Turner Contemporary Cafe in Thanet

Weird art that I didn’t really understand. I like the one that looked like grimer the pokemon lol 😂

Free admission and voluntary contribution. There is parking. There are no Turner paintings, only modern art

Really cool place. Def worth a stop.

Nice quiet space. Some works were interesting but many represented bits of stuff in my husband's garage eg hanging cables, bits of wood (sprayed with bronze paint). Also a piece that looked like air conditioning ducting. I was disappointed not to see anything of Turner's art.. In fact, being totally honest I think he must be turning in his grave.

Easily one of the best galleries in the UK.

The house is amazing and so spacious, I always enjoy my time here immensly.

Not many exhibits for a fairly large building, but it's free entry and had some good pieces

Hmmm, pretentious and boring. 45 mins if my life I will never get back. Plus point - it’s free, minus point - you come away feeling you were overcharged. There were 2 brilliant prices in there, the rest was staggeringly bland.

Lovely gallery and my 6 year old loved the sensory bags which each room has, kept her really engaged!

Iconic building and a diverse space for art and community. They host some truly inspirational exhibitions that always surpass many paid for exhibitions across the nation. A place to be proud of, visit often and support.

As a local wedding photographer and videographer team we know that the Turner Contemporary is absolutely the BEST wedding venue in Margate. We love shooting here and we can't wait to be back!

Some exhibitions split opinions but overall the space is calming with excellent light... If you don't like the artwork then just sit on the steps at sunset....!

Wonderful space! The exhibit changes every season, and the one I got to see was of 50 women artists through the last 60 decades. Some of the abstract pieces were remarkable. Personally abstract art isn't for me, so this was a miss, but if you love sculptures, installations and abstract art - this is a definite must see! Lovely cafe right at the entrance. Turner Contemporary does not have a permanent exhibit so check their website to see what's on!

What a blot on the landscape externally! It’s size and colour are completely out of scale and dominate an historic landscape. No charm, no elegance. And no Turner paintings to view! It’s a white elephant. What a catastrophe for Margate.

Beautifully designed contemporary art gallery. There is permanent collection, which we’d seen before but is worth a second visit. The shop is interesting and eclectic. The cafe is good quality, although a little pricey. The real star here though is the beautiful building overlooking the harbour. Even though it’s very different to the Georgian town it fits beautifully. We’ll worth a visit.

Received £60 parking charge in turner contemporary car park. Parking is payable not just while vehicle is “parked” but is from time of entry to time of exit. Was 4mins past session time when exited and received charge which appeal was declined. Absolute scam!

Pretty good event hall, but the Art is subjective

I didn't attend for a specific event but just had a wander around to see what was on offer. The gallery attendants were present, silent in the background but ready and able to answer any questions about the works on display and the space itself. I'm pleased that I took a little time out to visit, and gather my thoughts in this peaceful place 🙏🏾

While the gallery is not huge, it has a well presented and accessible exhibition. I found it quite pleasant to wander around and take in the art. The internal 1st floor balcony offers a nice view onto the sea. Parking is available right next to it.

We saw one nice exhibition. Toilet was OK, important for travellers. The man-walking-into-waves statue is beautiful.

On the positive it's a lovely location as the photos show, right in the heart of Margate's harbour area. There are now loads of bars and restaurants around the area and places to sit. Entry is free but you can make donations, the staff were clearly interested and friendly. It's a bright, clean and welcoming building so very pleased we visited. I'll be honest I didn't understand the art in the slightest, neither the artist blurbs or pieces but it was open, welcoming and with the visit. Others visiting were clearly engaged with the art so it must be good if you understand it.

Went to the gallery, but never made it in. Couldn't work out the wheelchair access. I just didn't go far enough, my mate has since told me there is a ramp on the far side. Went back to the van, had a chat with the wife to tell her. Total time in the carpark 10min 05 seconds, Just recieved a £60 PCN. So if you go there, even to think about it, then buy a parking ticket. Reviews of Smart parking are that they dont reply to appeals. Edit. Staff of the gallery (nothing to do with the parking) contacted me and we're very helpful.

Great location next to the turner centre. The food tastes great and lots of choice. Never great when the staff are eating at the time they are serving you - hence 4 stars!

