It’s pancake day! From crepes to buttermilk and dutch through to American – we thought it would be appropriate to highlight out favourite London cafes and restaurants where you can bring your brood and enjoy a cake of the pan.
Breakfast Club @ Hackney Wick
With branches all over London (Battersea Rise, Angel, Hoxton, Spitalfields, London Bridge and canary Wharf) the Breakfast Club has you covered this pancake day. Our favourite is Breakfast Club at Hackney Wick – there is an adjacent playground to keep the little ones busy (before, during or after your meal). It is facing the canal and on a sunny day you can bask in the sun whilst you enjoy classics like Pancakes with berries, Pancakes with bacon and maple syrup or go for more adventurous sweet toothed delights like their salted caramel and banoffee pancakes. They also have gluten free options and lots more. Breakfast is certainly the best meal of the day and we recommend a visit to this much loved spot in Hackney! (Pancakes and Waffles start at £9) More info and booking here.
My Old Dutch
With branches in Holborn, Kensington and Chelsea – this is another great restaurant for parents and children to enjoy pancakes whatever the day of the year. They have great affordable offers and a children’s menu for those little ones with smaller appetites. They serve a selection of dutch pancakes as well as crepes and their savoury selection is divine (think lamb stew from the a la carte menu or seafood pancake) They also have a selection of gluten free, vegan and dairy pancakes so they can cater for all the family with our modern diets and complicated tastes. We love the King’s Road branch – but if you have a favourite we’d love to know why! More info and bookings here.
Cafe Miami
A relatively new kid on the block – Cafe Miami resides on Lower Clapton Road in Hackney with a rather unassuming exterior, you could easily miss it as you walk by. Once inside the baby colours (think baby pinks and blues) give it a very retro feel. We love the space for buggies and the friendly clientele – we had two exploring toddlers and a baby in a sling come and visit and no eyelids were batted. The offering is divine and very instagrammable. They are serving a special menu to celebrate pancake day which includes pancakes topped with rhubarb compote and vanilla creme fraiche or chocolate sauce, whipped cream and crushed Oreos (yum). Pancakes start from £8, More info and bookings here.
Where the pancakes are
They serve pancakes – all styles of pancakes. Dutch, Crepes buttermilk pancakes and more. Some of their luxurious pancake toppings include thyme-poached conference pear, lemon zest, salted caramel, house cream, toasted almonds (mouth watering smiley face) or savoury offerings with poached eggs, hollandaise, tarragon, asparagus with extra smoked salmon or smashed avocado or wiltshire ham or streaky bacon (want want want) Child friendly and delicious (they have a children’s menu as well as more gourmet options for the parentals.) We recommend them for a visit this pancake day if you are in the Southwark area. They are also hosting a pop-up at Flat Iron Square to celebrate this year’s pancake day. Yummers. Pancakes from £7.50 more info and bookings here.
Mortimer House
This is the posh option for those with well behaved toddlers (if such a thing exists) or older kids. They serve delightful light and fluffy vegan pancakes in a majestic six-floor Art Deco building in the heart of London’s Fitzrovia. The 90-seat restaurant features an open kitchen and chef’s counter where you can spectate the chefs as they create the vegan pancakes flavoured with cinnamon and orange and topped with fresh figs and date syrup. Pancakes start at £10 more info and bookings here.
Neptune
Delightful food in the heart of Bloomsbury in this Grade II – listed building. Another fancy option for family pancakes. For this year’s pancake day you and your crew can enjoy their buttermilk pancakes with berries and creme fraiche. They serve other modern breakfasts with a twist such as butcher’s breakfast with a bacon brioche roll, smoked haddock kedgeree and more. Yum for those fish lovers amongst us. Buttermilk pancakes with berries and creme fraiche £8 more info and bookings here.