A Week In London With Kids
/We just got back from a week in London and it was bloody lovely. I’m no expert on the city (my time studying abroad there in college was mostly spent drinking with other Americans), but I clocked in loads of hours putting together our family’s itinerary for this trip. And it went smashingly so read on for deets!
The Touristy Stuff We Did
We didn’t go too heavy on tourist attractions, since the husband and I had done it all before and our kids are - you know - kids. One day we did the obligatory walk past Big Ben, the London Eye and Parliament (Westminster Abby is also over there but we walked in the opposite direction towards 10 Downing and Trafalgar Square).
Another day we strolled through the oh-so-touristy (and laden with chain stores) areas of Covent Garden and Leicester Square.
One morning we failed to see much of anything at the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace (oh well, we got the gist). Another afternoon, we hit the Tower of London (where we were far more successful at seeing a guard change). There are SO MANY museums in London and many are FREE. We didn’t have the time or the trip-mates (kids!) to do many museums, but I dragged my crew through the Tate Modern for a bit!
Can you visit London without doing afternoon tea? We took ours at the Chesterfield Mayfair on Little One’s birthday. It is called The Original Sweetshop Afternoon Tea and (surprise, surprise), the bday girl picked it.
And finally, while not exclusive to tourists, we caught a show one night in the West End. We saw Roald Dahl’s Matilda and it was lovely. IMHO it was great seeing a British show in London and not something that originated or is still playing back at home.
The Less Touristy Stuff We Did
For Vibes
Many of our best moments on the trip were spent exploring and taking in the sights and sounds of real life in the city.
To that end, we booked a hotel in Bishopsgate (more on that below), walking distance from cool neighborhoods like Spitalfields (and its awesome Brick Lane) and Shoreditch. Our area was full of Londoners commuting to work and grabbing drinks after work. We loved getting to know these streets and getting a sense of life in the city.
In Spitalfields there are two cute connected markets selling food and all kinds of artsy wares. The local storefronts are also cute and hip over here. And Brick Lane, a street famous for its Bangladeshi curryhouses mixed with hipster jaunts is a Must See area. That hipness continues into Shoreditch which has a bit of a grittiness turned gentrified feel to it.
Speaking of hipsters, we spent a full day in London at Camden Market. This market - while still popular with tourists - has more of a local feel to it than some other markets. There are rows and rows of shops here selling vintage items, counterculture wares, foods and everything in between. To spice up our Camden Town day, we arrived via a 45 minute cruise down Regent’s Canal with London Waterbus Company departing from Little Venice. While at Camden Market, do not miss (i) the Amy Winehouse statue and (ii) the sugary wonders at Hans and Gretel’s flagship store.
In the West End of the city, we spent a wonderful afternoon strolling through a corner of Hyde Park. We saw some of beautiful Kensington Gardens and the kids had a lot of fun playing at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. From there, we took a spin through Harrod’s (okay that’s touristy), including its toy store!
For Kids
Yeah Hamleys is the Finest Toy Store In The World, but I never went when I was in London at age 20 so it can’t be known by all tourists, right?!? No matter, a visit to Hamleys with kids is a must and you MUST arrive at open for the store’s invigorating opening ceremony. Their Regent Street flagship is also right next to Carnaby Street and all the chi chi (chain stores!) of Regent Street.
On our Tower of London day, we did a quick run through the nearby Clink Prison Musuem. It’s a small kid friendly attraction that actually gives your little ones insight into some of the gruesome acts done in the name of “punishment” back in the day. It’s all presented in a matter of fact and fairly “G rated” manner - no gore or jump scares here!
ALL THE Yummy Eats WE HAD
I spent a lot of time pre-trip searching for delicious but family friendly meals in London. And that time paid off with some great meals.
Mornings and Baked Goods
We started our first morning in London with a walk to Brick Lane. A vibrant cultural and artistic hub, Brick Lane is mostly known for its Bangadeshi curry houses. But we were there that early morning for salt beef at famed Jewish deli, Beigel Bake (open 24 hours!) and an indulgent hot chocolate at nearby (and black female owned!) Dark Sugars Chocolates.
In Soho right near the West End theaters, we enjoyed pre-theater delectably light doughnuts from Israeli donut shop, Donutelier by Roladin. Another morning we scarfed down cinnamon buns at local micro-chain, Buns From Home. Still another morning we hit Arome Bakery in Covent Garden for pastries.
And if you are only going to have ONE breakfast in London, make it the English breakfast at E. Pellicci’s in Bethnal Green. This East End cafe was started over a century ago by a family of Italian immigrants. The family treats everyone as a regular and their warmth will instantly enamour you.
Casual Eats
Borough Market is THE food market in London, conveniently located near the Tower of London and other tourist destinations. It would be so much fun to meander around this market for days, but on our one lunch visit, it was so crowded that we could barely get a sense of things. We had better luck that same morning when we sped through the Market just to grab (yummy) donuts at Bread Ahead.
We were lucky to have the original Spitalfields location of Poppie’s Fish and Chips close to our hotel. Also with locations in Soho and Camden, Poppie’s has been doing fish fries since 1952. Don’t skip their incredible Sticky Toffee Pudding!
We hit Sri Lakan hot spot, Hoppers, also part of the JKS Restaurant Group mentioned below, in SoHo before seeing Matilda.
Posh Eats
To celebrate our Little One turning 9, I needed to find a place as glamourous as she is, while still being family friendly and tasty. Enter Ave Mario. This Italian trattoria from the Big Momma restaurant group in Covent Garden is an automatic party. It’s three levels of excitement and some rather tasty eats.
London has long been known for its Indian cuisine thanks to its large Indian population. On our trip, we visited a newish spot from JKS Restaurants in London City called Brigadiers. Posh but still quite comfortable, Brigadiers is an Indian barbeque restaurant paying homage to 19th century British raj and Indian Club Culture. It was one of the prettiest, sleekest restaurants I’ve ever seen and everything we ate was delicious.
Probably the most delicious meal of the trip was at Padella, a cosmopolitian and very popular Italian restaurant with locations in Shoreditch and Borough Market that’s known for its handmade pastas. Yum.
Our most “grown up” meal of the trip was at The Camberwell Arms. The menu was a bit of a stretch for our carb focused older daughter, but the husband and I loved our meal. This a casual but upscale part pub/part restaurant that’s serving some really great British fare worthy of a longer Uber ride.
AND WHERE WE STAYED
As mentioned above, I really loved staying in the East End, near fashionable neighborhoods like Shoreditch and amongst all the local Londoners. Our hotel, the Pan Pacific was extremely well located steps from Liverpool Street tube station that services several tube lines. We were also walking distance to the Tower of London. As for the hotel itself, the service and comforts at the Pan Pacific were the best I’ve ever seen in a city - it was a truly five star experience all around. We were blown away by this hotel. I HIGHLY recommend!
