The V&A Cafe

A stunning room, the details and extraordinary with a central piano open for anyone to play, a daunting prospect unless you’re really good. The teas and cakes were lovely a must if you are visiting the museum. Every niche of the walls and columns are adorned with detail. Even the bathrooms are elaborate with their tile work.

I had a wonderful time at the Victoria & Albert Cafe; the atmosphere was incredible, especially when given the fine architecture and design of the interior space and intricate light features- to be expected of a cafe within a historical museum! There was a wide range of cuisine to choose from and no shortage of refreshments. The staff were fulfilling their basic duties, and the baby grand piano was well-maintained. The atmosphere of the cafeteria was actually elevated by the plethora of different people and visitors socialising and interacting with any musical performances. I would recommend this cafeteria to any visitors of the museum!

This is one of the most beautiful cafes i have visited and also one of the worst overall experiences I've ever had. The cafe is absolutely beautiful. But the food is mediocre at best and trying to get a table (at least on the weekend) is absolute chaos. There is no process and no staff to help with getting a table or queuing for a table so it is everyone for themselves loitering around and trying to grab a table from one another, literally resulting in cursing and fighting. There must be a way to implement some process at busy times so that there is an orderly way to get seated. The current lack of any procedures around this is a travesty.

A most beautiful and amazing cafe, in the V&A museum. The stained glass windows are a sight to behold, and all these glorious hanging ceiling lights. Sadly we could not get a space to sit in the main room, it was lunchtime and V&A was completely full of tourists during school holidays. But the room next to it was also rather pretty, also with stained glass windows and beautiful wood panelling. Food is not amazing, nothing to shout about, and slightly expensive too. Also the staff are so busy... it's hard to find a place to sit at, but also no chance finding a clean table, or anyone to help you clean it. But, it is really nice to sit in a beautiful room, and and also very nice to support the V&A.

Never visited before but I was quite surprised by the surroundings. Art lovers there is a handful of pieces to look at !! I love how antique it feels when you sit down. Calming atmosphere. I was quite surprised on how the service works, but it wasn’t a problem. Beautiful selection on good and beverage

The hot foods are to-die-for! The pot pies, au gratin, casseroles, quiches!!! You can choose two sides and of course, I got the roasted potatoes for one of them. The rest of the fare is pretty average. They have a variety of dry desserts. The best of which is the earl grey infused raisin scone as scones are already pretty dry. The one thing I do not recommend are the wraps and sandwiches. The coffees are regular size for museum coffees but not much to speak of! You order and carry your tray to the tables cafeteria-style. The workers do a good job of cleaning up after everyone. There should be at least one table here or there that is open. The dining area is gorgeous. The space reminds me of a $$$$ nautical restaurant at a certain Disney resort. 🤭

One of most beautiful cafes I have ever seen! Never knew about it until recently a bit of a hidden gem. The cafe appears to be run by Benugo, so if you have had their coffee and cakes at another place you will know what you are getting. Being in a museum the food and drink is a bit pricey. The cafe is free to enter, so you can just come and take a look at the deco if you don't fancy drinking or eating anything.

Had a cup of coffee and a slice of mango raspberry cake - very tasty, a bit pricey though. But the best part is the interior design and decoration- it was really beautiful.

This is the most beautiful cafe I've ever been in. Hands down! I always love a trip to the V&A and the cafe just makes it the complete package. I enjoyed a cream tea (tea & scone) while soaking up the ambiance of the seating in the cafe. The scone was absolutely delightful & the tea is perfect to recharge you for the rest of the museum. This is an affordable option that makes you feel like you're living in luxury. I will come back here anytime I'm in London.

We stopped into the V&A Cafe for what was supposed to be breakfast but by the time we finally got here after getting a bit lost it was more lunch time. The cafe is an elevated cafeteria in the V&A museum. Maybe it was my hunger, maybe it was a cultural barrier, maybe it was just me being daft but it wasn't the easiest to figure out the menu and where to pay. There were at least four different counters serving food but two of them had the same foods and two of them had different foods so there were essentially three different places for food. We ordered a chicken and mushroom pie, it was good but the day before I had a better one. I ordered a coffee and a scone which were both very tasty. As an American that regularly drinks coffee I was a bit skeptical of coffee in the UK but it was here that I realized I had nothing to worry about the UK lives a flat white as much as I do!

