Great Court Restaurant

Our group of six visited the Great Court Restaurant for high tea. Very convenient location since we planned to visit the British Museum anyway. However, we were disappointed with the food. It looked pretty, but everything was a bit strange and unusual. The atmosphere was pleasant, but the service was lacking and there was no explanation of the items. We were also surprised to be charged for our two pitchers of water. I would look into other options the next time we’re in London.

Lovely Afternoon Tea in a Stunning Setting We enjoyed afternoon tea at The Great Court Restaurant inside the British Museum, and it was a fantastic experience. It’s a brilliant idea — you get to walk through one of the world’s most iconic museums (entrance is free), and then relax under the beautiful glass roof with a classic afternoon tea. The setting is elegant but not stuffy, and the afternoon tea was both tasty and reasonably priced by London standards. The scones were warm and fresh, the pastries were delicate and well-crafted, and the tea selection was excellent. It’s a great way to combine culture and a little indulgence without breaking the bank. Highly recommended for visitors looking for a memorable and relaxing break in the heart of the museum.

What I originally thought would be the highlight of our London trip — the Afternoon Tea experience at the Great Court Restaurant — turned out to be a major disappointment. Given its location in one of the world’s most prestigious museums, our expectations were understandably high, but the reality fell far short. For £38 per person, this afternoon tea offers no sense of luxury at all. There was no warm greeting, no loose-leaf tea (the tea was served in bags), and no attention to detail. We were seated for quite some time before any staff approached us, and when they did, it was clear they had no record of our online preorder. The staff member who served us appeared rushed and impatient. I felt something was off — we were not treated with the same care as other guests. I noticed that staff introduced the menu to other tables, checked in on how their food was, and even offered to take photos for them. In contrast, when our afternoon tea was served, there was no explanation at all, and afterwards no follow-up, no service, no questions. As we were about to leave, the staff member suddenly came over. I initially thought she was going to ask about our experience, but instead she bluntly asked whether we had paid the service charge when we prepaid online. I said I didn’t remember and felt confused. She then took us to the counter, printed out the bill, and asked us to pay the service fee. My confusion was not about the fee itself, but about what service I was actually paying for — aside from the venue being inside the British Museum. I paid in the end simply because I didn’t want to make a fuss. Perhaps the restaurant assumes tourists will only come once. The food itself was acceptable: the sandwiches had some interesting flavour combinations, while the desserts were a bit sweet for my taste. Overall, however, the entire experience left me feeling dissatisfied and treated differently.

I did afternoon tea. We got two sets, so we had 2 of each sandwich and pastry, 4 scones, and 2 types of tea. This is 84 pounds for 4 people. The sandwiches were good and the clotted cream and jam for the scones was good. The pastries were too sweet and I would have skipped them. The service was a bit slow in my opinion. I think this was alright, but probably better to go elsewhere for a sandwich and tea. Because of the number of items that come, you should have an even number of people

Food is eatable but very so so here. We waited over an hour for our main course……one great thing about the restaurant is that you can prebook your meal online through British museum website and it makes it cheaper and you can reserve your seats on the website which guarantees you have somewhere you can sit down and take a rest from the visit of the museum.

I never have great expectations for a museum restaurant, so were pleasantly surprised by our wonderful experience at the Great Court Restaurant. We did book a table ahead of time, which I would highly recommend. We requested a quiet table to the side which the staff gladly accommodated. All in all attentive service throughout the meal. We pre-ordered a lunch special with two courses per person, so were able to try out many dishes, and are happy to report that food was surprisingly good. Beyond what we expected. Excellent quality ingredients. Perfectly executed preparations. French bistro inspired dishes. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite., so encourage everyone to explore the menu. In an institution so rich in cultural wonders, this meal made our visit that much more special.

A wonderful dining experience at the Great Court Restaurant (Benugo), inside the British Museum I had a fantastic meal here! I ordered the salmon with orzo pasta in a lobster sauce, and it was absolutely delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked—crispy on the outside and tender inside—and the orzo was rich and creamy, with a beautifully balanced seafood flavour. For dessert, I chose the rhubarb meringue tart, and it was outstanding. The texture was spot on—light and airy meringue, a crisp tart base, and the rhubarb added just the right touch of sharpness to balance the sweetness. The service was quick, and the waiters were very kind and attentive, which really made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The presentation was elegant, and the setting inside the museum made it all the more special. Highly recommended for a refined lunch or a sweet break during your museum visit!

