The Wallace in City of London, Westminster

What has happened to service in London. The cafe here is a classic example of incredibly bad service. It’s frustrating and simply embarrassing. Surely the Wallace collection with its world famous art collection and reputation, should also offer a basic dining experience! 1 waiter was good and you knew he was experienced. The rest simply useless. Please can the managers of the cafe simply train your staff. Train them to service a table and train them to understand an order or a query. Please, It’s basic!

I went on a recommendation and I was very disappointed. The tea is common, the service is terrible, they wanted to charge us for something we didn't consume. I will never return

It was a very pleasant experience. The menu was small but considerate. It was quite busy so service can be a bit hectic. But the waiters were very polite and once you've caught their attention, they are very helpful.

Croissant was stale yet cost £7. Brought the wrong coffee order and even after remaking it, it wasn’t a good coffee

Food wasn't great - service was ok and it's a great space

white male staff member was very aggressive abrute and rude when I politely asked for service and had been waiting a while … I noticed that he spoke very politely with other customers but me a black female was aggressive with his tone and overall demeanour I just came to experience the gallery and grab a quick tea while doing some work … and left feeling really shaken… also other customers noticed his tone and so it was embarrassing and unnecessary customers here should all be treated with respect and grace equally I left feeling really offended doubt i’ll be back and such a shame for a beautiful gallery and environment .. other staff seemed lovely especially front of house but it goes to show how one person can really mess up an experience.

Last booking slot for afternoon tea are too close to closing time. Unfair if you add that with a bad mannered service. Greated with "we are closed", rather than check first why we are there. Just to then realise we had a booking. That dismissive body language was uncalled for. So they proceed to take us at the table and not even given time to seat and dangling the menu on their hand saying we have to choose now because they close in an hour and we'll be kicked out of the gallery... Clearly we pay for the experience not the food, as it is overpriced for what it is. But it was absolutely unpleasant. Unfortunately I can't review this as a positive one in any form or shape.

Went for a coffee with a friend. Have been waiting for 20 mins for someone to take our order. We were fully ignored by staff. Very shocked and won’t be back.

Disappointing experience. I had the traditional afternoon tea. The food including the sandwiches and the scones were not fresh. I was expecting more for £45/person. It is a shame as there is a nice atmosphere in a lovely space!

Terrible, slow, unsmiling service

Nice coffee, slow and surly service

Perfect retreat. Beautiful cafe too. Lovely staff.

We went with a baby about to sleep in a push chair (12:45pm 9th March 2025)The women at the entrance (wore black jacket) offered us a table with very small space around it - with a very arrogant manner. She basically said you can take this table or get out and que. The hospitality wasn’t great and food was over priced for what they were. It’s very shame because all other staffs at the Wallace Collection were very friendly and lovely.

The café itself is stunning—elegant, peaceful, and the perfect spot to unwind. However, the service is a real letdown. The staff are rude and unhelpful. I had planned to enjoy dinner while also getting some work done on my laptop, but instead of assisting me, one of the staff members placed me in an area where I couldn’t even order a coffee. When I asked, I was told I had to move to another section for dinner service and did not pay any attention. In the end, I had my dinner and left, but the experience was far from what I had hoped for. A place as wonderful as this truly deserves a welcoming and friendly team. I sincerely wish the service would match the beauty of the museum and café itself.

Had a blast here. Everyone was so helpful.

Excellent gallery with stunning paintings, furniture, porcelain.

Super nice service, thank you 👍

This is a museum that happens to have a very nice cafe. If you like museums, its one to see. Amazing collection of art, armour and ceramics. Free entry and the building is absolutely beautiful. Cafe is lovely and good value.

Great place for a coffee or tea with friends. Friendly service and beautiful ambiance with a lot of light.

Beautiful space. But bad and very slow service. The food was expensive and bland, worst club sandwich I have had. I would go for a coffee if in the museum as it is beautiful space.

