We spent three nights in London with our girls, who are 8 and 11, before our cruise to Spain, Portugal, and France. We ate at four places: a themed afternoon tea, our hotel’s breakfast, a birthday dinner at The Shard, and a dinner in the West End before a show. Dining in London with kids turned out to be easier than I expected, and one of these meals surprised me more than anything else on the trip.
We made reservations at every restaurant a day or two ahead. Aqua Shard we booked further in advance, since it was my birthday dinner and my husband wanted to make sure we got a table for the sunset.
Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson: Tea for Dinner
Our first evening, we were so jet-lagged and tired that a real dinner sounded like too much. So we had tea for dinner instead. We went to the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson, a themed tea that was served daily from 12:30 to 7:00 PM when we went. The Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea is £75 per adult and the kids’ version is £45.
What the Adults Got
The tea sandwiches were delicious, and they’re unlimited. Ours were:
- The Waldorf Forest
- The Tea Party: cucumber cream, lemon, and dill
- The Cheshire Cat: Scottish smoked salmon, cream cheese, and chives
- The Mad Hatter: sliced pastrami with mustard and pickles
The scones were homemade sultana and plain scones with preserves and whipped clotted cream. The pastries were:
- Knight Chess: an almond and raspberry Battenberg
- Tea O’Clock: a matcha and vanilla mascarpone teacup
- Queen of Hearts: strawberry and Biscoff cookie
- The Blue Caterpillar: blueberry bavaroise with coconut crunch
- A Very Berry Potion: a berry infusion with mango boba
All of it was excellent.
What the Kids Got
The kids got ham, cheese, and butter sandwiches, a marinated grilled vegetable and cream cheese sandwich (they wouldn’t go near that one), and peanut butter and jelly. Their pastries were the Knight Chess, the Blue Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts, and the Very Berry Potion. In my opinion, the pastries were a little too sophisticated for kids.
Instead of tea, they had hot chocolate. They were so excited that their tea tower came with candy floss (cotton candy) on top, and honestly that was the only sweet they really enjoyed.
Our Verdict on the Mad Hatter’s Tea
I really enjoyed this tea. Kids don’t really get the glamour of afternoon tea, and the theme made it fun for them. If you’re dining in London with kids and want one themed experience, this is a cute one. Everything is Alice in Wonderland, including the china. There’s a drink that changes color when something is added, and the sugar cubes come in music boxes. Very whimsical.
It was a nice experience, but I don’t think we’ll go back. It’s a cute themed tea, but the treats are still very adult. Next time we’ll try something else, probably a Willy Wonka-themed tea. I can see the kids enjoying that one a little more.
Breakfast at Our Hotel: The Easiest Part of Dining in London With Kids
We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel, the London Marriott County Hall. We have Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, so a full breakfast was included for us in the hotel’s Library. It was such an enjoyable way to start the day, eating in an old, historic library room overlooking the Thames.
The breakfast was great, and you could really get anything you wanted. We tried the traditional English breakfast with ham, sausage, beans, tomato, toast, and eggs. The eggs were the best I’ve ever had. So fresh. They also had fresh juices and smoothies.
One morning I had the smoked salmon on a bagel. It was a bit too fishy for my taste, but still good. The only bad thing I had was the avocado toast. It was the worst avocado I’ve ever had. I’m guessing avocados just don’t travel well to London.
The kids had waffles, French toast, and pancakes, and they were really taken care of. They also had great plain yogurt, which my younger one loved.
Our Platinum status also got us into the M Club lounge, which always had scones with jam and cream, biscuits, candy, and drinks. When you’re dining in London with kids who get hungry all the time, having that access is a big help.
Aqua Shard: My Birthday Dinner With a View
On our second night, we had my birthday dinner at Aqua Shard. The Shard is a very tall building with a group of restaurants near the top, and Aqua Shard is known for lighter, healthier food. Security is good, too. We went through metal detectors to get into the building, and I appreciated that.
We ordered from the prix fixe Sunset Menu, which was £60 per person for a starter, main, and dessert. The kids’ menu was also prix fixe, at £39 for three courses. That’s good to know ahead of time if you’re dining in London with kids.
We added the fermented lentil and heritage grain sourdough with cultured butter, and it was great. We needed two orders for the four of us.
What We Ordered at Aqua Shard
For starters, I had the Cotswold white chicken terrine. It was kind of weird, but I’m glad I tried it. My husband had the dry-aged Irish beef carpaccio, which was delicious.
For mains, I had the roasted chalk stream trout. It was perfectly good fish, but nothing special. My husband had the sweetcorn and mushroom spelt risotto, which was excellent. For dessert, we had one yuzu posset and one caramel custard tart. The whole menu felt like a spa menu, lighter and healthier.