Came in to grab a quick lunch at the Cafe and I will say they had a lot of options. I will say it did take us a little while then it should have to notice the hot options were in the back. We were focusing too much on the cold items and the sandwiches they had in the front. After looking around and finding the hot lunches we went with the Chicken and Mushroom Pie to share. I was a good thing we did too because it was very big. I also does come out very hot. You can see the gravy bubbling as they are grabbing it. The chicken in the pie was tender but pretty plain and the gravy didn't give a lot of flavor either. I will say I liked the the mushrooms seemed fresh and I liked that they had whole mushrooms too. All and all this is a quick serve cafe with a number of options but not a lot of hot ones.

My friends and I arrived at the tail end of tea time, but were able to enjoy seeing the variety and quality of the items being offered. We asked some questions of the items that we saw and had friendly answers from the women behind the counter so that we were able to pick the cake to have with our tea and the wish that we could have come earlier and stayed longer. Tea service was very organized, considering that there was also a large number of people in the museum because of the Taylor Swift experience.

Well the museum itself is brilliant, and you can't miss the cafe and all its gorgeous decorations. Salads, quiches, mostly. Some pastries. Prices were very affordable and the vibe is creative, happy, and high-energy.

They have a lot of dining options here. There's the restaurant which has beautiful decor and the cafe inside and the cafe by the water display. The food options were decent and I ended up getting some middle eastern food and ice cream.

Beautiful cafe and a great place to study, especially since the museum is free entry!! The food is, unfortunately, terrible. My friend and I got hot chocolate and it tasted like warmed up milk with a thin layer of chocolate powder. The cake was strangely dry despite how dense it was. The frosting was good though!

I was surprised how good the food in here. Usually the cafes in museums are only served tasteless coffee and grease muffins or super expensive meals that it can be skipped. This cafe caters real meals and good coffee/tea and pastries. I had a hot meal and my friend was not hungry so she only had coffee and a scone. The hot meal came with 2 sides. I had the beef with cauliflower and broccolis. I was surprised how tasty the beef was and so tender. My friend said the coffee was smooth and the scone was yummy. We finished them before taking pictures. The only downside is the utensils were made of wood so cutting the vegetables was a bit challenged.

I was looking forward to a delicious tea time but was sadly disappointed. I ordered a pot of earl grey with one of their earl grey infused scones. The tea tasted like toilet water, no joke. It really was disgusting. It had no bergamot flavor whatsoever. The scone was basically a fruit scone. It had no earl grey flavor. I was very disappointed to say the least. I loved the tea rooms, I thought they were beautiful! They really need to find a new chef though, ouch.

You'll need some energy to get through your visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum. Fortunately, there's a terrific restaurant/café with a wide variety of offerings where you can fuel up. The food offerings are organized into specific sections - if you want salad, look for the salad sign stenciled on a column, entrees, look for the hot meals sign, drinks, look for the Coffee, Tea, Cakes sign and so on. I was impressed with how much variety was offered. Even when it's busy it's fairly efficient and lines move quickly. When you're done, look for the please pay here sign. If you're with a party and members want different things, it's easy to get separated and you'll have to regroup. I ended up getting a salad plate, where you choose three or four salads. It's a staple in many buffet restaurants and gives you a variety of choices, plus it's a lighter meal option and very affordable. After lunch, I topped it off with a piece of Millionaire Shortbread, so decadent and delicious! After paying for your purchases, it might take a few moments to find an empty table, especially on busy weekends or when a new exhibit draws large crowds. Persevere a little and you'll be sitting in no time, fueled up for more museum exploration.

Enter into this beautiful cafe embodying a vulture. Mistakes to not make: 1) ordering food before finding a spot 2) going alone; you need someone to stay at your table while you get food. Even better you hold down the spot while they get the food (maybe they'll be generous enough to pay for your food) 3) foolishly not using the cafe as a tactical break as you enjoy the museum You've spent an hour or two walking around the V&A trying not to giggle at all the naked statues or awe-inspired by the sheer breadth of their collections. This is the point where you follow the signs to the Cafe. Speed past the food into the main seating area and prepare yourself for it's beauty. You'll have to send a few minutes prowling around until you can pounce on a seat and then you can relax. Hold down your spot and get tea & cake. I had the victoria sponge which was a little dry (thus my 4-star rating) and earl grey tea which was fantastic. It's an exquisite cafe and really the perfect intermission to your V&A trip!

