With this record breaking February weather park outings are purse friendly as well as great for all the family.
Vicky Park is the largest in east London and one of my personal favourites – canal walks, two playgrounds, a Sunday market with delicious foods, festivals in the summer and two great child friendly pubs at each end of the park – what is there not to like?
This unseasonably warm weather has got us wearing short sleeves, the sun is up high in the sky and the kids are loving the playgrounds and the parks – although there is barely space to throw a coin on the ground because they are so crowded.
We decided to visit People’s Park Tavern on this particular weekday – partly because we had gone past it many times without venturing in and it looked very child friendly from the outside.
The other pub in Victoria Park was already packed with thirsty hipsters wanting their Aperols swifty and this seemed like the quieter option for two mums with active toddlers to be able to chat whilst they wondered.
As a relatively new parent – my son is two – I find it confusing that there are not many child friendly drinking holes. My child likes to play and be active, I like to sit and chat and imbibe, why haven’t business owners thought of combining these two interests to bring us more child friendly pubs like People’s Park Tavern?
So from that perspective already the pub is winning. The second aspect is the fact that it is in a park. So after sandpit play, duck feeding, swinging and sliding we can all go and relax and get some snacks and drinks without having to venture too far.
So in we get and we sit ourselves down at the table which gives us the largest possible view without having to remove ourselves from a seated position. There is also a toy car next to this particular bench – the boys climb on straight away brrring and pretend driving. I later observe a load of wires in the car but notice it is not plugged in to anything (still though, they make me anxious)
Drinks are ordered. Two Aperol Spritz – yes we got drink envy from walking past the other adults at the earlier pub. Although the drinks are not on the menu the bar staff are more than happy to accomodate us. Something we are grateful for.
Now for something to munch. It is a strange time in the afternoon – not quite dinner time but too late for lunch. We decide on messy fries (chips covered with cheese and homemade sauce – and we have asked for the jalapenos to be removed so the boys can have some too.) we get a large and share it between the 4 of us (two toddlers and two mamas).
The boys are enjoying sitting and they eat and giggle and get messy before they’re off again. The golf course in the garden is good entertainment for the two of them and they run around exploring with a little group of other children they have become friendly with. Other adults are very much tolerant of the two of them popping by their tables and either staring profusely or pointing at things and most importantly mums get a chance to catch up whilst the babies enjoy the garden and don’t have to remain strapped in a chair or glued to a screen with cartoons (desperate measures have resulted in this tactic more than this mumma would like to admit)
Verdict: The food is great – the pub is fab (especially on a weekday). We will be back (but please sort the wires in the play cars)