Planning for daily picnic lunches in central London

You mmay want to adjust your strategy a bit, at least on some days. Eat a less expensive pub lunch, then "picnic" for supper. There are inexpensive sandwiches available at places like Boots (pharmacy/chemist), Marks & Spensers (known by locals as M&S), Tescos, Sainsburry's, etc. Also what the Brits call "ready meals"- simply heat up and enjoy. Lunch is often much cheaper, an sometimes more hardy than supper. And children are usually welcome in pubs during the day with their parents (sometimes at night, but not always).

i responded to your other posting. I agree with the suggestion above- dont go rigidly with rick's suggestion

Thank you both. I appreciate the advice.

It's not so much that you need to pack sandwiches. Around lunchtime you can pop into a grocery, buy a hunk of cheese, some pasta salad from the deli, and some fruit. Keep utensils, napkins, disposable plates with you and you're set.

And let me add that going to Borough Market at lunchtime is fun. Lots of food to choose from. My kids loved it. It's not open every day-I think just Thurs, Fri, & Sat. Look it up online.

Ricks' advice is to avoid restaurants at lunch? That is odd, because in most countries, lunch is when you get the cheaper meals. Do as others have suggested and have your picnic in the evening. Grab a bite to eat for lunch at an ethnic restaurant for cheap eats. Curries, kebabs, Asian, etc.

We tend to picnic for both lunch and dinner when in Europe, and have one "splurge" meal in a restaurant. We were in London this past November and it was no problem at all to take our day pack filled with lunch and water bottles into any museum or tourist site. We did have to check the day pack at certain places, but that was due to their policy and not the contents. If you run into rainy weather, we found a food court attached to Victoria Station with plenty of tables. Lots of fast food places, which we don't normally eat, but there was a "SpudULike" where we could get a baked potato which was nice for some hot food. We supplemented this with fresh food from the Sainsbury's grocery downstairs. Our meals were inexpensive and healthier than eating out all the time. Might be a nice option for you to know about. Also, if your kids love peanut butter, we bring a jar of "PB2" with us. It's powdered peanut butter so no problem bringing it on the plane. Just try it ahead of time, because it is reduced fat so the taste is not the same as regular peanut butter. Have a wonderful trip!

The cheap dining in London is ethnic food. Since you have your kids, that may not be the best option. We found asking a local Bobby for a place to get "pub grub, nothing fancy" was also a way to find a reasonably priced lunch. For picnicking, Trafalgar Square or across the street on the steps of "in chains" (or is it "in the fields"?) church are decent spots but the pigeons can be a nuisance. I also liked Leicester Square not far away as a place to spend some time people watching. There are also huge parks (St. James?) if you prefer sitting in a large grassy area plus many smaller parks dotted all over. Sorry, I can't remember all the names off the top of my head.

You can buy peanut butter in london. No need to take the artificial stuff. I forgot about those baked potato places- they used to be very popular, particularly in "the City" You dont needd to fight the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, there are many large green parks in london, and also many, many squares. St James Park is a favorite of mine, but there also is a large stretch of lawn between westminster and the Tate (going west) which i have never read about, but stumbled across- sprinkled with local sunbathers

I think Trafalgar has been de-pigeoned. There were only a couple around when I was there in October.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question. It sounds like we'll have lots of good options. I really appreciate all your suggestions!

I haven't been to London for 8 years, but the last time I was there they had a lot of these sandwiches places called Pret something I think it may have been Pret a Manger or sometthing like that. They had a huge ion of sandwiches that were really delicious. If they aren't around any more, you're bound to find something similar. When we were in Scotland a couple of years ago, we stopped at what looked like a truck stop in the middle of nowhere in the highlands, and this place had great pre-made sandwiches too. We liked them so much we bought extras to have for dinner.

Pret a Manger are still around, Carroll. I was in one (in Birmingham) yesterday. Did you know they are part owned by those Golden Arches guys?

Pret a Manger not around anymore:)))) There's two things you can count on seeing on every corner of central London these days: a Boots, and a Pret a Manger! Yes I do love the Pret!

There is also a sandwich shop called, EATS. It is similar to Pret. Don't pass up the Tyrrell's, I believe that is the correct name, beet, parsnip and carrot chips. They are delicious.

Pret a Manger partly owned by McDonalds? I had no idea, Nigel. I would do anything to have one in downtown Pittsburgh.

It shouldn't be long, there are over twenty in NYC, a couple in Chicago, and a couple more in DC.

EATS is also really good for soup, gyoza soup, and pies. Savoury pies, like chicken and stuffing pie, steak and ale pie, asparagus pie. Wonderful pies. Mmmmm.

You can also pick up pasties - meat pies - which my teen daughter and I really enjoy. I seem to remember a Cornish Pasty Shop along Fleet Street, not far from Trafalgar Square. And a fun dinner possibility is Gordon's Wine Bar, near the Embankment Tube stop and down a flight of steps. We used to get a big plate of 2 or 3 cheeses, a hunk of baguette, and some pickles for something like 7 GBP, which was plenty for us to split for dinner. The tables inside are usually full, but go out the back and there's a nice little garden along the Embankment.

I definitely agree with Kathleen, pasties are fantastic... a good way to both eat cheaply and well, while also getting a taste of something traditional. All of the advice here is spot on, there are so many places to grab a quick and cheap bite to eat in London which I for one did not at all realize while I was planning. I hugely overbudgeted for food during a November trip, which was a pleasant surprise.

Excellent. I am very encouraged. Thank you all!

Pasties: In addition to specialist shops, love the pasties from Harrods Food hall, and also Selfridges. I could probably live on british pasties for my entire vacation if my wife would let me

Mmmm, Pret. I would often grab a sandwich around lunch time and stop in a nearby park. And it was enough to keep me going until dinner which was often bought from a grocery store. Seriously, crazy tasty sandwiches. Places like Subway have nothing on them. I dream of their mozzerella/basil/tomato pesto bloomer. Mmm. Eat a big breakfast, grab something at lunch, then pick up groceries on your way back to Greenwich. I always carried a small plastic water bottle, and didn't have any problems with it in my bag and going to museums, galleries, etc.