The place itself is beautiful and the food is good even if it's a bit pricy BUT I didn't really appreciate the "self service" system and its really crowded and loud. I ate a fruit scone and drank a cappuccino. It was good but not the best. It's nice to go for the view but it's too busy and noisy to relax and appreciate the place

This is one of my favourite museums, hands down. The exhibits are amazing, with a vast space, and they rotate through different exhibits as well. On top of that, it's all free for you to wander around. The café though, is not completely perfect. The food was good, and up to the quality of the museum -- but it's everything else that was tough. There are multiple counters for different sorts of food (pastries, salads, main dishes, coffee and tea), and you can't get a good idea what they all serve until you've looked at all of them. By that time you've had to walk past many queues of people actually waiting in line for food, congesting up the walk way. Then you wait to get the food, and then you wait to pay. If you're on your own and want a seat by this time, you're pretty much out of luck. The seating area is quite huge and on a first-come-first-serve basis, but given how popular this museum is, it's hardly enough. On top of that, the portions are on the smaller side, and we weren't quite full by the time we've finished the food. Looking at the line, we decided perhaps we shouldn't go back to get a second tray. I just wanted my time at a museum to be more quiet and museum-esque, and less like a circus...

The Café at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) is the world's first museum restaurant - dating from the 1860's. And it is still perhaps the coolest. You can buy everything here - from hot dishes to light sandwiches - but the real reason to come here is for the architecture & ambience. The three rooms making up the restaurant were each designed by a noted artist/designer. Perhaps the most famous room is the Green Room designed by the Arts & Crafts Movement - William Morris. And the blue tile Dutch influenced grill room is by Sir Edward Poynter. But I like the Renaissance central dining room designed by James Gamble the best. I love the light and airiness of it and the chandeliers. And at teatime they often have a piano player here to accompany your tea sandwiches and pot of tea. No visit to the V&A is complete without a visit to its famous café. When I was young I used to live right around the corner from the V&A in South Kensington. Having tea and scones at the V&A café was def a treat. Family and friends always loved it. But hey, it is still cool today. And do remember, the V&A is a free museum so you can always pop in on some of their exhibitions before or after a bite to eat. And it its a warm and sunny day, you can enjoy the outdoor courtyard and pond.

The Victoria & Albert museum is my favourite amongst all the museums in London, so I definitely try to visit it, each time I am in the city. However, for anyone who is a serious museum buff, you don't want to take the time to step outside and cross the street to some of the better cafes across. In the interest of saving time, the V&A Cafe is your best bet. The garden seating is lovely if the weather is good, but the indoor cafe is brilliantly beautiful. There are 6 counters on the inside. 2 of them offer coffee and cakes, 2 offer hot meals and 2 offer deli items. Make sure you take a look at all of them, because even though the food comes from the same kitchen, they often have very different items on display. The hot food counter we visited, did not have anything interesting or appetising, so we ended up choosing a ham and emmental baguette (5.25) from the deli, which wasn't bad, but the bread was too hard and dry for my liking. The hot meals offer 2 side salads free (included in the price of the hot meal). The deli guy, told us we could choose 2 salads but they charged us 2 pounds for those salads. So no matter how much the crowd around you is, if you are watching your budget, don't hesitate to ask if what you are being given is going to cost you extra. After our meal, we saw that the other hot meals counter had fish options, steak and duck egg scotch eggs amongst other more exciting stuff. Same with the cakes counter too. So make sure you look at all the counters before ordering. The millionaires shortbread (2,.75) was lovely. The fresh scones with butter and jam (3.15) were excellent. The Bulmers cider (4.95) was average. I've forgotten the name of my favourite brand of cider, so I'm going to have to try them all again :) 500ml of still water is 1.6pounds, but free tap water is available between the deli and the hot food section on the right (when you enter). The tall cappucino (2.8) was very average again. So yeah, unless I'm stuck at the museum, not wanting to waste time by stepping out for a meal, I wouldn't go back here, unless it was just to admire the interiors.

Order and take your food and drinks to pay at the registers. if it's a sunny day, take it outside to the courtyard. otherwise, the seating indoor is no slouch. Carrot cake and the Earl Gray tea were very nice, but the espresso was not.

