4. National Cafe at the National Gallery
Once a dismal, cavernous cafe where everyone looked as glum as some of the sitters in the paintings upstairs, this was recently transformed by caterers Peyton & Byrne into a light-filled cafe with something of the Old Dutch style (black wood panelling, white walls above, plain windows) crossed with a seventeenth century London-coffee house. With one major difference: it looks as though an army of Women’s Institute bakers has visited overnight and left all their prize-winning cakes, biscuits, and treats on display.
It’s the type of display to make you gasp with delight, sigh with pleasure, hum and hah about what to choose, and talk animatedly about the joys of old-fashioned baking. It’s also one of the most tempting you’ll see anywhere in London, so hats off to P&B for reviving the ritual of a cup of tea and a bun after a cultural fix.
Cakes and treats are beautifully presented on a separate, glass-shelved, self-service counter with customers circling carefully in order to make wise choices - not easy, as all the great and good examples of British baking are lined up here [added: 'unashamedly British' it says on the website]. There are slabs of cake (fruit, banana, Dundee), slices of cake (lemon and poppyseed, chocolate, coffee and walnut), mini loaf cakes, cupcakes, rock cakes, scones, biscuits, buns (including huge, sticky Chelsea buns) and re-imagined classics such as home-made jammie dodgers, ‘Jaffa cakes’ and rich, circular, melt-in-the-mouth millionaire’s shortbread. They taste as good as they look ie a work of art in themselves.
Prices are reasonable, and appealing to families. Access is possible via a side door so cake-eating is not restricted to gallery hours. There is a self-service area (be warned though, hot drinks come in unpleasant paper cups), and a waitress service area if you want your tea in china, or a full, traditional afternoon tea (the Lord Nelson option at £19.50 comes with a very civilised glass of port or sherry), or if you want to sample the full range of comforting, just-like-mother-used-to-make savoury dishes.
Various cakes: £2.30 - £3.40
Tea: £1.50
Coffee: £1.80
Afternoon tea served 3 – 5.30pm, £6 - £21.50
National Cafe at the National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 4DN
NB use the entrance on St Martin’s Lane outside gallery opening times
Tel: 020 7747 5942
Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Open: Mon to Fri 8 – 11, Sat 10 – 11, Sun 10 - 6
And an additional slice of culture: the National Gallery Cafe is next door to the National Portrait Gallery, and close to Soho, many theatres and cinemas, Whitehall, and St James's Park. And Trafalgar Sq if you must.
That's not British baking, Jane. They're Irish! I do think it's a gloomy place, though - I far prefer Inn the Park, despite the wretched pigeons!
But I'll try thinking of it as 17th coffee house next time I'm there and see if it puts a more positive spin on it!
Posted by: m | August 22, 2011 at 11:12
It's a great improvement and offers an artistically framed view of Nelson's column.
Posted by: Lucille | August 22, 2011 at 12:59
Oh what a delight it looks....I have made a note for the next time in London. A nice piece of cake is all it takes to make me a happy girl!
Posted by: Helen in Switzerland | August 22, 2011 at 14:52
Oh wow! My daughter and I have been trying to decide which Gallery to visit next week - I think we have just made our decision!!!
Posted by: http://lheureduthe-jennifer.blogspot.com | August 22, 2011 at 14:53
Any gluten free cakes amongst that medley?
Posted by: Geraldine | August 22, 2011 at 15:09
My husband used to work at the NG and he was always making use of the staff discount to bring me home a tasty treat when I needed one. The giant Jammie Dodgers are legendary! x
Posted by: PinkCatJo | August 22, 2011 at 15:18
I adore this series! Those cakes look divine.
Posted by: Rebecca | August 22, 2011 at 15:49
Cakes look divine but the seating area a bit gloomy and paper cups?! Thanks for these posts, enjoying this cakey fix!
Posted by: Hen | August 22, 2011 at 16:14
I had no idea the National Gallery cafe was so divine! I am going to make a beeline as soon as I land in London. Thank you for this series Jane - it is making me very excited to come back!
Posted by: Rachel | August 22, 2011 at 17:00
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't been to the Natinal Gallery for ages! But I'm off for a drop of paint, with tea and cake in September!!
