My London recs – Virginia Roberts

I often get questions about what’s good in London, now that I’ve lived here a while. My answers vary based on whether the person asking is a parent travelling here with young children, or grownups looking for their own fun.

Obviously, in the city this big and diverse, there are things that suit dramatically different tastes and demographics. But here is a slice of what my own taste maps to.

General London tips:

Plan ahead! London is more geographically spread out with no grid of roads in most places and no fast thoroughfares inside the city for the most part. You gotta plan for ~45 min door to door to get most places if they aren’t in the same neighbourhood. Get over it/get used to it and carry reading materials. :) (But also, you’ll have fun people watching and looking at goofy af tube adverts if you forget a book or e-reader.)
I find that researching what to see in a given neighbourhood makes my heart sing. So if I’m going somewhere to see a museum or I’m dining at a particular restaurant, I’ll try and look up cool architectural sights, fun independent shops or cafes, etc. right in that same area, because you might not spot them all organically. This minimises my own annoyance about how long it can take to get places here, and helps me explore more than I’d otherwise get to see.
Put a contactless payment card on your ApplePay/etc, and do it on your watch too if applicable. It’ll help loads. Approve it/get it verified before you leave your home country. (I mean, do the whole currency exchange thing if you want to, but whatever.) See about those foreign transaction fees tho – consider putting a non-primary card on your phone as the default one if you have one that doesn’t charge fees. Capital One is a good bet.
You don’t need to get an Oyster card; just pay for public transport with the card on your phone. it’ll work out to the best rate.
If you need the loo, most pubs will be chill about it. Weirdly, casual restaurants such as fast food or coffee shops will be dramatically less chill about it.
Wear comfortable shoes! Even Londoners do it (and look like shit for it sometimes, but that tells you something). You’ll walk a LOT here, even if you do take transport between stops! If you’re not from a public-transport-forward city, it’ll surprise you.

Where to stay

I don’t know, man, I live here! Seriously, as a family rooted in London we don’t have a ton of great input, but I’l tell ya my ideas.

Give up on trying to find a suite or adjoining hotel rooms. The almost don’t exist in the UK as a whole. Also, the beds here – King means US Queen, Queen means US Full/Double, Single means Slightly Smaller Than A US Twin. Small double means, don’t kid yourself, somehow also still slightly smaller than a US twin, just in a different way. Super King means American King and you’ll never find one in a hotel or most rentals so stop trying.
While I don’t think this is optimal for anyone with luxury goals, the Belgrave Road hotels in Pimlico span a range from cheap to luxe but are usually less splashy than other hotels in London (and way more modest accordingly). The Luna Simone is called out as an affordable option, but it’s 100% nothing special in terms of having no charm. The location is “convenient” but not close to the specific things you’re into. It is, however, chock freaking full of people who seemingly book there bc it’s a decent deal. Might be worth investigating.
Even cheaper tends to be Premier Inn. They’re very basic, but sometimes that’s what you need.
A breakfast at an English place is likely to be better than many crappy continental hotel breakfasts, and cheaper than most meals out here; quick grab-and-go options are fewer here (this city could learn a thing or to about the Breakfast Sandwich, lemme tell ya). I’d factor an affordable hot hotel brekkie into my lodging budget before ruling anywhere out.
I think you either need to prioritise low budget, or charming and well located. You’re unlikely to get both. I’d love to know of any gems if I’m wrong there. I can’t speak to luxury-level places as that ain’t my life; I have pals who maybe can if you want me to ask around.

Grownups

Obviously this doesn’t have to be exclusively for grownups, but I think it’s worth separating into basically places I would and wouldn’t be comfortable taking my kids, heh.

Food

It’s possible to spend soooo much on mediocre food and drink if you don’t put enough forethought into it! Plan way ahead. Hope this helps!

