Whichever way you shake it, the summer holidays can be an expensive time for parents. With holidays, activities and even the odd summer camp, the last anyone wants to do is shell out for a lavish dinner.
Fortunately, more than a handful of London’s finest restaurants are offering a kid-eat-free (or at a substantial discount) throughout August to help ease the burden.
Below are some of our favourite restaurants, each offering a children-friendly menu to help the grown-ups footing the bill. Happy families all round.
Cafe Murano
Angela Hartnett’s more casual take on Italian dining, Cafe Murano, is offering a £10 children’s menu this summer, with a choice of chicken Milanese or a build-your-own pasta bowl (options on both the pasta shape and sauce should help keep kids happy), followed by an ice cream-based pudding. At £10, it’s a cracking deal, and for the grown-ups, there’s some of the best casual Italian fare around.
Restaurants across London, cafemurano.co.uk
The Crabtree Fulham
Everyone loves a pub, but keeping the kids happy without a massive purple dinosaur slide in the beer garden might is tough. At the Crabtree, the children’s Sunday lunch should help. At £10.50 for a half portion of a full roast dinner, it’s a generous plate for little ones, sure to fall asleep once it’s polished off.
Rainville Road, W6 9HA, thecrabtreew6.co.uk
Fazenda
The near-bottomless rodizio meat swords are the perfect belly-fillers for grown-ups. This summer, steak joint Fazenda is extending freebies to under eights for the holidays. With sides of chips, veggies and cheesy garlic bread and an ice cream pud (there’s a lot of that going around) this is a great option for youngsters who already have an appetite for beef. For slightly older kids (under 15) it’s £15, also good value considering the offering.
100 Bishopsgate, EC2M 1GT, fazenda.co.uk
LUCi
LUCi offers an agreeable regular set menu for about £30 for three courses, but it’s the children’s deal which caught our attention this time round. Little ones under 10 eat for free from the pasta menu, and it’s £10 for teens up to 18. Gelato or sorbetto for pud. Subito.
Until September 2, 136 Long Acre, WC2E 9AA, lucirestaurant.co.uk
Kricket
From 12-5pm daily, kids aged 12-or-under eat for free at Kricket with butter chicken, rice, cheesy naan and broccoli all on offer. There’s kulfi for that sweet treat too. The complimentary children's meals are available throughout the summer across all Kricket sites.
Until August 31, across London, kricket.co.uk
Rosa’s Thai
Available across all of the London sites, the children’s menu at Rosa’s Thai includes a snacky starter, main course and drink for £7.50. Dishes featured include crispy spring rolls or chicken satay alongside mains of stir fried flat noodles with sticky soy sauce or chicken rice. Ice cream with strawberry bubbles are on offer for just £1.50 more.
Across London, rosasthai.com
Fallow
Fallow has looked at two of its most popular grown-up offerings — great breakfasts and hearty roasts — as inspiration for the children’s menu this summer break. Build-your-own breakfast and Sunday roast menus cost £10, but note that unlike a few other places, Fallow doesn’t include a drink at that price. There’s a mini Fallow cheeseburger with chips for just £10, mind.
52 Haymarket, SW1Y 4RP, fallowrestaurant.com
Chipotle
This summer, the popular Mexican-inspired brand Chipotle is running a free deal for kids on Mondays. It’s not the widest offering, with young ones able to choose between a soft or hard shell tortilla, or a quesadilla, but as they say, never look a gifted burrito in the mouth. Each option features three sides, chips and a drink.
Across London, chipotle.co.uk
Nessa
The kids menu at Nessa looks a pleasing spread of familiar plates. Hake goujons or corn-fed chicken arrive with peas and French fries, or there's a pasta plate, with (you've guessed it) ice cream for dessert. The offer runs until the end of the month for kids under 10.
Until August 31, 86 Brewer Street, W1F 9UB, nessasoho.com
Padella Shoreditch
Until the end of the month, kids eat for free at Padella in Shoreditch. Kids can choose from one of three pasta dishes: tagliarini with olive oil and parmesan, slow-cooked tomato sauce, or beef shin ragu. Unlike a few of the other offers, this looks to be available across both lunchtime and dinner.
Until August 31, 1 Phipp Street, EC2A 4PS, padella.co
Roka
Called the “Komodo Han Setto” brunch, the kid-friendly offering at Roka Canary Wharf and Aldwych features a selection of sharing starters including steamed edamame, cucumber maki, prawn and avocado maki and Japanese fried chicken with chilli mayo, before mains such as salmon teriyaki or cod fish fingers with yuzu mayonnaise. Being part of the brunch, it’s only on offer at the weekend and is priced at £16.50 each for children aged 5-10, with children under five eating for free.
40 Canada Square, E14 5FW and 71 Aldwych, WC2B 4HN, rokarestaurant.com
Balthazar
The “Holiday Menu Enfant” is the offering from Balthazar in Covent Garden this summer, with every child aged 12 and under able to enjoy a complimentary dish from the children’s menu. This includes classics such as macaroni cheese with bacon, or sausages with pomme purée (bangers and mash). This offer is available at lunchtime daily, or on Sunday to Thursday at dinner, with the offer running again for the October half-term break, too.
Until September 1, 4-6 Russell Street, WC2B 5HZ, balthazarlondon.com
Leon
With every main (meal from the adult menu) purchased at Leon this summer, diners can get a freebie meal from the kids menu. The code to use is “SUMMERATLEON”, available via the app or at one of the in-restaurant kiosks, and the offer includes Brazilian black beans with rice, a chicken rice box, or nuggets with Leon’s famous baked waffle fries. Water, juice and milk are included too, all on offer until the end of August.
Until August 31, across London, leon.co
Babur
As if we needed another reason to love Babur, the buzzy little neighbourhood Indian restaurant in South London, throughout the summer it is offering kids under 10 a free main meal. Available at lunch daily and for dinner Monday through to Thursday, the Honor Oak venue is serving a mild chicken curry for youngsters alongside full-price grown-up mains.