Complete rip off ‘style over substance That’s why we only had hot drinks Carrot cake for example would cost £7 !! It should be made self service

The venue is located inside Hertford House in Manchester Square. A non-touristy experience in a different environment than usual. I found the dishes not very tasty and the service a little slow but still very kind and helpful. the desserts are excellent. Price quality not exceptional. Still, a nice experience

Experience British-style afternoon tea. Unfortunately, the waiter is always busy. Then the two of us ordered two afternoon teas, which cost 101 pounds. The salty food did not suit our appetite. The dessert was quite interesting, but I think it is not necessary to eat it specially.

I went here for lunch with a colleague specifically for this restaurant, not for the museum - and it was perfect for this. In this super fancy area of Marylebone, the prices are low, the part sectioned off from the snacking crowd for real lunch is nice and serene, there's no noise or music, and you really have this winter garden feel under the glass roof without being cold. Furniture, cutlery etc are minimal, which is fine with me; the menu is focused but creative. We had two starters (soup and salad) which were unusual yet really good and enjoyable, and upon suggestion of the friendly waiter (both he and the maitre d' were courteous and nice, as well as prompt) a bowl of excellent fries with the salad. The coffee afterwards was nice too; good wine selection as well, both by the glass and by the bottle. For a museum restaurant, this is great, but it stands on its own as well. I will definitely be back; this is on my list now for business lunches.

Excelente comida para el almuerzo con un ambiente encantador. El servicio fue muy bueno y atento. Sin duda volveremos de nuevo!

Excelente comida con un gran ambiente dentro del restaurante. El personal era muy amable y atento. Sin duda volveremos al restaurante de nuevo!

Rude staff who clearly don’t enjoy what they do. Mediocre food. This setting could do with a better catering proposition.

This is a lovely place with super friendly staff and great afternoon tea but everything is a bit overpriced.

First, tell the little man with glasses and Asian origins to cut ✂️ his nails and wash his hands. He works in the Horeca industry and it was disgusting to see his long and dirty nails tbh. This was the trigger alarm DO NOT order any food. And teach the barista how to make a proper ice 🧊 coffee ☕️!

Me sorprende que no haya mejores críticas del restaurante en el patio de la Colección Wallace. Para empezar, no es un destino en sí mismo, sino una parada antes o después de la visita a la extraordinaria (y gratuita) Colección Wallace. Así que usted está rodeado de arte exquisito. El lugar es armonioso, bien decorado, y agradable. La comida y el servicio están bien, nada extraordinario pero lo suficientemente bueno en términos de frescura, ingredientes, etc. Recomendación: Toma un bocado allí, pero asegúrate de visitar también la colección.

Beautiful surroundings but the service and general vibe here is awful! Staff arguing with each other, disorganised service and very high prices. £6 for a cupcake (£6.75 including service charge) is preposterous, £4.50 for a Coke?! Could be improved with a review of the menu and some customer service training for staff.

Why is that blonde female staff so grumpy? Rough attitude? Is it because we are Asians? One other staff made our service charge free, but I didn't say it for money. The collection is great, but the restaurant is unpleasant.

Really enjoyed the food, it arrived quickly as did the tea. We were told if we would like to order anymore tea from the menu to ask, well, that was a chore. The service was next to non-existent. The main woman in charge instead of being available went to wipe down already clean tables on the other side of the restaurant. Trying to get the attention of anyone else they just merely looked away. We loved the food but till the service is sorted out I would not recommend this as a place to go and eat.

Very grand surroundings in this stately townhouse just a short stroll from the hubbub of Oxford Street. The dining room is an impressive conservatory style structure at the rear of the building. The bench seating at some of the tables is too deep with poor back support. The festive Christmas lunch was disappointing. Small portions of turkey and vegetables were not sustaining. The Christmas pudding was totally dried out and tasteless (apart from sugar), and the custard looked as though it had come straight out of a microwave. Impressive building but the food offering was underwhelming. The house white is Pinot Grigio which was not stated on the menu. On a brighter note the service was good. Our waiter was attentive and friendly.