General food tips here:

Book your dinner reservations as far in advance if you possibly can, even if you end up needing to cancel or amend later; good stuff books up so far in advance! But always call and ask if a website shows no availability.
Don’t bother eating at Borough Market itself but check out the many cool restaurants near there that require advance booking. (And don’t miss my sweets tip below about the sorbet)
The Infatuation is the best food website these days; Eater London still has useful guidance and maps of neighbourhoods even though they aren’t updated anymore.
Never go to the chain coffee shops that aren’t Starbucks (and don’t get food at any Starbucks here) BUT – weirdly – Caffè Nero has lowkey the best sausage roll in the city, somehow? It makes no sense but it’s incredible

Particular food gems, from high to low end

Hakkasan, hip modern vibe Michelin starred Chinese
Sketch if you’re into Sketch vibes – go to this if you can, use the bathroom, don’t look up anything about it, trust me. See if you can aim for a weekend or evening night with live music too. There are many rooms; I like the Grove and Gallery
Isabel also in Mayfair near Sketch; different vibes by day and night, also don’t miss the bathroom and be nice to the door guy
Bob Bob Ricard ,more for the fun than the actual food/drink; ensure that you get a table with A Button (no Googling)
Gilray’s (says my husband)
Hawksmoor for steak and shockingly good cocktails
Afternoon Tea is such a THING here. There’s an entire website dedicated to finding different teas, with different themes, at different price points and locations: https://afternoontea.co.uk (I’ve never done the double decker bus one but I’ve wanted to)
Bistroteque and Rogues if you’re willing to come to East London,
Wun Tea Room (closed now but may reopen; so great I refuse to remove it from the list)
Dishoom does reservations for lunch only I think, if that matters. I don’t find it worth the hype to queue up, but I *do* love their Indian more than other basic Indian. (That said, basic Indian here is different than basic Indian in the US!) Get those Dishoom gunpowder potatoes if potatoes sound good. There’s a crispy fried Iranian chicken with a sauce that I love if you eat chicken
Ottolenghi is delightful and great for anytime you’re staying in an AirBnB or otherwise self-catered lodgings. And they’re everywhere! Really nice cold deli food as well as amazing baked goods and such. And amazing culinary gifts to bring back home! (Don’t miss those cheddar pistachio biscuits, holy shit)
Go to Regent Cafe if you’re in Pimlico anyway to see the Tate Britain. Pay attention in the long queue and order like the locals do. Let them butter your toast and sugar your tea. This place is an institution and you’ll never get treated quite the same (not in a high-end way, but in like a no-nonsense way that you don’t always find when playing tourist). Enjoy! (Try the weird cabbage thing! I forget what it’s called but you’ll know)
I included other more casual places you should check out in the families section below

Drinks:

Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities and the Last Tuesday Society
Macsmith’s cocktail bar (forget what it’s called but literally inside the basement of a hipster-branded Mac repair store)
The bar on rooftop of Londoner hotel in Soho (takes reservations on OpenTable last we checked; it feels fancy and is expensive but weirdly worth it)
Non-alcoholic drinks here kind of suck most of the time (unless you come to my house and I’ll make you something lovely). But take note: the mocktail scene in this city is an expensive sham. Get a zero alcohol beer if you don’t drink alcohol and want a fun grownup thing. There is a burgeoning “spirit-free spirits” movement and it’s also mostly overpriced and bullshit IMO, especially on a restaurant menu for a single drink. Honestly, drink the free tap water and save your budget for other fun, for real. Just trying to save you from the many £12 glasses of what amounted to weird coloured apple juice that I had to go through before figuring this out.
Shrine to the Vine is a legit great wine store (from the Noble Rot folks) and their house white and red are very flexible and drinkable yet affordable enough (like £13?) with a fun label so you look hip and like you knew what you were doing

Sweets:

Gelupo and Udderlicious ice cream,
If you end up around Borough Market anyway, get sorbet at the Alain Ducasse ice cream window/shop inside the chocolate shop. (The chocolates are lovely too but if you want a British chocolatier it’s William Curley, see below)
William Curley has been voted best chocolatier in Britain; I concur! He’s got a tiny shop in an adorable hidden yard in Soho, but you can also get his stuff (singles or boxed) at the chocolate room at Harrods. You should go to that room and explore it even if you’re not that into chocolate and you don’t buy anything since most of it is non-British brands anyway.
Rococo chocolates are also lovely if overpriced.
Hotel Chocolat is a chain here; I don’t really understand their whole entire deal, but they have one or two things that are total bangers for me (Raspberry milk chocolate smoothie; better than it sounds). Seems fun to look? They’re everywhere.
Violet Bakery! Yeah, the one that did Harry and Meghan’s cake. Best bakery in London IMO! (Probably bc I’m American and so is she haha)
Lilly Vanilli is great too as bakeries go (and also does a great sausage roll even tho that’s not sweets sorry! Get it for later!)
The Connaught Patisserie or whatever it’s called is hella lovely. Feels so posh you almost don’t wanna sit or cut open your thing.
Margot Bakery if you happen to be near one!
Entire Google Maps list of just the best ice cream here: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.492666,-0.2236044,12z/data=!4m3!11m2!2saja8NrnDQce4lUU3KqPBvg!3e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Overrated, don’t bother:

