Cafe at IWM London in Tower Hamlets

Although on the menu there were no toasted sandwiches available, my husband ordered a burger, no chips were available. I ordered the soup- it arrived cold…. Not warm but cold. I requested it be heated up please- No apology was received regarding the lack of choice or the cold soup.

Quite liked the food. We had spicy cauliflower salad and smashed avocado on sourdough. Very nice hot chocolate. Service was poor though. I was waiting in the wrong place apparently (it was by no means clear where to wait so I stood by the food counter) and even though several staff noticed I was there they just ignored me. After about 10 minutes I had to ask why no-one was serving me. Once I got served there were no smiles or pleasantries. I was left with the feeling that it was a nuisance having to serve me at all!

Normally the Cafes at these iconic museums and galleries are very good but always overpriced. At the IWM however there were not many redeeming features. The coffee was barely tepid even though I had asked for extra hot. They did however tip it away and make a new one. The croissant was fine. My husband ordered avocado on toast with a poached egg. We waited and we waited. Then realised that receipt numbers after ours were being brought their orders. We asked about ours a d waited. We asked again and it finally appeared. My husband said it was tasty though after the wait. In need of a cup of tea four hours later, we tried again as there was nowhere else. My husband had a foccacia pastrami bap and said it was poor. I had a scone with butter. I can honestly say it was the worst scone I have ever had in my almost 70 years. It was very dense and heavy. I could only have a morsel of it and the only redeeming feature was the butter. The tea was good though. I really don't mind paying the inflated prices at these venues as usually the food is of a good quality eg V&A, National Portait Gallery etc.

Awful food and extremely expensive. Over £40 for 2 sandwiches, 1 bagel, a plate of chips and 4 drinks. Wouldn’t be so bad if it was nice but the sandwiches were very very basic, bread not fresh. The bagel was so hard im surprised it didn’t break a tooth and the chips had some sort of spicy coating on them which was not very nice.

Stopped for tea one Saturday pm after a brief saunter around the re-arranged exhibits. The cafe seems to be a tribute to war time catering with a horrid industrial scone and butter on offer, but no clotted cream or mini pot of jam. There are so many bakers in London to source proper scones, so there is really no excuse for the drab excuse for a scone. And clotted cream and jam are in fact widely available in the UK. My wife had the cake on display, the 'Victoria Sponge' which bore little relation to that fine cake. Again dry dreary and industrial. The tea bag tea was fine. The cafe needs a thorough shake up. There is just no excuse for this impoverished fare at this important institution. Visitors deserve a great deal better - especially at the prices charged.

Popped in for a drink and cake with one of my children who was struggling with the crowds, ended up messaging the rest of our group to join us for lunch. We had pizzas (£10-12), burgers (£9.85), sandwiches (can't recall the price, but they were huge) and chips (large bowl of fries £4.40). We asked for 2 burgers to come plain, not a problem. Staff were friendly and helpful. Service was quick. The café was clean. Not very big, but we had no problem getting a table for 7 on a summer Saturday lunchtime.

Great menu choices in an incredibly clean facility, and staff was very quick to carry my beverage to a table when they saw I was using a cane.

We spent most of the day at the museum and picked up lunch from the cafe. Small selection, but lovely food which we ate in the picnic area.

We visited the Cafe at the Imperial War Museum in London during the Easter half term holidays with our grandchildren whilst on a visit to the museum. The café is located on the ground floor of the museum together with the toilets (access between floors is via either stairs or lifts). We found the facilities to be reasonable, though it being busy we had to clear the table we sat at of dirty cups and plates first. There are staff clearing tables after their use but there is only so many they can keep up. Prices were average for London.

During our visit we called into the Cafe and were extremely disappointed at the selection of food on offer. Basically just a choice between pizza, soup or baguettes and even these were pre-made and you couldn't have anything made to order! The tables etc. were clean and the staff were clearing them quickly. Prices were on the high side. Wouldn't visit again!

Our tea was ok... The queue was quite long at our time of visit and seating was quite busy. A lot of people were Not adhering to the rules of wearing Masks

I’ve been visiting since I was 8. Formerly a fascinating educational tour 10/10. Recently it has morphed into a collection of pictures and videos. The tanks and many aircraft and artefacts have been removed and “put into storage”. Not worth the free admission, disgraceful and an insult to veterans. Feels as though it has been curated by some pacifist millennial with an intent not to offend anyone. Much of the museum is devoted to the Holocaust which although important was not the cause of WW II. All of the WW 1 stuff has gone too. Boring and a pale shadow of what it once was. Criminal.

