Mothering Sunday is coming up on 30 March, a wonderful opportunity to show the mother figures in your life – be they mothers, grandmothers, wives, aunties or godmothers – just how much you appreciate them.
Here are some ideas for how and where to celebrate in South Bank this year to get you inspired.
The perfect gift for all those hard-working mums who might never give themselves a day off to enjoy a moment of rest and relaxation. Let mum take a well-deserved break and enjoy a tranquil spa escape that will leave her feeling pampered, relaxed and revitalised.
From 1 to 31 March the Mandara Spa in the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel presents a special Mother’s Day Package that includes a 25-minute Frangipani leave-on body wrap, a 25-minute massage and a 25-minute Elemis facial. This luxurious pampering package is priced at £165, a considerable discount on the usual RRP of these treatments of £212! Find out more and book here.
agua spa is the chic urban spa at the luxurious Sea Containers London hotel. Described as ‘curated, quirky and convivial’, the spa emphasises spirituality, well-being and the mind-body connection. There’s a choice of exclusive agua treatments and massages as well as facials, manicures and pedicures. Book mum in for a treatment or buy a gift voucher online and don't forget to include some signature Hedgerow beauty products from the spa shop! Find out more here.
There are few things as splendidly decadent as a classic British afternoon tea. Relaxing for hours in grand surroundings with an opulent spread before you and perhaps even a glass of bubbly too to toast the occasion – what a treat!
The perfect venue for a classic afternoon tea experience with a magnificent riverside. The Library at the Marriott County Hall is an Edwardian-era wood-panelled reading room in the heart of this historic building with grand windows looking right across the river onto Big Ben. The afternoon tea spread is a wonderfully classic British display, complete with fluffy scones, cucumber sandwiches and the daintiest petit fours, accompanied by fantastic single-origin and single-harvest teas produced by independent artisan farmers.
Available daily from 12pm–5pm. Find out more and book here.
For a contemporary twist book for OXO Tower Restaurant’s afternoon tea. Located on the 7th floor rooftop of the OXO Tower Wharf, this venue is famous for its impressive views over the river Thames and St Paul's Cathedral. The afternoon tea offering mixes classic and contemporary British flavours with a wide selection of finger sandwiches, plus sweet and savoury bites such as smoked duck croquettes, apple baba and rosemary shortbread with whipped brie and kumquat marmalade.
Available Mon–Sat 3pm–4pm and Sun 3:30pm–4:30pm. Booking essential. Find out more and book here.
Get the family together in South Bank for a Mother’s Day Sunday roast lunch! Many of South Bank's restaurants are running special Mothering Sunday menus that will provide you with the perfect amount of fuel for a long, lazy stroll along London's iconic riverside promenade after lunch.
Make Mother’s Day unforgettable at Sea Containers Restaurant. Treat her to stunning views, a 3-course menu, and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne for £49. Enjoy starters like English coastal oysters or beetroot tartare, mains like wild mushroom wellington or slow-roasted lamb shoulder, and desserts like lemon meringue tart or molten chocolate cake. And for that little something extra, the Mother's Day meal also comes with a complimentary gift from agua Spa to keep the pampering going at home. Find out more and book.
Celebrate Mother's Day with a delicious Lebanese mezze feast. The colourful Comptoir Libanais restaurant at Southbank Centre is treating mums and all the mother figures in our lives to a free dessert and a rose mint tea on Sunday 30 March! The offer is valid with at least two people ordering mezze and one large plate each. Dessert options include orange and almond cake, mango and vanilla cheesecake and orange blossom mouhalabia.
This elegant French spot behind Royal Festival Hall prides itself on serving classic dishes that showcase the best British seasonal ingredients, and their Sunday roast offering is no exception. Especially for Mother's Day, the Sunday roast menu features a beautiful sharing dish for all the family - Provençal herb-crusted six-rib Yorkshire grass-fed rack of lamb served with roast potatoes, Savoy cabbage, heritage carrots with parsley, Yorkshire pudding, smoked aubergine caviar, cauliflower gratin and, of course, plenty of gravy. Find out more and book here.
Is Mum a fan of flowers and gardening? If the answer is yes, then a visit to the brilliant Garden Museum next to Lambeth Palace Bridge is a must! Housed in what was once a medieval church, this charming museum explores and celebrates British gardens, gardening and garden design through the ages. The museum also hosts beautifully curated art exhibitions themed around gardens and the natural world and there’s a lovely little museum gift shop if you’d like to pick up some gardening gifts.
After visiting the museum, stay on for lunch at the excellent Garden Café, truly a ‘hidden gem’ of the neighbourhood, where Head Chef Myles Donaldson (ex St John Bread & Wine) serves a weekly changing bistro menu based on local seasonal produce. The cafe is very popular and reservations are recommended.
Dinner and a world-class theatre show at one of London’s top theatres is always a winning way to celebrate a special occasion in style. For one of the most immersive whodunnit theatre experiences – staged inside an actual century-old debating chamber no less – the gripping production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall is superb.
For dinner before the show you are spoiled for choice and most South Bank restaurants run special pre-theatre set menus. Popular destinations include Forza Wine and Lasdun at the National Theatre, The Archduke, Gillray’s Steakhouse at County Hall, the Locale pizzeria (located right in front of County Hall), and restaurants like Comptoir Libanais, La Gamba, Skylon, Côte Brasserie or Brasserie Blanc at Southbank Centre. See our full pre-theatre dining guide here for more ideas!
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.
