Fine art of museum dining

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Hearty: The National Dining Room has top-class traditional comfort food

Style: They also offer classic dishes

The Wallace: Combine cultural and culinary delights

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Museum visits and culinary greatness haven't always been an obvious match. Most of us are still haunted by childhood memories involving periods of enforced starvation while experiencing cultural delights, or a limp sandwich bought from a catering company cafeteria, with places like the V&A museum - which promoted its restaurant as a worthy dining room in its own right decades ago - being the exception rather than the rule.

Now though, more and more of our capital's top cultural destinations are realising that food can form part of the overall experience of a visit, attracting crowds who come more for the food than for the exhibitions.

Museums and galleries are employing forward-thinking foodies to transform their in-house cafés into A-list eateries that attract not only a crowd of culture vultures, but a wide gamut of gourmets looking for a sophisticated dining experience. Here is our pick of the restaurants serving food as worthy of a glass cabinet as the exhibits themselves.

THE WALLACE RESTAURANT AT THE WALLACE COLLECTION
This elegant Parisian-style café-jardin, hidden away in the courtyard of an old town house off Marylebone High Street, is a recent addition to Oliver Peyton's stable.

Armed with ex-Le Gavroche head chef Thierry Laborde, Peyton has created an elegant, off-the-beaten-track brasserie serving wonderfully cooked portions of fine French food from the confines of the Wallace Collection's sculpture garden. Share a poulet bio "Wallace" - a whole organic roasted black leg chicken served with green beans and thin, salty pommes allumette (£60); half a dozen Tsarskaya oysters (£11.50); or roast monkfish with broad beans and wild rice (£18.50). If you're looking to combine cultural and culinary delights, The Laughing Cavalier (1624), by Dutch painter Frans Hals, resides here, as well as a delectable collection of 18th century French art and furniture.
Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1 (020 7563 9505, thewallacerestaurant.co.uk)

THE COURT RESTAURANT AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Often themed to reflect current exhibitions, a quick consultation of the museum programme gives visitors some idea of what they are about to eat at The Court.

Currently it has an oriental feel, tying in with the long-awaited arrival of the first Chinese emperor's terracotta warriors. Before you check out the ferocious 2,000-year-old warriors, tuck into chef Wolfgang Stoiber's caramelised scallop and tuna rolls with sweet soy sauce and a lime and wasabi dressing (£10.75). Two courses with wine costs about £28 per person, or settle in among the well-heeled crowd for an afternoon tea of bijoux crust-off sandwiches and scones for £13 per person.
Great Russell Street, WC1 (020 7323 8990; britishmuseum.org/visiting/eat.aspx)

PEYTON & BYRNE AT THE WELLCOME COLLECTION
There's something a bit rock 'n' roll about this incarnation of the successful Peyton & Byrne bakery. As befits a gallery that showcases in-your-face and sometimes controversial exhibitions, the on-site restaurant couldn't just serve any old sandwich.

Old favourites abound, so among the treats like homemade jammy biscuits, fig rolls and black forest gateaux, you can find terrines of smoked mackerel or pork and steak and tarragon sandwiches.
83 Euston Road, Camden Town (peytonandbyrne.co.uk, thewellcomecollection.org)

THE ADMIRALTY AT SOMERSET HOUSE
Set in the heart of Somerset House, The Admiralty restaurant offers a mix of traditional and contemporary French cooking in a maritime-themed setting.

The pre-theatre menu, served between 5.30pm and 7pm, is good value: two courses of the likes of chicken boudin blanc with truffle cassoulet, or duck confit with warm salad cost £15.50. Add dessert of passion fruit crème brulee or homemade ice cream and it still comes in at less than £20. Go à la carte and the average main course price is £12.50. The dishes sound impressive, and a fancily presented seared sea bass fillet with fennel remoulade and shallot purée, pancetta crisp and sauce vierge doesn't disappoint.

If you feel the urge to work off some calories, Somerset House ice rink is open from 21 November until 21 January. Tickets can be booked through Somerset House.
Strand, WC2 (020 7845 4600)

NATIONAL DINING ROOMS AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Oliver Peyton's National Dining Rooms offers classic dishes in an airy and modern setting overlooking Trafalgar Square. Autumn afternoons were made for the traditional comfort food found on this menu, especially if you're a fan of classic puddings such as warm treacle tart, served with a dollop of clotted cream. The dining room offers three substantial à la carte courses, with wine, for about £35 per person. Once you've polished off your pudding, take a trip to the gallery and soak up the serenity of its artwork.
Trafalgar Square, WC2 (020 7747 2525, thenationaldiningrooms.co.uk)

BLUEPRINT CAFE AT THE DESIGN MUSEUM
This long-standing restaurant has risen way beyond gallery fodder status. During the 12 years he has been at the helm, chef Jeremy Lee has created a menu that changes daily, using the very best seasonal ingredients.

A favourite among the in-crowd is the beetroot salad starter - a soft boiled egg nestling among chunks of roasted beetroot and dressed with tangy mustard and tangy horseradish (£6).

The popular three-course Sunday lunch will set you back £17.50. If you can still move afterwards, drop into the museum and check out the Matthew Williamson - 10 Years In Fashion exhibition.
Butler's Wharf, 28 Shad Thames, Southwark (020 7378 7031, blueprintcafe.co.uk)

 

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