I absolutely loved this restaurant. It was not only my first time at the museum, but also my first visit to this charming spot, and it made for a wonderful experience. The afternoon tea was delicious, and the service was exceptional. I especially appreciated the thoughtful attention from the staff—since I have diabetes, they kindly offered me an alternative to accommodate my dietary needs. That level of care made the experience even more memorable, and I’m truly grateful for it.

Not super well advertised but an absolutely great afternoon tea. You can skip the line for the museum and walk right in if you let them know you're going for your tea reservation. I went with two people and w head plenty of food. I will say it was more expensive than what was advertised online because apparently we were suppose to prepay online to get the lower price. I would just check with them to make sure you're doing it correctly. It's a beautiful restaurant near the top of the museum great for photos

The tea experience was enjoyable. The service was not so good. Ultimately the manager and another server were able to help us out. Located at the top of the circular marble stairs, and open to below, there is no air conditioning. It was hot in mid-June. We had pre-purchased the afternoon tea for two on the museum website. The museum sent us barcodes to present, but they had no way to scan them, so I had to show them 3 times in order to assure everyone we had prepaid. We still had to cover the service charge of about &10. Food was very good--savory sandwiches and sweet cakes served on a silver tower. We also had a pitcher of tap water, but we finished quickly due to the heat and we could not get our waitress to refill it. In fact she completely disappeared after taking our order. Other servers brought out our refreshments. It was a lot of food. It did not look like much when they brought it out, but we could not finish it. Just tried at least a bite of everything. Then it was a real struggle to get our bill. After 3 hours in the museum and an hour sitting in the heat, we just wanted to go back to our hotel. Finally flagged down the manager who sent someone else to verify our bar codes. There are restrooms available to the restaurant patrons that cannot be accessed by the general public. But it is down a flight of stairs with no elevator available. Reservations are mandatory as we saw several people try to walk in and were shown out.

Great location for impromptu afternoon tea or just a meal. Whatever suits your boat. Museums overseas have great dining options and this was perfect!! Great servers that help you with anything u need!!

Presentation is nice. English Breakfast Tea was a great choice recommended by the waitress. Salmon sandwich with cucumbers is much better than the egg. The texture and layered sandwich makes for a great starter before the desserts. The egg sandwich tasted funny. The scones are by far my favorite thing on the plate. Along with the butter and strawberry it was nice and hot as well. It's funny after a few desserts I started to fill up, but that's a good thing. I still have yet to reach the desserts. I am very picky about Lemon Meringue but wow it blew my expectations. The crust was not hard, it was soft and the layered meringue on top of the lemon was just right. The cupcake was my least favorite of the desserts provided. I dislike thick cream and the cake itself was a bit dry. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and great for people that enjoy a long brunch!

So we were in london and decided to go to the albert and victoria museum. The museum is amazing and is a must visit for sure. We got a little package and decided to go to.The great court restaurant which is in an upper level of the museum. We really only wanted to get a beverage but didn't realize that they did not allow that. You had to place an order so we decided to stay and did place in order that was very small. Then we were not able to tip as we wished as well. Just understand when you get there they have rules.

Afternoon tea is a must here, but to avoid the lines and ensure a table, it's best to reserve ahead of time. We were seated promptly and were treated to a nice selection of teas and a delicious assortment of sandwiches and desserts. I was always under the impression that afternoon tea would not be filling, but we felt so stuffed towards the end that we actually couldn't finish our food! Service was very nice, and the ambience was quite soothing, due to the openness of the space and the light from the magnificent glass ceiling of the atrium. The cost of 33 pounds per person was a little steep, but given the amount and quality of the food, as well as the setting, it was worth it.

