Kids eat free this half term - 30+ verified deals for May 2026

May half term is nearly here, and eating out with the family doesn't have to cost a fortune. Dozens of UK restaurant and café chains are offering kids eat free (or eat for £1) deals this half term - and a solid handful run all year round, meaning the savings don't stop when school is back.

We've verified every deal below using multiple sources as of 15 May 2026. That said, participating locations, exact dates and terms can vary within the same chain, and offers can be pulled at short notice. Always check directly with your chosen restaurant before heading out - a quick phone call or check of the chain's own website avoids a wasted trip or shock when the bill comes.

Half term 2026 dates

Most offers in England and Wales are linked to the May half term window: Monday 26 May to Friday 30 May 2026, though some start earlier or run longer. Scotland and Wales's dates vary check locally. We've noted confirmed dates against each deal below, where they were available.

Restaurants where kids eat free this May half term 2026

These are time-limited deals running specifically around the May 2026 half term break, confirmed as active at the time of writing.

Bill's

Up to 2 children eat free when one adult orders any main course, across any meal of the day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Running Monday 25 to Friday 29 May only - weekdays, not weekends. No app needed.

The kids' menu at Bill's is built around classics: buttermilk pancakes, mac and cheese, fish fingers and chips, a chicken burger, and lighter options like porridge and fresh fruit. Highchairs and colouring sets are available too. A well-rounded option for families who want something a bit more relaxed than fast food.

TGI Fridays

Children aged 12 and under eat free when an adult buys a full-price main meal. Running 11 to 31 May 2026. You must be a Stripes Rewards member (free to join) and redeem via the app. Only one free kids' meal redemption is available per member per visit, not one per child.

The TGI Fridays kids' menu features American-style favourites including cheeseburgers, chicken tenders and pasta. A good pick for children who like bold flavours.

Zizzi

Free kids' Bambini meal with every adult main course. Running 24 to 31 May 2026. You must be a member of the Zillionaires' Club app before arriving. Dine-in only and cannot be used with any other offer.

Zizzi's Bambini menu is Italian-focused with child-friendly portions: pizza, pasta and simple mains served alongside a drink. A reliable choice for Italian food fans.

Bella Italia

Kids eat for £1 with any adult main course. Available Monday to Thursday during half term, not at weekends. No app required.

Bella Italia's children's menu follows a similar Italian template to Zizzi: pizzas, pasta dishes and lighter mains. Familiar territory for most kids, and the £1 price point makes it one of the better-value deals on the list.

Frankie & Benny's

Kids eat free with every adult main purchase during school holidays. One free kids' meal per adult main, dine-in only. Exact dates vary slightly by region so check your local restaurant.

The kids' menu leans into the chain's New York Italian diner theme: pasta, pizza, burgers and chicken dishes alongside a dessert and drink. Children aged 11 and under are covered.

YO! Sushi

Children aged 12 and under eat free with a full-paying adult spending at least £10. Available Monday to Friday during local school holiday dates. Airport locations are excluded, so worth calling your nearest branch to confirm they are participating.

YO!'s kids' Bento box is the deal here: a self-contained meal with a mini main, sides and a drink. A fun format that introduces children to Japanese-influenced dishes in manageable, child-friendly portions. Cooked options are included alongside sushi so it suits hesitant eaters too.

Flaming Grill

Kids eat free with an adult main purchase. Weekdays only. A pub-style setting with a broad menu covering burgers, grills and classic mains. Availability varies by site so check with your local pub before visiting.

Hungry Horse

Kids eat for £1, including a main, drink and pudding, with every adult main course. Running Monday to Friday 25 to 29 May 2026, available at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hungry Horse operates large pub-style menus with generous portions. The kids' £1 meal deal covers a main, drink and dessert. Expect classic pub food: mini burgers, pasta, fish bites and simple roasts. Exceptional value.

Franco Manca

Kids eat free Monday to Thursday until 6pm with an adult main purchase. Selected locations only -- check your local restaurant before visiting.

Franco Manca's entire offering is built around slow-proved sourdough pizza, and the kids' deal follows the same format. Simple, quality pizza at a price that is hard to argue with. A good call if your children prefer their food unfussy and Italian.

BrewDog

Kids eat free when an adult orders a main course. You must select the "kids eat free" option when booking online, as it cannot be claimed at the door without pre-booking. Dine-in only.

BrewDog's kids' menu covers burgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese and plant-based options. Worth noting that BrewDog locations are bar-led, so the atmosphere may not suit very young children at busier times.

Harvester

Kids' meals for £1 with an adult main purchase, via the Harvester app and free Flavour Fan Club membership. Dine-in only.