E’ un posto con un’atmosfera magica, fuori dal tempo, o meglio, ci si sente come nobili in epoca vittoriana! Locale inserito in un palazzo meraviglioso, visitabile gratuitamente, colmo di arredi, quadri, decorazioni e opere d’arte di gran pregio. Imperdibile il cream tea, ma sempre buoni e ben curati anche i piatti proposti per pranzo e preparati da un ottimo chef (sardo come me), che ringrazio di cuore per il graditissimo omaggio. Unico neo: chiude tassativamente alle 17 😒 Tappa obbligata ogni volta che si va a Londra.

Our server Moses was 10/10, an absolute star!

Experience with the manager is probably the worst I have seen recently

Me preocupaban algunas críticas negativas en TripAdvisor y en otros lugares ... . pero solo demuestra que las críticas a veces no pueden dar una opinión justa y verdadera de un lugar. La habitación real es preciosa y tiene el plus añadido de ser un restaurante sin música y con buena acústica para que todos pudiéramos escucharnos y no estuviéramos teniendo que gritar! El personal era muy amable, educado y eficiente. El menú era bueno. Tuve una sopa encantadora para empezar y la ensalada de col de Bruselas estaba delicioso. Había buenas opciones y extras si uno quería elegir en el menú a la carta. El vino era decente y bueno. Sin duda recomendaría esto para un almuerzo con amigos. No es barato, pero nos alojamos durante casi 3 horas y disfrutamos de nuestra visita!

We came for late lunch so unfortunately the A la Carte menu wasn't available (12-2pm only). Food was delicious though, I recommend the avocado toast and the Lemon Drizzle Loaf, just perfect!

Superb stop for coffee and croissant on a cold Saturday morning. Such lovely staff and great treats to eat.

There are some awkward reviews on this page that make no sense. This cafe is an amazing space for a cuppa within a museum. That is for what it needs to be reviewed for. If people had "better tea in London" just go there. And pay their prices too. Again, this is a cafe within a museum with a pretty atrium. This is not a 5 star hotel.

Used to be better food, and more reasonably priced. A year or so ago they raised the prices for lunch and afternoon tea to nearly twice its prior pricing, and simultaneously became much worse quality than before. Not sure what happened but it’s a shame as the setting is so nice. Service has always been quite inattentive.

Great historic place with a stunning art collection. Some world famous paintings, and free to visit. Nice covered patio for something to eat or drink. Highly recommended when in London 👍👍👍

Fue bastante difícil decidir cuántas estrellas dar: ¿cuatro o tres? Cuatro de nosotros fuimos reservados para el té con burbujas. Las burbujas, el té y los sándwiches / pasteles todos llegaron al mismo tiempo. ¡Uno no bebe burbujas y té juntos, pero el personal no era consciente de eso! Cuando terminamos las burbujas, sorpresa, sorpresa, el té se enfrió. Pedí un segundo té Assam que era tan débil que no se podía beber. Se lo señalé al personal, pero me dijeron que tenía que dejarlo reposar un poco más, ya que era una bolsa de té! Lo hice, pero no se mejoró en absoluto. Sándwiches y pasteles eran solo promedio, pero los bollos eran buenos.

Esta era una reserva de grupo para el té de la tarde a £ 50 por persona. Reservamos por adelantado, así que nos esperaban, pero no parecía que pudieran hacer frente a ella. La comida era terriblemente triste sándwiches secos diminutos y excesivamente procesado pasteles pequeños bollos estaban bien, pero no suficiente crema o mermelada. La vajilla de té y porcelana era terrible teniendo en cuenta que este es un hermoso museo que podrían haber tenido tazas de té y platos de inspiración vintage. En su lugar, fue la tirada gruesa habitual de las vibraciones de ikea estándar del palo de hábitat del molino. El ambiente era como una cantina luminosa. No hay nada especial en esto, que es una oportunidad tan perdida. Servicio - nuestro camarero hizo todo lo posible, pero fue todo un poco desordenado. El museo / casa es precioso y este restaurante / lugar de té podría ser espectacular. Hasta que tenga una revisión de la gestión y un replanteamiento del servicio y la calidad del ambiente que evitaría.

