A lesbian couple claim they were told to stop kissing one another in a fashionable London eatery by the manager because it is a 'family restaurant', the Daily Mail reports.

Lydia Cawson, 29, said that she and her partner Rubyyy Jones went to Canteen at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank in London for dinner during a break from work.

Ms Cawson said she had moved to sit next to her partner on the bench seats to console her after Ms Jones became upset, when a woman they believe was the manager approached them and told them to 'stop what you are doing' because they were in a 'family restaurant'.

Ms Cawson, a costume designer, said in an interview with London Live: 'We were really shocked by this challenge because we did not feel we were being overly affectionate.

'Yes, it was an intimate moment but again, [I was] consoling her and it was just a simple, sort of loving reaction basically.

'The second comment, that it was "a family restaurant" made me feel well, why does that matter?

Ms Cawson explained the couple had experienced a stressful week, including moving house and Ms Jones, a performer, was upset.

She said: 'Rubyyy was upset so I moved on to the same bench as her, we had previously been sitting opposite one another. 

I consoled her, kissed her on the cheek and gave her a light peck on the lips as well and just had my arm around her.

'I did not notice any adverse reaction in the restaurant. Then a lady came over to us, we don't know for sure but we are pretty sure it was a manager, and that's when she said it.

'She did not apologise. Rubbyy challenged her and said "is it a family restaurant or a homophobic restaurant?"' 

The staff member said no but gestured for the pair to sit apart from one another, Ms Cawson said.

She added they paid their bill but left feeling 'incredibly angry' and that Canteen has since apologised for the incident.