First off I love this museum, always so beautiful and well laid out , such great exhibits. Second this place has the best cafe! You get to sit in the most beautiful rooms, sometimes with live music. I could look at the ceilings and wallpaper for hours. Their trays have lovely different wallpaper print on them too! I just love all the art so much. It just feels wonderful there... now in saying that going in the rush of lunch time is NOT a good idea! it seems to lose its magic with the crowd and lack of table space. But before or after lunch it a wonderful place to get a slice of cake and a pot of tea. The pastries and cakes here are always good! I'm always impressed with the quality of their food. Their savoury food is delicious too. When in the area I'd opt to eat there then to find a restaurant or cafe .

I can't believe it took me this long to go to this café! I was there for the shoe exhibit "pleasure and pain" and just wanted to sit down a bit, sip some tea, and browse the web while not feeling pressured to up and leave within 2 hours (I feel very self conscious in that aspect when I'm at a small independent cafe). This place has lovely Jugendstil interior. Really, the photo does not do justice! It's a bit canteen-like (because it's semi self service) and it can get loud because the noise bounces off the walls, so j wouldn't go here in a crowded weekend, but during the week days it is perfect. Their Victorian sponge cake was pretty good, too.

Composed of several different areas: deli (cold foods and salads), sandwiches, hot plates, coffee, tea and cakes, or a coffee/wine bar (which has a few desserts), this extensive take on the traditional museum cafe gives you delicious, healthy options for noshing on during your day at the V and A. And you will be here for a full day, for sure! Be aware that the hot meals, sandwiches and teacakes lines close early, so your late choice will be deli or the bar. But I had a nice spring veggie tart with mixed green salad and tabouli for dinner, and was more than satisfied. The Lovely Bride, of course, grabbed a latte and some dessert. Our lunch was larger, but only because I needed the sustenance in order to keep up with her! Sure, it's a tad more expensive than ducking out to a nearby place for pub grub in the midst of your day, but think of it as supporting the mission of the museum. The staff are very kind, and quick to remove dishes from your table as you finish lingering over coffee. And, in the evenings on the days they are open late, there is a pianist there, (mostly playing songs from the Great American Songbook!) as well.

I had the shepherd's pie. Really tasty and delicious but quite pricey at £9.75 for just the pie. I'm sure if I walked for 10 mins in any direction, I could've found less expensive alternatives. Beautiful cafe though. A few different seating areas. I was sitting in the first seating area, stark white and plain. But there were other areas with dark wood and stained glass windows.

Hands down the best museum restaurant in London for its breadth of food choices and excellent quality. This is actually a Benugo (the receipt gives it away), which apparently is a chain of moderately priced sandwich shops around London. Ah--so that's the secret? Well, fine by me. I had a wrap, muffin and a salad, all for around £12, which is practically cheap for a museum restaurant. The most gorgeous set of rooms set aside for dining in are a treat to behold--if you can get a table.

Our favorite place in London - both the museum anf the cafe. The food and deserts are enjoyable. The environment is unique!

Even if I'm not visiting the museum I often come to the stunning cafe for lunch if I'm in the area. The more modern section is a very airy canteen area, utilitarian in style, it's in complete contrast to the original museum refreshment rooms (the V & A was the first museum to offer a cafe too in the 19th Century) along side it. These are super opulent, retaining an air of century old glamour, with the original tiling, fireplaces and even the chute where food was passed outside still remaining. Huge ball lighting hangs from the ceiling and on weekends they often have a classical pianist playing in the main room. If the weather's nice there's also a garden cafe set in the wonderful John Madejiski garden where you can have a paddle in the fountains too. The food itself is catered for by Benugo, so imagine simple but scrumptious choices. There's a carvery, a salad/sanwich bar, an artisan deli counter and my favourite, a delicious cake section. It's all quite overpriced (a small sandwich is £4.45) as most museum cafes seem to be, but for the most beautiful decor it's worth a visit.

Had the warm baked sweet potato with Tex-Mex vegetable medley including black beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and avocado. Came with two cold salads. Imaginative and hearty! Semi-communal seating. Excellent food for a museum cafe.