Delicious food and friendly staff.

I came to wallace collection restaurant on hearing about the wonderful afternoon Tea experience. I am really happy to say i had one of my best experiences in london . I was greeted by a kind young gentleman Akhil who provided us a wonderful table and took care of us as well . I will be looking forward to another visit . Thanks

A fabulous oasis in town, in a conservatory inside the Wallace collection. Friendly staff and great place to meet + eat. As a heads up, cafe on the left, restaurant on the right, loos downstairs. Nice menu, food & drinks.

Excellent site with a wonderful exhibition. You have to think about spending almost the entire day

Pedí del menú del almuerzo un sándwich de salmón ahumado que era de £ 13. 95 . Fue un asunto muy exiguo y claramente hecho con algún tiempo de antelación ya que hacía mucho frío. Ni siquiera parecía muy apetitoso. He tenido más relleno y deliciosos bocadillos de un supermercado a un cuarto del precio. Esto no es lo que yo llamaría almuerzo y fue extremadamente decepcionante.

£15.50 for two small coffees and one small cake. The incredible collection, the masterly tour guide - all free. A privilege just to step into the building. Next time I'll learn from the cannie grannies who bring their thermos and sandwich and sit on the seats out front in the sun.

Bad service, not great food, nice location. It’s operated by Sodexo, a huge outsourcing company which also does prisons and school dinners - about the same quality.

Beautiful setting, average (to mediocre) afternoon tea. 🫖 went for afternoon tea for a friends birthday. Staff was kind but a bit scattered and not very attentive. The actual food was pretty bad- I found the cheese and chutney sandwich inedible, as well as a food portion of the desserts and they were overly/sickly sweet. I couldn’t eat all of it because it started making me feel sick, and I left a bit hungry. For around £50 (without bubbles), I don’t think this is a great deal. However the setting is beautiful!

The meter was very helpful in welcoming us. The table service was fine at first until they completely ignored us. We asked for tea three times and they didn't even bring us the bill. It was my first gastronomic experience in London and probably the last, luckily. I saw how tables came in and were so well received while I continued waiting until I asked for the bill. Expensive for the bad treatment we had. I don't recommend it at all

I love the tea and scones here. No matter how busy they are, Ewelina always takes care of me and makes for a wonderful brunch. I'd love to come back soon, Thank you!

We were there for afternoon tea. The staff is very attentive and friendly. The food and tea were also very, very tasty. However, we figured it would be £45 in total and not £90 for two people. Of course London is expensive. But that is absolutely excessive. That just really ruined the wonderful experience.

Getting order took a long time and we were ignored by staff. Then the wrong order arrived.

Went for afternoon tea...it was disappointing. Staff was sullen, tea was luke- warm, atrium was loud. There are better tea experiences in London, I'm sure

La comida estaba bien, pero era caro. Aunque estaba ocupado había un montón de personal que nos hizo esperar en cada curso. Lo peor fue que trajeron mi pastel pero no el de mi amiga, nuestro café se enfrió y eventualmente después de llamarlos por su pastel llegó unos 10 minutos después. Luego añaden el 12. Cargo por servicio del 25% (que he reducido y desearía no haber pagado en absoluto).

Beautiful place! We went here for cream tea and it was pretty nice 🫖

Had the scones with tea combo thing. Food was average, and service was worse. Took forever to get served and to get the bill. I have no idea how they justify their discretionary 12.5% service charge. They did have one really friendly and bubbly waiter waiting on the other tables, so maybe we just got the trainees or wait staff who were dying to clock off for Friday night drinks. Atmosphere, ambience, and decor of the place is pretty great though. Not sure I will return.

