O perfil de ALittleBird

Had a great risotto and veal and spaghetti here but the pizzas are pretty average and relatively expensive.

Staff are friendly and very child-friendly but probably wouldn't eat here very often if there was more choice in Raynes Park...

We (me, my husband, 2 year old son and mother-in-law) were really disappointed by Battersea Park Zoo.

We knew the zoo was small and weren't expecting lions and elephants but we'd "done" it all in just over an hour and frankly it was not much better than our local free city farm. For the price (£6.50 for adults and almost £5 for children over 2 years old) we felt it was a real let-down.

The zoo does have a lovely setting in Battersea Park and you could combine a visit with other activities there such as the boating lake and children's playground but we certainly won't be making a special trip again.

This tiny aladdin's cave is great for unusual, traditional toys and presents. A perfect antidote to the plastic tat you find in most of the bigger toys shops; it's great to find an independent toy shop like this.

Most of their stock is aimed at under 5's with a great range of wooden and traditional toys - everything from ride-on Wheelie Bugs to musical instruments and mini gardening sets. There's something for every budget. It's a great place to find unusual toys for birthday presents and they also stock lovely birthday cards and wrapping paper.

As its name suggests, Lighthouse is bright, light and fresh. The restaurant itself is airy and modern and there is a lovely courtyard area too.

The menu, which changes every fortnight, is Italian-influenced with a contemporary twist and uses seasonal ingredients to create inventive dishes. I think this sometimes means the food is lacking in identity but does that matter if it tastes good?

The staff are very friendly and the waiting staff really know about the food. I once went here when I was pregnant and the staff were very clued up about all the unsuitable items on the menu which in my experience was unusual and very welcome.

Lighthouse is a smart but relaxed venue for a memorable meal.

I'm not usually a fan of restaurant chains but I am very fond of this branch of Cafe Rouge. The restaurant has a lovely, cosy feel to it which makes you want to relax and take your time.

Food is tradional French bistro "lite" with salads, moules et frites, good steaks, Coq au Vin (obviously) and heavenly puddings. Comfort food with style.

Cafe Rouge is corporately child friendly with a children's menu and crayons on arrival and the staff in this branch are particularly friendly and accomodating.

One of my favourite local places for a leisurely weekend lunch.

We started going here years ago when we were young and carefree for romantic dinners and parties with friends and now we love going with our two year old. Thanks to the authentic wood-fired oven it's the best pizza we've ever had outside Italy but everything we've ever tried from scampi and tomato sauce, to seabass or steak has been oustanding. The staff are friendly, fun and professional. Love it!

A brilliant day out for animal or tractor-mad children. Bocketts is a working farm set in beautiful countryside and my son's idea of heaven. There is a massive barn with lots of friendly baby animals to pet as well as more animals outside. The piglet racing is something everyone ought to see before they die! Tractor rides and horse rides are available and there are child-size electric and pedal tractors too. When you get bored of animals there is a fantastic outside play area with wendy houses, massive sand pits, climbing equipment for all ages and a selection of trampolines. The giant jumping pillow is great fun too. Bocketts has a brilliant cafe in an old barn with more high chairs than I have ever seen before in my life. The menu is varied, prices reasonable and portions huge. Bocketts is only a short drive from London and for the car-free it's only 5 mins from Leathehead station in a taxi.

Not the kind of place where you can spend a whole day (or even a whole morning) but a fun diversion for little ones and it's free. The usual animal supsects are here, pigs, sheep, cows, goats and horses as well a good collection of chickens and peacocks. There is also a petting area for rabbits, some ferrets and a lovely garden area. Pony rides are sometimes available and for older children they run workshops in the school holidays so kids can get hands-on with the animals. There is a fairly basic cafe and a small shop selling farm-related toys and eggs produced by the farm. There is a car park or you can combine a visit with a tram ride and walk to or from Morden Hall Park.

Basically, it's a cafe with a big, open play area for children. It's bright and clean and has nice wide areas between tables for buggies and great changing facilities and toilets. There is a healthy, though not particularly extensive, menu of lunches and snacks for big and little people and prices are average. There could be a few more toys but all the children seem to enjoy themselves and unlike softplay cafes which can require hands-on parental supervision here parents can relax and enjoy a coffee and grown-up conversation while the children get on with it. The big sppace also means it would be a good place to meet up with a group of mummy-friends. I think they also run groups and classes here on some days