The Restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts

For a number of years we have been Friends of the Royal Academy of Art. We have made a habit of seeing the new exhibitions on a Friday as there is late closing and finishing with dinner downstairs in the restaurant.
We would also prior to visiting the exhibition go to the Friends lounge and have a pot of tea.
Last month we saw the British Sculpture exhibition and as usual went for our pot of tea.
There are no longer pots of tea, tea is now served in an enormous cup like a soup bowl which would not be out of place on a building site. Probably this cuts time and expense washing out tea pots but totally lacks elegance and appeal.
Prior to seeing the exhibition we went downstairs to reserve a table in the restaurant where we noted that the seating arrangement had been totally changed; most of the cosy corners with banquettes had gone. The line of banquettes in the centre of the room giving a view of the musicians and singer had disappeared, the whole restaurant was now closely packed with tables. One line of banquettes remained against the far end wall where we booked our table. When we returned to eat, that particular table had been given to someone else but fortunately the other corner table was free which was just as nice.
We were given menus by our friendly waiter and noticed it had changed in style, content and the prices had risen, we didn’t see anything that excited us much but ordered two starters, two glasses of red wine and two main dishes with a side order. While waiting for our order to arrive we noticed the lack of the musicians and singer, this with good food was a source of great pleasure.
Two glasses of wine arrived; on the menu there is a choice of two quantities we chose the larger size and were immediately struck by the small amount of wine costing eight pounds fifty, we were then struck by the lack of appeal of the wine. The taste of wine is a personal thing, all I can say is that previously we received larger glasses of wine from a different selection that we enjoyed.
The starters arrived: ravioli and a cuttle fish salad, my wife unknowingly put salt on her ravioli thinking it was pepper, unfortunately the salt and pepper pots are identical. My cuttlefish salad wasn’t bad but was served on a piece of toast like concrete which exploded into pieces at the first attempt to cut it. Serving an oily salad on a thin slice of bread leaves a choice between toasted and hard or untoasted and soggy, neither being great.
We had both ordered lemon sole with Swiss chard as the main course plus a side order of mousseline. We were both struck by the small portions, four tiny rolls of sole sitting in each corner of the plate on the not very exciting vegetable. I had often taken grilled sea bass on a celeriac mash in the past which was both delicious and filling. This was an abysmal effort: tasteless and not filling. The mousseline was almost runny and I would swear came out of a packet, mixed with water to the consistency and taste of baby food. Oh, and the bread was old and rubbery, we asked for new bread which arrived with a smile.
We asked our friendly waiter why everything had changed and was told the restaurant was now run by different people, he sympathised with our dissatisfaction and said he would like us to speak to the manager who duly arrived and listened attentively to our complaints. We decided not to take a dessert and asked for the bill.
As a kind gesture only one lemon sole had been charged, this was unexpected and much appreciated, however as we slowly made our way between the closely placed tables, we left the restaurant sad and disappointed: no music, lousy food, small portions and more expensive. Quite frankly for the same price I would rather go along Piccadilly to the Wolseley restaurant, the menu is infinitely more varied and the portions much more generous.

I went a couple of weeks ago with my beloved and I was really impressed. The décor, the staff and the food were all spot on.
I found the menu diverse yet generous. I had some ravioli to start with with some black truffle and pecorino and it was nicely littered with black truffle, instead of the meager sliver of truffle that I have become accustomed to. Nevertheless this was an exception. I also had the confit cod to follow and this was very delicately cooked. It was only ‘just’ cooked so it was still a tiny bit jelly like which is great if that is what you want but for me I would have liked it a little bit more cooked. But it was still palatable all the same. I cleared my plate so it wasn’t that bad.
In terms of dessert the Strudel reinterpretation was showstopping and so imaginative in its deconstructed approach. I am spotting this to be somewhat of a trend where desserts are concerned but if it’s done right it’s wonderful.
The staff were so friendly, attentive and polite that I shall definitely be going back as soon as I can save up to go again.
The menu is reasonable, with a really nice and varied wine menu too.
I think the location is great and slightly offbeat which adds to the fun of it.
For a Friday night dinner I can’t think of anywhere better to go as you can have a conversation and unwind into the weekend ahead of you at a nice and gentle pace.

A good thing with doing contract work is that you have some downtime now and then. So what to do? Well, go to the restaurant at RAA of course.
Arriving around 12.30 on a Thursday I saw several people being turned away since it was completely booked out. Luckily you can ask for a table by the bar as they are not very popular if you show up without a booking.
The interior is really nice and I’m looking forward to coming back and sitting at one of the proper tables. For a quick lunch the bar tables are perfectly fine though. I suppose a lot of people will come for the interior so make sure to make a booking to be able to enjoy it fully.
The staff were very friendly and never made me feel unattended. I think they are a bit new though as my waitress seemed slightly nervous and forgot to tell me the changes to the menu.
As for the food, it is very good. I had pork cheek with pommes mousseline which was really well made and tasty but for me lacking that little extra. Maybe I’m just not a pork cheek person.
The main on the other hand was fantastic, I keep thinking about it still. The main was ravioli of pecorino and black truffle which was just as good as it sounds. Very rich and big flavours that makes me wonder if I should have the same lunch two days in a row.
All in all I have to say I had a great lunch and can’t wait to go back again.

Un musée d’exposition qui se renouvelle tout le temps
Un musée où l’on découvre tout le temps de jeunes talents rebelles exposant leurs oeuvres. C’est pas mal comme projet mais tout dépend l’exposition et l’artiste.

Le grand palais londonien
La Royal Academy of Arts est le lieu des plus prestigieuses expositions britanniques, outré la traditionnelle et fort pittoresque Summer Exhibition, rassemblement hétéroclite d’artistes actuels… Les thèmes d’expositions sont très variables, artistes de toutes époques (Rodin par exemple fin 06), civilisations disparues (les bronzes de l’Inde du Sud fin 06), et les expositions sont toujours d’une qualité absolument impeccables, sélection rigoureuse des objets et présentation parfaite. Les tarifs sont britanniques, donc élevés (de £8 à £12 par exposition), il peut donc être intéressant de prendre la carte de Friend of the Royal Academy (£70 pour une année, permettant de rentrer librement à deux personnes) ! Note: ¹⁰⁄₁₀.