The kids started with a vegetable crudité platter with hummus. My kids didn’t eat it, but I thought it was good. One ordered grilled chicken with French fries, and the other ordered filet mignon with French fries. Neither would touch the broccoli. For dessert they had a chocolate mousse dessert, which they enjoyed.
Is Aqua Shard Worth It for Dining in London With Kids?
Probably not. It was fine, but it’s not worth going back for the food. I would go to The Shard for dinner again, but I’d try a different restaurant. The place itself is beautiful. The view is stunning, watching the sunset is stunning, and the service was wonderful.
Indigo at One Aldwych: Our Favorite Spot for Dining in London With Kids
On our last night, we ate at Indigo at One Aldwych in London’s West End. We picked it because it looked nice and it was close to the Novello Theatre, where we were seeing Mamma Mia! after dinner.
We didn’t know much about the restaurant going in. It turns out Indigo is a completely gluten-free and dairy-free British restaurant. The food was fantastic, and I would never have known I was eating gluten-free and dairy-free. The restaurant sits on a balcony overlooking the hotel’s beautiful lobby bar. It’s very elegant, and both the restaurant and the bar were full.
What We Ordered at Indigo
My husband and I both ordered the Indigo Set Menu, which was £50 for a starter, main, and dessert. We both started with the English pea velouté, and it was fantastic. The gluten-free bread they bring to start is amazing, too.
For my main, I had the cream cheese gnocchi, which was apparently a vegan dish. I would never have known, because it was fantastic. My husband had the glazed pork cheeks with creamed polenta and pickled apple, which was also fantastic.
For dessert, I wanted something English, so I had the English strawberry Eton mess. My husband had the lemon polenta cake.
Indigo was easy for dining in London with kids, too. One of ours had the kids’ fish and chips. It was the first time Madeline tried fish and chips, and she enjoyed it. Charlotte had the mini burgers, which were perfect for her: just a burger patty and a bun.
Would We Go Back to Indigo?
Honestly, this is the best gluten-free and dairy-free restaurant I have ever been to. If it were in LA, I would be there regularly, especially since I have a vegan brother and a mom with celiac disease. There are a ton of restaurants to try in London, so I don’t know that we’d go back right away. But if you have celiac or you’re dairy-free, you have to go to this restaurant.
Tips for Dining in London With Kids
Make reservations, even if it’s just a day or two ahead. That was enough for every place we went. Book further out for anything special, like a sunset table or a birthday.
Don’t be afraid to swap a meal. Tea for dinner on a jet-lagged first night was one of the best decisions we made, and at 6:00 PM the tea room was nearly empty.
Look for kids’ menus. Every restaurant we went to had one, and they were real meals, not just chicken nuggets. And know that a fun theme doesn’t always mean kid-friendly food. The Mad Hatter’s tea was whimsical, but the treats were made for grown-ups.
Dining in London With Kids: Where We Ate at a Glance
| Where | Meal | Price when we went | Would we go back? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson | Tea for dinner | £75 per adult, £45 per child | No. We’ll try a different themed tea |
| London Marriott Hotel County Hall, the Library | Breakfast every morning | Included with our Platinum Elite status | Yes |
| Aqua Shard at The Shard | My birthday dinner | £60 Sunset Menu, £39 kids’ menu | Probably not. We’d try another restaurant in The Shard |
| Indigo at One Aldwych | Dinner before Mamma Mia! | £50 set menu | I wouldn’t mind, and it’s a must if you’re gluten-free or dairy-free |
More From Our Europe Trip
This post is part of our series on our summer trip to London and our Celebrity Apex cruise to Spain, Portugal, and France.
London With Kids
- Virgin Atlantic Review: Flying LAX to London With Kids
- London Marriott County Hall Review: A Family Stay by Big Ben
- London With Kids: One Big Thing a Day (Our Easy Itinerary)
- Getting Around London With Kids: The Best Ways, Honestly
- Dining in London With Kids: Our Honest Reviews of 4 Spots
Our Celebrity Apex Cruise
- The Retreat on Celebrity Apex With Kids: Was It Worth It?
- Lisbon Tuk Tuk Tour From a Cruise Ship: Fun, Hot, and Worth It With Kids
- Porto Cruise Port Without an Excursion: Hot Dogs, Vinho Verde, and Shopping With Kids
- Vigo and La Coruña Cruise Ports With Kids: A Walking Tour, Galician Food, and Gelato
- Bilbao Shore Excursion With Kids: The Guggenheim, the Market, and the Pintxos We Missed
- Southampton to Heathrow via Stonehenge: Our Cruise Excursion With Kids
- Le Havre to Paris on a Cruise With Kids: Is the Long Day Worth It?
Planning a cruise? These are already on the blog:
