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The only person harder to please than a little kid is a foodie – and rightly so. When you’ve eaten at thousands of restaurants and tried hundreds of different cuisines, you know what good food tastes like, and you don’t really want to settle for anything less. That doesn’t change when you have children either.
If you’re sick of mediocre pizza and burgers but still fancy a meal out with the whole family, the Michelin Guide has you covered. You might not assume that the sort of fine dining that Michelin usually recognises is not particularly child friendly, but you’d be mistaken. There is a glorious middle ground – where children are welcome but the meals are meticulously crafted for excellence. These places may not always have stars, but they’re still brilliant at what they do.
So where does Michelin recommend you take the whole family out for a treat in London? The guide’s top pick is Agora in Borough Market. This Greek-inspired resto came out on top thanks to the fact it takes walk-ins all day long, so works for parents whose days must revolve around the whims of their little ones. Michelin added that its ‘menu of skewers, flatbreads and more Greek treats is designed for sharing, ideal for a family with a range of appetites’.
Although Agora didn’t make it onto Time Out’s list of the best family-friendly places to eat in the capital, we’re pretty fond of the place. Time Out London food and drink editor Leonie Cooper described the food as ‘enough to entice even the only vaguely peckish’ during her visit, so we reckon you’ll be able to satisfy all sorts of different taste-buds – even picky ones – when you pop in. Read the full review here.
Next on Michelin’s list was Apricity in Mayfair. This upmarket eatery offers a special ‘culinary kids’ meal; a five course tasting menu which aims to broaden your children’s palates so that next time you go out, you won’t even need the kids menu. It is, admittedly, a ridiculously posh offering, but it’s worth it if you want to encourage adventurous eating in your little ones.
Bancone, the Covent Garden pasta joint, came third on the list. It’s not surprising – as Michelin puts it: ‘If we were to put a bet on which food would be most likely to satisfy diners from ages 5 to 85, we’d go for a delicious bowl of pasta.’ It’s also one of the more affordable spots on the list, which is always a plus for a family.
The best family-friendly restaurants in London, according to the Michelin Guide
- Agora, Borough
- Apricity, Mayfair
- Bancone, Covent Garden
- Brasserie Zédel, Soho
- Farang, Highbury
- Hawksmoor, Spitalfields
- Kanishka, Mayfair
- Langan’s Brasserie, Mayfair
- Le Pont de la Tour, Tower Bridge
- Roe, Canary Wharf
You can have a look at the full list of great family-friendly options from Michelin here. If after reading them all you decide to just get the babysitter after all, have a look at all the London restaurants with Michelin stars – including those which gained a star this year.
The best restaurants in London, according to Time Out.
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