Harvester is best known for its unlimited free salad bar, which children can access as part of their meal. Kids' mains include pasta, burgers, chicken strips and a roast option. A particularly good-value stop given the salad bar inclusion alongside the £1 main.

Sizzling Pubs

Kids' mains for £1 with every adult meal. Available Monday to Friday between 3pm and 7pm only, not at weekends and not outside that window.

Expect a standard pub kids' menu: sausages, chicken dippers, fish bites and pasta, all at a price point that makes the deal genuinely worthwhile.

Toby Carvery

Kids eat for £1 with an adult main. Weekdays during school holidays only. Dine-in.

Toby Carvery specialises in the traditional roast dinner format, available throughout the week. Children's portions come with a choice of meat, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables. A proper, filling sit-down meal, particularly good for younger children who enjoy a roast.

Greene King pubs

Kids eat free with an adult main at selected pubs. Availability varies significantly by location so check with your local Greene King pub directly before visiting. Menu styles differ across the estate, from burger-and-grill formats to more traditional pub food.

Marston's Pubs

Kids' meals for £1 with an adult main course at participating pubs. Standard pub-style children's menus apply across the estate. Check locally for confirmation.

A note on a few unconfirmed deals

Burger King. Historically offers a free King Jr. Meal with every adult burger meal via the BK app during school holidays. Listed across multiple tracking sites for May 2026, but check the BK app for the confirmed active window before visiting. The King Jr. Meal covers a mini burger or chicken wrap, a small side and a drink.

Subway. One free kids' pack - a 4-inch sub, a snack and a drink - with the purchase of any full-price Footlong Sub. Subway has run this deal every school holiday since October 2023 but had not published a specific May half term announcement at the time of writing. Check subway.com before you go.

Prezzo. Kids aged 2 to 12 eat for £1 with an adult main via the Club Prezzo app, covering a two-course kids' meal. No specific May half term dates had been confirmed at the time of writing - check the app before visiting.

For a bit of fun, you can also play Rock-Paper-Scissors for buy one get one free on desserts. I've won it myself, double doughballs!

Pizza Hut. Has historically offered a free kids' buffet before 3pm and a free kids' meal deal after 3pm. Multiple deal sites still list this as active for May 2026 but we were unable to confirm it directly with Pizza Hut, and some families have reported difficulty finding the offer on their website. Call your local restaurant before making a special trip.

Year-round kids eat free deals - available any time

These deals run all year, not just during school holidays. Worth saving for days out well beyond half term.

Asda Cafe

Kids aged 16 and under eat for £1 all day, every day with no adult purchase required. Maximum one meal per child per day. Under-18-month babies can get a free Ella's Kitchen pouch with any purchase.

The Asda Cafe menu covers straightforward family food: fish fingers, all-day breakfast, chicken nuggets and a pick-and-mix cold option. Meals would normally cost around £3.20, so the saving is real. The most accessible deal on this entire list -- no strings, no app, no minimum spend.

Morrisons Cafe

One free kids' meal when an adult spends £5 or more on a main meal. There is also a Feed the Family deal covering two adult meals, two drinks and two free kids' meals for £15 after 12pm. Valid every day, all year. Cannot be combined with other offers except the Teatime Meal Deal.

The Morrisons kids' menu includes hot meals (a main, a side and a vegetable option) or a cold pick-and-mix with a sandwich, snack and drink. Hot mains include pasta, sausages and chicken. A reliable, no-frills option - particularly useful if you are already doing the weekly shop.

Premier Inn

Up to 2 children under 16 eat free breakfast with every full-paying adult. You do not need to be a hotel guest - anyone can walk in. Adult breakfasts start at £10.99 at participating restaurants all year round.

The Premier Inn breakfast covers a full cooked spread: sausages, eggs, bacon, beans and toast, with continental choices alongside. Children get the same options for free. A genuinely filling start to a day out.

Brewers Fayre and Beefeater

Two children under 16 eat unlimited free breakfast with every full-paying adult. Breakfast only. Both chains are part of the Whitbread group, so terms are broadly consistent.

The breakfast format matches Premier Inn's, with cooked and continental options. The unlimited element means children can go back for more, which is useful before a long day out.

Travelodge

Children under 15 eat breakfast for £1 with every full-paying adult breakfast. One child per adult. Breakfast only, and not all sites participate - check with your chosen hotel before visiting.

Dunelm Pausa Cafe

Free kids' meal covering a main, a drink and two snacks with every £4 spent by an adult in the cafe. Spend £8 and two children eat free. Available all day, every day, all year.