It's museum food. Slightly fancy, odd service, and a bit overpriced. It's also highly convenient. Stuffed turkey was dry as a bone, scones were good, fish and chips was good but no tartar sauce on the side. Water was overpriced by the bottle. We were sat promptly than ghosted by our server who walked past us multiple times without checking in. She then went on break without saying anything, manager stepped in toward end of service. We walked up without reservation, we were given 60 minutes to eat which was fine without full afternoon tea. Priced very high for the quality.

TLDR: Beautiful afternoon tea spot that is super convient for people who want to have a fairly decent sized brunch/lunch at the museum. A little pricey for the quality of the tea & food but its also at an unbeatable location. Im glad I had this experience but woud likely not go again. Made reservations in advance - came to the museum right when they opened so we can roam around and explore before having our tea (more as a brunch really). The Vibe: The resturaunt itself is very simple but honestly, against the iconic glass ceiling of the British Museum it was pictureque. I saw a few reviews mention the service but our service was perfectly fine. What I did find odd was that the tea was just tea bags? For some reason I was expecting looseleaf tea and generally a more tea-centric experience so i was slightly disappointed but they did have a good selction of teas available. The Food: The food is where the experience really faltered. I wasn't really expecting great food, but even then found myself rather disappointed. The bread for the finger sandwiches felt heavy and dry. The filling were quite simple and honestly fine but the bread just made it a tad harder to appreciate. The scones were good & I appreciate that they gave you 1 savory scone & 1 sweet scone with plenty of clotted cream so you get the best of both worlds. The desserts though, were a major letdown. I liked the lemon tarts - they were very zesty which I honestly love - but that was really the only dessert that was good enough to have a second bite of :x.

Short: Waiting, if no reservation. Service takes forever. The price you pay for not doing the cafes downstairs of the Museum. Pretty good tasting and quality of food, just a bit pricey. I visited on the week of June 6th, 2022. I didn't want to eat at the cafes downstairs and was curious if the restaurant does afternoon teas since I arrived around 13:00. Essentially, the front staff, mentioned there will be at least a 15 mins wait since I didn't have a reservation. Yet, whilst waiting I saw seats available just the table hasn't been cleaned and service people just walking around like chickens without heads. After finally being seated and quickly handed a menu, I then was forgotten about.. Eventually, my server appeared, and was in a sudden rush to get my order. I got the afternoon tea luckily. I really loved the dessert selection [very flavorful] and the colorfulness of the sandwiches. The scones were somewhat warm, so I was overall pretty satisfied with the tea. Plus, the concept is so cool, having afternoon tea in the British Museum. Another not-so-positive note about the service was the table next to me, I guess, they were some friends of the waitresses, because 2 of them were over there, chatting, hoovering, and in no rush suddenly. I didn't really appreciate that. I would give it another chance, simply because of the afternoon tea and if I needed to waste some time.

Good for a quick break from the walking. Could make a nice lunch out of it by ordering the multi level sandwich and cake set.

We didn't have a reservation. We got seated quick. That's where it went downhill. It took a long while before anyone bothered to greet us and take a drink order. The food was average. The few things good about this place is its location inside the museum. Thats about it. Service is slow and basically non existent. I wouldn't make a special trip for this place. If you are here for the museum anyways I guess it might be worth jt?

Make a reservation - the walk-in line is slow. Afternoon tea was lovely, service was good. Prosecco afternoon tea: Freshly baked Earl Grey tea-soaked raisin scone Somerset butter scone, Cornish clotted cream Wilkin & Sons Tiptree strawberry jam Sandwiches English cucumber, black truffle crème fraîche, brown bread (v) 80 kcal Portland crab, dill and seaweed mayonnaise, white sourdough 114 kcal Long horn roast beef, carrot and celeriac slaw, sourdough Keen's Cheddar and farmhouse chutney, rye bread (V) Delicate cakes Yorkshire rhubarb, burnt meringue tart 145 kcal Hazelnut, praline and clementine chou 137 kcal Soiced carrot cake, cream cheese frosting 113 kcal Chocolate ganache, almond and coffee sponge 143 kcal

The location is absolutely beautiful, but the afternoon tea is nothing special. Food is good, but again nothing special. Felt overpriced for the quality and service was nice, but lacking. It was hard to get our waitress attention. It's fine, but doesn't even come close to comparing to the afternoon tea at Park Room in the Marriott.