Some of the art works were questionable in my conventional opinion, some square metal tubing spot welded together and called 'Rock' didn't give me a tingle down my spine. Some tangled wool, that looked like old fishing nets hanging down, could have been seen on the docks. I still enjoy going there, it's a great space to walk around.

Enjoyed exploring "Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950 - 1970" here, which was "a major new exhibition which connects the work of over 50 women from across the globe through a shared language of radical abstraction". I'm not an art expert but I do like beautiful things and there was more than enough creative talent and variety in this exhibition to make it an hour well spent. The breadth of art offered something for everyone. Great!

Great museum with interesting exhibitions

Love coming here.. light space .. high ceilings. Great sea views. Good variety of exhibitions. Felt the cafe menu was very sparse compared with past visits. Less isn't More in this case. Turner is a credit To Margate.

This is one of the must visits when you're in Margate. They usually art exhibition. And the cafe outside is so lovely.

Recommend the current exhibition on abstract art from women in mid 20th century. All free to enter. Restaurant was a bit disappointing so went elsewhere.

Excellent free gallery with interesting exhibitions, a pleasant cafe with view of the sea, and shop selling cards and gift items. I visit regularly.

Great family day out, the children’s interactive space was fantastic

Interesting pieces of art! Love that the gallery faces the ocean as well—upper floor is great for taking pictures. Best of all is that it’s free.

Home to exhibitions of contemporary artists. I love that there is a room dedicated to children where they can move and "make art" with modular structures. Free entry

As a relatively new wheelchair user, I have been struggling to find things that I can comfortably do within the confines of my powered chair. Well, the Turner Contemporary has been the best by a clear mile! From the smooth access ramp out the front (no need to call anyone for assistance!), through the completely flat flooring throughout the gallery, and of course, the largest lift I have ever seen- no more awkwardness if a wheelchair and pushchair (or anyone else that needs it) need to use it, everyone will fit! Now for the staff- I was happily greeted upon entering (most places I get ignored or an awkward "hello") which was lovely as it made me feel more human. The exhibition itself was fantastic, but you'll have to go and look for yourself. I mentioned to one of the staff that I wish I could touch the exhibits because they looked like they were made to be touched, but I obviously understand you can't have everyone touching everything, and she said that each room has a tactile bag, each one being different! She went and got it for me and went through it a bit with me, which was fantastic as it made me feel more comfortable and normal. I had no idea these things existed- there's no manual to becoming disabled! So if you are a "need to touch" person like me, you just have to ask for it and they let you borrow it for that room and then you return it to go to the next room and get the next one etc. And, also, the doors are accessible within the gallery, they have lower handles, but the staff offered to open the door for me at each one so it made it just a bit easier for me. Help is there if you need it! Overall, I went to go and see some art so I could feel something, and ended up having a lovely day out, being treated like a regular human, which left me feeling uplifted and inspired. Thankyou to everyone who was a part of it!

Nice gallery but a bit out of the way

A free to enter art gallery on the seafront. It a lovely place, has a nice gifts hop and there are toilets there too.

The current exhibition features an enormous breadth of work by history’s best female abstract artists. Complementing last year’s joyous Beatriz Milhazes exhibition. The galleries are spacious, the staff super friendly and it’s free. Ignore the negative reviews and immerse yourself.

I visited the gallery with my daughter and her two young grandsons on Saturday 3rd February as they wanted to see a few paintings by Turner. We had travelled quite a distance by train and had walked all the way to the gallery so we were very disappointed that there weren't any of his paintings, we thought that there would at least have been some in the gallery. My daughter and I had hoped that the young ones would start to show an interest in looking at paintings as they had been looking forward to seeing, "Mr turner's paintings," to quote the eldest boy.

Lived this exhibition, spacious, airy & interesting exhibits . Worth a visit

My group and myself visited the gallery this afternoon, sadly it was closed. Luckily we were met by the lovely Kass and Sarah who were so friendly and helpful and gave us plenty of ideas of places to visit in Margate. These ladies made our day, fantastic customer service!

It was closed for refurbishment . 3 Ladies sitting behind the till taking no notice of customers.

Firstly its an art gallery and it can get quite busy. its worth checking what is on before going as the instalations do change as you would expect. Its free to get in and they do ask for a donation. The café is good as well.