Brat (there are 2, at least one has a Michelin star; I don’t get it)
Fallow – it’s yummy and cool but the price is in vibe are not as great as the hype
any Gordon Ramsay place (they’re good but a lot of excessive hype),
any food in the food hall level at Harrods (their upper floor restaurants are better),
Fortnum and Mason (buy some treats for home but there are more indie brands and their restaurants are meh; enjoy the window displays though).
Saint John (it’s v good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not god’s gift so don’t cry if no booking available)
Most coffee shops have baked goods they bring in from external companies, of wildly varying quality. Don’t be tempted by what something looks like in a case if you’re on a caloric or financial budget. That £7 slice of pretty cake is so often really meh in the mouth here, if it’s not from one of my hand-curated recs, haha
Gail’s; don’t @ me
Do not, under any circumstances, ever end up at a Giraffe

Entertainment

What do you enjoy? Me, I like questionably colonial old shit. 😬🤷🏼‍♀️ I mean, I like other things too, but when I’m playing Tourist in London I often wanna see pretty old architecture financed by horrible colonial doings and the earnings thereof right on up to about WWI. So, like, there’s definitely a bias to my recs here; take or leave!

Museums:

Sir John Soane museum
The Courtauld Gallery – check the exhibition and book tickets in advance, they get some great ones!
Wallace Collection, and poke around Marylebone’s high street after if you’re there anyway
British Museum despite all the controversies; it’s big so make a plan (and find one of the non-primary entrances to minimise queues). My fave room is still the Egypt one and the big ole Victorian curiosities library-style one, you’ll know it
V&A but don’t go to S Kensington just for that IMO (but do check out the cafe if there)
The Tate Britain (not Modern, I’m saying make a separate trip to Pimlico for the regular one)
Tate Modern as well, if that’s your jam; the permanent collection only has a couple things that excite me, but there are often GREAT temporary exhibits (my friend curates them!)
National Gallery (but plan to dine somewhere else as that’s like crap touristy chain food central! BUT the big Pret A Manger has bathrooms)
National Portrait Gallery if you’re into that, close by
Museum of the Home; I don’t actually find it that thrilling but others seem to love it!

Theatre:

Obviously subjective but there’s just so MUCH to see here. I won’t tell you specific plays to see or not, as I tend to go for stuff that isn’t like a permanent installation. But shows are often really long-running here, like the same ones near Victoria have been doing Hamilton and Wicked for literally decades. The West End district o’ theatres has so many things that come through; figure out your thing and book book book it! (Look at tube adverts for inspo if you’re not sure, haha)

They almost always have ice cream available at the intermission! Which is called the ‘interval’ here! And they totally expect you to take it back to the carpeted upholstered seating area and eat it. They have drinks too, and you can sometimes pre-order to have it brought to your seat!
See if the Lord Chamberlain’s Men have a show on; a lovely v cool company even though it is in fact only men!
I remember not really caring for the Globe Theatre tour as a tourist, but they have lots of great actual plays performed there often, including with film celebrities which is always fun – def worth looking and booking
That said, don’t book a celeb headliner for really expensive shows just bc! (Ask me sometime about my crazy expensive Brie Larson showing of Elektra. Or just Google it; literally all reviews panned I believe)
See what’s at South Bank Playhouse (both locations)
Figure out the shows you must see and book early, obv, but…
Figure out the shows you’d *like* to see, and look into same-day cheap tickets – can sometimes be had shockingly low and a great last minute hurrah if it works out!
Make your dinner booking annoyingly early if seeing an evening show, like, 5 PM at the latest (but places closer to the west end will get it and hustle as needed)
Local neighbourhood theatres often have cool shit too (shout out to Hackney Empire!) with much lower prices, generally

Other:

