Museum Café: Victoria and Albert Cafe

The Victoria and Albert Museum is located in South Kensington in London. It is one of the greatest museums of art and design in the world. I sometimes went for a walk to the café in the museum: it took only 30 minutes from the house I stayed in while I was in London. It was a good place and I spent many an enjoyable hour there reading books.

When you pass through the entrance, there is a fashionable fountain in an inner courtyard surrounded by elegant buildings. First, you can find unique sleekly designed chairs in the garden. The café there is such a beautiful place. You can enjoy drinks and food while feeling the gentle breeze under the sunshine. It was with the greatest pleasure that I spent time relaxing here, shedding all my feelings of everyday stress.

Inside the building, facing the garden, there is a buffet-style canteen. They serve meals cooked with fresh ingredients for customers: grilled fish, salads, sandwiches, scones, pastries, coffee, tea, beer and wine. The scones in particular are very delicious.

The cafés within these buildings are spacious and are sometimes classical or modern in style. You can pick a place according to your taste and then hang around. I enjoyed lingering and reading books and doing my homework in the fashionable and modern rooms. Many people enjoyed talking with their friends while sampling the tasty food and drinks.

Areas such as South Kensington, a very fashionable place, are wonderful to visit. There is a famous department store, Harrods, there as well. Going inside and looking at the people and the goods for sale is an experience in itself.

I really enjoyed London’s traditional arts and the gorgeous spaces it has in which I would while away my own time. I particularly loved the elegant inner courtyard in the Museum.

Museum Café : The Portrait Restaurant

Recently, museum cafés/restaurants have become some of the most fashionable places to visit in London. When I went to England, I really enjoyed visiting the museums there. The Portrait Restaurant in The National Portrait Gallery was one of my favorite places in which to take a coffee break. I lived in London for one year to study art history and I sometimes went there after my classes.

It is located next to The National Gallery facing Trafalgar Square. There is an unparalleled vista that takes in Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the London Eye. There is also a glorious view of the city from the rooftop restaurant. I especially loved the view from the window at sunset. The blue of the twilight at this time is special.

The head chef was headhunted from a famous restaurant and offers good drinks and food with efficient service. Here is an introduction to the menu. In the daytime, you can enjoy authentic tea, coffee, food and sweets. I especially recommend afternoon tea: delicious sandwiches, cakes and scones with clotted cream and preserves. Also, you can have champagne with afternoon tea. At dinner time, they serve British delicacies and interesting dishes in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. On top of all this, there is also a selection of wines, cocktails, beers and soft drinks to choose from.

There are many pleasant places in London for all sorts of people to enjoy and one of them is the museum café. The diverse clientele includes visitors from all over the world. They always looked so happy and I found this infectious. In the evening, local business people come along as well. I was surprised to see how good-looking they were, rather like movie stars! In this sense, there is a different atmosphere during the day and in the evening.

It is so cheerful: you can enjoy a superb view, delicious food and drinks and authentic arts in the historical building at the same time.
The portrait restaurant is a wonderful place to observe from both the inside and the outside. I am sure anyone would enjoy this fashionable place.