Also, has anyone been to the Hard Rock Cafe in London. My husband is a fan. Is it easy to find? Worth the trip?

If in london, go to a pub.

We will have our 12 year old with us. Are children allowed in pubs? Or maybe there is a time cut off?

I realize I completely didnt answer your 1st question. I dont know anything about the Hard Rock cafe in london, except that if its anything like the one in NYC its probably overpriced and not that great. just my own opeion....but if you really are a big rock fan...it might be right for you.
Anyway,
Pubs arent necessarily like bars. Often there are seating areas in them. The menus are sometimes limited, fish and chips, jacket potatoes, etc. But they give you a good flavor of england as opposed to a "chain-type" restaurant. Try posting with title "Great Pubs/Restaurants in London" and mention where in London you will be. Others might have other suggestions.

Last June we were traveling with our just-turned 17 year old son in London. We were told at a couple of places (at lunch-time even) that the 'rule' is for minimum age 18. Since our son could have passed for 18, they waived the rule for us and seated us upstairs and away from the bar and front door. For a 12-year old, you might be turned away.

Hi ...

Most pubs these days will allow childen .... but they will not be allowed near the bar ...

If you see a pub you like, go in & ask the barman ... if they are serving food they are likely to say yes.

Mark

Is the Hard Rock worth the trip? Well in the early 70s, when largeish burgers were an exotic novelty and the queues rarely got beyond the door, it was worth a trip from - oh, a couple of hundred yards away.

Now it'd probably be a handy place to eat if you were staying next door (it's ptrety unmissable: a few yards east of the Hyde Park Corner underpass) and if there weren't any queues. Otherwise, what on earth is the point? A competent chef could butcher a carcase, mince it and make a burger from the mince in the time it takes for the poor people queueing outside to get to the front.

With thousands of restaurants serving real food in London, life - for anyone - is just too short to stand around on a street waiting to be allowed into an indifferent restaurant. It was pretty indifferent back in the 70s: even its fans don't claim it's got better.

Rules about pub access for children are a bit complicated. Children the age of yours are allowed in at the manager's discretion - and lots of pubs in central London really don't want them. Nothing wrong with them: but they're there for over 18s to have a good time. It's both legal and commercially sensible for some pubs to turn away 12 year olds but accept 17 year olds.

Those that do let chidren in to eat typically announce thir menus loudly outside. But few of us would actually take children into central London pubs. What's sensible in a country pub or Notting Hill on a Sunday lunchtime may not be as sensible in a place awash with office workers fortifying themselves with lots of dirty jokes for a hard afternoon's cold calling.

Again, with thousands of restaurants around, singling out pubs to eat in does seem a tad perverse.

So flanneruk, do you have a suggestion for april of a GOOD place to go?

I've absolutely no idea about April's tastes. Nor has anyone else.

Which is why the only answer I ever give to the question "where'a good place to eat?" is, in London, to buy the Time Out Guide to London eating and drinking. Any other answer is making assumptions about April which are totaly unwarranted.

Or even totally unwarranted.

I wouldn't think of going to the Hard Rock Cafe for the food. It's a tourist mecca that people are willing to queue for, like the Jewel house or Eye. If your husband is a fan, it's probably worth the trip.

For myself, I wouldn't think of going there for any reason.

There are direction on hardrock.com

It is very easy to find, quite near Green Park. Their vegetarian burger is quite good.

The Hard Rock is very easy to find and is central (hyde park, green park, and a big intersection)....and your 12 yr. old might like a Hard Rock LONDON t-shirt, ...and if your husband is a fan, why not?
Having said that, the food is not exceptional and indeed probably overpriced...but it's fun for one time. WE were there in mid 80's with our daughter and friend who were in London doing some student teaching for 8 weeks.(from TX)... sometimes the line was/is snaked around the corner and it's not worth THAT wait. Go at a very early or odd time!
Pubs out in the countryside and all across England in villages are wonderful. They welcome children, have delicious food and are so different than in London. Often family oriented and sometimes have a separate "family dining section".
I don't know from experience, but have heard that in London the children are indeed not as welcome in the pubs.

If your husband likes old rock memorabilia, I think it's worth a stop by the London Hard Rock. Maybe check out the Hard Rock gift shop, take a sneak peak at whatever great rock 'n' roll stuff is on the walls in the halls, even stay for a drink or a snack if it appeals to you.
I don't think anyone goes to any Hard Rock in any city looking for good food. It's all about the rock stuff, IMHO. I'd guess there's cool memorabilia from 60s and 70s 'British Invasion' musical era at the original Hard Rock in London.
We once gave a mini-graduation lunch for 20 students and teachers, to celebrate our daughter's 8th grade graduation from her K-8 school. Her class had gone to London for its 8th grade trip. They had a blast, and the Hard Rock treated them very well.

My daughter and I landed in London on her 18th birthday, and late that evening we went to a pub for a late bite to eat. When the bartender saw us come in, he stopped us and told us that anyone under 18 was not allowed in the pub after 10:00. My daughter whipped out her passport, and announced that she was 18, and the bartender smiled and gave her a kiss! Some pubs are very strict about enforcing the age curfew.

I personally would not visit this place.Too expensive for what you get....A place worth seeking out is "Food for thought",in Covent Garden,as I have eat all over London,and for freshness,reasonable price,nice staff,very clean place,I would put it in the top three.....The only thing is that Londoners know about this place,and it can be terribly busy....But, once you have visited it,you will understand why!!!!!!

I would not bother with a meal at the Hard Rock. However, we went into the HR shop right next door...downstairs, there is a special, small exhibit called "The Vault." It was awesome. If your husband is really a fan and wants to see and hold true memoribilia, skip the meal and get a shirt and tour The Vault.

I was there with my 2 sons and DH. 14 year old and hubby are huge rock n' roll and blues fans. Son got to hold Jimi Hendrix's Flying V and play on the guitar Stevie Ray Vaughan used for the Texas Flood album. There were also items owned by Les Paul, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, BB King and more. It was truly the highlight of my son's week.

As for pubs in London, it varies. Some do not accept children, but some welcome them. Those that do tend to have dining areas in addition to their bars. We ate in a couple and had a great time.

Have fun!

I'm so sorry, but I don't understand why you would travel all the way to London to eat in an international food chain. If there, why not MacDonald's? I think the best part of travel is visiting those restaurants/pubs/etc. that are completely unique to the area. After all, once you are sitting in one international food chain, you really have no perspective of where in the world you actually are!

For an alternative burger experience that your 12-year old may enjoy, try Sticky Fingers in Kensington. It's owned by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, and has lots of Stones memorabilia on the walls.
Some pubs have a family/restaurant area where you can eat. Depends on the pub.

I think the original poster's question has to do with the Hard Rock 'experience', and he or she doesn't intend to come all the way to London to get a good meal at the HR. Sticky Fingers sounds like a good alternate suggestion for rock memorabilia.