Bit of a disappointment really.... the building is hardly an inspired design and the installations (some student art, and dull videos) were pointless. The cafe was great though....

Great place to step out of the wind .This is a massive space that could be used better for displaying art....the flamingo is also free

Very disappointed with visit today. Cafe was closed but was showing open on the website. The new exhibition is mainly visual and audio. The videos are fairly long but there is very little seating for those with disabilities so many people got fed up standing. Not very well thought though to make this assessable for everyone to enjoy their visit

Cutting edge exhibitions in an iconic building overlooking the sea with friendly people running it

Fantastic space full of beautiful art. Staff are friendly and thoughtful, they held the door open for me with my pram without me asking. The art space on the second floor is great for babies - toddler and young children! It’s my go to whenever I’m in Margate, it’s free and the view is great, there are books and toys for the children to play with. The baby changing facilities are the best, I’ve used a lot and these are spacious, designed for parents and babies, there are 2 and clean. The food in the cafe is great, the view is sensational and there is always a great gluten free cake option if they’re not already gone! Looking forward to our next visit.

Always good for a laugh. Somewhere to visit to waste an hour.

No entrance fee. Changing exhibitions by modern and classical artists. Children's art workshop. Donations are welcome.

Great building. Nice spaces. Accessible. Free! Interesting. Not challenging except; Bit over the top ramming queer theory at you. Immersive, interactive exhibition with music & film. Noticeable repetition/ overlap between the 2 spaces upstairs. Great children / young peoples space where you're encouraged to hang out There were about 4 small

Dull and uninspiring. The works on view were so unchallenging and uninteresting. This is what gives art a bad name. Disappointing

Very disappointing, even the cafe that served coffee in paper cups. The installation was not at all interesting and the gallery seemed to only have a very limited space for exhibits. Will not be going again and really can't recommend it. Just glad it was free to enter.

Nice building, staff were friendly, art was interesting to say the least. Immersive audio visual elements that bordered on the creepy. Must visit if you're in Margate.

Just had a drink today. The servers are friendly and efficient, a great place to meet friends for a catch up.

Engaging. Brief. Perfectly digestible modern art experience in stunning location.

Interesting place to visit in many ways.

The cafe has some wonderful treats

A go to for a wander around. Nice cafe and location on the water.

The exhibition there at the moment is not my taste but I am sure some people would like it . Cafe there but we did not use it

Fantastic art gallery for all age group. One of Michael Craig Martin's work is installed in the shop. Tracy Emin's print is available to buy. Definitely worth visiting.

Today we visited the turner contemporary at Margate and our car broke down. To add to our misery our phone battery was going flat. But Karen from the turners shop was amazing help with phone charging and even googled diagnostic for the car. Bravo Karen, you are a star and the collection at turners is an interesting visit.

Refreshing to see an art museum in the area. Very interesting art exhibitions. I recommend 👍

4th star. It has a games room currently.

Fantastic space and welcoming of children

I really enjoyable the experience, the Wayfinder film was amazing, & bought back so many memories to me... As l also grew up in the area, &used to always go to pellicci for breakfast &lunch. Thanks the happy memories.

I'm not a very big gallery visitor but would highly recommend this one! A lot of the gallery explores race very uniquely and accessibly, also includes a history of video games with the chance to play all consoles, a great shop full of great souvenirs and also a contemporary section too. Free entry also!

Thought there would of been more Turner Paintings

Great to see Turner in the Turner

The Turner exhibition was good but the rest was a little to modern for my taste

It's good to see the TC gallery back in action, it's been a few years since we last visited.

Very disappointed with the small amount (less than 20 pieces) of actual Turner artwork on display. The local artist area was not good, I found it divisive and politically driven with very little artistic talent on display. This is such a waste as there are many great local artists out there that are more deserving. The building itself is impressive from the outside and the toilet facilities are modern and clean.

Small but great to be able to see some of Turner's work

Great gallery with a range of work on display.

Lovely spacious building to add a bit of culture to your holiday. There is a lot of obscure artwork but a good place to go to tick it off your list. There is a kids gaming room with different consoles, which was a big hit for the kids (my son included!) to keep them entertained.

We made a trip to Margate especially to go to The Turner. I have to say it was very disappointing. I liked the one room in which Turner's work was displayed, but the attempt by an artist, whose name I have no intention of remembering, to link that work with his own...was just ...poor.

