Things to do with kids in Notting Hill should not feel like a military operation. The places on this list actually work for families: space between tables, staff who don't flinch at a spilled juice, children's menus that go beyond chicken nuggets, and enough to keep little ones occupied while you finish your coffee. From sit-down family restaurants to cafes and parks, these are the spots where parents can actually relax.
Things to do with kids in Notting Hill should not feel like a military operation. The places on this list actually work for families: space between tables, staff who don't flinch at a spilled juice, children's menus that go beyond chicken nuggets, and enough to keep little ones occupied while you finish your coffee. From sit-down family restaurants to cafes and parks, these are the spots where parents can actually relax.Read the noteHide the note
Things to do with kids in Notting Hill should not feel like a military operation. The places on this list actually work for families: space between tables, staff who don't flinch at a spilled juice, children's menus that go beyond chicken nuggets, and enough to keep little ones occupied while you finish your coffee. From sit-down family restaurants to cafes and parks, these are the spots where parents can actually relax.
The local tip: Runs right through to 13, so there's no separate prep-school move at seven — one reason local parents pick it over the 7+ shuffle.
Independent co-ed prep for ages 4 to 13 on Lancaster Road, founded by a group of local parents in 2003. The 'thinking school' idea is the genuine article here — Philosophy for Children is timetabled from Reception upwards. The latest ISI inspection found the relevant standards met; check current fees on the school's admissions page before relying on exact amounts.
The local tip: The playgrounds are split by age, so under-5s get their own space — rarer than it should be, and it makes the visit calmer.
The most central public park to Notting Hill proper, located between Walmer and Sirdar Roads. A charming mix of formal gardens, a small wildlife area, and well-equipped play facilities. Two playgrounds (under 5s and ages 5-14), tennis court, football area, netball area, logs, mounds, tunnels, sandpit, a train to climb on, swings, and climbing ropes. Compact but full of character.
The local tip: The Kyoto Garden is the highlight. Peacocks roam free
The crown jewel of West London green spaces. 54 acres with a semi-wild woodland northern half (rare for central London), two Japanese gardens (Kyoto Garden with koi carp and tiered waterfalls, and Fukushima Memorial Garden), free-roaming peacocks, and the ruins of Holland House which host Opera Holland Park in summer. Adventure playground, tennis courts, cricket pitch, cafe with terrace. A 5-10 minute walk from the heart of Notting Hill.
Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU
With KidsDog FriendlyOutdoor SeatingSunday Morning
The local tip: Come in off the canal towpath — with luck a steel band will be rehearsing, which beats any curated playlist going.
A community-created urban park and nature reserve on the banks of the Grand Union Canal. Created by community effort in 1976 to resist commercial development. Contains one of London's oldest skateparks, a Moroccan garden, community gardening plots, and the Play Hut eco-friendly community centre. Long association with steel band music -- bands rehearse and perform here. The canal-side setting is lovely.
The local tip: The Thai green curry is the sleeper hit on the menu
Arguably London's most photographed pub. The exterior is draped in over 100 flower pots, 48 window boxes, and 42 hanging baskets in summer, with extravagant Christmas displays in winter. Built in 1750, frequented by Winston Churchill's grandparents. The interior is crammed with Churchill memorabilia and WWII artifacts. Serves Fuller's real ales alongside an unexpected Thai kitchen that has been operating for 35 years in the conservatory. An institution.
The local tip: Still Outstanding after its April 2024 inspection — plenty of primaries have lost that badge under the tougher framework; this one hasn't.
Large community primary school on Lonsdale Road near Portobello Road, rated Outstanding by Ofsted with the latest inspection on 30 April 2024. Diverse intake reflecting the broader Notting Hill community. Strong leadership and a wide range of enrichment activities.
The local tip: Find the Voysey walled garden — a Grade II Arts and Crafts set piece most people stride straight past on the way to the canal.
A park with genuine architectural significance. Opened in 1914, it contains a notable Arts and Crafts walled garden designed by C.F.A. Voysey and Madeline Agar -- Grade II listed. Tennis courts, five-a-side football pitches, children's playground. The traditional starting point for the Notting Hill Carnival. Canal-side location near Westbourne Park tube.
