Tucked around the back of Fulham Broadway on Farm Lane, My Dining Room is a new gastropub with a wonderful lunch menu and a great attitude towards little ones.

Food blogger Katie (Feeding Boys and A Firefighter) and I, along with our crew of four boys under the age of five, made a noisy arrival to the My Dining Room after an incident with a wasp en route. Despite the racket we received a warm welcome from the kind staff who ushered us to a lovely table, complete with separate small sized table for the minis and sting relief cream was magically produced for Sam’s sore finger.

With four starving kids to feed we ordered fast. Both of us never leave the house without a Santa’s sack of distractions, so after the apple juice had been half drunk, half spilt and the drawing games abandoned we brought out the Nintendo and offered iPhones to distract the boys. Feeling mellowed around the edges after our delicious summer cocktail, shaken up by the charming French head bar man – a summer sangria for me and cucumber cooler for Katie –  we could properly relax and savour the experience.

My Dining Room chef Vingaudas Raulinaitis has created a menu based on traditional home recipes with a modern twist. The ingredients are sourced locally and organically with information about the meat and fish detailed on the menus. We picked the great value Summer Special Offer of two courses and a free cocktail for £15.

To start I chose the tender and smoky marinated filet of mackerel with avocado salsa and the trio of gnocchi with baby vegetable fricassee for main. The gnocchi was packed with flavour and served with delicious cuts of summery vegetables, all in a light herby sauce. My only criticism was it was a tiny bit soupy and could have done with a hunk of bread to mop up the sauce. Foodie Katie picked the perennial favourite tomato and mozzarella salad followed by the beautifully presented and equally light and tasty salmon and haddock fishcake.  Not being able to resist a pudding we tucked into an Eton mess and the crème brulee – both wickedly naughty and worth it!

Amazingly, mini gourmands are invited to eat for free and the kids menu doesn’t disappoint. On  offer are typical child-friendly meals such as chicken nuggets, pasta and hamburgers but all made from fresh local and organic ingredients and beautifully presented. There was no problem adapting a main meal to kids size for one of the boys, and all four of them enthusiastically dug into a mix of fish and chips, pasta and spaghetti bolognese making a huge mess, which the staff effortlessly cleared up.

Both of us agreed it was a extremely successful lunch out. We managed to chat, enjoy our food and the boys were all happy. The atmosphere was relaxed and informal and we felt spoilt and well looked after by the staff. It was a stark reminder of how much nicer it is to eat out in glamourous places rather than troop into the obviously ‘child-friendly’ places which are often bland and hectic experiences.

Also on offer are children’s cooking classes lead by the head chef which are available every other week from 21^st July. They can also be booked for groups of to ten people as a fun alternative to the usual birthday party.

My Dining Room
18 Farm Lane, London, SW6 1PP 020 7381 3331

You can see all the pictures of our meal on Katie’s blog.

One of London’s grandest restaurants La Chapelle is now welcoming families at the weekend with a gorgeous Sunday lunch menu complete with a proper kids meal. The vibe will be relaxed with Sunday papers and plenty of traditional board games and toys on offer to entertain adults and the kids.

Tucked in the heart of the City between the towers of Broadgate and busy Spitalfields market, La Chapelle launched last November to instant critical acclaim. It’s owned by the Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff who cook beautiful French bistro food.

La Chapelle is in St Botolphs Hall, a former Victorian girls’ school chapel which the brothers gutted and restored.  The setting is absolutely stunning, with high vaulted ceilings and a spectacular modern glass mezzanine dining area.

The Sunday three course set menu features delicious options such as veloute of English asparagus with truffle Chantilly, roast shoulder of new season lamb, red cabbage and potato fondant and Kentish strawberries, creme fraiche and chopped pistachio. Sunday lunch is priced at just £24.50 per person, with a children’s menu available at £9.50 for two courses.

Accordion player Fifi La Mer also performs once a month during Sunday lunch, forthcoming dates are: Sunday 1st August, Sunday 5th September and Sunday 3rd October

Skip church and head to La Chapelle for a treat. The bowler-hatted door man alone is bound to make a lasting impression on the kids. Fabulous food in a spectacular setting where kids are warmly welcomed too – what more could you ask for on a Sunday?

