The V&A Cafe in Kensington and Chelsea

Good coffee, nice selection of cakes and food. Hard to find seating, and a bit noisy because of the acoustics. But overall, good experience.

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.

Extremely dirty mugs, coffee is awful. Insta photo isn’t worth it

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!

Coffee & cake are not bad and not perfect but the atmosphere is nice. The tables are not cleaned before and after, need to advise the staff to clean them

Purchased a scone and a bit of cake, both drier than the Sahara desert, disappointing at £5 each. Coffee is middling. Staff were polite. I’d recommend going elsewhere

Beautiful William Morris surroundings, dull Benugo food. Inedible soup with cheap white bread. Egg sandwich £12.50. Terrible. The one in the garden open during the summer is much better.

One of the best places I've been and it's a part of the V&A museum experience. It is a beautifully designed space with a high glass ceiling and ornate Victorian-style decor.

Visited for a coffee break after exploring the museum. Gorgeous interior, nice selection of foods and drinks. Definitely recommend their carrot cake! The only downside - both halls happened to be untidy, with customers' leftovers at every other table.

great lovely staff and beautiful location

Total tourist trap. Stood in line for ages, got a "yeah?!" in place of politely asking what I would like, then charged £10 for a burnt latte in a paper cup and a slice of tasteless Brake Brothers cake. I then had the joy of wandering around the rammed and noisy cafe with my items looking for a seat, along with dozens of bewildered tourists scrambling for any vacant chair.

This is a place I went for the atmosphere, not the food, which is not exceptional, and it is not à la carte style. As is often the case in museum cafés, we buy what we want and then look for a place to sit. Hopefully, we found it. But it's all very busy, and if you want desserts, you have to get in another line. I found very few options for everything. Thanks for the architecture and decoration, really splendid. Highlight for the chandeliers.

A superb interior! An amazing place to enjoy your order and look up, like you are lost in developing thoughts.

The ambience is lovely, but bugs flying and two times it landed in my tea (and died..). When I asked for a refill they were quite cold mannered and hesitantly replaced my cup…

Very kind staff, quite varied choice of sweet and savory food and reasonable prices (considering the location and that it is London) The internal room is wonderful, even just a coffee is worth a visit! #lunchathemuseum #lunchathemuseo

Lovely hot chocolate and nice carrot cake. atmosphere is fabulous.

Very lovely design, and also very touristic place, efficient though, great experience.

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon at the end of November, the main cafe was also overcrowded, and I could only find empty seats on both sides to sit down. The scone was not heated, but it was still delicious, but there were a lot of fruit flies flying in the cake cabinet. The tea was okay. For the price in the UK, I already felt very grateful. It would be more beautiful if you could sit in the beautiful dining area.

The V&A Café is the world's first museum café with a rich history. Unfortunately, the food is mediocre, and it's annoying to have fruit flies constantly buzzing around the food 😣. Quickly finished eating and went to explore the Victoria & Albert Museum～

Good food in magnificent surroundings

Manchester Manchester £1200000000000000

A beautiful space. Shame about the staff's lack of enthusiasm for customer service.

Really good afternoon tea. The scones are great, the Ear Gray tea and the English breakfast tea are good. But the vegetarian food is also very, very tasty. The quality hasn't gotten any worse over the years. Sometimes you can still hear piano music live. Only the noise from the guests and the clearing of dishes is a bit too high, but we always come here and think it's great.

I love it so much. Enjoy tea and scones in a luxurious setting.

Lovely building with architecture. Payment can be fiddly with self serving trays and carrying to your table. If going as a pair, need to go up separately to keep a hold of belongings and seat. Overall though nice spot for a quick brunch before the day.

A cafe inside a museum where you can enjoy a wonderful interior. There was a long line, it took a long time to get a seat, and the tables were dirty because they hadn't been cleaned properly. I had a scone and Earl Grey. Scones are the type eaten with butter and jam. The tea was in tea bags, but it was delicious.

Attended the William Morris Cafe yesterday. Lovely decor and atmosphere. Nice food choices. What spoiled it was the unclean crockery. Yellow marks on coffee cup and dirt between handle and the cup. Need to improve service at the hot drinks counter. Too chaotic and slow service. People having to wait from ordering to actually getting the coffee is overly long, resulting in long queues.

