Institute of Contemporary Arts

Great gallery. But dont understand why you can't have hot coffee one side of the gallery and not the other where there is more seating?

Went there for a gig. LOVED it. Really great venue. Stage in the middle of the room worked so well. Recommended. Coloured lights in the bar area were great. Not their fault at all but worth saying The Mall was unexpectedly poorly lit at night, felt a bit uncomfortable walking to the venue as a lone woman. Front desk staff were a bit cold, which was a shame though as a first point of contact. Everyone lovely inside. Unexpectedly impressive for gigs.

Lovely place for artistic and art cinema. But the ticket price is high. I went there for four times, two as Open City Festival Volunteer, one for Nowness short film festival, one for You burn me. There is oftentimes exhibitions going on, and it’s nice to catch them. And very convenient place near the St James Park.

They were screening for LFF2023. Non-allocated seating. Film was due to start at 20:30 but we were still in a huge queue, which looped around the bar (so people kept trying to move around or through us in order to purchase drinks) at 20:28: Film started late. Staff in the screen were friendly, but the person on reception/round desk in the doorway by the bookshop was very rude. A few people asked to make sure they were joining the correct queue (rather than collecting tickets or trying for returns) and she was very condescending and abrupt with us. Screen 1 itself was comfortable, clean, screen was high enough that there was a good view from where I sat half way back. Likely won't bother visiting again though.

I visited this venue for the first time having lived in London for 50 years! It is extremely well placed. I was attending a music event, but I just felt particularly impressed by the way all the staff interacted with me. Helpful, friendly and looked happy. This makes such a difference to a visit.

This place is legendary, an Institution if you are into modern art and culture. Rather low-profile but with an excellent offer of movies, exhibitions and concerts. I will come back.

Last visit to the ICA was 4 years ago, glad to see the center still open and thriving. Gallery, reading, performing and cafe space. Nice to sit and have a coffee, wine or snacks. Accessible restrooms.

great staff, cinema and gallery obviously. but the cafe is overpriced as hell. £30 for a very briochey croissant (obviously a more Italian influenced version, so understandable, but still). COME ON. these people are crazy. who do they think I am? the queen mum? oh, also, never, never, go to the cinema if they try put you in that shoe box sized screening room called screen 2. not worth it. main screen is good though.

Just about everyone else has said it, but this is really an asset for London. Quirky indie films and an eclectic shop, plus a great small bar make this a wonderful venue. I'm always struck by the contrast between the entrance beneath the Neoclassical splendour of Carlton Terrace - about as Establishment as you can get - and the vaguely grungy industrial feel of the ICA as you go in. I've always found the staff to be friendly and helpful, though don't leave it to the last minute to pick up pre-booked tickets. It's the sort of place where patrons turn up in groups so you can find yourself in a frustrating queue, as someone ahead of you tries to remember their booking reference for eight people. But visit once and you'll become a fan.

I'm reviewing the ICA based on everything bar the cinema which I haven't had chance to go yet. On Tuesday's rather than a £1 entry it is actually free. You enter with books around you and as you pass the counter toward you right you go into a large gallery space. Nothing really of note has ever been here. As you go through the path you enter a room that has a cafe/bar up top but a small exhibit room. When I mean it's very small. These usually hosts some interesting exhibits. I saw a Public Image Ltd music punk art show which was interesting. Located on the mall stretch its actually very discreet so you could miss it but it's worth popping in if you need to and also keeping tabs on exhibits of cheap film showings.

The ICA holds some fond memories for me, i first encountered the white washed walled venue around 2 years ago when the first and currenlty the only 100% Grime club night was held. Just imagine Tempa T (Slew Dem crew) mcing around walls with art on them, amazing right? Since i have been there the first time i have visited the ICA (Institute Of Contempary Art) many a time for magazine launch parties and live poet shows which have been a really good experience. If your looking for a venue where you can brap, be all artsy and get cheap drinks all in one this is highly recommended, so if you see flyers with this venue on it, get there, nice atmosphere!

I love the ICA, when I'm having a 'treat' day (you know those days when you should be working, but you want to spoil yourself eating 1000 calories a slice cake and wandering your favourite places) i tend to go here. The ICA does pretty much what it says on the tin; it's a platform for all art mediums - film, music, performance, visual arts, literature, poetry - all the good stuff basically. I saw an amazing sound installation here in October by Roberto Cuoghi. It was entitled, uillakku. I'll refer to the ICA official website to explain this exhibition: To create uillakku, Cuoghi spent two years immersed in the language and rituals of the Assyrians. The soundtrack he composed draws on this research and is enriched by his imagination. The work employs a huge range of musical instruments, many of which were recreated especially for the piece. Of equal importance to uillakku is its vocal aspect: a vast chorus which Cuoghi created by multiplying and mutating his own voice into an extraordinarily potent, cacophonous assault. It was absolutely mind blowing. This is typical of what the ICA offers. It also has an absolutely amazing bookshop, stocking a huge array of specialist art books, theory books, world cinema and magazines. There's also a bar, and lots of comfy seating for you to lounge around with a beer and pose. You do tend to get a few tossers sitting on their Mac's, giving you evil eyes for not being 'cultured' enough. But this is not reason enough to not visit. It's also opposite a beautiful patch of grass, take a picnic in the summer, eat it on the green and then wander the ICA - you'll be grinning from ear to ear!

I love this small 'art gallery' hidden inside The Mall. For £1 (except free Tuesdays) you get a day's entry fee and can walk around all the exhibitions. It has a lot going on in it's tiny space. From a bookshop just as you enter, to a cinema, a couple of exhibition spaces and lastly a cafe (which I have reviews separately) The exhibitions are awesome. The space is small so don't be disappointed by the number of pieces on view. Please note they are contemporary as the name of the place suggests. I recently took my friend to see a Betty Woodman exhibition and she was a little taken back by the contemporary-ness of it. I've not yet experienced the cinema side of the ICA but if it's anything like the rest of the place it will not disappoint. The staff are also not intrusive. They are their if you need them and you don't have to go searching for them. Lastly the bookstore has amazing books. I have to force myself not to purchase the everything each time I go.

BLANKET STATEMENT: I CONCUR WITH ALL THE EXISTING POSITIVE REVIEWS ABOUT THE ICA. And really all I want to add, in enthusiastic bullet points, is: - the bar / resto is great here! Grab a newspaper and enjoy a glass of wine! Enjoy some of their mixed salads! Tuck into some fish and chips (delicious and really well-priced)! - need a gift for a tricky-to-buy friend/family member/crusty colleague? The ICA more than likely has got you covered at various price points. - 1GBP entry (and free Tuesdays)! Check out their amazing film series too (wine + cinema? MY KINDA CULTURE). Yelp note: steps immediately outside entrance to ICA excellent location for Rocky-style running up in fist-pumping post-art triumph.

The ICA is a really odd venue, good for gigs and performances. A sort of mish mash of the arts. There is always a art on display and it is also a nice place to go and have some tea- the Darjeeling tea there is really good, I once ended up having three pots. The food is quite good, sort of worth having if you are already there. The atmosphere is chilled out and the location is really great! Just down the road from the queenie. I saw the Mystery Jets here ages ago and I remember the singer saying 'If we all shout really loudly now, maybe we can wake up the queen' and we all shouted really, really loud.

The ICA is a great contemporary Arts institution who is never afraid of breaking the rules and doing something different. They offer different courses, gigs, a gallery, a book shop and lots more. If you are planning to visit the gallery you can be warned to expect the unexpected. The ICA likes to represent artists who deal with performance art amongst others and who generally do not tend to follow the norm. One of the shows I saw here by Tino Seghal involved a gallery filled with kids. Yes, real live school kids prancing about and making you join in their games. Interesting to say the least! The ICA also has a nice, but pricey bar which also serves food. It has a good reputation and is often full of fellow art lovers.