A nice atmosphere in the cafe only spoiled by the hot drinks which were served very cool. The food was good,however not much choice if you’re vegetarian.

Decent place to grab a quick bite or cuppa halfway thru your visit to the IWM. Note that cash is worthless in the cafe: you can only pay by debit card or credit card.

Enthralling experience out of the world trip through history. Staff were knowledgable and very helpful

East here whilst visiting the IWM at Lambeth. Had the BLT (delicious!), a Fanta and a bag of crisps. Felt reasonable value for money for its location. Didn't feel ripped off.

Enjoyed the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich good selection of drinks too had a Lipton peach ice tea Gene Roy Thompson-Age 10 years

This is Erik of the Erik_&_Cheryl user ID. I visited the café on Jan 27,2020. I had a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. The coffee was decent, but the cookie was hard, not very tasty and expensive. Eat before you get here.

We were in the Imperial War Museum for more than a couple of hours so it was good to be able to sit for a while and have a coffee. The coffee was fine and reasonably priced, but £5.20 for a slice of carrot cake!?!....

One of the reasons to visit the IWM is its cateteria! Although on our last visit (yesterday) we were devastated when told the proper burgers were sold out. The pizza was really good though. Great staff are friendly as they work and are keen to...

We went into the Café on our visit with 9yr old grandson. The Café was clean and tidy and very busy. The selection on offer was pretty good if somewhat expensive but it usually is in these places. Was bit disappointed only to be offered...

Die Cafeteria im IWM ist nett, hell, bietet offenbar auch Essen an, welches um 12 Uhr mittags noch nicht bereit war, als ich nur für einen Kaffee und ein spätes Muffin-Frühstück dort war. Der Kaffee war sehr gut, die Gebäcke ebenfalls schmackhaft. Einfach der Preis hat mich erst etwas verschreckt. £11 für 1 Kaffee und zwei Standardgebäcke ist schon ne Ansage, auch für London...

The Imperial War Museum is excellent, but the cafe is not. The scone was dry, hard and stale. Had to wait ages to be given the jam and cream, which had been in the fridge/ freezer which meant the cream was rock solid. Gave up...

We concluded our visit to the IWM by enjoying coffee and a delicious cake. The food all looked good, nice choice of cakes too. We tried the plum and almond tart. There was no queue when we visited. The tables seems to turn over quickly...

We collapsed here after several hours in the museum. It caters for all meals and snacks and is reasonably priced. As the museum is free you can just drop in.

Came here to meet up with a very old friend and her husband. They both had fish and chips which looked delicious, but I didn't want anything huge for lunch as I was eating later. So I had several scoops of some of the salad...

Tea was very good here with a little cake The line up was long, but we didn't have to wait for every to get are tea.. School kids did bring there own lunches to eat.

Took a lunch break here while visiting this outstanding museum. Was pleasantly surprised how great this little cafe was! Only downfall was how there were supposed to be two lines, one for hot foods, one for everything else. They only had one cash checkout person...

£2.95 is pricey for coffee.But my flat white was nectar, the best coffee I have drunk in London this year bar none. The range of cakes also looked amazing but sadly I couldn't try them as I was shooting off for lunch with my son....

Could be better looks, food looks good, menus all over the walls is confusing, fridge here and there, disjointed arrangement, had a panini out of the fridge, the checkout guy didn't assume we wanted it warmed up had to ask and then was shouted when...

This lunch area has pizza, burgers and sweets for the hungry war history student. Open seating area with a view of the main floor attractions. Pricing is a little rich for my blood but the hot food quality is a shade better than most museum...

It's a busy and popular museum, so seems obvious to expect the cafe to also be busy. It's also very noisy because everything is a hard surface.

Dropped by for a coffee when visiting the museum to carryout research. Service was good and the staff very polite.

Au cours de notre visite à l'impérial war museum nous avons déjeuné dans ce café. Quand nous y sommes allés, il était difficile de trouver une table. Fish and chips correct plutôt copieux. Prix corrects aussi pour Londres. En revanche nos deux expresso n'avaient pas la qualité gustative attendue... Un bon endroit pour faire une pause après la visite du musée.

We were waiting for a friend to join us so we used the Cafe as a meeting point. They have a selection of coffees and snacks at reasonable prices considering it's in London, and WiFi too.

