In just two weeks, the Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme has been used more than 35 million times, and after a month of having our fill, we wanted to share a selection of our favourite restaurants that we’ve been visiting this month.

Now, as we enter the final week of the scheme, why not treat your family to some discounted eating! Not only is this a fantastic way to support local restaurants and businesses, it’s also a great excuse to head into town and enjoy some quality time with the whole family – without breaking the bank.

Our recommendations

For those families passionate about supporting independent eateries, you can simply pop in your postcode on the gov.uk website here to find out which restaurants local to your area are getting involved in the scheme. And – if you come across a restaurant that particularly tickles your fancy – be sure to reserve a table online in advance to secure your booking and avoid disappointment. 

Hundreds of restaurants have taken part in the scheme, and we found it incredibly difficult to narrow down our favourites. So, we asked our children instead and these are the answers that we received:

• Pizza Express: There’s one on every high street in the UK and it has something for everyone in the family. A childhood favourite that almost everyone shares a passion for
• Prezzo: Another family favourite when eating out is Prezzo, as it has a great value children’s menu, which has been made even more attractive with the Government’s discounted scheme
• Din Tai Fung: If your children haven’t tried dim sum, then they should. Din Tai Fung is a world-famous Taiwanese chain located in Covent Garden, but be warned: to get a seat you will need to book in advance.
• Caravan: Caravan is a great child friendly restaurant, which has branches all around London. Their all-day menu is enough to make anyone’s mouth water, and the service never disappoints
• Hard Rock Café: Hard Rock Café is always a great way to top off any fun day out with the family. Children always seem to be taken away by the memorabilia everywhere and the food is great as well. Restaurants are jotted around the UK, with branches in Manchester, Newcastle, Mayfair and Oxford Circus
• Wildwood: A great place with friendly staff and fantastic food. Their bright and airy restaurants are great for socially distanced seating; there’s plenty of options for children on the menu. With locations up and down the UK, just check out their website to find your nearest restaurant

If this isn’t enough to get you started, a number of other high street businesses serving eat-in food will also be offering the 50% discount, giving you the option of topping off an fun-filled day out with a delicious family meal.

• Centre Parks
• Hollywood Bowl
• Tenpin
• Dobbies Garden Centres
• The National Trust – pop your location in here to find a site near to you

And remember, there’s no minimum spend required to get the discount, nor is there a limit on the amount of times you can use it in a day, meaning you can dine out cheaply to your heart’s content!

How have you adapted your family outings this summer holidays? Are you planning on making the most of this scheme? Let us know, as we’d love to hear from you!