The glorious Coronation of King Charles III has again put the focus on London. It is generally agreed the weekend’s majestic event in the British capital showed the city at its finest. But, beyond the wonderful pomp and majesty, just how family-friendly a destination is London these days?
With summer approaching and with families probably looking at finalising their annual vacation it is a moot question. So, we have put this to the test and set out to discover what the city actually has to offer.
In no particular order, we’ve selected a few places, including places to eat, that might well appeal to families in particular.
1. Madame Tussauds
One perennial favourite is Madame Tussauds, the wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London.
Among its many impressive models are, of course, those of the newly crowned King and Queen Camilla along with the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Tussauds team spent no less than 140 hours finalising the King’s “new look” working with medal specialists and collectors to ensure no detail was forgotten.
King Charles III’s figure was redressed in homage to the outfit His Majesty wore for the first-ever state banquet of his reign, in November 2022. The King’s outfit includes his nine miniature medals, diamond Lesser George medal and the insignia of the Order of the Garter, as worn at the November 2022 state banquet.
Guests visiting The Royal Palace experience also get a chance to make their mark on history by signing a special Coronation Book. This will be sealed in the Tussauds archive and preserved for generations to come alongside a remarkable collection of artefacts collated from over 200 years of history working alongside the Royal Family.
2. London Zoo
Another ever popular family attraction – and very close by – is London Zoo, a ZSL conservation zoo, which currently boats new attractions of its own, including three adorable Sumatran tiger cubs as well as Kiburi, its newly arrived male gorilla. The Zoo’s Monkey Valley opened last August and is another fantastic exhibit featuring its troop of Colobus monkeys.
While there, a great family activity is to try the “tracker challenge” to find animals and score points but beware: some species are trickier to spot than others.
The zoo has over 650 species of animals and any visit helps support its valuable conservation work in over 50 countries around the world. Opened in London on 27 April 1828, it is the world’s oldest scientific zoo and you should allow about 3 hours to fully enjoy it.
3. IFS cable car
A relatively new way of seeing this wonderful city is from the sky, specifically via the IFS cable car. You can access a car at IFS Greenwich Peninsula or IFS Royal Docks and it is great fun.
The IFS cable car offers very good value for money and is a budget-friendly experience and you should also make sure to visit its new London Cable Car Experience which offers free and paid-for activities as well as a café and gift shop.
A short trip (it takes about 10 minutes) allows you to soak in magnificent views of London’s skyline as you travel above the river Thames. Trips in the evening afford lovely sunset views and enable you to watch the city come alive after dark.
4. Uber boat
By way of contrast why not check out another great way of seeing London – on the Thames itself via a Uber boat by Thames Clippers. These operate between Barking Riverside Pier in the East and Putney Pier in the West and services run from early in the morning until late at night, 7 days a week.
Like the Tube, the river is divided into zone: west, central and east and your ticket must be valid in all the zones you travel through. All the well-equipped and comfy boats and most of the piers are wheelchair and pram accessible and you can even take a bike on board at no extra cost.
A good value for money option is the “River Roamer” ticket which entitles you to a day’s unlimited travel from any River Bus pier. You can hop on and off between 23 piers and explore some of the city’s top attractions.
5. Where to eat
After all that traipsing around, you may well have worked up quite an appetite and there can surely be no better place anywhere than this city to sate any hunger. The UK these days also likes to see itself as something of a culinary capital of the world so, again, we have put this claim to the test by highlighting some centrally located places to eat.
5.1. Chotto Matte
Jump off a pleasant Thames boat trip at, say, Embankment and in no time you will find Chotto Matte which really is flying the flag for Nikkei, the Japanese Peruvian cuisine. Nikkei has become the latest gastronomic sensation to hit Europe’s culinary capitals and that includes London.
Peru has the second largest ethnic Japanese population in South America and this community has made a significant cultural impact on the country since the Japanese first began to immigrate in the late 19th century. One of the most evident manifestations of their influence is the Japanese-Peruvian fusion food which is starting to sweep the globe.
Chotto Matte founder Kurt Zdesar has brought the Nikkei concept to life at his resto in Central London which is notable not just for the lovely food (and friendly staff) but also for its very striking and eye-catching décor. Its executive chef Jordan Sclare has perfected the art of creating the best of Nikkei cuisine and it is best not to think of this as Japanese or Peruvian food but, rather, an eclectic “mix” of the two culinary cultures.
There are no less than three separate kitchens here, each representing some of its best plates such as one of its signature dishes, the yellowtail “Nikkei Sashimi”, plus other customer favourites like the Sea Bass Ceviche and Sato Maki. A recommended option is to share a few dishes and, with this in mind, there’s the value-for-money “Signature Bento Box”. Veggies are also well catered for at Chotto Matte, which has a couple of restaurants in London (with plans for a new one in the Manchester).
5.2. Inamo
Another equally highly recommended place to satisfy your hunger after a day in London is the award-winning Inamo, which has introduced a radically reshaped menu of Asian fusion and sushi dishes. Apart from also offering very tasty food, its real USP is probably its interactive and touch-sensitive tables, the like of which you may well not have seen before.
It is possibly the only resto in the world where you can enjoy table technology like this. It is great fun. You touch your table surface to order your meal and play an array of fantastic arcade gems such as 4-player air hockey, pool, space invader and archery. Alongside games like Frogs to keep the kids entertained you can draw on your table top with your finger and there’s a host of puzzles if you fancy more of a brain teaser. You can all have fun together as a family or group or just do your own thing.
If the games are good so is the food with dishes like Miso Tilapia with Shichimi Okra Fries, soft shell crab Tempura and gluten free chocolate fondant.
5.3. Bunsik
London, in fact, has a reputation for some of the best Asian cuisine outside of Asia and one other great exponent of this is Bunsik. The concept here is another which, again, many readers may be unfamiliar with.
They serve (among other things) K-dogs that some consider closest to the traditional ones you find in Korea. There are several varieties of the crispy snack on the menu from original pork sausage to the “cheese & cheese” – a cheese lover’s heaven on a stick. For something different, try the ddukbokkio, stir-fried rice cakes served with lashings of spicy Korean sauce. There’s a couple of Bunsik’s in London, at Charing Cross and in Villiers Street.
So, if you are thinking of paying a visit this spring (or the summer) London clearly has an awful lot to offer that goes way beyond the Coronation and the monarchy. One thing, though, that you can also be sure of here is a “right royal” welcome from all the terrific places featured here.
