Can You Take Food into Kew Gardens?

Kew Gardens is a wonderful place to spend a day. If you have kids it is a vast playground where they can run as much as they like. But Kew is also great without children - there are so many fascinating things to see and experience.

If you can, it is best to spend the day at Kew, and this means you are going to have to think about food. Read on to find out if you can take food into Kew Gardens, and what the other options are for eating.

Can you take food into Kew Gardens?

Photo by Maria M on Unsplash

Takeaway food for your Kew Gardens picnic

You are welcome to take your own food and drink into Kew Gardens. You can take anything from a bottle of water up to a full 3-hour picnic.

If you are travelling from London Waterloo, there are lots of options in the station to buy food and drink. These include:

• Food shops like M&S Simply Food, Boots and WHSmith
• Coffee shops such as Starbucks, Pret a Manger, Costa Coffee
• Sandwich sellers Upper Crust, Delice de France, Bagel Factory

Can you have picnics in Kew Gardens?

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Having a picnic in Kew Gardens on a sunny day is lovely

You can have picnics anywhere in the Gardens. There are lots of beautiful, secluded spots that you can throw down a picnic rug and have a feast. Many public parks in London are really crowded on a sunny day - this won't be a problem with Kew, which is a vast area.

You should have your picnic only on the grassy areas, and leave the barbeque and picnic furniture at home.

It is really important to take away your own rubbish and put it in one of the bins around the Gardens or take it home with you.

If you are sitting in one of the food outlets in Kew Gardens, obviously you have to buy and eat their food, you can't bring your own!

Can you buy food in Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

Afternoon tea at the Botanical, Kew Gardens

There are lots of different places to buy food in Kew if you haven't brought your own.

These include:

• The Botanical - elegant dining and afternoon tea, with a great view of the Palm House
• Victoria Gate Café - coffee, wraps, light meals and desserts
• Pavilion Bar and Grill - charcoal fire-grilled burgers and chicken, proper desserts, enjoyed alfresco
• Orangery - BBQ, salads and icecreams
• White Peaks - family-friendly restaurant, perfect if you are with the kids

You can find these marked in blue on Kew's downloadable map, or on the paper map you can pick up at the entrance.

Can you take alcohol into Kew Gardens?

Photo by Kate Hliznitsova on Unsplash

It's fine to take alcohol into Kew Gardens

Alcohol isn't specifically prohibited in the Kew Gardens. You can buy wine, beer and even spirits in some of the restaurants in the Gardens.

But Kew is a genteel place, certainly not a place for overt drunkenness. There are always lots of families around. So by all means enjoy some Prosecco with your picnics, but don't overdo it.

Can you smoke in Kew Gardens?

The Kew Gardens website is silent on smoking. This tweet from 2017, makes it clear that smoking in the Gardens is fine, but not in the buildings.

hi Laura, smoking is permitted in the Gardens, but not in any of the buildings or glasshouses.

— Kew Gardens (@kewgardens) August 22, 2016