I had a shockingly good experience here. Did it help that I have zero expectations for museum restaurants? Maybe, but this really was as good as any "normal" restaurant. No wait, thankfully, since I was quite peckish. My son got the steak, which was perfectly medium rare. I had the fish and chips, and they ended up being my favorite iteration of the three fish and chips meals I had. And I didn't think it was exorbitant price-wise.

This restaurant was gross. It's inside the British Museum and I opted to come here because it seemed more comfortable than the cafes. Issue 1- I walked up to the hostess and there was a one-hour wait because I didn't have a reservation. So I opened the OpenTable app and made a reservation for 15 minutes later and lo and behold I got a table almost immediately. WTF Issue 2- Restaurant was hectic. No one was clearing tables or putting out settings. As such our table had 2 knives and no forks. Issue 3- The food was crazy overpriced and abysmal. To be fair, it was 3-star food, but it felt like 1-star because of the lack of service and cleanliness. I had a lukewarm cappuccino, badly plated and overpriced cheese plate, and some chips. Issue 4- The bathroom downstairs was filthy, toilet paper was strewn everywhere and non-functioning hand dryers. It was the most disgusting bathroom I visited during my entire trip. I shudder to think about whether or not the employees used this restroom and how clean their hands were afterward. I used my bottle of Purell like my life depended on it. The filthiness pretty much ruined the experience. I feel pretty bad because our server was very nice and tried her best, but it's obvious the management here needs some work, as they are understaffed and disorganized.

The Great Court Restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the British Museum. Reservations recommended, as its not very large, so I made a 3:00 reservations for Afternoon Tea. Prior to booking, I got a deal on Groupon, where I paid £34 instead of £50 for the Prosecco Afternoon tea, saving us 32%. The menu: A glass of prosecco and pot of tea for each plus Netherend Farm butter scones Cornish clotted cream Wilkins & Sons Tiptree strawberry jam - Horton Grange ham hock & plum chutney Smoked salmon & cream cheese, pumpernickel Coronation chicken & celery Egg mayo & mustard cress - Macaroons Jaffa cake Raspberry & ricotta sponge Profiteroles Overall, it was not a bad Afternoon Tea service. I had to ask a few times to get the brown sugar, and even twice for the soy milk. When I asked for the check, the server notated my Groupon voucher code, and said we were all set, even though the voucher said we'd be charged a 10% service fee. I still left a tip based on the full amount.

I liked this place after walking around the busy British museum. Nice setting and good quality menu. It's a little fancy and pricey but worth it. I liked trying the English wine. Nice service.

The Great Court was super convenient - right in the middle of the British Museum. If you need a food break just step out of the Egypt Hall upstairs. Nice setting. Food was good, it's a sit down restaurant which is nice, feels a little more upscale. We both had the Fish and Chips. The fish was great, crispy and flakey crust on the fish. I enjoyed (with a little salt and pepper). It was pricey.

We were seated then forgotten for about 15 minutes. After many attempts at getting servers' attention, ours finally made his way over here and he couldn't understand me, saying that he's not English. I speak American-English perfectly but I ended up just pointing the items out on the menu for convenience's sake. This restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the British musuem. On a raining Sunday this place was packed. We wanted to get the high tea set but it doesn't start until 3pm and we were seated at 2:20pm. Womps womps. Teriyaki salmon was a great dish. Green olives appetizer were plump juicy! The service was severely lacking but there was a service charge already included in the bill. Come here if you have plenty of time to wait and dine. It is a much better experience than eating at the crowded cafes on the ground level but you pay more for exclusion and ambiance.

Located in the British Museum at the top floor. Opted for the 3 course at 25.50 pounds. Started with the cape Malay king prawns, however my wife couldn't eat her lamb sosaties starter, because she said they were not tender. So I ate the lamb which by the way was delicious and she had my prawns which were also delicious. Our mains consisted of the beef bobotie and the hake and chakalaka. This South African meal was delicioso!

Such a yummy cafe in a gorgeous setting inside The British Museum. Five stars. I enjoyed this fresh veggie salad with avocado, hummus, beets, and greens. Perfect spot inside the museum courtyard.

Stopped by here with my sister for a quick tea while visiting the museum. This was our first tea im the United Kingdom. We got peppermint and strawberry mango tea. The teas were very good.

Been here many times in the past..usually great food and service..the last visit..not so.. Very slow service..waitresses dissapeared...the food this time was just ok.. I know it is a museum charity..but £4 for two slices of bread and butter? Our fish and chips were just ok..sadly..it took 2 hours to order..eat..leave..the staff and waitresses need far more training..sadly..I'll just do the wonderful museum next time

Personally had a great experience. Walked in around 1:40, no reservation sat down right away. Service was prompt and food was surprisingly good - the tortellini and lemon thyme chicken are worth trying.

My family enjoyed afternoon tea here when visiting London last year and returned to find a very different restaurant. We had a reservation but had to wait 10 minutes to be seated, even though there were many empty tables. We were served lukewarm tea from mismatched cups and saucers. Much of the china was stained and cracked. The sandwiches, scones and cakes were nothing special and poorly presented. Our waiter disappeared after our food was served, so there was no one to complain to. We were not alone in our opinion of this place and had never seen so many unhappy people in one restaurant. We overheard people complaining about everything...the service, quality of the food, portion sizes, etc. There are so many wonderful places to have tea in London. Skip this one.

Now how often do you see faggots in a restaurant? Met some friends for lunch during half term.....kids everywhere as we'd forgotten that it was half term. However in the restaurant the adults ruled the day, and we spent about 4 hours eating and drinking until 17.00. The staff were very attentive in a conservative way, and my starter of faggots, a dish you don't often see on menus, got a 10/10! I had duck to follow which was tasty, and this was polished off with a bottle of vino bianco...... I saw the tasty salami and olives on display, and the afternoon tea that came out for some fellow travellers looked delicious. The setting is memorable, and the place can be highly recommended.

Not a fan, not gonna lie! Although I guess it's nice that I worked off more calories than gained trying to cut my steak with a steak knife...It was rather chewy and hard to cut Also, I ordered a Diet Coke and I ended up receiving a regular Coke instead and the burger my mom got didn't come with pickles as the menu said came with it. But on the bright side, the 4 yr. old in my company enjoyed the ice cream he ordered there afterwards!

What a lovely experience! went there with a group for afternoon tea, we got to sit in a lovely area and sat in a secluded area under the dome which was lovely. We all had the afternoon tea(though some opted for coffee which wasnt a problem). Instead of sandwiches we where given a bagle, a quiche etc and the scones where brought out later, I especially liked the jar for the clotted cream. Scones where one fruit and one plain, sweets included eton mess and strawberry covered in chocolate, was rather full but would definaltely come back and for 25 pounds incl. service charge(and free refills for the drinks) good orice in my opinion.

Cream tea for £8.50 pp. Nice ambiance & clean restrooms -- huge bonus in this overcrowded museum. The scones that came with the tea were lovely - buttery, creamy and really scrumptious. Definitely well worth the price. Great spot to take a breather on a busy museum day.

Memorable spot to grab lunch, fair prices, a kids' menu, and fantastic fish and chips. My only disappointment was that we were too early for afternoon tea (not till 3:00 I believe). Having said that, lunch was great and our server, a young woman from Spain, truly lovely. This spot would be worth visiting, even if you aren't hitting the museum at the same time.

