Oh, we’re sure you’ll miss them, but once the kids are back at school there’s more time for dining out. No more DIY arts and crafts and schleps to galleries and museums.
With that in mind, these restaurants are ideally suited for lunch post-school run; maybe even an early dinner when the kids have a sports club or some other extra-curricular activity. So leave the pushchair at home and cosplay life without kids for a few hours at one of these locations.
Here are 12 of the best London restaurants to go to when the kids are at school.
Noble Rot
Noble Rot has long been regarded as one of London’s most treasured places to dine. The lunch menu comes in at £28 for three courses and changes regularly. Recent dishes include venison carpaccio, Cornish octopus, braised Cornish turbot, and Comte beignets.
With locations across London, Noble Rot also has a glorious wine list with plenty of by the glass options. Though be warned, it’s very easy to end up buying a bottle.
Book at noblerot.co.uk, various locations including bloomsbury">Bloomsbury, soho">Soho, and mayfair">Mayfair
Bistro Union
Bistro Union calls itself Clapham’s neighbourhood restaurant and for good reason. It boasts plenty of snacks, small plates and aperitifs to enjoy from noon and larger sharing plates too, including duck confit and an excellent Roscoff onion tarte tatin.
Bistro Union is owned by Adam Byatt, best known for his Michelin-starred flagship restaurant Trinity, which is nearby on the edge of Clapham Common. If that isn’t endorsement enough, the bistro also happens to be one of Michel Roux’s favourite local restaurants. He loves the Sunday roast (and so do we).
40 Abbeville Rd, London SW4 9NG, bistrounion.co.uk
Xi’an Impression
You’ll be the one needing a bib. Located in Upper Holloway, this tiny restaurant serves hand-pulled noodles slathered in chilli oil alongside other Sichuan classics. Food here is spicy, punchy and incredibly affordable for a lunch time pit stop, with dishes from around £12.
Be warned: this is a go-to for Arsenal fans on match days, so you might want to check when the north London club is playing before making a booking.
117 Benwell Road, N7 7BW, xian-impressions.menu-world.com
La Poule au Pot
La Poule Au Pot is charming, romantic, and one of Pimlico’s best bistros for lunch or dinner, with old school service and a jolly wine list. Expect French classics such as escargot, Dover sole, onion soup, and chicken supreme, while the fries are a must.
In good weather (there might be some left) take a seat on the terrace and watch Pimlico stroll by. There are always an abundance of characters, from politicians to singers, music producers to ex-Soviet spies.
231 Ebury St, London SW1W 8UT, pouleaupot.co.uk
Home SW15
Down in Putney is Home SW15, a leafy neighbourhood fixture and something of an institution these days.
The restaurant’s £25 lunch menu uses leftovers from the previous day to create good but thrifty dishes. Moules mariniere, a pretty good paella full of fish or meat, and a fresh Thai-style salad have featured in the past.
146 Upper Richmond Rd, London SW15 2SW, homesw15.com
Brother Marcus
With locations in Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, Angel, Borough Yards, Spitalfields, and South Kensington, this eastern Mediterranean brunch spot is located in key shopping districts. No wonder the restaurant group is growing so quickly.
The menu is built for sharing, with plenty of mezze options, dips, and breads. Breakfast options, available from 8:30am to noon, include harissa eggs, smoky shakshuka, fried chicken rosti, and stuffed pitas.
Various locations, brothermarcus.co.uk/
Café Laville
Café Laville specialises in homemade pasta, focaccia sandwiches, and pizza, and is always full of families during the holidays.
Beyond that, it’s a place for waterside dining and makes for an everyday restaurant with solid Italian dishes alongside views across Little Venice. Expect fritto misto, grilled king prawns, veal Milanese and lemon and ricotta ravioli. Far from world-beating but simple, easy, and great for catch-ups.
453 Edgware Rd, London W2 1TH, cafelaville.co.uk
Jolene
Both a bakery and a restaurant, Jolene is a firm North London favourite with a changing menu of Italian-inspired dishes such as caponata, burrata with tomatoes, mussels cooked in paprika and sweetcorn, and tagliatelle of lamb ragu.
Don’t bring your kids so you don’t have to share anything. As for the bakery, coffees and house-brewed kombuchas are also up for grabs alongside croissants, fruit Danishes and savoury items.
Various locations, www.jolenebakery.com/
Sushi Bar Makoto
Sushi Bar Makoto in Turnham Green is an intimate and quiet sushi spot. There’s a range of £10 dishes, from prawn tempura to una-tama don, while the venue also serves bento boxes and its own “sashimi lunch”, with a changing fish selection often incorporating tuna, salmon and unagi.
Really, this might be described as a bit of a hidden gem. Who knew you could find great sushi in Chiswick? Not your kids, anyway.
57 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London W4 1RP, @sushi_bar_makoto
Naughty Piglets
London’s chalkboard obsession continues. At this Brixton bistro, working mum Margaux is in charge, but she retreats home in the evening to spend time with her daughter, leaving the restaurant in the hands of her team.
Currently in residence at Naughty Piglets is Eric Wan, who is cooking Vietnamese-inspired cuisine including spiced scallops, courgette flowers, whipped tofu, and roast monkfish on the bone. Next month, Nico Reynolds will be doing Caribbean and Irish fusion cuisine, whatever that might be...
28 Brixton Water Ln, London SW2 1PE, www.naughtypiglets.co.uk/
The Cow
Everyone knows the Cow, famous for its oysters, Guinness, good pies and celebrity crowd.
In fact, this is the designers’ favourite pub. Victoria Beckham loves it, while Stella McCartney has been known to host her legendary staff Christmas parties here — where double-decker, karaoke party buses bring the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Rita Ora to rub shoulders with members of the eco atelier.
89 Westbourne Park Rd, London W2 5QH, thecowlondon.com
Gymkhana
Who said Gymkhana has to be the preserve of special occasions? While this Indian restaurant has earned its place in most people’s bucket list of London restaurants, with its two Michelin-stars and difficult to get tables, not many will know about the £65 lunch menu.
Still pricey, but an affordable alternative to the dinner menu and a chance to forget about your children over channa masala, Goan prawn curry, and kasoori chicken tikka. Those lamb chops would be wasted on your kids anyway.
42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH, gymkhanalondon.com
