One of the first really nice restaurants we took Jack to was Locanda Locatelli. We’d been for dinner a few times in pre-baby days and loved the relaxed, but glossy feel and the really good food.
We went at lunch time and I was fairly confident that the Italian staff would barely blink an eye at accommodating a baby and I was right. The staff couldn’t have been friendlier or more relaxed. We weren’t rushed or made to feel we needed to make way for a baby-free, glossier couple as soon as possible (more on places that do make you feel like this in later posts).
We were seated at a corner table so it was quite easy to discretely breast feed. The only draw back to what was a really pleasant and relaxed lunch was the location of the toilet an, consequently, the baby-changing area. The bathrooms are actually reached via a door into the next door hotel, then down some stairs. When one doesn’t have a baby this doesn’t strike one as a problem. When you do, however, it presents a niggling annoyance but not an insurmountable challenge.
We took Jack back a few months later, in the company of our good friends Eileen and Alistair. By this time Jack was on solids and I wondered whether the staff would be as relaxed when he was chucking food all over the table and rather more mobile. I wasn’t disappointed. There were no exasperated looks and several offers of stracciatella ice cream for the bambino.
After that, not even the location of the toilets could detract from the warm post-lunch, wine and food induced afternoon glow.
Rating:
Stylishness: 4/5
Friendliness: 5/5
Feeding Facilities: 3/5
Changing Facilities: 1/5
Food: 4/5
Overall rating: 17/25 £££
Baby Dines Out 