Afternoon tea via a Groupon voucher deal. Tea for 2 with Posseco £34 instead of £50. The reastaurant is on the top floor and what a fab climb up the staircase to the beautiful glass ceiling. Large open area with oval tables, Central bar and great ambience and atmosphere. Just as well the museum is so fantastic that you never forget the many treasures to be seen as this afternoon tea is totally forgettable! The finger sandwiches were nice, ham, salmon and cream cheese and cucumber. The cakes if I remeber rightly were ok nothing special, however the profiterole concoction with patisserie cream was not good, gag. The tea pot was small, not much choice in teas either. Iced peach tea was available which was tasteless. On the plus side you did get two scones each with clotted cream and jam. The cream tea did have enough substance to it but the goodies were disappointing. All in all I take gratitude I had a Groupon voucher and paid £34 which I feel was still too much for this sad afternoon tea of what should be a sumptuous experience. Style over substance in my humble opinion. :( xoxo

Do not go for afternoon tea. Lousy, lousy service. My mom wanted to experience English high tea. I wish I had taken her somewhere else. What a disappointment. The wait staff should have a group picture on a milk carton. No refills of tea. Our waitress never checked back on us at all after the food was served. It took an hour and getting the attention of two staff members to pay the bill. The smell from the bathrooms two floors below wafted up. Our party of three ordered three high teas, which turned out to be one too many. The food was good. We asked for a to go bag and received small paper boxes which were fine, but bulky to carry around the museum. Getting a bag required a half hour wait in the downstairs cafe line. Do not go to the Court Restaurant for a special high tea experience.

... afternoon tea here is a very decadent alternative. Enjoy the exhibits and then tuck-in to an interesting take on coventional sandwiches, warmed scones and generous pastries. If you don't have a large appetite, or if you're worried about calories/budget, you could share one full tea between two people. There's plenty to go around

If i could give negative stars I would!! Terrible experience, the place is dirty, glasses on the table sit there. The restaurant is designed with high top tables and connected regular ones, not sure why?? The restaurant was only 20% occupied , the hostess seated me and my son at a high top for four. Halfway through our meal she tried to seat another group of 2 at our table ?!!!!‍ I told her to seat them else where, i have never heard of such a thing, especially as the restaurant was empty!! I had a salad Nicoise , it was a small piece of Salmon on a few sprigs of some greenery my son had a hamburger and a cupcake for desert and we had a 50 Pound bill. Certainly over priced and for those prices it's not a "shared table " dining experience . They need better food , better service and a better idea about what kind of dining experience it is!!! oh and we both had soda so quite over priced!! and horrible experience sad , i used to love the British Museum

The quantity and quality of the artifacts and architecture is amazing at the British Museum. While enjoying the exhibit, I became hungry. I did not want to leave the museum and clear security and the entrance line again. The line for a table at the Great Court Restaurant was long and there where plenty of seats available due to reservations. Like another Yelper, I almost made a reservation on-line while in the line just to get a table. The hostess was so slow as well as the wait staff to both take the orders, deliver the food, and to get the check. Tea is served between 3-4:30. I would highly recommend reservations during this time. Afternoon Tea is £19.50. The sandwiches, scones, and pastries where nothing to write home about except the coffee macaron. The tea pot is tiny. They serve L&G and I wasn't crazy about the Ginger Lemon tea. They where out of several choices of their limited tea options. The seating is too tight at the community tables. Ten percent service charge is included.

I went here for afternoon tea, and the food did not live up to the expectations or the pictures that are posted here. At least it was on the cheaper side and the atmosphere is great - tall ceilings of the museum but you don't hear the noise of tourists. I thought it was very nice from the ambiance side. Service was slow as well, we had to work to attract the attention of waiters, but that perhaps due to us seating in a far away area. Shame about the tea!

I came here with a big group of about 20 so kudos to them for being able to accommodate such a large group (even though we did reserve in advance). The ambiance and space of this restaurant is absolutely beautiful and it is very bright. Unfortunately this is my least favorite tearoom in London. The scones were slightly disappointing and not as crumbly and delicious as other tea spots. The clotted cream was quite cold and stiff, and they only had about 6 tea options, which I think is quite disappointing for a spot that serves tea. I only enjoyed 1/3 of the tea sandwiches while the others were lacking flavor and made me feel a bit gross with an overwhelming amount of mayo and white puffy sandwich bread. I definitely would not come back here for tea and would only stop by this place for a quick coffee if you are in dire need while already perusing the museum.

