Easter Day Lunch

If you're going to avoid feeling sick on chocolate, you'll need a substantial meal - but most Easter weekends are too busy to find time to cook it. The answer lies in London's restaurants, most of which will be open on Easter Sunday, serving seasonal springtime fare.

Petersham Nurseries Cafe and Teahouse

Off Petersham Road, Petersham, Richmond, London, TW10 7AG
The cafe of a garden centre is not the place you'd expect to find a gourmet three-course meal, but Skye Gyngell's Petersham Nurseries restaurant makes genuinely world-class food, in spite of being located in a series of sheds. This is springtime dining at its closest to nature, as chefs pop through the restaurant to pick ingredients from the kitchen garden, and fresh flowers fill every nook and cranny. Many of the ingredients are grown onsite - the rest are sourced from micro-producers all over over Europe. Prices are steep, but well worth it for such an atmospheric and unusual restaurant - and one where your kids can charge around without causing too much damage.

More info: Petersham Nurseries Cafe and Teahouse Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Wolseley

160 Piccadilly, W1J 9EB
The half-a-dozen different menus at The Wolseley offer something for any time of day, but the sheer popularity of this London landmark make it pretty tricky to get a table for lunch or dinner time. For Easter Sunday, we would suggest arriving a little early, and enjoying a glamorous brunch instead. If you’re feeling flashy, you can start the day with a Caviar Omlette (£27.50) or Scrambled Duck Eggs with Perigord Truffles (£21.50). However, almost uniquely among London's top restaurants, the staff will make you feel just as welcome whatever your budget. You can just as easily enjoy this remarkable room with a boiled egg and dipping soldiers (£6.50) and a nice cup of tea. If you want the full English (£13.25), you need to arrive before 11:30am, but if that seems exhaustingly early, there are omelettes (£6.75-£8.50) and eggs Benedict (£6.75) on the all-day menu.

More info: The Wolseley Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Royal Oak

73 Columbia Road, London, E2 7RG
The traditional end to a Sunday morning shopping in Columbia Road market is the generous roast provided by this sturdy gastropub. While the market is likely to be fairly quiet on Easter Sunday, the Royal Oak is open as usual, dishing out tasty heaped platefuls of meat and veg to a varied east London crowd. A range of guest beers and a good wine list should help the rest of the day to pass pleasantly.

More info: The Royal Oak Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Giraffe

Unit 1, Royal Festival Hall Riverside, London, SE1 8XX
A springtime walk along the Southbank, or a visit to one of the innumerable Easter weekend activities at the Royal Festival Hall should always be concluded with a visit to this unfailingly popular family restaurant. The dedicated kids’ menu is cheap and healthy (well, until they notice the Crushed Toblerone Cheesecake), and the simple grown-up fare is made with care from good ingredients.

More info: Giraffe Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Manna

4 Erskine Road, London, NW3 3AJ
There is something a little schizophrenic about the Easter eating experience - having spent the last month surrounded by pictures of cute baby animals, we then tuck into eggs, lamb or rabbits. Those who find this all too distressing should head up to leafy, flower-filled Primrose Hill, where London's oldest vegetarian restauant continues to show the others how it's done. The inventive international menu is likely to satisfy even the most carnivorous members of your family.

More info: Manna Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The River Cafe

Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London, W6 9HA
The River Cafe offers the least flashy Michelin-starred experience in London. The dining room is plain, the food is served in large, simple portions and there are few original dishes on the menu. Considering that you'll see very little change from a hundred pounds a head if you go for the full four courses, some might find this simplicity a little disappointing, but for the serious foodie this is a flawless culinary experience, especially early in the year when the brisk springtime flavours of lemon, fresh herbs and olives are at their most refreshing. The lack of glitz gives it a friendly atmosphere, and if you fancy something really special this Easter, this is the place to go.

More info: The River Cafe Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Inn The Park

St James's Park, SW1A 2BA
It is in the nature of Easter that by the time Sunday lunch comes around, you're already feeling pretty bloated, while your kids have been rendered completely hyperactive by gorging themselves on chocolate. A restaurant that is set in the wide open spaces of St James's Park, and offers an informal self-service option as well as a proper menu of good seasonal dishes is therefore the ideal solution. Get yourself a table in the right spot and you'll also be able to watch the ducklings in the pond as they learn to swim. If the weather's nice, but the restaurant's a bit full, they'll sell you a picnic hamper, with cutlery, a blanket and a selection of freshly prepared food.

More info: Inn The Park Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Queen's Head & Artichoke

30-32 Albany Street, Regents Park, London, NW1 4EA
Located in a 16th-century coaching inn, this sweet little gastropub offers chocolate-stuffed Easter diners the choice of just nibbling on a little tapas, or going for a full meal. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas, while the lounge bar strikes just the right balance between gastro and pub. Service can be slow on a busy Sunday, so leave plenty of time if you're planning to eat here and admire the spring blooms in nearby Regent's Park.

More info: Queen's Head & Artichoke Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Trinity

4 The Polygon, Clapham Old Town, London, SW4 0JG
There are various good reasons to visit Clapham Old Town's finest restaurant on Easter Sunday. Firstly, there's the sheer quality of the cooking, which won it Time Out's Best Local Restaurant Award in 2007. Secondly, there's the option, if you order in advance, to have a huge roast to share: leg of lamb for eight, suckling pig for 12, or a whole pig's head for four. Finally, there's the silly gimmick on their menu of naming dishes after their three main ingredients. If a dessert called 'Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate' isn’t perfect Easter fare, we don't know what is.

More info: Trinity Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube