Family-Friendly Restaurants in South Bank

Packed with kid-friendly attractions and featuring one of the largest pedestrianised sections of river embankment in central London, South Bank is one of the city's most popular areas for families! After you've taken in the sights and the kids have had a run around in the Jubilee Gardens adventure playground, here's a look at the best family-friendly places to eat out.

* Please note prices are subject to change. For the most up-to-date children's menu prices we recommend double-checking with the restaurant beforehand.

Kids eat for free during the holidays!

During English school holidays, many restaurants in South Bank offer free meals for kids, These free lunch offers are usually on the basis that a child eats for free with every accompanying adult that orders a sit-down meal. Some restaurants only run these promotions during half-term holidays (typically in February, May and October), while others, such as PizzaExpress normally run kids eat free offers across all school holidays.

South Bank restaurants known for their school holiday offers include: Comptoir Libanais, PizzaExpress, Mamuska!, BrewDog Waterloo and Las Iguanas.

Comptoir Libanais

The colourful all-day dining restaurant Comptoir Libanais next to the Royal Festival Hall serves delicious Lebanese, Middle Eastern and North African cuisine from breakfast right up until dinner. Kids are well catered for with an excellent value kids menu (for under 10s), that also comes with cute creative activity sheets to keep the little ones busy. Dishes on the kids menu include chicken or halloumi wraps and mini mezze platters with vegetable sticks.

WHERE: Mandela Walk, Southbank Centre (next to Royal Festival Hall). Find out more here.

GREAT BRITISH FISH AND CHIPS

You can’t go wrong with classic fish and chips! Here they serve all the usual favourites like chicken nuggets, fish cakes, sausage and of course mushy peas. There’s no children’s menu although as is standard with a fish and chip shop it’s very easy to share, and for dessert a soft-serve ice cream always goes down well with the kids. There is seating inside, or get your fish and chips wrapped up to go and find a scenic spot to sit in the Jubilee Gardens on the Queen’s Walk.

WHERE: County Hall, Queen's Walk (next to Lastminute.com London Eye). Find out more here.

BREWDOG WATERLOO

The massive BrewDog at The Sidings at Waterloo Station is famously a place where adults who haven't forgotten the child inside can have fun, with duckpin bowling lanes and a huge indoor slide. A family-friendly spot, kids are allowed inside the pub until 8pm and the kid's menu includes classics like cheese toasties, mac and cheese and breaded chicken strips.

WHERE: The Sidings at Waterloo Station. Entrances via Waterloo Station or on York Road (corner Leake Street). Find out more.

GIRAFFE

This branch of Giraffe at Southbank Centre is the brand's biggest and one of the busiest. There are great views over the river and the Queen's Walk from the terrace and the Southbank Centre's many attractions are just upstairs. Open from 9am there's a dedicated kids' breakfast and lunch/dinner menu (for kids under 10) featuring no-fuss classics like fish fingers and sausage and beans.

WHERE: Southbank Centre, Queen's Walk. Find out more.

LOCALE

Situated on a quiet public square right behind County Hall, Locale is ideally located for lunch after a visit to County Hall's many attractions such as the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Shrek's Adventure or The London Dungeon. There's a neatly contained pavement terrace for sunny days and a good value 'Bambini Menu' that offers a choice of kids' pizza or pasta followed by a scoop of ice cream.

WHERE: 3B Belvedere Road (opposite County Hall). Find out more here.

An aerial view of a street food market on a sunny day. People are shopping and a line of trees provides shade on the left hand side

SOUTHBANK CENTRE FOOD MARKET

On weekends the piazza behind the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall is transformed into a lively street food market. There’s a huge choice of cuisine, with everything from Mauritian curries to Venezuelan bowls and lots of tasty snacks such as samoosas or falafel. Delicious sweet treats on sale include traditional French crêpes, homebaked cookies, brownies and pasteis de nata.

WHERE: Southbank Centre, open Fri-Sun and on public holidays. Note the market is closed in January. Find out more.

PIZZAEXPRESS

Another family-friendly chain that never fails, South Bank's branch of PizzaExpress is located right behind the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, just a short walk from the London Eye and Jubilee Gardens playground. The Piccolo Kids menu offers dough balls, a choice of kids' pizza or pasta and a dessert plus a 'bambinoccino' (frothed milk) and kids activity pack. for £7.95.

WHERE: The White House (opposite Royal Festival Hall), 9c Belvedere Road. Find out more here.

NANDO'S

Everybody's favourite Portuguese chicken chain Nando's is always a winner. On the Nandino's menu designed for kids under 10, choose from a chicken burger, fillet or wings plus two sides and a drink. There are also meat-free beanie patty options. Big families can also opt for the full chicken sharing platters. As is de rigeur with Nando's there are plentiful high chairs and space to park a buggy next to your table.

WHERE: There are two branches of Nando's in South Bank. One at The Sidings next to Waterloo Station, and one at 108 Stamford Street.