This restaurant is located on top of the reading room of the British Museum, just underneath the well-known roof designed by Sir Norman Foster. If you're sat in certain parts of the restaurant, you can get a view of most of the courtyard area of the museum: certainly for the wow-factor alone this is a cool place to go. While the restaurant tries to be rather too formal for its own good the food is pleasant enough (my friend's venison stock soup had enormous amounts of meat in it!) and the price (which has a further 10% off if you're a friend of the British Museum) makes it rather a cut-price, enjoyable evening. One point - take a jumper if you're going on a cool evening, as the space is so enormous it's presumably difficult to keep it warm in winter. Go there and enjoy the view!

What a great location for a restaurant. Unlike other museum restaurants (or caffs as is more likely the case), you`re not stuck in a dingey basement, you sit right under the glass dome and get to watch everyone pass by below you. The food was very tasty (I had wild boar sausages) and not very expensive considering where you are. Certainly worth a visit. Oh and the nick nacks down below are worth a visit too!

I think it did seem a bit dark and gloomy but had a lovely meal and i dont know where they got their bread from but i just cant forget it, it was so nice i forgot what i actually had Staff were pleasent a bit stone faced but did the job, i had my members card so we got a discount but i dont think i would come here if i didnt get that.

I'd been to this place a few years back and had enjoyed it well enough to return. Mistake. The bread was hard like it had been out for a while and the chicken for kids had pepper and the carrots were undercooked. My burger was missing a bottom bun at first and then it was raw in the middle (I asked for medium well), and then it was raw again. The lemonade was also more sour than anything I'd ever had except just a lemon. Luckily, the service was pretty good and the manager gave us a free meal so it gets a better rating. Will not return.

I will begin by saying that this is my first afternoon tea experience, so I have nothing to compare it to. My boyfriend got me a Groupon for 19.50 for the afternoon tea with Prosecco, a 6 pound discount on the normal price. I got a table for 3pm which is when they begin service. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the British Museum and is very elegant and pretty. I was seated right away. The tea is fairly straightforward as you do not need to order anything except for your drink. The food was decadent and delicious. I was impressed by the variety of textures and flavors. It was hard to put anything down! All in all I was pleased with the experience. However I think 4 stars is more accurate than 5, as I felt they were understaffed. Several people appeared to be looking around for their waiter or waitress, myself included. The service was minimal, as once they delivered the food they were nowhere to be found. To be fair, they were very busy, but they need to hire more service staff. There were also several children in the restaurant and at one point a couple of them were screaming, which didn't really represent a sophisticated British experience to me. However, I recommend it to those who want to try afternoon tea in a conveniently located beautiful building. You can never go wrong with pastry.

When we arrived, there were approx 5-6 small groups, including elderly and children,waiting to be seated despite there being many open, unset tables. Bizarrely, the host was more preoccupied with strutting around the perimeter of the restaurant than actually filling the tables. He placed a very elderly couple at a high bar table even though there were many regulars tables vacant. Although our server took our order straight away and was very pleasant, our entrees (2 salads and fish and chips) took 40 minutes. Very disappointing experience at the British Museum.

Nice location at the top of the museum. Seating comfortable and uncrowded given the crowds below -- a great way to relax given the crowds at the museum (we were there on a Saturday, and did not have to wait for a seat). Staff friendly and helpful. Food another matter: I had the chicken salad. The chicken was dry and tough, and the entire salad was drenched in oil. I enjoy oil on my salad, but this had been applied with a very heavy hand. Almost inedible; yes, I could have sent it back, but just placed everything on my bread plate drained it out a bit, and soldiered on. :-)

The Great Court Restaurant at the British Museum looked like the perfect place for an early dinner. Once you're done with the Egyptian wing, the space is inviting and the menu displayed looked amazing. I ordered the grilled steak (with pink peppercorn dressing) and french fries. The steak had this undesirable "gamey" texture. I couldn't really finish it. Shame, I really wanted to like it. The space itself was beautiful and modern. Unfortunately, the food was overpriced and mediocre. On the upside, my mother liked the soup of the day which came with multigrain bread.

Great location at the top of the museum. I tried the polenta cooked with peppers and a side of chips. The chips complemented the polenta nicely. It was well priced at £20 for the meal but was tasty and I recommend it. Was there for a business meeting and was seated at a table where we could have a conversation. Good service too.