The local tip: Get the cardamom bun warm — and the fennel sausage roll if it's anywhere near lunchtime.
Over 30 types of fresh bread daily including their signature sourdough, plus pastries, cakes, and a full brunch menu. Sits right on Portobello Road. A reliable, consistently excellent neighbourhood bakery that has become a local staple. Not the most exciting pick, but the one you keep coming back to because it never lets you down.
The local tip: Try the ricotta hotcakes. Window seats are prime people-watching
A proud fixture of Notting Hill for over a decade. The signature Ricotta Hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter are legendary -- genuinely one of London's most iconic brunch dishes. The light-filled corner space on Westbourne Grove is reliably good for fresh, seasonal cooking any time of day. Founded by Australian Bill Granger who popularised brunch culture in London.
The local tip: Visit before you judge — the 2022 special-measures reset means old reputations, good and bad, are out of date.
Non-selective comprehensive secondary school and sixth form on Campden Hill Road, serving ages 11-18 with around 1,300 students. The school reopened as a new academy after being placed in special measures in 2022. Located in a striking modern building on the edge of Holland Park. Broad curriculum with a sixth form offering A-levels and BTECs. The closest state secondary option for Notting Hill families.
The local tip: Outstanding at inspection after inspection — the state option that changes the private-school maths for local families.
Outstanding-rated co-educational secondary academy on Silchester Road for ages 11-18. Part of the Aldridge Education trust. The school has maintained its Outstanding rating across multiple inspections, most recently confirmed in 2024. Strong results and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Serves the North Kensington and western Notting Hill community.
The local tip: Time a summer visit for the water play area — 33 jets to get soaked in, and the kiosk does coffee while you supervise from a bench.
A proper neighbourhood park in North Kensington, known to almost everyone locally as St Mark's Park after the road it sits on. The draw is the splash park: a seasonal water play area with 33 different water features, running through the summer. Around it are three outdoor tennis courts, a cricket field, a football pitch, and separate play areas for younger and older children, the older one with a space-rocket climbing frame. Opened in 1926, staffed with a cafe kiosk in summer. A real family draw.
The local tip: The avocado toast is the benchmark. Cozy Australian cafe energy
A Notting Hill fixture for over a decade at the top end of Portobello Road near Golborne Road. Won Love London Awards for Best Cafe in Notting Hill. Known primarily for breakfast and brunch, with one of the warmest, most reliable cafe experiences in the area. The kind of place where staff know regulars by name.
The local tip: Packaging and advertising through the decades. Oddly fascinating
Over 12,000 original items charting 200 years of consumer culture. The headline attraction is the "Time Tunnel" -- a chronological corridor from the Victorian era through to the digital age. Originally opened in 2005, relocated to the former London Lighthouse Building in 2015. Three minutes walk from Ladbroke Grove tube. Cafe and award-winning garden. A genuinely fascinating place, especially for design and advertising nerds.
The local tip: Antiques on Saturday morning is the headline — Friday's food market end is where locals actually shop.
One of the world's most famous street markets, stretching 940 metres from Notting Hill Gate to Golborne Road. Saturday is the main event when hundreds of antique dealers, vintage fashion stalls, and global food vendors pack the street. The southern end has silverware and antiques, the middle is fresh food and retail, the northern stretch under the Westway is vintage clothing and bric-a-brac. Friday is the second-best day. Get there by 8:30am on Saturdays for the best antiques.
The local tip: The red velvet cupcake started a London-wide craze. Still holds up
Pioneered American-style baking in London since 2004. Famous for cupcakes, red velvet cake, and buttercream frosting that started a genuine cultural movement. The Portobello Road flagship is an institution. Great for cakes and sweet treats rather than bread. The kind of place that made Notting Hill synonymous with cupcakes in the mid-2000s.
The local tip: Two-time Evening Standard Pub of the Year, on a residential side street with hanging flower displays you'll see on Instagram before you find the door.
Dating from 1843 on a quiet residential street. AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence. The flower-bedecked front terrace and heated patio are gorgeous in warmer months. Inside, the dining room serves an eclectic European-influenced menu alongside gastropub classics and premium steaks. Original stained glass windows in the light-filled bar. Legend has it Lord Ladbroke once owned it and lost it at poker. Dog-friendly and family-friendly with a kids menu.
