Restaurant Review: My Dining Room

Fine dining lunch dates with small children do not generally bode for a relaxed experience – especially when my eldest had just been stung by a wasp…. but My dining room in Fulham welcomed our motley crew of two mums with four boys aged from 14 months up to four with open arms and instantly soothed Sam’s angry sting with ice and some magic gel.

The boys got their own mini table next to the grown-ups all set up with non-breakable plates, kiddie-sized cutlery, crayons and things to colour in. Of course they instantly trashed it and sent stuff flying everywhere, but the lovely waitress didn’t seem phased at all. It’s so much easier to relax when the staff don’t grimace when your children don’t behave like perfect mini-adults.

It’s also much easier to relax when you get a free cocktail with your meal! I had a refreshing Cucumber Cooler and Tara sampled the Summer Sangria – delicious and instantly calming. Lunchtime cocktails are definitely the way forwards.

We calmed the boys down with the ever faithful DS while the staff endeavoured to get their food out asap. The kids menu is appealing with generous portions. It’s £6 for two courses and kids under 8 eat free which I think is incredible!

We ordered a mixture of fish and chips and spaghetti bolognese and they mixed and matched between themselves. Kids food always seems to end up being eaten like tapas – they like to try each other’s.

The fish fillet was chunky and the chips beautifully crisp. The spag bol was pretty standard but it was by far the most popular of the two dishes with the boys.

Tara and I got stuck into the Summer Special menu – at £15 for two courses with your free cocktail it’s brilliant value. Especially when you see and taste the food! I started with a generous portion of Heritage Tomatoes and Mozzarella – very summery and light with plenty of mozzarella.

My main course was Salmon and Haddock Fishcake with spinach and mustard tarragon sauce. It was equisite! After a week of cooking restuarant-style food at Leiths, my standards are pretty high at the moment, so I’m not being generous! This food is genuinely lovely and presented beautifully.

Tara had the Trio of Gnocchi with baby vegetable fricassee. A great light lunch option and the sauce was extremely tasty if a little soupy. She needed a good hunk of bread to mop it up really.

We moved swiftly on to desserts as the boys were starting to get restless. It was ice cream all round for the boys – served in cute little glass pots. Of course one was instantly smashed on the floor. But again, this did not ruffle any feathers with the staff. Boy did we fully test them out!

Tara had a vibrant looking Eton Mess of Red Fruits… hardly a mess though!

I opted for the Rose Creme Brulee. I was disappointed that I couldn’t detect any rose flavours, but it was a good brulee all the same.

So if you’re looking for somewhere classy to go for a family meal in West London – this is ideal. You get top-notch food and the kids get a warm welcome – even boisterous boys! It’s good to know there’s an alternative to the unimaginative chain restaurants we seem to default to coz they’ve got a kids menu.

Children’s cooking classes are also available at My dining room every other week if you’re still looking for summer holiday activities to plug those gaps in your diary! Kids can work with the head chef to make some simple dishes including making and decorating cupcakes.

There are some cracking deals on for the grown-ups too. As well as the Summer Special that we tried, there’s also the Pink lunch every Friday and Saturday 12-3pm £15 for a salad, dessert and unlimited cosmopolitan!!!!! Now there’s a challange…

My dining room
18 Farm Lane, London SW6 1PP
0207 381 3331
Nearest Tube station : Fulham Broadway. – 5 minutes walking distance