Family-friendly pubs in London
Whether you're taking the kids for a Sunday roast or getting together with friends and their tots, these London pubs offer a warm welcome
While some London hostelries are overrun by the young crowd, these pubs are fit for any family outing. Whether you wish to take the kids out for Sunday lunch or you want to enjoy the comfort of a civilised beer garden while the tots run around, this list below should provide plenty of choice. They’re all conveniently located near London’s parks too, so you can make a family day of it. You’re welcome.
Family-friendly pubs in London
Bull & Last
Set opposite the Heath, The Bull & Last has a reputation for doing seriously good food, but it’s relaxed and pubby enough to welcome children. Gourmet mummies and daddies flock here to eat rabbit terrine and tuna carpaccio. The kids’ food ain’t bad, either.
Dove
Just a ten-minute stroll from Ravenscourt Park, this tavern’s riverside location and colourful history (Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwyn were regulars) makes visiting as a kid feel a bit magical. Watch the Thames go by from the vine-entangled conservatory, or just snuggle up by the open fire.
Florence
There’s a massive playroom choc-a-block with toys at this Brockwell Park local, and as if that wasn’t enough to make it a kid’s paradise, The Florence give out free ice cream to under-14s. Parents: there’s even a microbrewery on site to bring you back to life if you’ve braved a family dip in Brockwell Lido.
Hare & Billet
This heathside local is the perfect place to refuel after a ramble across Greenwich Park. It’s child-and-dog-friendly which means if you go at the weekend you’ll see it packed out with high-chairs, but jaded parents should take note: the beer selection here is seriously grown-up.
The Ivy House
This is London’s first co-operatively owned pub. Back in 2012, Nunhead locals raised £1 million to buy their beloved, Grade II-listed boozer – this place is a proper community gem. It’s perfect for a pitstop after a day out at Peckham Rye Park: there are books and games, as well as a children’s samba class. Best of all, the pints are cheap.
Spaniards Inn
Spook your kids with tales of highwaymen – legend has it Dick Turpin’s dad was landlord here, and robbers were hanged on a tree just down the road. Most thrilling of all, though, is the location: it overlooks the Heath and has a roomy, top-notch garden.
Windsor Castle
Kids can roam free at this ancient inn, perfectly positioned between Hyde Park and Holland Park. Still intact are original, decorative wooden screens installed to separate the sexes while they got pissed – perfect for hide and seek, or for educating your brood about Victorian misogyny.
The Queen's
Kate Moss – aka the yummiest mummy of them all – is a regular at this picturesque gastropub, set just yards from Primrose Hill. Channel Mossy and quaff champagne while your kids frolic like rock ’n’ roll royalty.
The Island
If Kensal Rise is the new nappy valley, then this lovely neighbourhood gastropub is the mothership. Bugaboos spill out over the bustling terrace and children have a chalkboard wall to scrawl on. Just ten minutes from Roundwood Park, go here for a rosé and let your toddler run free.
Find more pubs in prime park spots
The best pubs near parks in London
In the summer heat, London's glorious parks call for one thing and one thing only. Booze. If you don't fancy packing your pre-mixed cocktails, head along to one of these amazing watering holes. Not only are these pubs conveniently located next to London's leafy areas, but they're tip-top drinking spots on any balmy British day.
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Dandelyan
Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka bartender Mr Lyan, is a London cocktail dignitary – he's worked in some of the city’s most pioneering bars and now has his own range of mixed spirits in Selfridges. He opened his first bar in Hoxton in 2013, and hot on its heels is this second one. Number two couldn’t be more different. Dandelyan has a prime spot off the lobby of the new multimillion-pound Mondrian hotel in the former Sea Containers House. Dandelyan is run by a team of super-slick international-hotel ‘servers’. White Lyan set out to shake up the cocktail scene by dispensing with ice and all perishables, and Dandelyan’s menu is just as groundbreaking – ingredients include 'chalk bitters', 'crystal peach nectar’ and the archaic-sounding 'dandelion capillaire'. The bar might be glamorous, luxurious and even a bit formal, but the drinks show Chetiyawardana’s invention and attention to detail. Ford & Warner (£12.50) was a fruitily fearsome blend of gin, 'bittered blackcurrant', dandelion flower and lemon, garnished with a little frozen cube of blackcurrant sorbet. An Evil Manhattan (£12.50) didn’t live up to its name but did contain a house-made beer 'vermouth', rye whiskey and bitters. Everything here has a hint of the garden about it, and everything is surprising without being show-off, and most of all, inherently drinkable. Dress up before you drink up; it’s that sort of place. VIDEO: Check out Dandelyan's awesome new mousetrap trolley
Venue says: “We're transforming a suite into a botanical tasting room for the month of June with Bombay Sapphire. Head to our website for more info.”