London has a great walking tour scene, and there are also some fab Insta accounts that will tell you cool walks to do!
You can find books or blog posts that will sketch out journeys too, and show interesting quirks like buildings that survived the Great Fire, historical plaques meaning interesting things, boarded-up windows and their history, etc. Worth doing some homework IMO so you can appreciate what you’re seeing!
Look up some less-known Christopher Wren buildings; there are more beyond just St Paul’s and often cheaper and less crowded
Investigate mudlarking, if that excites you, but know that you need a special license and you can’t take anything you find anymore and it’s all kind of A Whole Thing now
There are so many cray activities here that aren’t in “normal” cities. Urban axe throwing? (OK I guess that’s becoming more normal, but still. I saw it here first.) Disco boxing. Whatever. Professional cookie frosting. Macaron making. Decorative tile glazing, bookbinding, yada yada. If you like a strange fitness or culinary or other “experience” to your trip, have a little search; I bet you find all sorts of weird shit they don’t have back home. Have a think and a Google and maybe poke around on Instagram.
Controversial, but I think hop on/hop off bus tours are kind of great! I like being able to see stuff up high, while getting educated about it, ideally with a live speaker and not a recording, and without having to care about traffic or walking exhaustion. They can be expensive and Ultra Touristy but it’s one of the few Ultra Touristy things I actually think is worthwhile. (Don’t dress like an idiot; this is London. Pack a raincoat etc)

Shopping

A lot of “downtown” London areas are blah for cute fun shopping. The actual major districts of Oxford St/Regent’s St are overwhelmingly crowded and annoying, IMO; smaller areas are more fun, but you have to be willing to get out of Main Tourist London to take advantage!

Some “check out everything in this area” tips:

If you’re in the busy Oxford/Regent area anyway, do poke into Liberty there and have a peek on Carnaby St especially if it’s holiday decor season
Wandering around Neal’s yard and nearby 7 dials/shops is always fun (but don’t bother eating inside the market IMO)
Find Lamb’s Conduit and explore there plus little side streets
Columbia Road Flower Market happens on Sundays from early morn until like 2; loads of really cute shops of all sorts that often only open during market time
Speaking of, if you’re in east London anyway, peek at Broadway Market on a weekend, peek inside Mare Street Market, peek at the shops around Lauriston Circle near Victoria Park
Hot take, I don’t really care for Camden Market! Lots of people will swear you have to go there. I’d give it a miss, but you do you
Harrods! Go to Harrods, yes, do it at least once. Wander around the unreasonable women’s fashion floor just to kind of perceive the wild architecture, and do not miss the Egyptian escalator. You need not buy anything.
Selfridge’s is fun but really only if you’re already gonna be in that area; Harrod’s is better (and Selfridge’s is basically a glorified overpriced Nordstrom with more foot traffic. BUT it has a cinema and that, while an annoying place to actually see a movie, is kind of a fun detail)
Mayfair – this is snobby designer district; it’s fun to peek at the ridiculous artsy storefronts even if the actual products are out of your price range
Picadilly – mostly not a shopping area but there are one or two “arcades” (basically a fancy covered alley filled with shops) that are elegant and loads of fun, plus there’s a Waterstone’s that’s a flagship location, right next to the Fortnum and Mason that’s a good time for a touristy peek at least
Islington – near Angel tube stop is a lot of fun zingy shopping and culture; I wouldn’t go there just for the vibe alone, but if I ended up there anyway, I’d make a point of exploring a bit

There was a Threads post ages back that got loads of cool replies about fun indie stores, including a great list from one of the fun indie stores. I got real into it and made a whole public Google Maps list of all the places! It’s a mixture of bookstores, home stuff, gifts, art supplies, randomness, but they’re all places that are fun for a wander and browse. I would also put literally any museum gift store here into that category, fwiw. But I’ll try enumerating some here to parse easier:

“Useful but also pretty” shops
There are a couple shops that fall into this category and are SUCH a delight, like
labour and wait
present and correct
Taylor’s buttons
Clothing

Kate Sheridan raincoats are lovely; she has at least 2 stores

I honestly haven’t found any killer shops I adore and that fit me; at least, nothing exciting enough to shout about here.

Shoes

Same for shoes – I’d be loud about it if there were something you Couldn’t Miss. I’m sure others will feel differently (but hey I have big feet and big orthotics needs, so I’m necessarily limited here).