After taking in some of the wonderful art the V & A has to offer, try out the cafe, stretched over three rooms, it serves a a full array of fresh food. You'll find salads, sandwiches, pastries, hot food and desserts. I tried their chicken pie, which comes with a side of vegetables was very hearty. The pastry was buttery and crusty, and the chicken was cooked in a heavy creamy sauce. Then onto the desserts, in which you have plentiful choice. The scones I had were large and floury, in which I put huge dollops of jam and clotted cream, which went down very well with a large cup of tea. Whenever I go to the V & A it always excites me to know I get to go to the cafe after!

My first law of croissants: the more difficult crumb-control, the better the pastry. So, if your black cashmere polo neck is festooned in golden crispy flakes, the pastry is very good indeed. I am enjoying a quick pitstop in the V&A's new cafe, an ambitiously large space opened November 2006 - fairly quietly, I think. I don't recall much press notice at the time. This is possibly because the poor old V&A was the innocent victim of a grotesquely philistine ad campaign back in the benighted 80s An ace café with quite a nice museum attached. Thatcherite values gazumped the Victorian ones that inspired the museum's foundation, and suddenly it had to raise money fast. Cafes and shops were the way forward. The museum is still trying to live this down. But the truth is the café then was actually dire - a greasily pine-clad, unclean health-hazard situated beneath ground level. The corridor leading to it was dubbed 'broccoli court' by V&A staff in honour of the overwhelming smell of boiled brassica that thickly fogged the air. The new café is a brilliant success. It has moved back to the three original Victorian café rooms one of which was the first public commission of William Morris & Co. The whole cafe complex now forms the climax to a splendid public axis through the centre of the museum: from entrance hall to shop to courtyard garden to café. The Victorian café rooms are magnificently over the top but at the same time oddly and charmingly practical Gamble designed his grandiose neo-baroque hall with 'wipe clean' tiles ceiling to floor. For the refurb, the V&A has spread the café into the three galleries between the Victorian rooms and the courtyard these have been renamed the garden rooms. The centre one serves the food; the two flanking rooms are cleanly minimalist (so restful after the Victorians): all slick lines, white stools and dove-grey banquettes. Gorgeous. The V&A commissioned McInnes Usher McKnight Architects for this project. The coffee and pastries are excellent too (handled by Benugo), so for me the whole thing has definitely become a place to go in its own right, as well as being a stylish adjunct to a museum visit.

Remember myspace? That's about the only museum that I visit on a semi-regular basis. (We're talkin' once every 6-months, in a good year.) But when tea and cakes are involved things are a bit different. It only took a day after reading Lizzie's review for me to pop in. And she's spot on -- it's a grand setting to enjoy an afternoon tea, especially if you're toting some good company along. In actual fact, I'm a huge museum fan. Practically growing up in DC, I ended up giving more of the Smithsonian tours than the tour guides... however tea and cakes were never involved. This changes everything. Everything. I'd venture to say that all is right with the world when tea and cakes are involved. Perhaps it's a tip that Tom could pick up on as well...

Very cozy spot with nice pastries and good coffee. Comfortable, while not plentiful, seating where you can hang out and do a little work, as well.

The cafe is beautiful and the service good. I enjoyed a cuppa and a sandwich here it was nothing to write home about. Just A-Ok!

I'm almost tempted to give this place 5 stars. I have been to the museum many times but never visited the cafe until now. Wow, what a grand setting to have a cafe in. A huge selection of deli style foods and drinks, a little over priced and slow on the service but it's a relaxed desination so there is no need to rush. My dining partner (wow that sounds posh) informed me that they have a gent playing the piano on the weekends and it can be very romantic indeed. This place was just such a suprise that it made it all the more enjoyable. Seriously, forget your packed lunch if you come here and just eat in the cafe. It will really add to the day. Oh and they even have a pretty outside area to sit in, just avoid it during the school holidays...so many kids it can give you the heebie-jeebies!

