Wagamama Family Dining Experience
Independent guide. WagamamaMenu.com is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Wagamama Ltd. Prices, dishes and offers change regularly and vary by restaurant — always confirm on the official Wagamama menu before you order. Last checked: September 2026.
Taking children to a restaurant usually comes down to three practical questions: is there food they will actually eat, is there somewhere to put the pram and the high chair, and how long will everyone have to sit still. Wagamama answers all three reasonably well, but it also does one thing that catches families out on a first visit — dishes are brought to the table as soon as each one is cooked, not all together.
This guide covers what is genuinely on the kids’ menu, what the restaurants provide for babies and toddlers, how the allergy process works, roughly what a family meal costs, and how to order so the food arrives in a sensible order rather than one plate at a time.
The short version
- Kids’ menu: mini versions of the main menu — katsu curry, ramen, yaki soba and cha han rice — plus a build-your-own kids’ bento box.
- Kids’ bento box: £7.90, with a choice of main (katsu chicken or fish bites), sides, fresh vegetables and sauce served on the side.
- Facilities: every UK site has baby changing, high chairs and space for prams. Booth seating can be requested for more room.
- Extras for children: mini chopsticks, activity sheets and crayon packs.
- Allergies: handled by managers only, in person. Allergy orders cannot be placed online.
- Watch out for: food is served dish-by-dish as it is ready, so an adult’s ramen can land before a child’s curry.
What is actually on the Wagamama kids’ menu
The kids’ menu is not a separate set of “children’s food” — no chicken nuggets and chips. It is built from smaller portions of the same dishes adults order, cooked in the same open kitchen, with the heat dialled down. That is useful if you want children eating the same meal as everyone else, and less useful if you have a child who will only eat beige food.
| Dish type | What it is | Good for | Meat-free version? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini katsu curry | Breaded chicken or vegetables, sticky rice, mild curry sauce | The safest first order. Crumbed protein plus rice reads as familiar to most children. | Yes — yasai (vegetable) katsu |
| Mini ramen | Noodles in broth with chicken or vegetables | Children who like soup and can manage a fork or spoon. Warming, but messy. | Yes — yasai ramen |
| Mini yaki soba | Stir-fried noodles with egg, vegetables and chicken | Dry noodles, no broth to spill. Often the easiest to eat at the table. | Yes — yasai yaki soba |
| Mini cha han | Fried rice with egg and vegetables | Younger toddlers and anyone still working out noodles. | Yes |
| Kids’ bento box | Choice of main, sides, vegetables and a dipping sauce, all separated | Fussy eaters and children who dislike foods touching. Sauce on the side is the key detail. | Check in restaurant — options rotate |
| Mini desserts | Ice cream with a choice of sauce | A short, cheap ending when you need to leave. | Varies |
Exact dish availability, calorie counts and prices differ between restaurants and change with each menu update, so we do not publish a fixed price list here — check the live menu for your location. For a broader look at the full adult range, see our Wagamama menu UK guide.
The kids’ bento box, explained
The kids’ bento box is the most useful addition for families in recent years, and it is worth understanding before you order. Rather than a single plated dish, the child chooses a main — katsu chicken or fish bites — and it arrives in a compartment tray alongside sides, fresh vegetables and a dipping sauce kept separate from the food.
Two practical advantages over a standard kids’ main:
- Nothing is pre-sauced. Children who reject anything wet or unfamiliar can eat the components dry and dip if they want to.
- Portions are visible. A tray of separated items is easier for a child to work through than a bowl, and easier for a parent to judge before ordering more.
It is priced at £7.90, which puts it above the cheapest single kids’ mains but below a main plus a side ordered separately. If you want more detail on the format generally, we cover it in our bento box guide.
Roughly what a family meal costs
Wagamama sits in the mid-range casual dining bracket — more than a high street chain burger, less than a sit-down Japanese restaurant. As a working estimate for two adults and two children ordering a main each plus one shared side, most families should budget somewhere in the region of £50–£70 before drinks and service, with central London sites and airport locations sitting at the higher end.
Three things move that number:
- Location. Airport branches are priced separately and are typically the most expensive; they are also excluded from most promotions.
- Drinks. Fresh juices and shakes add up quickly across four people. Tap water is free and always available.
- Sides. It is easy to over-order small plates. Two shared sides for a family of four is usually plenty alongside four mains.
Wagamama runs periodic offers on the kids’ menu for members of its free Soul Club loyalty scheme — a 20% dine-in discount on kids’ dishes ran through summer 2026, excluding airports. These offers come and go, so check current promotions before you book. Our promo codes and discounts page tracks what is live, and there is a separate student discount if there is an older teenager in the group.
What the restaurants provide for babies and toddlers
Wagamama states that every one of its UK restaurants has baby changing facilities, high chairs, and space for prams — which removes the usual pre-visit phone call. A few points that are less obvious from the website:
| What you need | Available? | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| High chairs | Yes, all sites | Ask when you arrive rather than after seating — bench seating at long tables can make placement awkward. |
| Baby changing | Yes, all sites | Confirmed across the UK estate. |
| Pram space | Yes, all sites | Smaller city-centre branches at peak times will still be tight. Off-peak is easier. |
| Booth seating | On request | Ask when booking or on arrival. Booths give a contained space and bench room — much better with toddlers than an open communal bench. |
| Mini chopsticks | Yes | Genuinely effective at keeping children occupied between courses. |
| Activity sheets and crayons | Yes | Ask for these at the same time as the high chair. |
The long communal tables that define the Wagamama layout are a mixed blessing with young children: easy for a big group to sit together, but you may be sharing a bench with strangers. If that matters to you, the booth request is the fix.
