Harden's survey result
Summary
A “real hidden gem” – the spectacular glass-ceilinged atrium at the Wallace Collection is a “great place to bring visitors to London”, just off Oxford Street; and serves breakfast, coffee and lunch every day, plus dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. For a full-blown meal, its “unhurried” service can grate, as can cooking that’s only “so so”. But where it undoubtedly scores is as a “lovely setting for a classic relaxed afternoon tea” – “all very nice and proper” – “with an excellent museum attached...”
Summary
A “real hidden gem” – the spectacular glass-ceilinged atrium at the Wallace Collection is a “great place to bring visitors to London”, just off Oxford Street; and serves breakfast, coffee and lunch every day, plus dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. For a full-blown meal, its “unhurried” service can grate, as can cooking that’s only “so so”. But where it undoubtedly scores is as a “lovely setting for a classic relaxed afternoon tea” – “all very nice and proper” – “with an excellent museum attached...”
Summary
The beautiful glass-ceilinged atrium of the Wallace Collection museum in Marylebone provides the “perfect atmosphere for tea – very civilised and respectable”. “The café’s food (from caterer Peyton & Byrne) is hit and miss, service not brilliant but the space is really impressive”. “Always does the trick for a business meeting – so much better than sitting in a coffee shop”.
Summary
The “gorgeous setting” of the Wallace Collection’s café, in the glass-covered atrium of one of London’s most interesting smaller museums, “is delightful, especially on a bright day” – enough to transform a “teatime treat” into a “fairytale experience”. But “the food and service are not much more than so-so” – “I hope it’s changed since the demise of Peyton & Byrne” (the caterers who went into administration in October 2016).
For 30 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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Restaurant details
The Wallace, The Wallace Collection Restaurant Diner Reviews
"On two visits in 2020 we found the menu unenterprising and a far cry from earlier years and serious errors of service (eg bringing wrong menu, getting the food order wrong). The first time we made allowances, but a second visit made us feel it had succumbed to the curse of the tourist destination (see also Oxo Tower), It's a shame because it is a very lovely space to eat in. "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.10 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Harden's says...
Wallace W1
It has not always proved a recipe for long-term success, but even Oliver Peyton's most vociferous critics would concede he is one of our most progressive restaurateurs. All the more interesting, then, that, for his latest cultural-centre dining destination, his concept is the old-fashioned, no-nonsense Gallic brasserie.
Certain physical constraints arise from locating the brasserie in the rather echoey glazed courtyard of a small museum. Spiritually speaking, however, Peyton has gone pretty much the whole hog. The menu, in particular, is totally legit, including a fair amount of cold seafood. We eschewed the full-blown 'plâteau' experience, but our nicely-presented half dozen Fines de Claire oysters were indeed very fine. A frisee salad with an egg was also pretty well done.
Steak with béarnaise was also good, although the quality of the stringy frites was a source of some dissention in the ranks: just not crisp enough for some tastes. A bouillabaisse - consisting of the elegant presentation of a tasty soup over three rather small pieces of fish - was much enjoyed. Desserts, however, were a surprise disappointment. A slice of lemon tart (recommended) was mean and uninteresting, and a peach Melba fell rather flat too. Coffee was fine.
Was it just 'early days' - and a Monday too - that meant that this generally pretty good operation was little-patronised the lunchtime we visited? Or did it have something to do with the prices? - this review meal, with a glass of wine and a cup of coffee apiece, and a bottle of water, came to almost £45 each.
Come on Oliver: why not really do the brasserie thing properly, and bring in a bargain prix-fixe? That might bring 'em flooding in all the way from Selfridges.
Hertford Hs, Manchester Sq, London, W1U 3BN
Opening hours
| Monday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Tuesday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Wednesday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Thursday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Friday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am‑5 pm |
| Sunday | 10 am‑5 pm |
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