Having been burned by the Hummingbird Bakery (online it said it was open, in person NOT SO!!) we ambled over to the V&A - my favourite London museum. Larissa D. had read good things on Yelp, I was not so convinced... I've been to the cafe in the Science Museum. Eeek. But what a revelation. Part of it is open and airy with a modernist, clean white design. The rest of the original cafe looks like traditional tea rooms with period features, gilt and sparkle. So beautiful and old world elegant. A canteen style cafe, there are a few different counters with hot food, sandwiches and cakes. Lots of people make it hard to choose and since we had so much trouble getting a seat, I'd say it is always busy. I wasn't hugely pleased with my Greek feta wrap, but the soup and pies look great. If you are in the V&A, it would be a mistake not to try it out. Then go for a walk in the garden, I dare you not to be blown away by the way the building rises up and wraps around the courtyard. Everywhere you look, you can check out a different part of the grand architecture. And that's 200, bitches.

I read Lizzie's review of the V&A Café the other day and got excited. So when the opportunity presented itself, I skedaddled right on over to this lovely little spot! Not knowing my way round the museum, I took a nice stroll through China (okay it was an exhibit), across a garden, and into the café where I found my lady in waiting (okay a friend). The rooms were beautiful, adorned with all sorts of reliefs and high ceiings with gorgeous chandeliers, kinda made you feel like royalty (if you ignore the plastic table and chairs)! Not knowing entirely what to do at first, we finally figured out it's a self serve. And what a choice there is! Lots of cakes, flapjacks, brownies, muffins, the whole kit and caboodle. We opted for scones with jam (and clotted cream for me!), and let me tell you, they were MASSIVE! I spoiled my dinner eating the whole thing (okay just about). There was also a great assortment of teas! I opted for a Darjeeling, and the man behind the counter was an absolute star, getting us trays and and milk, all with a smile. Actually, the service was wonderful, as even a woman came round to collect our plates and teapots when we were finished. What a grand place to have teatime. If I could have my afternoon tea here everyday, I totally would!

Great affordable food (hot, cold, desserts, coffees, teas...) and even better atmosphere. This place is gorgeous and every time I go I dream about getting married again (same man, but grander dress!) and hosting it in their cafe. It's that nice, y'all. It's wedding-venue nice. If you haven't been, go. Check out the jewelry section and follow that with a trip to the cafe. You'll feel glamorous throughout your visit.

After strolling around the V&A Museum for about an hour I spotted the cafe sign. Having heard about the cakes there, I decided to head over with my friend. When you first enter the cafe, a grandiose cafeteria feel will greet you. Coffee, tea, desserts, delicatessen and other foods will surround you. Of course I quickly made my way over to the tea & dessert section. First, the scones caught my eye, but seeing that they'd been sitting out all day and looked rather dry, I turned my attention to the softer looking blossom honey & oatmeal cake (they looked more like loafs to me - slice banana bread style) slices... I immediately ordered one of those, my friend chose the white chocolate & raspberry muffin & a pot of tea. After gazing at the rectangle, chocolate-y slab of brownie, we agreed to make one last selection: the fudge brownie. Good choices all around. I take my desserts very seriously, and the sweetness level of each of these desserts were neither overwhelming (like most American bakeshops) nor boring. - The honey in the cake slice definitely made a great impression on me, though the bread portion was a bit on the harder side. - The white chocolate & raspberry muffin (I'm not even a white chocolate fan) had juicy raspberries (not even bitter to taste!) and the white chocolate drizzle subtle-y did its job to sweeten the muffin top. - Fudge Brownie. Good stuff. Not too fudge-y, more on the bready-er side. Notable nonetheless! I'm a harsh brownie critic considering it is my favorite american dessert. Not very decadent, but still, a good brownie. Better than many of the ones I've tried! Good job Cafe V&A! I will be back! Your garden area is gorgeous.

I truly fancy Victoria & Albert Museum cafe afternoon tea. I'm not a fan of their salads, and hot dishes. Tea, coffee, juices, cakes were really good. However this is a self-service place. You'll just have to be smart with what you pick. You get to sit in an opulent room with chandeliers. My favorite is the Gamble room. Renaissance style, with decorative tiles, marbled chimney, and stained glasses. On the windows it says "All cup makes all young" and "Hunger is the best sauce" Each room is designed by architecture masters. Certainly a place for a light meal. Eating here is like being in a museum cafe indeed.