A refreshingly vibrant place in a totally anomalous neighbourhood, The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) was founded many moons ago by a group of anarchists frustrated with the retrograde institutions they found in London. Ironically, The ICA has grown into an institution itself, far from its scrappy beginnings, and light on anarchy. Two cinemas typically feature a full programme of first-run international independent art cinema, culled by programmers from film festivals the world over. As these films are almost never shown in London (or the UK, for that matter) otherwise, The ICA has been extremely helpful in the past in bringing films overlooked by London's official cinema culture to an audience, and has consequently played a part in developing many careers. Although they occasionally screen older films their mandate is to present the contemporary, thus you are unlikely to catch classics here unless they are presented in new prints or in new versions. The ICA also has its own DVD line performing an important distribution function for independent film in the UK. The gallery space changes over regularly, again with an emphasis on presenting genre-bending and innovative works by artists who not only already have an international reputation, but artists who they think deserve one, with plenty of multidisciplinary works and experiments in form and presentation to keep the art students and aesthetes coming back for more. The ICA is also really devoted to presenting a wide variety of musical acts, again, focusing on the contemporary, those on the up-and-up. The space is intimate and the sound is immaculate. Low ticket prices don't hurt, and are made lower by purchasing an annual membership (as is everything else, including drinks and food). It invites complaints but is ultimately above them. Inevitably, the truly cutting-edge will complain of its institutional qualities (see above), whilst sipping a Pernod on the inside balcony of the cafe before heading in to see a live art show. Cinephiles will complain about some middlebrow selections on the screens whilst ignoring the absence of these films anywhere else in town. Not everyone can be pleased all of the time, and no one who seriously cares about contemporary art can afford to ignore The ICA.

The ICA is truly a place to embrace an international and contextualised programme of work across a variety of art forms. My favourite is the ICA bookstore: tiny space, yet with a magnetic collection. I picked up Robinson's the Element and Manguel's Library at Night. Whether books, movies or magazines, they offer just a few selective titles with distinction and/or depth. One may also pick up a copy of Roland, the magazine of the ICA's visual art programme. The recent issue features a guide to Billy Childish, Unknowable but Certain. The artist, musician and writer is the major sole exhibition at the Gallery on both levels, an anti-hero and a creative archetype with intensity. Film is another fundamental part of the institute. Not only is there a theatre at the institute, the ICA Films, the film distribution company, theatrically releases the best of world cinema in the UK. It has developed a strong reputation for acquiring provocative and individualistic films. Recent films include Favela Rising, A Man Without A Past, Turtles Can Fly, Sophie Scholl and Candy. Funny or not, the bar & cafe is my 1st encounter of ICA. I used to go on Fri mornings for my Tuttle Club meetings, very vibrant group of social media advocates. The sunlight makes the whole place glowing. Yet, at night, it turns to a totally different animal, loud music and the pink lighting seems almost inappropriate on the Mall.

The Institute of Contemporary Arts is a very cool space comprised of cinema, gallery, bookstore and cafe bar (the latter reviewed elsewhere on Yelp). I'm best acquainted with the cinema, which has over the last two years had the uncanny knack of picking films that end up being my favourite of the year. Last year it was the extraordinary, thought-provoking documentary about the huge inter-millennial challenges posed by storing nuclear waste in Finland, "Into Eternity." This year it's been the haunting, superbly composed story of US soliders fighting in Afghanistan, "Restrepo". Other highlights offered by the cinema are Q&A with top directors and actors: recently, Vincent Cassel was in town promoting "Our Day Will Come", and I'm still lamenting my letting slip tickets to a Q&A with Kathryn Bigelow for the UK premiere of her then unknown film, "The Hurt Locker". A comparatively hidden but usefully central arts gem.

The ICA plays host to lots of different arty things. Some of it may seem a tad pretentious but they do play host to some good bands, especially in the summer when Itunes hosts a series of top artists and bands in the intimate gig room. There is a very good bar which is actually worth visiting even if you don't plan to see anything. The venue also shows various arty or independent films and also houses a small shop selling a variety of texts and DVDs, all geared towards those with a special interest in the arts. Not a huge selection but enough for a browse, especially if stuck on Pall Mall.

On my particular day of visit not much was on display, sadly, save two installations themed around life and consumerism and a collection of Arab pop culture prints. Can't say I'm incredibly impressed yet but I'm keen to give it another go.

Not sure what to make of the new membership policy. I suppose there aren't enough arty people around to fill the bar at all times. It generally appears to try and become a little less avant garde and more accessible to a larger base. Still, as a member you receive a 10% discount at the bar, which is always a good thing. I love coming here during the day and was pleasantly surprised by some delicous mini cupcakes on Saturday afternoon. A very welcome break after a long walk. I think they must have changed their caterers, but the food has always been very good (used to regularly come for lunch when I worked in the area). It's a great music venue as well as gallery.

