London's best park cafés for kids

Perched at the top of a hill, this café is a well-established family favourite. Its popularity means that there can be queues, but the ice cream and cakes are well worth the wait. A detour through the butterfly park will keep the kids occupied in the meantime.

With large climbing frames, a sandpit, swings, slides and a zip wire, the playground here is bound to drain the energy levels. Refuel at the beautifully situated café, offering hearty meals, ice cream, snacks and takeaway coffee for caffeine-deprived grown-ups.

Serving snacks and light bites, this café acts as a post-activity chillout spot for all of the other exciting things going on at Ally Pally. On the lake you can rent a rowing boat, or a swan-shaped pedalo; there’s a fishing spot, a deer enclosure and an ice rink, and Little Dinosaurs soft play area is not far away.

This park now boasts everything from ponds to an adventure playground and a skate park. In the middle of the rejuvenated space, the café menu includes simple sandwiches and toddler-sized ices.

Send the kids to the children’s chillout area and have a glass of prosecco at this café bar. Food intolerance-restricted diets are well catered for and highlights include local fish and own-brand coffee.

Cheery service and panoramic lake views make up for the overcrowding at this café, with amusement provided by the park’s ducks, geese and swans. Featuring a menu of organic, home-made dishes, the kitchen serves everything from full English breakfasts to inspired salads. Hit the lake in a rented boat to work off the post-meal bloat.

The Tumbling Bay natural playground next to this Unity Kitchen café is an exciting environment of rock pools, wobbly bridges and tall treehouses. The café champions fresh, seasonal food, from snacks to full meals.

Formerly the Spark Café, this establishment in a listed building has an emphasis on healthy, freshly prepared food. It’s known for its child-friendly atmosphere, and the fenced-off garden means wandering toddlers won’t stray too far.

This tea room is in a gated play area, ensuring little scamps are entertained but can’t slip under the radar while you eat. The menu has a good selection of healthy pint-sized meals.

The perfect place to take the grandparents, the tea house in this Georgian mansion offers a classic spread of jacket potatoes, cakes, sandwiches and lunch boxes. The picturesque surroundings will help keep both young and old occupied.