For more information go to Galvin La Chapelle

Guest blogger Michelle Di Leo, writer of the fab kid-friendly restaurant blog Baby Dines Out  shares her favourite places to eat out (or just have coffee) with a baby or  toddler…

I remember the stress of going out in the first few weeks and months after the birth of Jack. There was the good, the bad and the plain ugly. I did not want to settle for the places which just cater for families, which so often means terrible food, deafening noise levels and zero style.
The more I talked to my girlfriends with babies, I realised how great it would be to have a guide to stylish places to eat and shop with a baby that would save us from having to endure the bad on the way to the good: that was the genesis of Baby Dines Out and a new blog was born.

These are my 10 favourite places to eat out with babies or toddlers:

1. John Lewis, Oxford Street: John Lewis have led the way in providing parent friendly facilities and their flagship store makes a fantastic base from which to indulge in a bit of post-baby retail therapy. For new mums, just knowing you can pop in to change or feed your baby, grab a coffee or a bite to eat, can help you gain confidence in getting out and about.
2. Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent: taking its cue from John Lewis and the better American-style shopping malls, you’re never more than a minute from baby changing and feeding areas wherever you are in Bluewater. A good range of eateries and cafes from Carluccios to Starbucks. Go mid-week when it is quiet!
3. 5th Floor, Waterstones Piccadilly: Great children’s book section, parents room, chic cafe all under one roof? Great for a scheduled visit or an emergency stop-off if you’re near by and need to entertain, feed or water yourself or a tot. The cake is particularly popular with my three year old!

4. Canteen, Royal Festival Hall (also in Spitalfields and Canary Wharf): Relaxed atmosphere, speedy service, great quality, traditional British food which goes down with most toddlers. Mixed crowd of working lunchers as well as families means that high chairs are not a sign of low quality.
5. Brompton Quarter Brasserie, Brompton Road: A stone’s throw from the fantastic museums in South Kensington, open from early till late, baby-friendly and lovely food. The mixed platters are a great way to encourage toddlers to try things without the commitment and expense of a whole dish at which they inevitably turn up their noses.
6. 5th Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge: If you are thinking your days of passing a couple of hours browsing the designer delights of Harvey Nics are over, think again. The 5th Floor restaurant is surprisingly baby-friendly. They will happily warm milk and baby food and there is a changing table in the adjacent ladies loo. The cafe in the main area isn’t bad either.
7. The Trafalgar Hilton Hotel, Trafalgar Square: If you find yourself anywhere near Trafalgar Square with baby who needs feeding or changing this place is a secret haven. Discreet and quiet during the day time, you can sit down in peace and quiet, have a coffee, feed your baby then carry on. Perfect for maintaining your sanity in the madness of central London.
8. Claridges, Brook Street: This is one of my absolute favourite places for lunch with our three year old. Feels glamourous and luxurious because it is. The helpful staff are not at all snobbish if you turn up with a toddler or baby and without a booking. The food is yummy and beautifully presented (no plastic cups here). There is a baby changing table in the disabled loo, but if you’ve got a toddler the ladies in the Ladies will coo over them.

9. Locanda Locatelli, Seymour Street: Italians simply cannot help making a fuss of babies and children, so if you’re a parent and a foodie looking for somewhere a bit special for lunch this is the place. The toilets are actually in the hotel next door – ask for the disabled loo if you need somewhere to change the baby.
10. Dean Street Townhouse, Dean Street: this new restaurant by the owner of Soho House is flavour of the month and great for spotting media celebs. They are also great with little ones and not the least bit snooty, despite their lofty clientele. They don’t have a changing table but the disabled loo is enormous and completely spotless so don’t let that put you off as this is a lovely place for a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday lunch at a very reasonable price.

Baby Dines Out is written by Michelle Di Leo, mum to three year old Jack, wife to Dan. She lives in Blackheath, South East London and works in communications. She refuses to let parenthood stop her enjoying great food, fashion and shopping. Sometimes.