The food I tried when I visited was a bit ho-hum, but some of the other options (eg, hot food and cakes) looked delicious and probably WERE delicious judging by the queues of people waiting to get them on their trays. Not being a fan of queuing, myself, I opted for a sandwich at the conspicuously vacant sandwich bar. And then I went to order a drink and pay. I liked how the tea was served in proper pots with cups and saucers, but at the drink bar till I noticed that the cafe is part of the Benugo brand. [Insert snarky comment about chains here.] The two main dining rooms were architecturally beautiful and would have made a stunning setting for a Sunday afternoon lunch. I say, 'would have', because I didn't get to dine in one of them, flooded as they were with visitors and families. The place was absolutely mobbed; heaving. Don't you just hate it when museum-goers get in the way of your Sunday afternoon luncheoning plans? Ugh, the nerve of some people. I had to stalk out a space in the overflow area where some other cafe visitors were finishing their lunch, an overflow area that had some white tables and chairs in the comparatively sterile modern white starkness of the corridor leading to the cafe. Not quite as glamourous as gold-gilded ceilings and dark wooden fixtures. Still, I have to give the V&A's cafe four stars, because it has so much potential. You know, if it were a little less busy and I were a little better at making menu choices...

I'm sure I read that this was the world's first museum cafe - and they're still at it! Three little sections with modern variations on soup, salad, roast, pies. Everything is delish and there are a good amount of vegetarian options. You also get to sit inside in the wonderfully gilt Victorian hall or outside on the grass around the pond. Slightly pricey for a mid-day meal.

Victoria and Albert Museum Cafe was a great discovery during our four days London holiday. Everything we had was fresh, quality and reasonably priced, topped off with friendly service. A great place for tea or for lunch. Decoration of tea hall was amazing. Surely you should take a lunch break there and see the ancient wall paintings, stained glass windows.

Firstly, if you just want to sit down and read a book in a nice place after a day of contemplation and aesthetically pleasing experiences, the V&A is free. You can simply walk into the garden. Nobody will bother you. You could stay there the whole day. Ample seating, tables, parasols, and grass. Lovely fountain in the middle which turns into a splash pool for kids in the summer. Pretty things everywhere. That said, if you do decide to help yourself to one of the café's many food and drink choices, they will certainly prove to be a perfect accompaniment to your book or conversation, and a good finishing touch to an afternoon of aesthetic contemplation. [ food ] Wide selection of teas, coffees, and desserts. They also serve entire meals - I've never tried one but they look delicious. Many healthy vegetarian options. I went for tea with a scone, which will be enough to satisfy you through hours of a novel. It is a hefty, heavy raisin scone the size of your hand, with a generous helping of clotted cream and a mini-jar of Wilkin and Sons jam. Will certainly satisfy your aesthetic senses and desire to feel British-y as you take in a Russian novel or whatnot. [ vibe ] Your seating options are diverse and provide for all needs: * the sharp, clean, well-lit row of tables in the corridor (quite ideal for doing work, I saw people with medical textbooks and laptops) * a slightly darker Victorian hall with a beautiful ceiling which would lend itself well to philosophical discussions and other deep, soulful discussions * the garden, for sunny, joie-de-vivre days [ value ] I'd say that only the full entrees are pricey - the coffees, teas, and desserts are pretty normally priced, especially for the large portion sizes. Absolutely worth it for the beauty of the surroundings. [ conclusion ] A lovely and aesthetically indulgent rest stop for an afternoon. Do treat yourself. :)

Bien Sur, if you situate a museum kind of cafe in a design museum, it's all gonna look sumptuous. That's the point. And thus, it's a very well-observed point here. Quite an impressive interior in which to sup one's overly priced coffee or glass of white wine. Opulent in a formal, flashy Victorian kind of way. I think I had a cup of tea and a slice of lemon cake, which were really really nice. Well, there's only so much you can expect from tea. But it fulfilled all my expectations. Didn't go the food, it didn't look as good as the cakes and that. But if you've spent a whole morning or afternoon at the V & A then you might as well recline here and spend some more money...

You know when you have a "moment" in a place and you just feel special? Usually it's when a lot of things all align, like the ambiance, food quality, music, company, personal state of mind? I had one of those moments in this cafe this week. It's absolutley gorgeous and I marveled in the room I got to sit in. Beautiful paintings on the wall, chandeliers, fireplaces. And the food was fabulous! I got a salmon pate lunch entree which came with a giant piece of artisan bread and two sides (I got the lentils and some type of jicama salad). Add in a Diet Coke and it ran me about 11 pound. Considering the museum was free, a very inexpensive and cultural way to spend an afternoon!