Cool stuff, unassuming exterior/interior, great bookstore, interesting, challenging collections and whatnot. Also, somewhat secretly, a decent place to pop in and work. Ssssh.

The ICA is one of my favourite buildings in London. It's got so much amazing stuff going on (although usually I remember about it the day after it's happened). There is always something interesting to do - they've just had a great comic exhibition, I was there for Gay Bingo last week, and the Social Media Cafe has just moved there (although I'm still yet to get there for that). I need an ICA membership for Christmas. They're about £35 and worth every penny. Love. The ICA has such a diverse range of events it's worth getting excited about.

As someone who has grown up in a village where the peak of creative exhibition involves water-coloured paintings of the village bridge, best jam rosettes and Classic Car exhibits I am always aroused with cautious optimism when the word 'Contemporary' is used. And few places excite that trait more than the ICA. I must admit however that over the course of my two visits there I have been brought round (to some degree) to the 'Contemporary' way of life, my first visit was to attend a talk on the Future of Group activity by Clay Shirky and I found the ICA to be a fantastic house for the talk. My next visit was a real Nathan Barley esque experience at an event run by 'Hide & Seek' where they were promoting the forgotten past-time of game playing. I must confess that I found the idea of a mass game of thumb wrestling a little strange but once my preconceptions had resided I began to really enjoy myself. Finally I feel the bar/cafe should get a special mention as it really is a great place to sit and drink a relaxing cup of coffee or tea (depending on which side of the fence you sit.

The ICA is my public gallery of choice these days, not least because a good friend and trustee lets me hold art meets there it's also a place of unprecedented diversity in terms of cultural experiences. They do concerts (The Mars Volta were playing when I went last week) design-driven workshops and have a cinema - the ideal place to go for an eclectic collection of independent movies - as well as the usual art exhibitions. I can spend hours at their bar sometimes as it's always well stocked (with friendly, interesting strangers, as well as Belgian beer) and is rarely empty. And if you are looking for the unbelievable rare art magazines that even the Tate doesn't stock, then their library is the place to go. They've recently got rid of day membership, so the £1 hurdle that might have stopped a few of you coming is no longer there. So what are you waiting for?

I echo the sentiment of the last reviewer - I really should go to the ICA more often. Just over a year ago I decided I would force myself to go there more often by becoming a member, but still didn't make very good use of the place. Boo to me! What's not to like? Brilliant comfy little cinema screens showing interesting arty independent films all the time (with all tickets £5 on Mondays), lovely bar, nice food (if a bit expensive), regular talks from brilliant people, one of the best gift shops in townand only minutes away from where my local bus drops me in to town. Perhaps I should start my membership up again and make a proper effort this year!

Highly recommended, especially if you become a member, which allows you to attend free previews with one guest, gives you a discount at the bar, and the occasional invite to special events. This is also the place to go to find the perfect present for a cinema-loving friend - the gift shop has a range of hard to find cult films on DVD.

It's actually now free to go to the ICA bar, but if you're a member you get a 10% discount off food and drink. The bar upstairs is great in the daytime as it's full of light and very airy. The food is OK. I know that OK is damning by faint praise, but considering how nice the bar is and looks, I thought it could have been a lot better. However, they serve some great looking cup cakes & nice pots of tea. Also has free wifi so a nice spot to have a arty lunch and chat with friends.

I probably like the idea of the ICA more than I actually enjoy going. At least to the exhibitions - i've not been to see a film here - although there is always good stuff on - or a band and they have some interesting acts playing you won't catch anywhere else as well. But purely from an art perspective I'm often underwhelmed and leave with eyebrow raised. Nice building though

Cool contemporary art & cinema, a lot of events worth checking out. I love their bookstore, great selection. You get to see the exhibitions for a day membership with the ritualistic price of £1.

A great place to catch a random movie! I've seen some great flicks here over the years! One of the great things about living in London is the opportunity to catch great movies around town. There's a lot of variety and once you break away from the multiplexes there is a real world of wonder out there. The ICA is one of the best places for the level of independant film they are able to attract and screen. The screens aren't huge, but it's well worth coming down and supporting the place once a while.