Great place the gaming room took me back to my younger years. 😁

Really enjoyable visit and the gaming room is worth checking out with kids

I simply can't understand why anyone would give this less than five stars. It's free, engaging, a lovely setting and started by nice people. Very highly recommended. Meep.

Weird for someone with no intelligence or culture like me but enjoyable to see how the other half live...

First time we visited and was very impressed, will be back more often as deserves as much support as they can get

Lovely building and setting but exhibition was really small. Compared to Tate Britain it was really lacking. If I wasn't in Margate anyway I might say it's not worth the visit.

Interesting gallery space though somewhat sparse.

A fantastic art gallery and wonderful resource for the town. It's free to enter, which makes it very accessible and allows for long or short visits, as you feel. The exhibitions are innovative and provocative. Although the exhibition space isn't as big as the galleries in London (for instance), it punches well above its weight. A must visit if you're in Margate.

Great interesting displays always up to date and diverse, love the new look cafe and restaurant, a wonderful place for lunch.

With amazing views across the sea and a great shop and cafe, this gallery is worth a visit. Friendly staff who directed us around the building, it is free to visit but it is always a small donation to keep the place running. There is a strong connection to local artists which is very important.

Thought provoking displays besides Rurner paintings

If you like modern art this is a great place to visit, there are always soon of JMW Turner's works on show too. The café/restaurant here is very very good.

Brilliant location. Lovely cafe & gift shop. Great use of space for fully immersive exhibits.

The Turner has been a great addition to the community and arts in Kent. I can only recommend a visit and the transport links are brilliant.

What a boring building. Had to be an artist to appreciate what was on show

Never fails to disappoint. We try & take our grandchildren every year, & each time it's as magical.

Nice gallery, fantastic exhibition of Larry!

Love this place , the light is amazing and a eclectic mix of classic Turner and contemporary art , shop could be bigger and may be an art room for the kids NOT a gaming room . Not sure who’s in charge of the outside space and place a commercial wheelie bin in front of the main sea viewing window or is it art and I’m missing a trick ! Don’t forget the seek out the Carl Freedom gallery too 15 min walk well worth it . Love you Margate ❤️

No on site, but nearby parking. Smaller than you think so tie it in with other activities. Reasonable premium prices restaurant.

A friend booked us girls tickets for the 17th March. Their was 5 of us and she done this because 1 of us has never been to the Turner and she loved it. I have been loads of times and I enjoyed what I saw. I'm not really an Art person but it passed the time away. The shop is very expensive .

Expected so much alas was rewarded with so little. Looks impressive from the outside but how all the space is used is somewhat of a mystery.

My first time in Margate and a major draw for our visit was to see the Tate. Unfortunately my experience of the building and the art was very disappointing. The building itself doesn't lend itself to showing art, most of the ground floor is occupied by a gift shop and a very expensive cafe. The upstairs has a room dedicated to JMW Turner as you'd expect and another two spaces for exhibitions. Both rooms were dedicated to one young artist who had a kernel of a good idea but didn't really take it anywhere interesting, the whole show was poorly curated. I came away feeling slightly angry, knowing how many good artists there are out there who deserve to be shown, it all seemed a bit arrogant and lazy I'm afraid. The venue is an over hyped and under utilised resource - I'd recommend the Carl Freedman Gallery instead.

Actually had a great afternoon in the gallery. I came here to show my daughter something different and she had a great time. The gaming room in particular was right up my street.

Door to actual Turner exhibits was too plain. Looked as though it wasn't open so very few people viewing an important gallery!

The Turner was interesting, the fact that it has new exhibitions keeps you visiting. Love the views out of the big windows. Sadly the café does not have a seascape, however the café has other disappointments. It was Sunday, so half the room was given over to lunch tables. Those just wanting coffee/tea and cake were squashed into the other half. No ability to social distance😜. They did provide table service and for this a whopping service charge was added. So two small latte one small hot chocolate a slice of cake and a cookie, (which were on the counter uncovered) came to £18!! The café is run by an outside company, so I don't even feel comforted by the the fact the this hefty bill was contributing to the Gallery. Oh and despite it being ,3.30pm and the rush had died down, the staff made it pretty obvious that they wanted us out fairly sharpish. Not exactly a relaxing experience.