If you’re into, like, fancy sneakers? They have that. Lovely heels? They have that. Pick the thing you covet and build a pilgrimage to a specific neighbourhood over it.

Accessories

Ally Capellino is a cool unisex kinda bag/backpack designer

Tbh I have no specifics; there is cool shit everywhere! (I’m sure I’m forgetting something and will update accordingly if and when it occurs to me.)

Sometimes posh brands will do like pop-up store “experiences” here – I recall Anya Hindemarch’s shop doing some weird collab with, like, ketchup flavoured ice cream? Clearly I didn’t pay attention – but you get some wacky advertising and marketing money spent in this city, so you might as well have fun with it. Luxury brands, especially for women’s accessories, seem to really lean into this.

Jewellery

See above! BUT I particularly love a few things at Luna & Curious, read on…

Kids

The shop Luna & Curious has some absolutely great stuff for kids, and some cool grownup stuff too. A mix of clothes, accessories, jewellery, books, toys, decor – but mostly not decor. A good time!

There are loads of cutesy little independent shops that sell frocks that are cute neutral linen that your toddler will at some point refuse to wear bc it isn’t spangled or bright enough. If that’s your vibe, research it and make a pilgrimage and build an afternoon out of it. Many such shops also have lovely toys galore.

Home decor

Tons of little independent fun shops, too many to specify, but I’m sad to say the incredibly fun emporium The Conran Shop closed down. You might have fun wandering around a Heal’s though!

Kitchen

Borough Market and Season are two independent local cookware stores that are a good time, even just for a peek. Multiple locations for both (but not many)

Antiques

Mostly don’t shop for these here! I mean, you can look for fun – try Portobello market, check when it’s open – but it’s mad expensive and likely not worth it; remember that London antiquarians have to pay London real estate prices so everything is marked way the fuck up accordingly! That said, Crystal Palace Antiques is legit, as is Atomic Antiques if you like mid century. There are a handful of other mid-cench folks in Hackney too.

Eyeglasses

This is incredibly specific, but if you happen to want to find the best places in London for optical eyeglasses, here you go! https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5018533,-0.3072062,11z/data=!4m3!11m2!2sd8cxe0ZHEmF1Mn35Zy8hJyaIHe3ewQ!3e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Families

Things are differert when you have kids who are old enough to voice Opinions, vs. babies, vs. unreasonable toddlers. My recs change based on the age and stage things are at.

Families with non-annoyingly-aged kids

I mean, you know what I mean. :) Kids old enough to manage standing on the tube holding a pole instead of sitting in a seat even when they’re tired. Kids old enough to tolerate walking 15 min instead of taking an annoying crowded train. Kids old enough to occasionally eat off a non-kiddie menu, or enjoy the odd art gallery or museum that isn’t specifically aimed at kids.

Food:

Bone Daddies, Shoryu, and Tonkotsu are all shockingly serviceable ramen chains (not all are that authentic but v tasty) – like good enough to break my usual No Chain Restaurants snobbery. Bone Daddies sometimes has stool seating that are bad for a grownup’s back and great for a less attentive kid to fall right off. Choose wisely
Heddon Yokocho is a super fun ramen place; peek at the basement too
Flatiron is a cheap and gimmicky but pretty damn good chain-y steak place, with sometimes shockingly great house made soft serve ice cream, and kids menu includes bottomless (I think?) popcorn! Feels like a place you can take a loud kid and still get a decent bite and drink as a grownup.
A lot of folks are fans of leaning on the Sainsbury’s Meal Deal as a way to save on food costs. It’s great; we do it as locals! You get a given packaged sandwich, a given drink, and a given snack from a series of options (some healthy, most not) for something like £4-5. It’s a solid option if you’re feeding many mouths, especially if those mouths are sometimes picky about restaurant food.

To Hamley’s or Not to Hamley’s

Look, I’m normally really against looking at a physical shop for a thing and then going and buying the thing for cheaper on Amazon later. But at Hamley’s, the giant posh toy emporium with many levels of wonder and live demos, they jack the prices up by like 30% sometimes. I don’t fuck with that. (It’s also an incredibly stressful long queue and whinge-fest with kids who are already tired or grumpy from other tourism strains, heh.) I truly recommend using it as inspo only. (But they’ll sing your kid a happy birthday song if you pre-arrange it, and there’s a literal like singing clown doorman kinda thing, and well, it really is a good time.)

