Best for sunny days

The sun's out and you fancy a drink but you need to entertain the kids. Where do you go?

Ashburnham Arms

25 Ashburnham Grove, SE10 (020-8692 2007). Fine ales in the beer garden

After visiting the Cutty Sark, the Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park or whatever, it'll be time for a drop of something lovely. And the Ashburnham Arms sells the entire range of Kent brewer Shepherd Neame's ales, including the organic Whitstable Bay ales. This is a traditional pub sporting a conservatory and a beer garden at the back. A children's menu is offered in the conservatory restaurant.

Windmill On The Common

Clapham Common Southside, SW4 (020-8673 4578). Tuck in at the old mill

Clapham Common makes for a perfect place to while away a few hours with the kids. This was once all wasteland, with a windmill used for grinding corn. There has been a pub on this site since 1655, when the landlord was himself a miller. It is now a vast, sprawling pub, and in the safe hands of Young's brewery, who maintain the tradition of providing fine ales and a decent food menu. The conservatory dining room allows children.

The Dickens Inn

St Katherine's Way, E1 (020-7488 2208). A haven for parents and kids

Tower Bridge, the Tower Of London, the boats bobbing up and down in St Katherine's Dock - all guaranteed to keep the little ones enthralled. Although the Dickens Inn is in an 18thcentury warehouse and former brewery, it has been a pub for less than 30 years.

This huge, three-storey timber-framed pub makes for a popular tourist attraction, and children are welcome throughout. The ground floor has a large seating area where you can also buy traditional pub grub, a pizza bar is on the first floor, and an expensive restaurant sits above that.

The White Cross

Water Lane, Richmond, Surrey (020-8940 6844). Old charm on the river

Half the world seems to be drawn to Richmond's riverside when the sun comes out, and the White Cross is in the thick of it all. The pub has stayed virtually unchanged since it was built in 1835. The saloon bar has a fireplace under the window, which makes everyone wonder where the chimney is. Upstairs is a particularly splendid bar with the tiniest of balconies commanding a spectacular view of the river.

Museum Of Childhood Cafe

Cambridge Heath Road, E2 (020-8983 5200). Fun and games in the East End

The Bethnal Green Museum Of Childhood has one of the largest toy collections in the world, with around 6,000 objects spanning more than 400 years. You can see swaddling bands from the 16th century, dolls and dolls' houses from the 17th, board games from the 18th, toy theatres from the 19th, model trains from the 20th, and construction kits from the 21st. There are also interactive games to play. And then everyone heads to the cafe for chocolate and ice cream. The museum is open Mon-Thur, Sat & Sun, 10am-6pm. Admission is free.