Tea was great. The savoury scone was nice. The fruit/sweet scones .....we could have played hockey with lol oh well. Service was lovely and efficient.

Incredibly rude front of house staffs who rushed us 3 times. Horrific service

Cannot wait to go back. Just what I needed after being in hospital all morning. Excellent service and lovely tea and food.

Appalling food and appalling service. Were this establishment not connected to the Wallace Collection, it would have gone out of business long ago.

The risotto was outstanding. Top location and food. 11 out of 10!

The worst service in London. We tried to walk in for lunch, understandably the restaurant was full. The waitress was very rude. She stared at us rudely and told us to come back in an hour. We asked if she means she put us in the queue and she only responded ambiguously. We offered to leave our contact so we could be in the queue. She jotted down our name and number on a random sheet of paper and has never contacted us again.

Lovely location and good service BUT a very flat soggy sandwich that has obviously been sitting around for a while with a limp bit of lettuce. At £13.50 I would expect a sandwich to be freshly made. I would have been better off at PRET.

Gorgeous place, and really lovely staff. Couldn't have asked for a better experience

The food was lovely, I had a chicken terrine - it had nice texture, taste was pheasant too. The service was very good. The atmosphere was excellent - a bit hot under the glass roof. Bear in mind menu in a cafe and restaurant are 1 different things and don't overlap..

Had a cake and glass of wine in the cafe section. You wait to be seated, to the right if going to the restaurant and to the left if going to the cafe. The cake and wine were nice and came to £14 with service added. The restaurant is like a greenhouse so expect hot temperatures in summer. Attracts a fairly diversely posh arty crowd. Food looked pretty decent. Seating is comfy and atmosphere is buzzy without being too loud.

Sometimes a restaurant has seen its better days and this is the case for this one. Used to be nice. It is, however, dreadful these days. Nothing was edible and the service was appalling.

* My tea experience: Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/p8qdnpiLH1iPN1TY7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy Sessions: external and large Handling: Excellent Food: normal We got croissants Only two cups of tea are enough Bathrooms: located in the museum Suitable for the elderly and people with special needs♿️

The food here is made by Sodexo, the same company behind such fine establishments as your children's local school cafeteria. Only it's 10x the price. Might be worthy of only dropping 1 star however the service was atrocious. We had to ask 2x for water and 3x for the check before finally getting up to pay at the desk, which caused a huge fuss worthy of 3 waiters getting aggravated. The saving grace was the space which is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe come for tea only. I've had that before and it's always met my expectations - hot leaf juice is hot leaf juice. If you do decide to come on a weekend, make a reservation. The queue gets insanely long while the app shows that it's wide open.

V nice little gem of a destination in Central London

Siempre me ha gustado el restaurante Wallace. Incluso en un día aburrido, es ligero, brillante y cómodo. Siempre me ha parecido que la comida y el vino de primera clase y el servicio del personal muy especial es un verdadero placer.

Waited 25 mins for cocktails in which time no one checked in on us. Tried to raise with management and they gave us blank stares like we are mad. Very disappointing

My friend and I spent £50 each for an overpriced afternoon tea as you can clearly see from the photo. (£50 standard is like this, they don’t even provide take away box for this price point) The service was so so, the food is nothing special and that you could call it’s delicious. The place is beautiful, but in general, our experience was not so great here compared to the other afternoon tea places we have been.

Galería Brillante, sin embargo los imanes que quería comprar y dar como regalos de mi experiencia, no estaban disponibles en la tienda

Lovely setting, great place to meet and chat. However the menu doesn't really live up to its pretentions.

Had lunch on a Saturday. Restaurant was very busy. Nice relaxed vibe to the place and not too noisy. Good vegetarian options for my wife. First & main course was delicious. Cheesecake for dessert was fantastic. Only gripe on the day was service was a bit slow but that was understandable considering how busy the venue was

Good museum with free entry mostly showing painters 18thC plus. Hals turns up. Great restaurant for breakfast/coffee...then after viewing eat at restaurant......booking advised.