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

Had been waiting for 6+ months to visit it. So dreamy 😍

The food wasn't great. The service wasnt great either. The waitresses seemed more concerned with chatting with one another. Atmosphere wasn't good either. Wouldn't recommend this. Go elsewhere for a coffee and cake .

The most beautiful café in the world

The place is very beautiful and it is well worth visiting to see it, but what detracts from it is that the tables are full of plates, glasses and cups from people who leave them and it takes them a long time to clear and clean the tables. In fact, we had our coffee with other people's plates of food that they never picked up while we were there. A shame, because such a beautiful corner deserved more careful attention.

A nice place inside a beautiful museum. The place is amazing in every sense of the word. The coffee is excellent, but the cinnamon is not delicious at all, and I do not recommend it as dough in every sense of the word.

After the obligatory visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the 19th century Cafeteria, with high ceilings and interesting decoration, is worth it. As entry is free, if you're strolling through the posh South Kensington neighbourhood, you can head straight to the café behind the main entrance and shop. Good pastries. There are also hot dishes.

Perfect every time, fabulous atmosphere and beautiful surroundings

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.

Self-service with different salty and sweet options, to be enjoyed in incredible rooms or terrace.

Beautiful place and good menu. Not clearly labelled for vegans and I was sold a salad that has cheese in it. Seating areas are stunning however small flies are in plenty supply making eating without constantly swatting a real challenge!

One of the most beautiful caffe in London. It's in the back portion of the V&A Museum. And getting breakfast there is the best before it gets too crowded. Being there makes you feel royal...

Nice atmosphere, but expensive.

A magical café that makes the experience of visiting the V&A museum even more unforgettable. The Victorian-era hall is magnificent and leaves anyone's jaw dropping. The variety of food is good, but it could be better, serving lunch options, salads and other savory dishes throughout the day, and not just during the few lunch hours, in the late afternoon there are only small desserts. Good coffees with milk replacement options. The piano makes the experience even more pleasant, creating an immersive atmosphere. I love this coffee

This are the kind of places that you eat because you are hungry and don’t expect to really enjoy the food.

I recently visited the café at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where I had a salmon salad dish. It was fine, but nothing extraordinary or memorable. However, I had been eagerly waiting for 10 years to try their scones again, as I remembered them being quite delightful. This time, while the scones were still nice, they were served cold, which took away from the experience. Additionally, the clotted cream did not have the same appeal as before. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown, especially considering my long anticipation.

It's dirty and the service is inattentive. They gave me a teapot that was leaking, all the tea spilled out onto the tray, and the scones I bought to take with me were thrown into a box and on top of that there were sauceboats with cream, uncovered... and jam... everything was mixed up... they just throw it around randomly You have to take trays like in a cafeteria and hold them in your hands... while you are getting food or drinks. not suitable for people.

I recently visited the V&A Café and tried their coffee along with a slice of pistachio and hazelnut cake. While the quality of the food and drink wasn’t bad, I’d rate it a 5/10 overall. The flavors were decent, but nothing particularly memorable. What really stood out, though, was the beautiful surrounding. The atmosphere of the café is charming and relaxing, making it a lovely place to sit and enjoy. We were also treated to a piece of live piano music, which was a wonderful touch and really enhanced the experience. Despite the average food, the ambiance made the visit worthwhile.

Really good coffee, a good variety of cakes. Food is pricey, but I guess it’s also the location you’re paying for…the main area of the cafe is just amazing and we were lucky enough to also have live piano music on Saturday lunchtime!

Cinnamon roll was substandard, lemon pistachio cake was good. Pricey. Piano player was excellent.

Neat café to enjoy during your V&A Museum visit. I was impressed by it! We didn't have any hot food however they had delicious cakes, scones and tea.

Lovely coffee and cake. Expensive but worth it, a very beautiful cafe.