The Pausa Cafe kids' menu includes sandwiches, snacks, pasta and simple hot dishes alongside a drink. One of the more generous deals on this list, and the £4 adult spend threshold is among the lowest of any chain.

Dobbies Garden Centres

Kids eat for £1 with an adult main course (priced £8.95 to £11.75). No code needed -- applied automatically at the till. Includes a free child's drink. A £1 supplement applies to the Sunday roast. Available daily from opening until close.

Dobbies serves a traditional cafe menu covering breakfasts, hot lunches and a pick-and-mix cold box for children. The setting inside a garden centre is naturally calm for families, and the no-code automatic discount is refreshingly straightforward.

Sainsbury's Cafe

Kids eat for £1 with an adult meal purchase. Available all year round at participating cafes.

A standard supermarket cafe menu: hot meals, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and breakfast items. Best used as part of an existing shopping trip rather than a destination in itself.

IKEA Swedish Restaurant

Kids' pasta with tomato sauce from 95p, including a soft drink and a piece of fruit. Other kids' meals range from £1.95 to £2.95 and include meatballs, plant balls and fish fingers with mash and peas. No adult purchase required. Available from 11am daily, though availability can vary by store.

The 95p pasta and drink is one of the cheapest confirmed kids' meals in any UK chain. A cult favourite for families -- just be prepared for the walk through the showroom first.

Las Iguanas

Free kids' main, dessert and drink with every adult main, via the My Las Iguanas app. Available all year on Mondays to Thursdays and Sundays. Download the app and claim the perk before arriving.

Las Iguanas serves a Latin American menu, and the kids' version covers rice and beans, mini wraps and chicken dishes alongside a dessert and drink. The free package is more complete than many deals on this list. Good for adventurous young eaters.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

Children aged 10 and under eat free from the Ramsay Kids Menu when an adult orders two courses from the a la carte menu, including a main. Available every day at most London and Liverpool sites, and weekdays only at Battersea, City, Edinburgh and Mayfair locations. Call ahead to confirm your chosen restaurant.

The Ramsay Kids Menu is a step up from typical chain children's food: proper pasta, grilled chicken and freshly made sides rather than nuggets and chips. A more upmarket family dining option that suits older children and parents who want a better meal alongside the deal.

The Real Greek

One free kids' meal per adult spending a minimum of £15. Sundays only. Includes a kids' main, a drink and ice cream or sorbet. Children must be under 12. Excludes the Lunch Menu, Filoxenia and Party Menu. An optional 10% service charge is added to the bill.

The kids' menu at The Real Greek features Greek staples in child-friendly form: pitta wraps, grilled chicken, halloumi and simple mains. A slightly different choice from the usual burger-and-pasta options, and the full package with dessert makes it good value on a Sunday.

Banana Tree

Free kids' main, drink and dessert when an adult purchases a full-price main course. Sundays only. Not available at the O2 location on event days.

Banana Tree serves Southeast Asian food spanning Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes. The kids' offering covers gentler dishes from the same menu -- a good opportunity to introduce children to flavours beyond the usual. Sunday-only, but worth planning around if your kids are curious eaters.

Angus Steakhouse

Children aged 8 and under eat free from the kids' menu with a full-paying adult, between 12pm and 5pm daily. London locations only (Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Paddington, Oxford Circus, Bond Street). Not available on Saturdays at Bond Street and Oxford Circus.

Classic steakhouse dishes scaled down for smaller appetites, alongside activity sheets and colouring crayons. A novelty option for families visiting central London.

Table Table and Whitbread Inns

Two children under 16 eat free breakfast with one paying adult. Breakfast only. Part of the Whitbread group alongside Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre.

Five things to check before you go

Getting to a restaurant only to find the deal does not apply is frustrating. These five checks take minutes and will save disappointment and tantrums later.

1. Verify at the chain's own website or app, not just this article. Deal tracking sites are updated regularly but restaurants can quietly pull or change offers. Always confirm at source before assuming.

2. Download apps before you leave the house. TGI Fridays (Stripes Rewards), Zizzi (Zillionaires' Club), Burger King (BK app), Las Iguanas (My Las Iguanas) and ASK Italian (ASK Perks) all require a loyalty app. Registering at the table wastes time and can cause redemption issues, so make sure to do the admin before you go so you're not thwarted by wifi issues or waiting for emails.

3. Check which days the deal runs. Bill's, Sizzling Pubs, Toby Carvery and Franco Manca are weekdays only. The Real Greek and Banana Tree are Sundays only. Always check before booking.

4. One free meal usually means one free meal. The standard rule across almost every chain is one free kids' meal per paying adult, Bill's (up to 2 per adult this half term) is the exception we've found. Do not assume the same applies everywhere, checking saves hassle.