The atmosphere was lovely the service was spotty and the food abysmal. Without doubt this was the worst tea I have ever experienced in lLondon. The portions were tiny, the tea was tepid and the service lacking. Save your money pay a little more and go somewhere more reputable.

Great place for an informal though well-served meal. Strongly suggested a booking for an early lunch to avoid crowd and enjoy more the nice indoor atmosphere the place offers. Very polite and attentive members of staff.

We got the tea and scones which were lovely. The staff were polite as well. The place does get a bit loud and crowded though.

We have tried our luck without planning ahead and making a reservation. Staff were accommodating beyond our expectations. Mackerel salad, chicken supreme were the highlights… good wine selection too! Finished with a cheeky slice of carrot cake from the Cafe counter. Absolutely loved everything. The dinning room is grand and pretty. Took our time to sit back and relax . Thank you Mate and Garry for making us feel so comfortable!

While visiting the Wallace Collection, my wife had the afternoon tea which seemed nice but over-priced. I had a small lunch which was good. It was an unusually warm day in London. The restaurant ceiling is covered by glass panels, and there is no AC so this made it a bit uncomfortable while dining.

Nice looking cafe. Food is sad. Waiters truly don't care at all. We had to remind three times: to get the menu, to get the cake they forgot about, to get the bill. Nothing happens on the first go.

The Gallery is fantastic , can't recommend enough. However was disappointed with the café. Had to wait 10min to be seated, prompt service but we got the Ladoo, which is listed as a sweet treat.I may just ordered poorly but this dessert was far from sweet and tasted of salty coconut sawdust would not recommend. The tea tasted nice but overpriced and was charged a service fee although it took another 10mins to flag down the bill. Gallery good but avoid the café the teapots are also not the best.

The service is terrible!! The waitresses were not even make eye contact🤷🏻‍♀️ ridiculously pricey, and I ordered one cream tea. The butter and jam was too much, I wanted to order one more scone to finish theme and they said that they cannot give one scone 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️ it has to be two!?? Not recommended, will definitely not going again… also, teapots were very risky!

Very pleasant surroundings in their light and airy atrium

Art Gallery perfect, lunch wasn't. Chose caesar salad and received burnt croutons with several old lettuce pieces. This in turn spoilt my lunch, I was hungry so did not bring it to attention of staff. The dressing, anchovies and chicken were OK though

The tea and dessert are amazing. I just wish they didn't have to kick us out so soon. Probably we should come earlier next time.

Disappointed, Disorganised. Beautiful setting but one starter had cling film in it so was sent back and replacement arrived after everyone else had finished. Then only 3 out of 4 main courses arrived….. no sincere apology.

The cakes are big and taste good. I can only recommend the chocolate cake! The tea also tastes very good and you get a small but full tea pot that is enough for 2-3 portions.

unique experience in a place little known to tourists. In fact, the majority of visitors are Londoners who come to spend tea time with relatives and friends. A varied selection of desserts is also available to accompany, all in a very suggestive environment full of greenery and plants. In short, ideal if you want to feel like a real Londoner!

Nice café in courtyard. Interesting collection

Disappointed. For a place so stunning the restaurant/cafe services were ridiculous. Went on a Saturday around 2:30pm so the busyness was expected however the place seems extremely understaffed. After waiting 10 minutes for a table for 4 people, we got seated and already chose what we wanted from the menu while we waited to be seated. We then waited for 20 minutes for someone to come and ask what we would like and the unpleasant gentleman said “well I guess you’re ready to order then” after my mother waved him over. The cakes are decent but too over priced even for London and the tea pots are a safety risk. Although they’re cute, the handle was too hot to touch and I am very disappointed. £4 for a teabag is ridiculous. AND the waiters kept bumping against the back of our chairs harshly without apologising. Disappointed.

Stylish museum that has a lot of class and great ambience

Nice place for a coffee and chat whilst visiting the museum.