Quite a varied menu, everything seems to be home made.Admittedly not cheap but tasty. The place is clean, the staff polite.

For a museum cafe, this is one of the best in London (or anywhere for that matter). There is a wide assortment of hot foods (pizzas, pastas, rice dish, fish and chips, etc.) during lunch that looked all to be made in the kitchen behind the cafe (i.e. no microwaved food here). There is also an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and fruits too along with a good number of pastry items.

Very reasonably priced food made fresh on site. The pizzas are particularly good. Fresh cakes, teas, coffees and cold drinks are also served.

Reasonable cafe in IWM. Prices are pretty normal of cafe's in museums but higher than those outside. Selection was OK and quality was not bad.

very good for a museum restaurant offering delicious health salads as well as other type of food such as maccaroni cheese, fish and chips, chicken, pizza and all home made. Also lots of deserts and cakes.

Tuvimos un almuerzo rápido en este café cuando visitamos el Museo de la Guerra Imperial. Las patatas fritas eran geniales, pero la Pizza de Queso de Cabra, que se veía muy bien, tenía una corteza muy empapada. Al final, raspé la cubierta, que era muy sabrosa, ya que me preocupaba que terminaría con una indigestión si me comía la corteza en sí. Otro amigo, que tenía una pizza diferente, rematada, tenía el mismo problema.

Long queues (queue to select food, queue to pay, queue to sit down to eat your now cold food); ordinary food; very very expensive - small piece of carrot cake £5. I can only imagine some of the people listing here have been to a different place to me. The place needs a management overhaul NOW.

Long queues (queue to select food, queue to pay, queue to sit down to eat your now cold food)

Bit of a mixed review for the cafe. First the positives - the food is really tasty whether it’s sweet or savoury and there is a good selection. However, the prices were ridiculous in my opinion. I live in London so I’m used to some outrageous prices but £4 for a chocolate muffin seems to be pushing the boundary a bit. I’ll accept it because it’s another means of income for a museum that has free entry but only begrudgingly. But one thing that could and should change is the service. It was so slow and no process for passing on the hot drinks order. Think I probably had to wait close to 10 mins from ordering my cappuccino to receiving it, all the while the queue was growing...

Good vegetarian selection of salads, soups, panini and filled rolls. Rather doughy pizza, but perfectly decent.

We were at the IWM, so before we started our tour, we had something to Eat & Drink. I has an Egg & Cress Sandwich, which was bursting with Egg & Really Tasty. Also has a Coffee to go with it. All very nice.

Great place to stop in a busy schedule whilst visiting the IWM Reasonably priced and excellent selection of cakes etc.

Found the IWM fascination and ending spending two day exploring. It was nice to have a cafe in the museum were you could relax and have lunch.

Para ser una cafetería de museo es más que aceptable pues permite comer algo a precio razonable mientras se recorre el museo.

After a couple hours walking The IWM we were ready for a break and a coffee. Found that most tables were covered in left dishes and in need of clearing and cleaning. We cleared a table ourselves and obtaining a cloth to clean the surfaces.

Alot of variety from snacks,hot food and drink choices!! Friendly staff!! More than one cafe/restaurant to choose from??

We met up with friends for a drink and a snack before going around the museum. The selection of cakes was good but my cappuccino was a little disappointing so i had a glass of water instead. (Weak and milky) But i was told the English breakfast tea was nice. I will go there again next time i visit the museum

Cool and modern cafe located in one of the most exciting museums of London. It's a nice place to meet friends or take your family.

It had been many years since I last visited the IWM and was pleased to see the way in which the display floors had been changed since then. The displays take you from WW1 WW2 and the many other conflicts since then. tThe most moving I thought was the Holocaust Section.After visiting all of the floors I was ready for a break in the cafe, which I found to be light and airey, lots to chose from. Definately a must after the hours of discovery on the various floors.

Very well appointed and lovely selection at a price that won't shock. Clearly kept hygienic and cared for. Will use again next time.

Because the IWM is so large, you may need a place to take a rest and have a snack or a full lunch with wine and the Cafe fills the bill. Eating out in London is expensive, but we have found very reasonably priced and delicious meals in the museums. So when you need a break, grab a bite here.,

Había estado viajando desde antes de las 5 de la mañana, así que estaba en necesidad de refresco. El café estaba desierto aparte de unos cuantos funcionarios que tengan una reunión en otra mesa. Mi pantalla plana blanca era bastante bien y el croissant (muy grande), podría haber promedio claramente beneficiado de ser calentado. Los precios eran más bajos que la Tate Modern, donde tuve mi almuerzo en la tarde. La selección de comida caliente parecía más impresionante.

