Qype User (emian…)
Yelp
After seeing the brilliant and beautiful Henry Moore exhibit last night, our party needed some refreshment. We headed to the cafe', but it was closed. So, the friendly maitre d' directed our attention to the restaurant and what a lovely surprise it turned out to be.
Dinner is by set menu: £20 for two courses or £25 for three, a selection of sides for £3.95 each, and a stunning wine list.
I chose the blood orange and carrot soup starter and the pasta with spinach, mushrooms and cream. The soup was spot on for a cold, rainy night chill with the tartness of the blood oranges tempering the sweetness of the carrots. The consistency of the soup was great - grainy enough so one knew it was made freshly, yet not stodgy - and they used the slightest smidge of cream as a garnish, rather than basing the soup in cream. The pasta was well cooked, but not al dente (but that's ok with me sometimes) and the mushrooms were very tasty. My dining companions were as pleased with their meals as I was with mine.
Service was friendly, attentive and prompt. Much more so than I would have expected. Kudos! The restaurant is situated in the basement of the museum and has no windows. That is ok, actually, because the walls are decorated by a, literally, fantastic mural painted in 1927 by Rex Whistler especially for the Tate. According to the website, "in the mural Whistler presents an imaginary world in which Classical, Renaissance and Georgian architecture sit next to ancient chariots, modern bicycles, and landscapes ranging from the far east, jungles and the pastoral European countryside."