wants to avoid the tourist stuff and we recommend Pizza Hut and Wetherspoon's pubs?

Give us a little more info on the museums and places you're likely to visit, but a place that springs to mind is Ciao Bella on Lambs Conduit Street. It's a great Italian, it's not a chain, it's incredibly good value and it's handy for the British Museum. http://www.ciaobellarestaurant.co.uk/

LapLap

I'd suggest
http://www.abeno.co.uk/
near the British Museum and very kid friendly, eating here is potentially an experience as the food is made at the table.
(Abeno Too is near Leicester Square, another convenient location)

Also, when you're checking out the houses of parliament (Big Ben) there's this charming place for lunch:
http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/visit...rden_cafe.html
lovely and atmospheric with decent food at a decent price

And if you're near Oxford Circus there's:
http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/menu.html
This place is very popular with those working near by so if you can avoid the peak time of around 1pm it will be less of a squeeze.

alanR

Try the restaurants at the various galleries & museums as well as in department stores & supermarkets.

Also for quick snacks try the Meal Deals at Boots (sandwich, drink & sweet for £3) - places like Marks & Spencer, WH Smith, Superdrug as well as supermarkets offer similar at similar prices

Jenbel

Charlotte St, which isn't too far from the British Museum has a wide variety of restaurants offering a range of cuisines - it's pretty foody, and a good place to just wander and find something which catches your eye.

I also liked Busaba Eathai when taken there - http://www.busaba.com/

And finally - Italian but with a twist - Sardo, near Warren St. It's a Sardinian restaurant - having eaten there, and then gone to Sardinia on holiday, it is very good, and very much a Londoner's restaurant. http://www.sardo-restaurant.com/

HIDDY

For the love of God someone comes to Britain and all you can recommend is Italian? Deary, deary me.

At least in Wetherspoons one can get some real British grub such as....the great British breakfast to start the day off, bangers n mash, fish n chips, steak n kidney pudding with peas, bowls of soup and crusty bread.....lots of good hearty food. ^

SanDiego1K

I love the Portrait Restaurant on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery. It's got a brilliant view over the London Eye and the Thames. Here's a sample lunch menu. A 2-course lunch is 21.50 pds.

Swanhunter

Wetherspoons is truly evil. Please don't go there. Cheap nasty food badly prepared in dismal surroundings. Ignore the Pied Piper of Buenos Aires province.

Canteen is worth a visit for real British cooking. One on the South Bank 10mins walk from Trafalgar square. I will second Busaba Eathai. Leon is also worth a look for tasty salads and wraps .

HIDDY

They're from Chicago...Wetherspoons will be an improvement on what they're used to.
I think you're being a wee bit harsh calling it evil......it's no different from say a Marks and Sparks ready meal. It's not haute cuisine but at least they do seem to be trying to introduce some healthier options. For a family on a budget it's lunch at a decent price and there's something for everyone. Save the money for spending at a decent restaurant in the evening.

At least you recommended somewhere that does British food. ^

Jenbel

No, it is different from a M&S meal. It's about twice the price, heated up and served by indifferent staff in a squalid and rather sticky environment. At least I get to ensure a M&S meal is presented properly, and enjoyed in a rather nicer, and less sticky environment.

HIDDY

Gosh.....have Wetherspoons gone upmarket since I left the UK or has M&S reduced their prices?

Jenbel

You pay VAT on restaurant food. You don't on M&S meals. M&S meals have large numbers of meal for 2 deals on currently, so yes, they have reduced their prices since you left.