Parks

Don’t miss the Diana Memorial one with the big ship! But also look up whether it’s closed as they did a big refurb.
St. James has SUCH a good one right near Buckingham Palace. You can hear and kinda see the guards change on the right days for it without actually having to cram in and fight for a view only to stress your kids out. (But they will CUT YOU if you try to use the child-only toilets there as a grownup; you’ve been warned.)
Get the app Playground Buddy to find smaller urban play parks everywhere you go! (Some will be private; many won’t.) They’re not as obvious to American eyes given the cities you’re used to, and the parks here usually have a fence around them and sometimes hedges that can make them easy to miss. But they’re often so great! And it’s the ONE place where British people are most likely to be friendlier to you, hahaha (especially fun if you’re in a more neighbourhood-y area)

Families with super young kids

I don’t have a bunch of specific recs for you about where to go (well a couple). Instead, I have a bunch of tips to generally make your time here better!

Borrow a friend’s Yoyo stroller for this trip. For real. Get the smallest one you can find. Learn how to fold it up. If it’s literally any other model, board at the back of the bus with it and then go up to pay, everyone does it. Know how to fold it up! I’m not kidding! You’ll end up needing to unexpectedly give up your stroller spot for a wheelchair if you don’t learn how to fold it just in case, and you’ll be in a panic. Watch the YouTube or whatever about it.
There are times when, if you get caught on the tube in rush hour, you do NOT want to have a full stroller on it. No, not even in the spot where there’s a block of designated seats that fold up to make room for a wheelchair or stroller. You’ll feel like such a dick. Learn to fold up your stroller, and likely avoid taking the tube with a baby and buggy between like 4-6:30 PM, sorry. (Be in the area where you aim to eat dinner by then, or walkable to it!)
Don’t get scared about taking the kid on the escalator while in the stroller, if you find a tube stop that requires this – it’s really only scary the very first time, everyone does it, it’s very manageable, you’ll get the hang of it, make one grownup stand at the bottom if you’re nervous
Bring a baby carrier with you! You don’t have to use it all the time, but buildings are smaller here, doorways are smaller, aisles of shops are already narrower and made worse by stuff getting stocked in the floor right in the aisle because it’s London and nobody has any room. It can be super helpful to be able to not take a stroller (buggy, pram, pushchair) with you places – you can tuck it by the front entrance for safety but move more freely with a baby carrier. Which is always a “sling” here, idek. I’m not saying you can’t have a stroller on a trip here, but you’ll appreciate the flexibility of a mix. That said…
It’s not as hard to carry a stroller with a baby inside it up and down a staircase as you might think! Yes, even solo! But it’s what really makes it worthwhile to a) have the small light one, and b) have your shit packed up into a bag you can throw on your back to offset the stroller weight in front.
This is the one time you get a 100% pass about looking demurely pathetic until someone else offers to help you carry it up/down a staircase. They will, eventually. It might be me. (It’ll probably be a woman.) Accept the offer! We know the drill. Don’t let a stroller stop you from going cool places in a convenient manner here!
The “baby change” is almost always in the disabled toilet; you have to just roll with it. If places don’t have one, some other cafe or pub will be kind about letting you use theirs if you’re decent about it. There are specific different bins for the “soiled nappies” and you’ll get in mega trouble for not using the proper one.
With toddler-aged gremlins, it can be harder to be as ambitious about your touristing, I know. Don’t expect to see more than One Big Thing each day, IMO – anything else is icing on the cake. I’d always try looking up a cool coffee shop etc right near a smaller playground, so there’s something that feels like an activity for both of you and you don’t get too annoyed about it. London is a really big, overwhelming, crowded, loud, and differently dangerous place for a tiny child who isn’t used to watching out for the edge of a train platform, ya know? Just in case it bears saying! (And watch out for them on the train platforms!!!)
Just a few specific spots bc you earned them: Bear and Wolf in Tufnell Park for the most child-friendly cafe ever; Gambado’s in Chelsea for an overwhelming super-spreader event of a soft play; always ask if there’s a secret kids’ menu bc there might be; there’s almost always a (usually free) “babyccino” for your toddler upon request; there’s almost always a high chair somewhere even if it looks like there isn’t; there are often papers and pencils/crayons too