Wow. I took a break from museum viewing to grab a quick bite at this little cafe (more a stand really). This might be a bit blasphemous to history buffs and museum lovers, but this little cafe is one of the best attractions at the Victoria and Albert. I had a "vitality box" that was absolutely loaded with goodies. Spinach and other greens were topped with AMAZING hummus, avocado, beets, broccoli, roasted red peppers, sweet potatoes, and quinoa with edamame and pomegranate. The tasty pesto dressing was the perfect cherry on top of this superfoods medley. I also got a fresh made lemonade that was delicious and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. All of this was enjoyed while sitting in the John Madejski Garden, watching children frolic in the fountain. Amazing. The museum is free, so even if you're not in the mood for the exhibits, you can still enjoy lunch at the garden cafe.

I love the V&A. It is full of beautiful things. But sometimes you're in museum land and you just want some cake. This cafe has amazing cakes, pastries, and such. A great place for tea or for lunch. Perfect for meeting up with friends regardless of whether or not you'll be visiting the museum proper.

As if you weren't already in one of the most impressive museums in the world (for free I might add), housed in the exquisitely opulent and newly renovated, stunning red brick Victorian edifice (much thanks Vicky and Albert), even grabbing a bite to eat or stopping for a spot of tea is an absolute pleasure here. The set up is serve yourself canteen style, but without the grim feeling that canteens can often bestow on one. The food is not cheap, but reasonably priced for it being in Kensington anyway, plus if you consider your gratuit opportunity to spend all day in the galleries before or afterwards in any case, you certainly have your money's worth. When I like practicing my role as 'English Lady' I go for the cream tea, and try to squeeze a space under the beautiful spherical crystal chandeliers in the main dining area, though during busy times this can be difficult. Be extra decadent and pile your plate with the scrumptious cinnamon and raisin scones, variety of jams and clotted cream. Absolutely delicious.

A beautiful place to sit and sip a coffee. I had the millionaire short bread which was all right. The cafe had the chain feel but the setting, in the summer, in the beautiful courtyard, was amazing.

As someone who has always had an artistic creative flair... I love getting lost in the Victoria and Albert museum. I'm a fashion designer and this place ignites me... inspires me. Upon sitting in the room full of old persian carpets I was inspired to sketch... then I needed some food for my thoughts and went on a little wonder... I came across this intriguing cafe, I can't believe I'd never been. The food was nice, wholesome and healthy. Reasonably priced. I do think my mother would be proud.

I had been here before at Christmas for tea and cake and only remembered it the other day when I was in the museum with friends. There was four of us and we each fancied a glass of wine so we got a bottle to share which cost £14., so only £3.50 each for a very large glass. The setting is the best bit (although the wine was gorgeous), it is a large high ceiling room with three large chandeliers. This main room has two smaller rooms off it each decorated differently but all in opulent rococo style. Whatever you get here, it will be overshadowed by the amazing surroundings. Its so magical I wish it was nearer my flat.

Surprisingly, the food at the museum cafe wasn't as bad or overly pricey as I thought it would be. You'll want to try and secure a table before ordering food if at all possible; otherwise you'll be stuck holding a tray while trying to find seating. The cafe is in the back section of the museum; you can shortcut through the courtyard or come here as a logical halfway point of the museum for a break. There's seating that lines both hallways leading out from the cafe area where you order and pay for food, but try and sit in the rooms in that main section - they are intricately decorated and very beautiful, much like the rest of the museum. We had a nutty brownie and a earl grey scone with clotted cream and jam along with our beverages. The scone was very good - it did not fall apart while we cut it down into more manageable pieces, allowing us a lot of square footage for the clotted cream and strawberry preserve that came with it. It's a good place for a break while you're exploring this very large and extensive museum; it's also not a bad place for a tea and scone if you're in this area of museums.

You can experience democracy in Café Philo Sat mornings at the V&A, the world's oldest museum café and yet the most glamorous and intellectual one. Today drinking french press while debating human nature, restlessness and torture is a bourgeois thing, compared with the revolution generation discussing Republic and Demoncracy. Apart from the decorative ceiling, mind-blowing lights, the side room we use has huge tiled walls featuring four seasons and 12 months. In this season, you also have the option of sitting in the Garden cafe, getting your feet wet and arms tanned.