GOURMET PIZZA COMPANY

This small pizzeria at Gabriel's Wharf looks right onto the river and has been serving up award-winning pizzas for over 25 years. There's a three-course set menu for kids or for smaller appetites you can order individual items such as a kids' pizza or dough balls. Just in front of the pizzeria are the steps that lead down to the tidal Ernie's Beach.

WHERE: Gabriel's Wharf (next to OXO Tower), Queen's Walk. Find out more.

STRADA

The flagship branch of the Italian restaurant chain Strada at Southbank Centre is ideally situated for families visiting South Bank's biggest attractions and like the neighbouring restaurants it has a large terrace looking over the river. Strada serves a crowd-pleasing kids' menu that costs £8.75 for a starter (vegetable or bread sticks and dips), a main, dessert and a drink.

WHERE: Southbank Centre, Queen's Walk. Find out more.

BRASSERIE BLANC

Brasserie Blanc is an elegant bistro favourite in South Bank, located on Belvedere Road just behind Southbank Centre. While evenings are a more formal affair, it's a great option for lunch with a kid's menu that includes mini burgers, penne with pesto or chicken goujons for mains and for dessert a delicious banana sundae, plus crayons and colouring sheets to keep the little ones busy.

WHERE: 9 Belvedere Road. Find out more here.

OXO TOWER BRASSERIE

The gorgeous rooftop brasserie at OXO, known for its classy cuisine, also has a special menu for all the little foodies. The upmarket three-course kid's menu includes options like fish finger butties, tempura veggies, mozzarella sticks, spaghetti and meatballs, and for dessert brownies, milkshakes and ice-cream. Perfect for a destination lunch that the kids can also be involved in, the kids menu costs £15 for a snack, main, pudding and juice.

WHERE: 8th floor, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street. Find out more here.

ART YARD BAR & KITCHEN

Art Yard is the bar and restaurant at South Bank’s art-focused Bankside boutique hotel. An informal all-day restaurant serving fresh seasonal food, from the décor to the dishes, there’s an emphasis on creativity. Art Yard's children's menu (for kids under 12) offers up two courses for £10, options include salmon and green beans, pizzette, chicken goujons and penne pasta, served with an interactive lesson in colour theory for kids.

WHERE: Bankside Hotel, corner Blackfriars Road and Upper Ground. Find out more here.

MAMUSKA!

You can't go wrong with Polish bar and restaurant Mamuska's kids menu. It sticks firmly to the standards and does them well! Choose from fish fingers and chips, chicken and chips or Polish pierogi, all of which also come with Mamuśka salads. Make sure to head around the corner after lunch to explore the colourful graffiti in the Leake Street tunnel.

WHERE: 9 Addington Street (off Leake Street). Find out more here.

Passyunk Avenue

This Philadelphia-themed dive bar is famous for its devotion to American sports - there's even an entire section, Passyunk Play, devoted to bar sports like shuffleboard and pool. Hungry teens will love the chance to play some games (there are even batting cages!) while the super authentic all-American menu is packed with filling hot dogs, chicken wings and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Younger kids can choose from the kids menu with options including mac and cheese and cheeseburgers.

WHERE: Leake Street. Find out more here.

wagamama

If your kids like Asian flavours then you can't go wrong with everyone's favourite fast-casual pan-Asian food chain wagamama. The kids combo meal is great value at £7.70 for a classic main 'made mini' plus a drink and a dessert. wagamam prides itself on being super welcoming to families. Staff are happy to accommodate fussy kids requests and swops and changes, the little ones get their own activity sheets and crayons to keep them busy while you wait and there's plenty of space to stow away your buggy.

WHERE: Southbank Centre (underneath Hungerford Bridge)

Marugame

Quick and easy sit-down lunches right at the train station! Marugame is a Japanese chain of canteen-style noodle bars. Order at the counter and your freshly made udon bowl is whipped up in a flash. The 'Chibi' meals for kids (for under 11s) come in at a very wallet-friendly £3.95 for a kids bento box or a child-sized udon bowl. The bento box includes a choice of noodles or rice, edamame beans and curry sauce on the side plus a choice of chicken meatballs, tofu puffs or chicken tender.

WHERE: Located on the balcony on the Waterloo Station concourse (opposite platforms 1-4).

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Family-Friendly Restaurants in South Bank

Kids eat for free during the holidays!

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OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie

Comptoir Libanais

wagamama

Passyunk Avenue

Brasserie Blanc

BrewDog Waterloo

Pizza Express

Nando’s Waterloo – The Sidings

Giraffe

Gourmet Pizza Company

Azzuro Italian Kitchen & Bar

Mamuśka!

Marugame Udon

Gail's

Leon

Hola Guacamole

Strada

Southbank Centre Food Market

Art Yard Bar & Kitchen

Great British Fish & Chips

Locale

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