The local tip: Opened 1979 as a pure travel bookshop and the travel section is still the strongest in W11 — the rest came after the Hugh Grant film made it a pilgrimage.
The bookshop that inspired the 1999 Hugh Grant film. Opened in 1979 as a travel bookshop, now carries a beautifully curated general collection with a focus on gift editions, satin-bound classics, gilt leather-bounds, and an excellent children's section under a charming glass roof. Tourist draw but genuinely a wonderful independent bookshop worth visiting in its own right.
The local tip: One-form entry means roughly thirty places a year — live very close and treat an offer as a bonus, not a plan.
Outstanding-rated state primary on St Mark's Road and one of the highest-performing primaries in the area. The school reports Key Stage 2 results among the top 1% nationally, with very strong greater-depth outcomes in maths. One-form entry means places are limited, so admissions are competitive. Strong community school with excellent pastoral care.
The local tip: It's a chain, but the 20m pool is what you're really paying for — proper pools are scarce this side of Kensington.
Full-service premium gym near Ladbroke Grove tube with a 20-metre indoor pool, upgraded gym floor with Eleiko and Technogym equipment, and unlimited signature classes including Reformer Pilates and Sound Bath included in membership. Family-friendly with childcare facilities and children's swim lessons.
The local tip: The climbing wall is the headline, but tennis, football, basketball and cricket make this the strongest pay-and-play multi-sport option locally. Check session and competency rules.
Large community sports centre under the Westway flyover with London's largest climbing wall, a major LTA-accredited tennis centre, eight outdoor floodlit 3G football pitches, a futsal arena, fives courts, cricket lanes, basketball and a state-of-the-art gym. The climbing centre currently lists 350 climbing routes on 110 rope lines plus up to 150 bouldering problems.
The local tip: Pre-prep ends at Year 3, so have a plan for age eight from the start — many boys carry on to Wetherby Prep in Marylebone.
Independent boys' pre-prep at Pembridge Square and Pembridge Villas for Reception to Year 3 — the school where Diana famously walked Princes William and Harry in for their first days. Founded in 1951 and in the square since 1971. Wetherby Pembridge Minors is a separate co-ed nursery for ages 2 to 4, so check you're on the right site when comparing admissions and fees.
What makes a good kid-friendly place in Notting Hill?
With-kids places have to work under real family conditions: space, patient service, sensible food, and enough flexibility when timing gets messy.
How this guide to take the kids is curated
22 places in Notting Hill currently make this guide because they are genuinely manageable with children. I start with places I would recommend, then use reader agree/disagree signals to catch drift. Paid placement is not part of the ranking. If new details no longer match the guide, the listing is reviewed and can come off.
Frequently asked
What's the best kid-friendly place in Notting Hill?
Notting Hill Prep, Avondale Park, and Holland Park are the top with kids picks in Notting Hill. The selection reflects Andrew's editorial judgment and this guide's kid-friendly place criteria.
Where can I find with kids places in Notting Hill?
This guide covers 22 with kids places in Notting Hill. They span 7 categories: schools, parks, pubs, bakeries, coffee shops, places, gyms.
Which schools in Notting Hill are good to take the kids?
6 schools fit the with kids brief, including Notting Hill Prep, Colville Primary School, and Holland Park School. Each is rated by community agreement.
Which parks in Notting Hill are good to take the kids?
5 parks fit the with kids brief, including Avondale Park, Emslie Horniman's Pleasance, and Holland Park. Each is rated by community agreement.
Which pubs in Notting Hill are good to take the kids?
2 pubs fit the with kids brief, including The Churchill Arms and The Ladbroke Arms. Each is rated by community agreement.
Which bakeries in Notting Hill are good to take the kids?
2 bakeries fit the with kids brief, including GAIL's Bakery and The Hummingbird Bakery. Each is rated by community agreement.
Which coffee shops in Notting Hill are good to take the kids?
2 coffee shops fit the with kids brief, including Granger & Co. and Lowry & Baker. Each is rated by community agreement.
How is this guide to take the kids curated?
Andrew starts with places he would recommend, then anonymous agree/disagree votes can move the order around. Paid placement is not part of the ranking.
