We are going to London in October. Any recommendations for restaurants or sites to see? We will have our 6 year old with us, he's actually a good traveler and well behaved kid.

Two of the classics: Westminster Abbey is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I also enjoyed the Tower of London.

The Dog Lord said:

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Two of the classics: Westminster Abbey is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I also enjoyed the Tower of London.

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Westminster has an organ "practice" once or twice a week in the evening. I can't remember which days or what time specifically but it is a GREAT way to see it without the crowds. It is free, and you have to stand in line for about 45 min or so but we really enjoyed it. The concert is only 30-45 minutes or so and I think a 6yr old would dig it.

I also highly recommend the Tower of London tour. Your kid would enjoy that too. It takes about half a day.

We did the double decker bus tour with a live guide and it was entertaining and worth doing but don't waste your time on the automated tours. Plan on taking the tube a lot.

We really liked Dishoom (Carnaby) for Indian food and there is a gigantic toy store in the neighborhood..the name escapes me at the moment.

Highly recommend the Bourough Market as well...but I always geek out over farmers' markets wherever I go. It is a great place to explore and grab a bite for late breakfast/lunch.

Dishoom for Indian food.
We saw the play Matilda and it was great and the kids really enjoyed it.
British museum
Natural history museum

Oh yeah, we did the Churchill War Rooms, too. That was awesome. OP you will need to make reservations for that ahead of time but it is a great tour.

ol'Porkbelly said:

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Oh yeah, we did the Churchill War Rooms, too. That was awesome. OP you will need to make reservations for that ahead of time but it is a great tour.

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One of the items I really wanted to see but missed.

Imperial War Museum is great if you're into history and war. Really enjoyed it. Natural History Museum is great too and your kid would probably enjoy with all the fossils and animal exhibits.
As others have mentioned, Borough Market - solid place with tons of food to try
Dishoom and Masala Zone are both great for Indian food and have several locations throughout the city.
There's also a steakhouse by the borough market....hawksmoor that has some solid food and the sticky toffee pudding...get it. I loved the city and hope to return soon. London has an amazing food and cocktail scene so you should have no trouble finding a place to try.

I really wish I could remember this awesome hole in the wall place I ate. It had money all over the walls and ceiling - I bet there was thousands of dollars. Food was good too. It was years ago and I haven't been able to find it on the map.

If you haven't bought your plane tickets yet and aren't using points, feel free to message or email me. I can often save hundreds of dollars on Europe/UK flights in the fall/spring time frame. No worries if not, just wanted to let you know.

Your son may be a little young, but the Harry Potter studio tour north of London is great. It takes about 2+ hours and has a lot of walking, but there are a lot of sets and props to see, along with a few interactive exhibits.

We just did 3 nights there and had a good time. We did a walking tour and Churchill War Rooms, it was an awesome museum.

Skip the changing of the guard, highly overrated and quite boring. I'd say christmas markets but they wont be open when you go. The giant store is Fortnum & Mason, worth the trip if you need to shop.

Would also recommend Dishoom. Best Indian food I've ever had. I would recommend the Kensington location, however. It's a beautiful place. In an old theater. Live jazz music as you eat. Very well done.

Legare for pasta/Italian. Not far from the borough market/Tower Bridge.

After seeing the London stuff. We took one of those bus tours to Windsor castle, Bath and Stonehenge. We enjoyed that. Westminster is a true castle, immense. They also walk you right through the same hallways, ballrooms and dining rooms used by all the heads of state that visit the castle (assuming ones not actually there during your visit) , which I thought was cool. It's also the castle where the queen stays most of the time and they'll let you know if she's there during your visit.

Thanks for all the recommendations!!!

Baileys Fish and Chips
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d2719908-Reviews-Baileys_Fish_and_Chips-London_England.html

Greenwich is also nice

Also check out Windsor Castle and the surrounding area. I enjoyed that more than the Tower of London.

To reiterate a few other suggestions our favorites from our trip this past October were Dishoom, Tower of London, and the Churchill War Rooms

I would also recommend going to a EPL match while you're there in October. They are a blast. I think the family would enjoy it.

But be sure to only buy tickets through the teams themselves. Depending on the team you want to see it might be worth getting a membership for next season for presale. You might get turned away at the door if you buy from a third party. The league is really cracking down on scalping nowadays.

+1 for Dishoom and also for the Bailey's rec if you end up in that area.

Regency Cafe in Westminster if you want an English Breakfast

Also, we stayed at Hotel 41. It is on the expensive side, but we got free food throughout the day.Including cakes and ice cream. We got the cheapest room. That means we did not go out to eat and it pretty much came out the same, as far as budget. It is located down the street from Buckingham Palace.

My last two times in London, I've stayed in Kensington and wouldn't stay anywhere else. Right on the Piccadilly line closer to the airport (about 35 mins from Heathrow). District line is also there. It's a nice, chill neighborhood with beautiful homes with a lot of good local places to eat. Hyde Park and the Natural History museum are within walking distance. Great place for strolling around.

Edit: Should also add Kensington isn't far from paddington station which is the train station where most of the trains out west for day trips (Bath, Oxford, Cotswolds, etc.) depart from.

Heading there today for work, can't wait for the rain and early sunsets.

We stayed here a couple years ago and it was fabulous. Not real cheap but nothing in London is. It would be perfect for a family of 3. We really loved the location.
https://t.hmwy.io/u9ZKd1nit3

We did London with our kids when they were about this age many years ago. Some of the suggestions above are things we've really enjoyed, but may not work with a 6 year old--even a good traveler. There are great books and websites for about visiting London with kids.

Some suggestions based on more recent experience:

+1 for staying in the Kensington/Bayswater area. As noted it is convenient to Paddington Station which gives you good access to Heathrow and to destinations northwest of London. The DoubleTree Hyde Park has been a reliable and convenient place to stay in London. It lacks character, but it is very convenient and usually relatively reasonable. DoubleTree London Hyde Park

Nearby, De Amici's is family owned, kid-friendly, Italian restaurant with really great food--especially the pizza. De Amici's

Also look for Nando's - a global chain, but pretty good food and very kid friendly. Most importantly -- self-serve refillable Coke products...with ice. Nando's

Look into the London Pass. It can be a good deal especially for first time visitors. Be aware that you cannot possibly visit as many sights as you'd like. And in October you may find that hours are shorter. One nice thing about the pass is that in between the big attractions, you may be able to pop into some smaller attractions that don't require a lot of time but that you might otherwise overlook. On that trip with our kids, for example, we stumbled upon the Royal Mews because it was a London Pass attraction.

You don't say how long you will be there, but if more than a couple of days, strongly consider a day trip or two out of London. As others have mentioned, Windsor and Greenwich are easy day trips.

Have fun!

We were there in July 2019. We only had two days in London, which was not enough. Lol. I did not see any recommendations for high tea, but I highly recommend the Science Tea at the Ampersand Hotel. The hotel is in Kennsington.

https://ampersandhotel.com/eat-drink/the-drawing-rooms/science-afternoon-tea/

The Harry Potter studios in Leavesden!!