How's this for a bargain found on the ICA website? Each Monday, cinema tickets for their eclectic selection of films cost a mere £5.00. If you decide to combine a flick with a bite at the ICA, you can take advantage of their meal deal. Simply present your ticket when ordering at the cafe and the nice ICA people will give you a burger, fries, AND beer wine or soft drink for another £7.95 making your total evening's expenditure a very crunch-friendly £12.95. They even have veggie burgers for the non-carnivores among us. Looks like we now have something to look forward to on Monday evenings

A great place for catching indie films from all over the world, with a nice art gallery, music venue, and fantastic bookshop. Should go more often!

Great coffe place which turns alive after 5pm. before it's my perfect spot for working in town with free wifi, a bit of good offbeat music (old blues playing today!).

The ICA is one of those places that can make you feel fat and old, so cool it hurts. The bar is great and I believe that you can get a discount if you have a membership. The only reason I do not visit the ICA more often is usually the programme. I love art cinema but it tends to be a little too arty even for me. Another reason is that they're closed on Monday and Tuesday which is a drag when these are days your available. The actual screens are small and cosy, with comfy seats.

It's a great art and cinema venue. There's a great bar serving nice food. The cinema is intimate. The host some fantastic events and all night performances. The toilets are a little grotty considering the rest of the venue is so great. The gallery space is separate and routinely changes the show on display. there's also other rooms higher in the venue that sometimes feature a display. They sometimes hold speed dating events as well. If you are a member you can get cheaper rates. There's also a small book and film shop just inside the entrance which has some rare versions and great postcards.

Quite notably the place where nearly a decade ago you would visit an experience and someone would show you their (ahem crotch) in the name of art. However in recent times it has been the venue for the iTunes London Festival and even a R.E.M. gig. The exhibitions are perfectly positioned for the odd tourist to visit and be amazed with what can be considered the oddest in town. I'd prefer a visit to the Toy Museum, mind you is that even open still?

The ICA is perhaps one of London's leading cultural institutions. Bringing together the most recent in contemporary art and film the intimacy of the ICA is grand for coming close and seeing what contemporary art is made of. It's careful programming and themed seasons add to the delight. The bar and restaurant are small but good, the film theatre is petite and cozy and the gallery space upstairs is perfect for exhibitions. Be sure to check out the Pecha Kucha nights and keep a lookout for special events and happenings which are always guaranteed fun. Recommended as a stopover before continuing on to Buckingham Palace.

The ICA is home to two galleries, two cinemas, a theatre, a bookshop and a bar & café. The cinema shows a brilliant selection of film, recent groundbreaking documentary to a double bill of Jean luc Godard. Perfect if you want to see something other than the usual blockbuster at the Odeon. I love being able to go to the cinema to watch classics like 'it's a wonderful life' and 'casablanca'. The ICA is worth dropping by just to browse the brilliant collection of books, dvd's and magazines in the shop. Its small but the unusual titles are jam packed into the shelves. The bar & café is open until 1am Tuesday to Saturday, drink cocktails and choose from a pretty decent food menu. Its usually pretty busy, a buzzing atmosphere, attracting an eclectic mix of people chatting about film or the current exhibition. A venue which really does have everything you could possibly want, keep an eye on the schedule or just pop in for a slice of cake and a peruse of the bookshop.

This is another of those secreted-away London arts venues that I didn't discover for a while after I moved here. It was an Indian cultural evening that took me here eventually. I spent time before the event taking in a fascinating show of art created by prisoners around Britain. Then I had a bite to eat in the restaurant and a few drinks with friends in the bar. After we moved upstairs we were surprised by the views of the Mall and Buckingham Palace afforded out of the grand classical upstairs windows. After waving like the queen to surprised passers-by we relaxed in giant beanbags dotted around the two rooms and listened to strummed sitar. The ICA have a very active programme of events and exhibitions - they even put on rock concerts in the summer - so it is worth subscribing to their newsletter to keep on top of everything that is going on.