Allergies: how the process actually works
This is the part most family guides skim over, and it is the part that matters most. Wagamama’s stated policy is specific:
- All team members complete allergy training, but only managers take allergy orders.
- Allergy orders cannot be placed online. For click and collect or delivery, Wagamama asks you to visit the restaurant and order with a team member instead.
- Tell the team about any allergy or intolerance at the start of the order, not after the food arrives.
If you are ordering for a child with a nut, gluten or dairy allergy, plan to eat in rather than order to the house. Wagamama publishes a full allergens guide, and our own Wagamama allergen breakdown explains how the main dish families are affected. Families who need halal options should read our separate piece on whether Wagamama is halal, as the answer is not uniform across sites.
Order in the right sequence — the one thing that changes the meal
Wagamama does not run traditional courses. Every dish leaves the kitchen the moment it is finished, so a table of four will get four plates at four different times. With adults this is fine. With a hungry five-year-old watching someone else eat, it is not.
Two ways to work with it rather than against it:
- Order children’s mains and one or two sides first, adults’ mains second. Ask the server to hold the adult dishes. Sides such as edamame or steamed buns land quickly and bridge the gap.
- Front-load a shared side. Edamame arrives fast, requires no cutlery, and gives children something to do while the kitchen works through the rest of the ticket.
The upside of the same system is speed: because nothing waits for the rest of the table, total time in the restaurant is usually shorter than at a comparable chain. For a meal squeezed between shopping and bedtime, that is the main reason to choose it.
Sides worth sharing with children
- Edamame — salted soy beans in the pod. Fast to arrive, no sauce, and popping the beans out is half the appeal for younger children.
- Chicken or vegetable gyoza — soft dumplings, mild, easy to cut in half and share between two children.
- Steamed buns — soft bread-like texture that most children accept even when they reject everything else on the table.
- Wok-fried greens — the practical way to get a vegetable into the meal alongside the noodles and rice.
Avoid ordering anything from the spicier end of the menu to share. Dishes built on chilli-based sauces are not toned down, and a child who tries one will usually stop eating altogether.
Best times to go with children
- Late lunch, 2–4pm on a weekday — quietest service, easiest pram access, fastest food.
- Early dinner, from 5pm — before the evening rush fills the communal tables.
- Avoid 12–1.30pm on Saturdays in shopping-centre branches, when waits are longest and booth seating is least likely to be free.
Most branches take bookings; use our locations guide to find your nearest restaurant, then book directly if you are going at a peak time with a pram.
Frequently asked questions
Does Wagamama have high chairs?
Yes. Wagamama states that all of its UK restaurants have high chairs, along with baby changing facilities and space for prams. Ask for one as you are seated.
How much is the Wagamama kids’ bento box?
£7.90 at the time of writing. It includes a choice of main (katsu chicken or fish bites), sides, fresh vegetables and a sauce served on the side.
Is the kids’ food spicy?
No. The kids’ dishes are mild versions of the main menu — katsu curry sauce, plain broths and stir-fried noodles. The chilli-based dishes on the adult menu are not toned down, so do not share those.
Can I order for a child with a food allergy online?
No. Wagamama does not accept allergy orders through its online ordering system and asks customers with allergies to order in person with a team member. Allergy orders are taken by managers.
Are there vegetarian and vegan options for children?
Yes. The yasai (vegetable) versions of katsu curry, ramen, yaki soba and cha han are all available in mini portions, and several are vegan. Confirm the current vegan marking on the menu, as recipes are updated periodically.
Why does our food arrive at different times?
By design. Wagamama serves each dish as soon as it is cooked rather than holding plates to send a table together. Ask your server to bring the children’s dishes first if you would rather not have adults eating while children wait.
Do children get anything to keep them entertained?
Yes — mini chopsticks, activity sheets and crayon packs are available. Ask for them when you order rather than waiting to be offered.
Is there a kids’ discount?
Periodically. Wagamama has run 20% off the kids’ menu for members of its free Soul Club scheme, dine-in only and excluding airport branches. Offers change, so check current promotions before your visit.
Is it a good choice for your family?
It works well if your children will eat rice, noodles or breaded chicken; you need pram space and a high chair without ringing ahead; and you want to be in and out inside an hour.
It works less well if you have a child who needs everything to arrive at once, who eats only plain Western food, or who struggles with noisy open-plan rooms — the open kitchen and hard surfaces make Wagamama a loud environment at peak times.
For most families, the deciding factors are the bento box for fussy eaters, the guaranteed baby facilities, and the speed of service. Order the children’s food first, ask for a booth, and it is one of the more manageable chain meals out with young children.
Sources and last update
- Wagamama — families and kids (facilities, bento box price, allergy policy, Soul Club offer)
- Wagamama — full menu and calorie information
- Wagamama — allergens guide
Details verified against Wagamama’s official UK website in September 2026. Menus, prices, offers and facilities can change without notice and vary by restaurant, including airport and Northern Ireland sites. If you spot something out of date on this page, please get in touch so we can correct it.