I was very disappointed with the café at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The service is absolutely terrible. The staff is unwelcoming and makes no effort to greet customers with even the slightest courtesy. It's clear they are neither trained nor organized, and it shows in every aspect of the experience. Even worse, the area where the coffees are prepared is alarmingly dirty, which is unacceptable in a place visited by so many people. It’s truly shameful that such a beautiful and prestigious museum like the V&A doesn’t pay more attention to the quality of its café.

beautiful place and decent food 💛 a few vegetarian options as well, which is always nice

Cake was super delish!! Atmosphere was soo nice and the interior was interesting! 4 stars bcs as expected prices are pretty high! Still had a good time here though! If you have money to spend and want a good pistachio cake after exploring the VnA, this is the place to go!

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. 🤭

Very expensive for okay food and drink. Nice space but can be busy.

If you get a chance, sit outside and bask in the sun, enjoy the view of the building, gardens, and pond. Watch the ebb and flow of people. Just be. Food is tasty and always efficient service. One of my fav places in London that is accessible to all.

The place is wonderful in terms of historical heritage and engravings, but it is a very noisy place for drinking coffee

Atmosphere is really lovely but the quality of the pastries was poor, especially given the price.

Lovely cafe. Food a bit expensive but delicious.

An amazing and beautifully designed cafe in the V&A, I always love coming here and it's a really relaxing spot to sit down and have some lunch and a coffee. It helps the surroundings are beautiful too. 🎨🥖

A spot where you can enjoy a nice atmosphere for around 3-5 pounds per drink. However, the sweets and rice seemed a little pricey and I didn't think they were that tasty, so I might recommend just limiting yourself to the tea🫖.

Great location. Lovely to sit in the courtyard and enjoy a coffee. Brill!

I got a cake, coffee and pink lemonade. Expensive but still nice

8.22.2024 I wouldn't recommend this Rose Pistachio Lemon Cake, five pounds. It is very, very sweet and goes best with a cup of black coffee☕️ or bitter tea. Only credit cards and apple pay are accepted here. The atmosphere here is elegant and luxurious. It’s a beautiful cafe worth experiencing!

Hot chocolate good, cinnamon roll bad

Overpriced food delivered on paper plates with disposable cutlery. Not sufficient vegetarian options and food is not labelled clearly enough to say if meat is in the dish or not. Not a comfortable dining experience to say the least. Far too busy as well.

Lovely selection of cakes, pastries & cooked meals & the main cafe is a must see, impressive..💕

The ambiance is really nice, we went on a Saturday but had no problem finding a seat. I was a little disappointed with the food, I expected the pastries to be sold fresher. The coffee was standard. The prices are a bit high compared to the quality of the service.

My friend and I visited the cafe for an afternoon snack and were met with a long queue. The staff seemed disorganized and disinterested. It took an eternity to place our order. To make matters worse, as soon as we finished eating, a staff member rudely snatched our trays from the table without so much as a glance or a word, urging us to leave. We don't recommend stopping by this cafe.

the place is gorgeous, the food is quite expensive though, we had quite a hard time finding a table to sit at to enjoy a coffee, a cake and that wonderful view. You have to keep in mind that there is no table service, you get your food and drink from the stands and hope to find an available table. I had completely different expectations for this place though.

The staff, especially the Indian Muslims, are really rude and rude. Doesn't say hello and just gets annoyed I recommend just taking pictures and leaving. Coffee is not tasty either Employee who were maybe from India and wearing hijab were super impolite. I really hate does kind of bad manners. Saying hi thank you, please is not difficult. They chatted during working all the time.

Dirty and overpriced. I went to this cafe with some friends to have quick coffee/ drink. Cake was £5.50, drinks were warm and ice was not available. No aircon in summer, so extremely hot. No gluten free options… and quite dirty. Not coming back.”

The place is noisy but very pretty. Unfortunately, the people serving the drinks were not at all friendly or organized and the coffee machines and the work surface were dirty, which is not at all appealing once you have just ordered. The drinks were ok but poorly served.

If I could give the service 0 stars I would have done so. Don't hesitate to ask for takeaway drinks to avoid having a cup room.

Extraordinary cafe, the oldest in the world located in a museum.

The food is average, the ceiling and walls are beautiful, and the three stars are for the background

2024.7/26. A very gorgeous cafe, with a piano playing in the center that looks like a street piano. It's a really nice place.

I am very interested in the location. Outdoor is much nicer and there is an inside cafe area with luxe decoration. Apart from that, the food is so so and quite pricey. Cake & Drink are Okie. Carrots cake is recommended. Very British style & taste. If it is rainy, it is ideal to sit down and relax inside.