A smashing jolly time. Enjoyed the lovely drawing collections and their supurb oil on canvas collectins. Not much for the dreary drive or the round a bout, yet tolleraited the fee and made due with a fun afternoon.

The ICA is definitely a venue worth checking out during your time in London. I saw Lena Dunham's "Tiny Furniture" with my sister there, and the theatre had maybe 20 seats tops. Very cool experience, keep an eye on the upcoming events!

Slightly pretentious and overrated, but ICA does screen a fairly decent selection of films throughout the year. The bookshop's a worth a look-see too. However, I'm generally nonplussed with their exhibitions and find they just can't keep up with, say, the Tate, the Serpentine and a number of galleries around town.

I went there on Wednesday evening, really just to get out of the rain, and it was great. You have to pay £2 entry to the ICA, and by the time we were there the galleries had shut. The bar seems small at first, up a short flight of stairs, but there is another room on the ground floor level that has a little green room towards the rear filled with solid leather sofas. I bought a cappuccino and an orange juice and it was very reasonably priced. I presume, although I have little evidence of this, that it gets very busy at the weekend, but if you're looking for a quiet place to take somebody during the week, this is the spot.

A wonderful place to celebrate contemporary art! It has a fantastic movie theater and top-notch bookstore. Be warned, the workers are not the friendliest.

Cass is a very realistic portrayal of a true life story football hooligan, fighting to find out who he really is. Brought up in East London, by his adopted parents, Cass often feel out of place being the only child of colour in the middle of a tough suburb (where most of the inhabitants were concerned with football and violence). This film brought home the issues of the 70s and 80s, and revealed to me that every generation has its issues. It's not as the media would portray, that the moment of the matter is the worst ever. Cass Pennant, rose up through the ranks to become the leader of West Ham's notorious 'Inter City Firm'. Through fighting, he commanded the respect of his peer group and the fear of his enemies. Following a spell in prison, and a pregnant girl friend on his hands, Cass moves from organising football riots to manning doors at some of South London's most troublesome nightclubs (and putting to work other members of the 'Inter City Firm' inside his newly found business). It's here that he discovers that although you can walk away from the past, the past won't always walk away from you.

Went to the bar here for a friend's birthday. Very glad I bumped into her in Trafalgar Square or I would never have found this place! Felt a bit surreal walking down the Mall in the dark and totally quiet - then following the coloured lights to one side to enter the big gallery space. Prices are what you'd expect. Friendly staff, bright plastic furniture. Plenty of room for big groups. I can see if you worked near here you might pop in, but I'm not sure it's somewhere I'd purposely go again on a night out.

The ICA is a great arts venue that plays host to a mixture of films, bands and performances. There is a nice bar here which you can access even if you're not in the mood for the latest documentary and there's also a small shop selling a wide selection of books and dvd titles. Recommended to visit if you find yourself wandering near St James' Park or making your way back into town from Buckingham Palace.

One of my favourite places in London! I have been a devoted member for years. Their films are unfailingly thought-provoking and often beautiful. Its the privilege of living somewhere like London that we can have this kind of access to such a broad array of new small budget films from all over the world. If only more people shunned predictable Hollywood blockbusters and checked out some of these gems, their lives would be all the richer for it... Long may the ICA continue the fine work it is doing.

London's Institute of Contemporary Arts is housed in the beautiful Nash House on the Mall, opposite St James Park and minutes walk from Trafalgar Square. There's a couple of cinema screens, a theatre, and a small but funky bar area (expect trendy arty types but it's a relaxed, casual place). Some evenings there are club nights. The gallery space hosts rotating exhibits and in the foyer is a bookstall stocking a range of art and arty publications. Admission is required (for non-members) even to visit the bar but it's 2 quid mid-week and 3 pounds at weekends (with discounts for the usual concessions).

Great venue, great atmosphere. I saw Juana Molina perform here once. There's a nice bar and cafe too to keep you happy.

What a fantastic venue! I went with a pal to see a Spanish film (King of the Hill). Got there at 8.30pm and started with a drink in the buzzing bar before taking a beer to the screen. Excellent seats and acoustics- and beer! The exhibitions are various, ambitious and interesting and the shop has some great arty gifts for the loved ones. This is one cool hang out in the heart of London's regal area; worth a visit, lots of visits!