5. Age limits differ by chain. Deals range from under 8 at Angus Steakhouse to under 16 at Asda and Premier Inn. Check before you sit down.

Frequently asked questions

Where can kids eat free during May half term 2026? Confirmed deals for May half term 2026 include Bill's (25 to 29 May), TGI Fridays (11 to 31 May), Zizzi (24 to 31 May), Bella Italia (Monday to Thursday), Frankie & Benny's, YO! Sushi, Flaming Grill, Hungry Horse (25 to 29 May), Franco Manca, BrewDog, Harvester, Sizzling Pubs and Toby Carvery. See the full list above.

Which kids eat free deals are available all year round? Year-round deals include Asda Cafe (£1, no adult spend needed), Morrisons Cafe (free with £5 adult spend), Premier Inn (free breakfast), Brewers Fayre and Beefeater (free breakfast), Travelodge (£1 breakfast), Dunelm Pausa Cafe, Dobbies, Sainsbury's Cafe, IKEA, Las Iguanas (via app), Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, The Real Greek (Sundays) and Banana Tree (Sundays).

Do I need an app to get kids eat free deals? Some do, many do not. TGI Fridays needs the Stripes Rewards app, Zizzi needs the Zillionaires' Club, Burger King uses the BK app, Las Iguanas requires My Las Iguanas, and ASK Italian uses the ASK Perks app. Bill's, Bella Italia, Asda and Morrisons need no app at all.

How many kids can eat free per adult? Usually one free kids' meal per paying adult. Some restaurants allow two -- Bill's this half term is one example. Always check the terms for the specific restaurant you are visiting.

Are kids eat free deals available at weekends? Some are, many are not. Year-round deals like Asda, Morrisons, Premier Inn and Dunelm Pausa Cafe run seven days a week. Half term deals like Bill's, Sizzling Pubs, Toby Carvery and Franco Manca are weekdays only. Check before booking a weekend visit.

When is the next kids eat free opportunity after May half term? The next major window is the summer holidays, beginning in late July 2026 for most schools in England and Wales. Many chains that run half term deals also run summer deals -- we will update this page as announcements are made.

Already a SmartPlus customer? PlusSave can save you even more

If you hold a thinkmoney SmartPlus account, you get access to PlusSave as part of your subscription -- and it is worth loading up before a half term meal out.

PlusSave gives you discounted gift cards at hundreds of restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues. The part that makes it genuinely useful here is how the saving works: because it comes via a discounted gift card rather than a voucher code, it can often be stacked on top of other deals. That means the kids eat free deal covers the children and PlusSave can reduce what you spend on the adult end of the bill at the same time.

Here is the full list of restaurants covered by PlusSave, and the ones also offering kids eat free deals this half term.

What does that actually save you?

The average family of four in the UK spends around £193 a month eating out -- roughly £48 per meal out if you are going once a week. But that is an average across all household types. At a casual chain restaurant, two adults eating mains and sharing a couple of sides will typically spend £50 to £70 before drinks.

Take Nando's as a real example. Two adults ordering half chickens with sides and soft drinks will comfortably spend around £50 to £55. A kids eat free deal is not currently confirmed at Nando's for this half term -- but an 8% PlusSave discount on a £55 bill saves you £4.40. That covers the cost of a child's Nandinos meal (around £6.50 to £7) almost in full. Not quite a free kids' meal, but close enough to feel it.

Now take somewhere with a kids eat free deal AND a PlusSave discount. At Zizzi, two adults spending £45 on mains during half term would save £4.05 via PlusSave's 9% discount -- on top of the two children eating free. At Bella Italia, the same £45 adult spend with 12% PlusSave off saves £5.40 on the adult bill, with the children already eating for £1 each.

Across a whole school holiday week with three or four family meals out, that stacking adds up meaningfully.

A note on stacking

PlusSave discounts come via a pre-purchased gift card bought at a reduced price -- so you are effectively paying less than face value before you even walk in. That is why they can often sit alongside offer codes or loyalty deals, rather than replacing them. That said, terms vary by restaurant and occasionally by branch, so it is always worth checking before you assume the two can be combined.

Not yet a SmartPlus customer? Find out more about the account and what is included here.

We are keeping this updated

New deals get confirmed throughout half term week and we add them here as they are verified. If you spot something we have missed, get in touch.

Deals verified 15 May 2026. Information correct at time of publication. Always check directly with participating restaurants and the chain's own website before visiting. Terms, participating locations and offer availability can change without notice. thinkmoney accepts no liability for offers that have been amended or withdrawn after the date of publication.