Easiest way to get some extra time in the museum-stay there to eat! A nicely varied menu with many options. Of course, they put the desserts right up front, but walk by those and get yourself a meal first.

After finishing my family history research a very welcome cup of tea. Cafe was very popular, selling hot and cold food.

Creo que casi la primera a través de la puerta como el museo acababa de abrir. Necesidad de un café después de nuestro viaje en tren hasta teníamos 2 blancos plana y un zumo en botella. No mucho más de un 10 libras nota. El café era bueno y la distribución razonable.

Great cafe to recharge your batteries in. On the pricey side but the cakes and drinks were excellent. Spotlessly clean and friendly staff.

Paramos en la cafetería antes de mi visita porque había ido a la guerra Churchill antes y parecía mejor habitaciones para comer aquí que fuera. La comida no era nada fuera de lo normal, hay una gran variedad de comida y bebidas. Los precios están bien para un museo, y hay un montón de asientos con Wifi gratuito.

Stopped here for a coffee and a scone. Nothing very special. Plenty of seating available. They had only just opened so no hot food was available although they were getting ready to start that service as I finished.

Dropped into the café recently after touring the Imperial War Museum. Although only taking coffee and a cake the hot food on display looked very appetising. It seems to get very busy around lunchtime, I think people from surrounding offices drop in for lunch.

A well priced and clean Café with plenty of tables ... This was a pleasant surprise and somewhat rare at busy attractions !

Not expensive and served quickly with enough places to sit and eat. Perfect for a crowded museum with fussy children

One of my children has a nut allergy. The staff were great in checking the list of ingredient from the cake range on display. At little over priced but otherwise great for a mid-day snack

Incredibly overpriced items which were very poor. Displays of food open to the public without splash screens. Tea served in disposable cups without care. It’s about time that this institution started to think about its environmental impacts. £2.50 for a very poor cup of tea....

It brings it home to you the futility of war and the sacrifices made by so many to give us freedom. Some very interestindg exhibits and very much hands on

The cafe has a decent selection of drinks, snacks and hot meals, but is a bit on the expensive side. One of my companions had a slice of pizza which was so thick that it was impossible to cut, even with the knives provided. He ended up scraping the toppings off, and eating those.

Really enjoyed our visit to IWM and vidit to WW1 and Holocaust Exhibtion - Meal Deal at Cafe Salmon Fried Kale and Button Mushrooms plus side dish of Mashed Potatoes, Cake and Coffee for two for £27.00 - excellent

Going through the entire museum will take time so you might want to grab a bite. This place has all different types of food and surely you can find something here you like. Prices are reasonable

You expect every attraction to have its own cafe or restaurant these days the IWM is no different. It was very busy on our visit but it was school half term. Unusually the restaurant serves some very individual cakes, probably more often seen in high class cake shops! The cooked food looked good, but didn't have time to try it.

Had a Quick lunch break mid way through the Korean War I think ? The two big ones (WW1 & 2) gave me a healthy appetite ! The Cafe had something for all, not bad at all& friendly staff (Anamaria)

It was half-term but the management didn't seem to have taken that on board. There was a long queue and after only 40 minutes of serving lunch some meals had run out. One poor lady was trying to serve hot meals by herself!

This spacious cafe was quiet at the end of the day, so it was a good place to relax in over a drink, consider what you've seen and catch-up on the free wifi.

The food here was surprisingly good. There were many choices to accommodate any diet or preference. My only complaint was that the seating areas don't seem to be able to handle the size of the crowds at this popular museum.

My wife and I lunched in the cafe for the first time ever (I'm 72) and were most impressed with the range of meals on offer. We enjoyed a super lunch which was tasty, nicely cooked and stylishly presented. I have no idea which catering organisation has the franchise but they do a super job and deserve a standing ovation. It rounded off a most enjoyable visit to the Museum. (I have written a similar review under the Museum heading)

Buena selección de comida y bebida. Muchos asientos están limpias y ordenadas. Había pasteles diferentes para elegir, un poco caro. Bebidas calientes o frías. Yo la pizza con algunas verduras muy abundante. Depende de lo que tenía el precio variaba desde mediados de cara.

Very little to choose from if you have a dairy allergy. Salad (which didn’t look appetising) and fruit only real options. Filter coffee also bitter and over priced for size. Shame because the rest of the venue is fantastic.

