Cool for kids: discover London as a family

Retro breakfast cereals are the staple at this buzzy Brick Lane café, whose menu is the stuff of childhood dreams. Think Coco Pops ice-cream, milkshakes made with Frosties, and sugar-hit bowls of cereal, liberally laced with cookie dough, marshmallows and flavoured milks. It’s a fun way to kick-start the day ­– just don’t tell the grandparents.

Islington locals are a discerning bunch when it comes to their morning croissant, and this tiny backstreet bakery is their favoured spot. It’s known for its buttery puff-pastry and creative viennoiseries, topped with bacon and maple syrup, perhaps, or peach with ginger custard. Note-perfect matcha lattes are served in hand-thrown mugs, or available to take away if you fancy a stroll by the canal.

If you feel like a change of pace, there’s no better place for a stroll than the towpath of Regent’s Canal. Follow it up with a classic pub lunch on the Narrowboat’s sunny balcony, where the menu runs from upscale burgers to vegan fish and chips. Feeling brave? Cross City Road Lock to the small concrete island in the centre, where you can watch the barges come and go, shaded by the weeping willows.

This quiet corner of the city could have faded into obscurity: a modest patch of green, where workers from the nearby post office used to eat their packed lunches. Instead, it’s become famous for the Watts memorial, unveiled in 1900, whose green-and-white tiles remember ordinary people who gave their lives to save others. A tranquil spot to sit and reflect, in the heart of the city.

This handsome old house on Folgate Street is a one-of-a-kind time capsule. Half museum, half work of art, it was created by the artist Dennis Severs, who imagined it was inhabited by a family of Huguenot silk-weavers. Visitors are asked to explore the antiques-filled rooms in silence, while subtle smells, sounds and flickering candlelight add to the eerie atmosphere.

Brazilian, Japanese and Peruvian cuisine meet at this high-flying address, set on the 39th floor of the Heron Tower. Two panoramic lifts whisk you up to the sleek, glass-walled restaurant, with its striking bamboo ceiling and showstopping terrace. The fusion menu has something for everyone, from maki rolls to crunchy taquitos – and while it comes at a price, the wraparound views are unforgettable.

Designed by artists India Harvey and Lisa Marie Bengtsson, this boundary-pushing play-space is free for under-fives and their families. It offers kids a multi-sensory adventure, with a room full of giant cushions, tactile surfaces and neon-bright mesh fabric. In situ until 31 March 2020, it’s gone down a storm with visiting toddlers. Just avoid peak hours; late mornings can get busy.

On Sundays, Columbia Road is transformed into an open-air flower market, and buckets of blooms line the narrow street. It feels like a slice of the old East End, as stallholders shout out cut-price deals and banter with passing shoppers. The side-streets are full of bijou boutiques, cafés and old-school pubs, while buskers keep the crowds entertained (and occasionally get them dancing).