The V&A Café

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…

I adore this café! It is so architecturally stunning. The delicious and well priced muffins, scones and teas are a nice highlight. I’ve gone both after a stroll through the museum or just to meet a friend for tea. I love that the staff leave you alone so you can sit, eat and chat for a long time without anyone kicking you out. I was just there with a friend for 2 ½ hours! That being said, seating can be a little tough to find but the rooms off to the left or right from the central room are the best bets.

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 café).
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.

This café is excellent. There are a few items available at the outdoor garden kiosks, but the good stuff is inside the cafeteria. I had items from the salad counter — delicious. Curried cauliflower salad, green bean salad, and fresh coleslaw — heavy on the carrots. Everything was so good. I didn’t get anything from the other stations, but everything looked delicious.
The museum itself is stellar; so is the food! Also — there is a paddling pool for kids there! Cute!

Love this place. The architecture is amazing. Always go back when I’m back in London. Would highly recommend going just to see the interior!

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 café, 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.

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. :)

Lots of nice, fresh options and a beautiful looking selection of desserts! I had the salad station where they had a selection of prepared salads with a choice of one main entrée. The roasted eggplant was delicious and I paired it with a cucumber salad and a cauliflower salad. All were very tasty and nicely prepared. A bit on the pricier side compared with similar places but I guess that comes with eating in a museum.

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 café 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.

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 Café is your best bet.
The garden seating is lovely if the weather is good, but the indoor café 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.

Café el aire libre para hacer una pausa en la recorrida del museo. Lo genial de este café es que queda en el patio que separa el edificio más antiguo del más viejo, así que tenés una buena vista a ambos.
Es ideal para primavera y otoño. Los precios están muy bien y hay mesitas y sillas para sentarse también más alejados si no quieren quedarse con el resto de la gente.

First off I love this museum, always so beautiful and well laid out, such great exhibits. Second this place has the best café! 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 café.

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.

This is a review for the sit down hot meals portion of the café. First of all, I think it’s a bit silly to force you to sit down just to order hot food. The whole point of a café in a museum is to be fast and the sit down service of the café was slow especially when I would rather be using that time to see the museum in the limited time that I have.
Secondly, it’s expensive. £18 for a two course dinner that tastes of mediocrity and small portioned? No thanks.
In retrospect, I should have just left the museum, gone to a pub, and then came back since admission is free anyways. The museum is still awesome, just don’t eat in the café.

Hot food cold food sweet and satisfying.
There’s something for everybody. Located in amongst the museum the café offers outdoor and indoor seating.
Friendly staff, above average prices compared to what’s on offer in the greater part of town but the quality of the food is just as good as the choices on offer.
Hot bar had everything from traditional English to Mediterranean style food and the sandwich bar had vegan options to healthy fresh baguettes and fresh cut meat jammed sandwiches.
Enjoy nice quiet seating in the open dining rooms or sit amongst the sunshine outside.
Family friendly space and plenty of it.
This is a nice spot for a bite on the go.
Try the scones and jam for £4 — well worth it.

This is a very solid museum café. Sandwiches weren’t the greatest, but were made with quality ingredients and make for a huge lunch with the included sides. The English style raisin scones come with butter and jam, and were excellent.
It’s not cheap, but with the museum admission being free it’s a great way to contribute while refreshing yourself, which you’ll need to do while visiting the massive collection.

I’m sure I read that this was the world’s first museum café — 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 Café 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.

After strolling around the V&A Museum for about an hour I spotted the café sign. Having heard about the cakes there, I decided to head over with my friend.
When you first enter the café, 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 Café V&A! I will be back! Your garden area is gorgeous.

Mon pote m’a proposé de déjeuner au musée car il faisait beau, j’ai cru a une blague. Heureusement qu’il a réussi a m’y trainer!
La ré-​ve-​la-​tion des jours ensoleillés!
Le musée a un square en son centre, avec une fontaine ou les enfants se baignent quand il fait bon.
C’est calme, ce n’est pas un parc ou les gens se ruent les beaux jours quoi.
Le café est une sorte de cafet’ avec des bons plats cuisinés, nous avons pris le poisson aux légumes et un verre de blanc, et hop, direction l’herbe au soleil avec notre plateau repas.
Pour finir le dessert alors que le temps se couvrait, on est rentrés dans les salles a manger canons, murs en faïence peints a la main, des figures, des frises, on reste dans le musee quoi.
Bien que les chaises et tables soient quelconques (= de cafet pour le coup), on se sent si bien dans cette atmosphere…

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 café 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.

Not only a great place to stop in and have a bite or a coffee, but beautiful as well! I loved the decorations in the main dining area, especially the big round lights (see my pic).
Theres a decent selection of food, and fortunately its not outrageously priced. I got a delicious cappuccino for about 2 and half pounds. Not bad. I also liked that you’re able to take your food and drinks outside and enjoy them by the fountain. Definitely a lovely, relaxing experience that makes visiting the museum all the more enjoyable. Take a break from walking around and visit the café; it provides for a nice break and your feet will thank you for the rest :)

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.