Londonist asks that most pressing of daily concerns: where to go on your lunch break.
Members Room at Tate Modern
Sixth Floor, Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG
Nearest Tube:
Southwark and Blackfriars
0207 887 8888
10am-6pm (Sunday-Thursday)
10am-10pm (Friday-Saturday)
Expect to Pay: £5-10
Rating: 8 out of 10
Not as exclusive as some of our readers might think (Tate membership joining fees start at under £50 per year and include all sorts of arty goodness), the Members Room at the mighty Tate Modern is a splendid spot for lunch. Positioned on the sixth floor with large windows and a terrace over the Thames, the Members Room’s dead on view of St Paul’s Cathedral inspires as much as many of the pieces held in the Tate Modern’s collection.We’re happy with the food available at this glorified café with a magnificent view. Albeit a pretentious conglomeration, the smoked mackerel salad with quinoa, beetroot, toasted seeds and horseradish cream is particularly good at under £6. We like the attentively friendly staff too, and find they make coffee drinks as good as any we’ve had in London. However, we feel the need to complain about the incredibly stylish yet obnoxiously low to the floor tables and chairs; they’re just not conducive to comfortable dining. Monday through Friday, securing a lunchtime table shouldn’t be a problem but good luck finding a seat during the weekend, when queues often linger well beyond the Members Room’s door. As we said, membership is not as exclusive as some might think.
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2007
