The National Cafe, Trafalgar Square

I went to this ground floor cafe on a trip to the gallery to see the Goya exhibition. Unfortunately, this was sold out, so we went to have some lunch instead. There were classic British-European options on the menu, and there was a specific Spanish Goya themed menu. I had a superfood salad, with quinoa and avocado, which was simple and tasty, and much better for me than the rather tempting brioche burger option.

The staff were very accommodating and there was plenty of space. Although it did seem we were the youngest people there, but maybe this is because it was a weekday lunchtime after the holiday season. They had a good baby changing area in the disabled toilet, and no stairs meant easy access.

Rating

Food ***

Service ****

Baby friendly ****

LP bar, New Cross

I had been to this bar when it opened, before I was pregnant, which is airplane themed and has old airplane seats. However, at the time I had found that it had overpriced and average cocktails (£8 in New Cross), and hence did not return.

However, they are also a cafe during the day, and less busy than the London Particular next door. They have a small selection of cakes and pastries, as well as coffees and teas. I have had the chocolate vegan cake a couple of times, which really hits the spot.

There isn't a lot of space for a buggy and there isn't a baby changing area (the toilet is very small as is the whole place), but for a quick drink and a chat it's fine, and I parked the buggy at the back since it was not busy.

Ratings

Food ***

Service ****

Baby friendly **

The Narrow, Limehouse

This is a Gordon Ramsay pub, which I went to for a christmas celebration with friends for Sunday lunch. The food was surprisingly not too expensive. I started with a duck terrine and had roast beef as a main. Although it was tasty,  and definitely better than the turkey option, I have to say my local pub does a better roast, especially the trimmings. For pudding, I had a chestnut yule log which was more like a swiss roll. The best option seemed to be the pecan pie.

When making the reservation, we were told they did not have a lot of space for the buggy, so I brought my baby in the sling only. However, there were other families present and one did have a buggy with a baby (even smaller than mine)! There was a baby changing area in the disabled toilet. There was quite a lot of background noise, but that's quite common and nothing can be done about that. 

The view over the river from the back of the restaurant was lovely, but from where we were sitting we did not get the benefit of this.

Rating

Food ****

Service ****

Baby friendly ***

Wahaca, Islington

As soon as I entered this branch of Wahaca, I could tell it was baby friendly, due to the line of buggies parked in the entrance. The staff were accommodating and there were many other families with babies. I came to meet a group of friends, and it was a perfect place for this.

Wahaca food is great for sharing, small plates and finger foods. I particular like black beans and could just eat this with some tortilla chips and guacamole! There is a range of sauces also, from mild to hot, like a better version of Nando's.

There was a good baby changing area in the disabled toilet and there were lots of high chairs.

Ratings

Food ****

Service *****

Baby friendly *****

London Velo Cafe, Deptford

This bike cafe is on Deptford High street, in south east London. I personally love Deptford, especially the high street, which has more and more cafes, which are somehow hidden away.

This one is roomy, very clean inside, and plenty of room for a buggy. The staff are friendly and I think there might be a resident dog. Either that, or this one seemed very at home with all his toys. There were lots of people working on their laptops, so it does seem to be a relaxed place.

I had a falafel salad which was tasty and simple. Then red velvet cake, which was a bit too much but very good. Since I stopped having caffeine during the pregnancy, I have been drinking hot chocolate if out much more, and I have to say their's was very good (just the right amount of froth to chocolate ratio).

Ratings

Food ****

Service *****

Baby friendly ****

Hotel Chocolat restaurant Borough market

Borough market itself is very busy and hence quite difficult to manoeuvre with a buggy. However, this restaurant is right in the middle. There is easy access to the upstairs restaurant with a lift. I went for brunch, and we were sat outside. However, although it was technically outside, there was a very good heater, and there were blankets available which we did not need to use at all. It was good to see the throngs of people bustling around the market, from the safety or this upstairs terrace.

The staff were although seemingly friendly, were actually a little stuck up or maybe just a bit cold. There was one waiter who was very warm but the rest were not. Whether this had anything to do with having a baby, I don't know. I have been here before without the baby, and I seem to remember something similar, so maybe there is a certain level of snootiness.

However, the food is my favourite bit, as almost all the dishes have cacao or chocolate. They have a great range of hot chocolates and even savoury food has cacao nibs or powder worked in. It's a bit on the pricey side, but all in all was a good experience. 

I didn't need to use the changing rooms, so not sure if they had one.

Rating

Food *****

Service **

Baby friendly ***

Peckham Rye Cafe

After a lovely walk on a sunny winter day, we went to this park cafe. There were lots of other children and buggies in the cafe. Maybe due to this, the floor was filthy and it was hard to find a clean table. There were only two staff and the cafe was quite busy, so it must have been difficult for them to clean up after all those messy children!

There was a very wide selection of sandwiches and lunch-time meals. However, the cakes looked stale and unappealing, hence I did not try one, which is very unusual for me after such a long walk! I had a goats cheese foccacia which came with a side salad and was tasty.

I did not use the baby changing facilities as was a bit worried about the cleanliness after seeing the mess in the cafe itself.

Rating

Food **

Service **

Baby friendly ****