Posted by: A Trifle Rushed | August 22, 2011 at 17:02
Best cakes so far - reminds me of tea at my Nana's - she was a fantastic baker. Must try it out, but I think I'll go for option on proper china. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by: geraldine | August 22, 2011 at 17:25
The P&B cafe has to be my favourite London cafe for a treat, we discovered it by chance when I took my kids to the Gallery but have since been back pretty much for the cake alone (although we always fit in some paintings to as we're there). Do you have the P&B cook book? I couldn't resist it after my first visit, most of the treats from the cafe are in the book and it was very pleasing to see that although the cakes etc. aren't exactly health food, the amount of sugar added is less than in some other baking books and I think this is one of P&Bs secrets to how their stuff tastes so good, their cakes etc. aren't so overwhelmingly sugary as in some other cake places, you can actually taste the jam or the chocolate or the raisins, yum, you're making me want to go back there again!
Posted by: Lacer | August 23, 2011 at 09:42
Thank you for this highly practical series! That coffee and walnut cake looks delicious. @ a.simpleton - nothing wrong with sharing a cake.
Posted by: kirstie | August 23, 2011 at 10:42
Looks just perfect, wish I could visit!
Posted by: Gaby | August 23, 2011 at 13:13
Peyton & Byrne seem to have taken over quite a few museum cafes recently - I haven't tried their cakes, but have had some really nice soup. I saw the baking book in Harbour Books in Whitstable recently - I think I might go back and buy it having read the comments above!
Pomona x
Posted by: Pomona | August 23, 2011 at 14:27
I do love a good museum/gallery cafe. I am interested to read that several commentators think it gloomy, that was the think I rather liked, gives it a sort of serious, old fashioned sort of feeling and reminded me of the old Bewleys coffee house in Dublin, a place where many books and poems have been written in the dusty afternoon light.
Posted by: Rebecca | August 23, 2011 at 15:19
Dear Mrs. Brocket,
I admire your food photography. It makes me want to bake, to eat and to take pictures of the food I make.
The first one I do, and improving all the time. The second, too, though I don't think I can enjoy food any more than I do now. For the last one, though, I fall flat on my face.
I want to believe I can improve my camera ways, but truth is, I'm relieved at least what I do tastes good and disappears quickly.
Posted by: Julia | August 23, 2011 at 15:26
Every time I need a little slice of paradise I visit your blog, Jane. Probably because we have so many interests in common.
Your cake display photographs had me gasping and swooning too.
Thank you for bringing a sighting of Britishness to my (lovely) French existence.
Posted by: Stephanie | August 23, 2011 at 16:03
Now there's a reason to visit the National Gallery - as if one needed another excuse. Those cakes look very moreish.
Very hard to choose between there or Betty's - I'm just about mid-way between London and Harrogate.
Posted by: Felicity Bevan | August 23, 2011 at 18:19
Beautiful photos!!! I wish we had somewhere like that here.
Posted by: wasabi honey bee | August 23, 2011 at 20:48
I'm a stones throw away from the National Gallery and like nothing more than to spend 20 minutes decluttering a busy mind wandering their halls. The cakes are delicious. Trying hard to get my new boss to agree to having our catch ups in there.
Posted by: Cat | August 23, 2011 at 21:47
On my list for my next visit to see my daughter! :) it would be great to have afternoon tea together at the NG! thanks for sharing this treasure!
Posted by: Anne | August 23, 2011 at 22:17
M: I think you're thinking of Fallon and Byrne, who are Irish, but not the same as Peyton and Byrne. Peyton and Byrne are definitely British.
Posted by: Kate | August 24, 2011 at 14:51
When we travel we try to have all of our lunches (or teas) in museum cafes. Thank you for pointing this one out to us.
And save one of those jammie dodgers for me!
Posted by: Juti | August 24, 2011 at 19:13
This is my favourite of your bakery reviews so far - just incredibly enticing looking! Sigh...I wonder when we'll ever make the major trek for a visit that way?
Posted by: Jessica Powers | August 24, 2011 at 21:21