Jack & Lulu’s Opens In Hampstead

Jack & Lulu’s is officially launching on March 12th at the landmark site, Jack Straws Castle, at the top of Hampstead Village, North End Way, London NW3 providing an exciting and original concept offering families a stylish new venue in which to eat, play, party and explore.

EAT
This is no ordinary restaurant – Jack & Lulu’s philosophy is to create fresh, healthy dishes that are pleasing for all ages, beautifully presented and served in a stylish dining room, with design elements that appeal to both adults and children. Dotted around the large ground floor dining room there are children’s play tables offering arts and crafts, cosy carpeted reading areas, puzzles and books and for older children a menu of handheld electronic and more challenging games to play at the table, with newspapers, magazines and wireless internet for the adults. Head chef Adrian Southall is a father himself and understands the need to create wholesome but visually appealing food for children and adults alike.

For the under 11s, dishes on the ‘little people’ menu are all served with an organic milk shake or junior fresh fruit smoothie, a choice of fries or fluffy mash and carrot & cucumber sticks, with a scoop of ice cream to finish. Dishes include mini prime beef or vegetable burgers; mini organic salmon fish cakes, made daily using the market’s freshest fish; and a variety of children’s pastas with sauce and cheesy sprinkles. The menu is priced at £5.95 for under 6’s and £6.95 for under 11’s.

The ‘babies and toddlers’ menu, for the under 3s, includes a choice of toasted finger sandwiches (£4.75), with a variety of fillings such as tuna or ham; and Jack & Lulu’s ‘Toddler Pots’, comprising vegetable and bread sticks with organic cream cheese (£2.95). Jack & Lulu’s are also proud to serve “So baby” meals for those aged 6-months to two-years, which is a Soil Association Gold Award winning organic natural baby food.

Adults are also well looked after with a tempting menu of homemade comfort food favourites and special mains. Starters include chopped liver & egg and onion served with crackers; posh prawn cocktail - a freshly grilled whole langoustine with langoustine tails, homemade Marie Rose style aioli and crisp baby gem; and sticky chicken skewers flavoured with tamarind and mango. The main course menu offers a range of piled-high deli sandwiches and deep bowl salads through to elegantly presented mains plates, including an 8oz 28-day hung Aberdeen Angus rib-eye steak served with hand cut chips, roasted vine ripened tomatoes, wild mushrooms and burgundy jus; pan-fried seabass fillet with grilled aubergine imam and roasted tomatoes; a pan roasted breast of guinea fowl with wilted greens, and a popular 8oz Angus chopped steak burger served with a variety of original toppings. Deserts include chocolate and raspberry truffle, on a light buttery shortcrust base with vanilla and mascarpone; and fresh fruit salad with toasted marshmallows. A traditional hearty roast is served on Sundays for lunch, and afternoon customers can enjoy an indulgent traditional cream tea.

Great attention has been given to the design which manages to achieve adult sophistication with wooden floors, leather chairs, elegant tables, whilst also capturing the imagination of children with brightly coloured walls, bespoke Jack & Lulu’s murals and patterned lampshades. And baby changing facilities in every toilet!

PLAY
The basement is home to Jack & Lulu’s entertainment area, open Monday to Friday from 11am, with an array of rumble tumble bouncy soft play fun, ball jugglers, squashy shapes, giant puzzles, traditional games, and Wendy houses, with ringside seating for parents and child-carers to meet, relax and enjoy a selection of hot and cold drinks, patisserie and light snacks whilst keeping an eye on the little ones. Entrance costs £3.95 for members and £4.95 for non-members.

PARTY
Jack & Lulu’s is the perfect children’s party destination with a fabulous range of parties to choose from, in a private party area, with an event manager to do all the organising and a party host to run the actual event. All parties are based on a fully-inclusive package comprising the party itself, all the party food, complimentary invitations and thank you notes and age appropriate going home presents and goody bags, so all the parents have to do is bring the children and the cake and leave everything else to the Jack & Lulu’s team.

In addition to the soft play area perfect for younger parties, the basement also houses a separate, state of the art fully computerised disco and karaoke room, complete with disco lights, professional backing tracks, spectacular visual effects and a mini stage.

At Jack and Lulu’s parties, children are given the opportunity to escape into a world of make-believe. They can become princess, fairies or pirates for the day in one of the themed action parties, create their very own girl or boy band and record their own pop video in a unique fully computerised Youngstars pop studio party, or arrive by stretched limo and dance the evening away at their very own ultra cool VIP teenage disco. There are also Dance & Drama workshop parties, Arty Crafty and Hair and Beauty parties, toddler Rumble Tumble play parties, right through to teenage and family functions, all catered and managed by the in house Jack & Lulu’s team.

EXPLORE
Jack & Lulu’s also offers a wide range of timetable classes and courses, designed to help adults and children explore a little of their the world together. These include Arty Crafty Fun and Cookie Cookery, Infant Massage and Children’s Yoga, and the Angelina BallerinaTM Dance Academy. For adults, there are courses such as pre- and post- natal pilates, courses in infant nutrition and Paediatric & Infant First Aid.

Explaining the philosophy behind Jack & Lulu’s, founder and managing director Neal Fullman comments: “The UK has never been famous for catering well for families and with a young family ourselves, we thought it high time somebody did something about this. We wanted to create the highest quality ultra family-friendly environment possible in which adults and children are made to feel equally special. We understand families in all their various forms, shapes and sizes, and value the importance of spending quality leisure time together, and know from personal experience how difficult this has become in today’s fast pace. We want Jack & Lulu’s to become a place for both big and little people to relax, unwind and take a breath together.”

Jack & Lulu’s takes its name from the ‘Jack’ in Jack Straws Castle, and the nickname of Neal’s daughter, Olivia, which is ‘Lulu’.

Jack & Lulu’s is open throughout the day seven days a week for coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and supper. Visit jackandlulus.co.uk to find out more.