Really coffee at almost 4pound half a cup of coffee really! What a disgrace!

Perfect place for coffee/tea/lunch. Worth visiting if in V&A but more generally.

The most beautiful café in London!

A cafe where you can eat and drink with self-service. Takeaway is also possible. There are dining spaces with different tastes, and you can sit wherever you like depending on your preference and convenience. Even when it's crowded, customer turnover is fast. Counters for ordering mains and salads, counters for ordering cakes and hot drinks, counters for purchasing bottled drinks, cashier counters for payment, etc. are dotted around the hallway, and customers order, pick up, and move around to complete payment. It's a place I love, where I can nourish not only my stomach, but also my eyes and soul, in a beautiful and exquisite space that I don't have in my own country. Professional staff always cleaned up the dishes and trays after meals, and the tables were always comfortable to use.

Coffee is good. Cake is ok. The interior is spectacular 😌

I decided to try the V&A Cafe after reading good things online. Honestly, I was expecting better than what I experienced. It may have just been what I ordered, but my food was very underwhelming on the verge of terrible. It was also very expensive for such poor quality. The atmosphere was chaotic and noisy, where you’re likely to encounter the poor behaviour of others. People disrupting the meals of paying customers while hosting Instagram shoots or group tours in the beautiful space. It’s kind of ridiculous. You’ll be trying to enjoy your meal and suddenly a crowd of people will be right up against your back trying to take selfies. It’s unfortunate there aren’t that many other dining options available in the museum. As I would recommend going elsewhere.

Didn't have any gluten free cakes. Strange considering target audience.

This is a cafe located in the Art Gallery of Victoria. It is located deep inside the art gallery. You have to follow the signs to find it. It is a very beautiful and classic European design building. If you If you want to visit different buildings in the UK, you must come to this place. I saw many tourists coming here to taste different pastries. Here you can enjoy a casual British afternoon tea. The most important thing is that it is not expensive. There are coffee options ranging from three pounds to four pounds. Their environment is very beautiful, and there are so many people there that you may have to wait for a table. However, because their store is also very large, you have enough time to wait for a table. You can just come directly to the restaurant without making a reservation. We spent a leisurely afternoon here and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon tea. As a reminder, it has a toilet, but its location is difficult to find because its door is relatively thin, and there are no male and female toilets.

Appalling customer service for such an established museum, language barrier is also a big factor in which way I gave this score, no receipt was given and when asked it’s as if I was asking for a free coffee!

Too many sweets, i liked this place just because it is inside of museum.

Gorgeous spot for a cafe inside V&A museum. Coffee was good. It's self service. But the seating is where your amazement will be.

Very spacious cafe, there were loads of seats and the atmosphere was great as well. The scone was a little bit dry but good.

I love visiting museums but the V&A Café was the icing on the cake. Beautiful decoration. The day I went there was a pianist. The cakes are not expensive, considering the atmosphere I thought it would be very affectionate for us Brazilians. The service was so-so, but it didn't take away from the beauty of the moment. The photos are from May 2024.

Nice scones and tea. Beautiful seating area with live music!

Love this place so tranquil and serene especially in the courtyard. Hard to believe you are in the middle of London

The place is spectacular, but it is a pity that waiters collecting plates and cutlery make A LOT of noise when clearing tables. The hall is tiled up to the roof, so there is plenty of echo, which makes it noisier. On our request, manager asked a waiter to make less noise a couple of times, while the pianist was playing. Waiter did not care.

The chicken pie is very delicious and the place is beautiful

Very busy, we took quite a while to find a table, gracefully shared with another visitor,

Pretty cafe but feels more like a noisy cafeteria. Food also looked like what you might get at a cafeteria. Expensive, bland coffee, dry scones. Not worth it

Very decent place for an afternoon tea and scones. Self service but the vibe is amazing. Recommended to spend some time here after your museum visit.

No need to expect coffee or food, just enjoy this moment of rest in the palace.

What a find! A buffet of salads, soup, quiche, sandwiches and pastries. And with that, have lunch in one of the beautiful halls of the V&A.

We had a drink and cake not much selection... It was nice listening to public playing the Piano