I had a late lunch here(it was about 15:30),just before starting to visit the museum.I chose a curry and as drink a crafted beer.Very helpful personnel,one of the salesgirls explained me all the options available(not too many).The meal was very tasty and not very expensive(around 8 pounds).

Para quem tiver visitando o Imperial War Museum é uma opção para o lanche.

Disfruté de una taza de té en el café aquí, el servicio fue rápido, y una buena taza de té. No comer, así que no puedo comentar sobre la comida!

Had a late lunch here and was very surprised with the quality and range of food here. Lots of fresh main courses. I had the soup and bread which was delicious and filling, a snip at £4.50. Lots of cakes and puddings available too. Seating was comfortable with lots of room. Tables cleared promptly. A very good cafe.

Iwm llamó a la cafetería después de un agradable paseo por el museo con mi familia. Encantador café, pero tengo que decir que no sé cómo cobrar.

Had lunch at the cafe with two teenage sons. Great variety of tasty lunch items and desserts. Price was very reasonable. Staff were very nice as well.

We reached the museum a couple of hours before lunch. It soon began raining and we decided to have our lunch at the IWM cafe. To our surprise, the fare was quite impressive. A huge array of hot and cold food. There was some delicious Mac&cheese for my toddler who loved it. The tables filled fast at lunch time since it was raining and everyone literally headed there.

The cafe was handy , easily accesible with very good tasty food . Coffe was good and plenty of free tables .Would go back here .

Overpriced, but no big choice in that area. The staff has to learn to make proper coffee too, it's not just press the button. Espresso should be served in small cups - the use big cups, not even preheated.

After walking from the top down to the basement level, I was ready for refreshments, the impressive display of hot and cold food changed our minds from a cuppa to full blown lunch. Pizza and lemon meringue tart with a cuppa of course and complementary cold water, well done IWM

The coffee was bitter and watery the hot chocolate flavorless. The service was was terrible save your hard earned money and go somewhere else.Based on this we did not stay for lunch Mags

Smaller portions but the food was very filling. Did the lunch deal with my grandad. Staff helpful and carried a tray for me. Cleared away quickly.

Prices are a bit steep. I had a small macaroni & cheese & a coffee. The macaroni & cheese had about 5 tablespoons in quantity. Cost was £4.50 for m&c, excluding £1.60 for a cup of tea. Too expensive for what I did receive. Taste was not the best. It's not an affordable place to eat for the average pensioner.

This cafe should be really good but like other P&B cafes it does not really deliver. The tables were not clean which does not give a good impression. I just had water to drink but an apple pie to eat whci for about £4 was better than Mr Kipling's effort but not that much better.

Burger served with unpleasant coleslaw, which made it a bit cold. Chips were OK though cut a bit too thin.Wife had chops which were a "burnt offering" and barely edible. Vegetables were lukewarm. Bill offered free coffee on buying a cake after 14:30, but apparently only one, even though two meals had been bought. Wife pointed out that separate bills would entitle each of us to the offer. Supervisor reluctantly agreed we could have one each, but we decided it was a bit too expensive anyway so we went to McDonalds on way home.

Hmm, coffee and tea passable, surroundings superb, staff quick, smiling and attentive, slices of cake we had, definitely on the small side, but reasonably pleasant. Have to say it cost too much for what we had. Would avoid in the future and go to the place in the park.

The restaurant/café is light and airy, very clean and the tables are cleared as soon as someone gets up to leave. It's also good to find a restaurant/café at a major London landmark with prices that are reasonable; a cup of tea for £1.60 and a cheeseburger with the works for £8.50 for instance (May 2016). There us plenty of seating, some around the corner, out of sight of the entrance. The staff are also friendly and helpful.

The cafe is on the ground floor with a view over the park. It offers a small but good selection of warm food plus cakes and hot and cold drinks. A good place to relax after the museum.

My wife and I ate here whilst visiting the museum.The food was good, and we both enjoyed our lunch.The drinks were ok, and my latte not too bad.But I would say I think the food was quite expensive for a museum restaurant, but at least it tasted good.The restaurant itself is nice, and it was a pleasant place to relax and take a break.Overall I'd be happy to recommend this restaurant, but just be aware of the prices.

Gute Atmosphäre, nicht ganz billig, aber für ein Restaurant/Bistro in London angemessene Preise. Das Essen hat uns gut geschmeckt, die Portionen hätten etwas größer sein können.