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    Portrait Restaurant

    4.0 (52 reviews)
    PriceyBritish, Cafes
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Portrait Restaurant Photos

    PORTRAIT RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Portrait Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Ed Sheeran and I :)
    Karina N.

    We had an amazing lunch with friends at the Portrait Restaurant...the view and the ambience is simple breathtaking! Sitting on the top floor of the National Portrait gallery, this place is a complete gem. The service and staff was phenomenal. The table setting was elegant and the menu really topped off the entire experience. Going to the restaurant was a real treat especially since the museum is already free (and SO worth it!) I would definitely make it a point to visit and eat here while in London!

    Rachel Z.

    Come for the view, but definitely stay for the food. Located discreetly on top of the national portrait gallery (also totally worth a visit) at the ever so busy Trafalgar Square , the Portrait restaurant offers a fabulous view of many famous landmarks in Westminster, a delicious seasonal menu, and a lively but surprisingly peaceful atmosphere that's so rare in this area. I ordered the bouillabaisse, which is a lighter and more lunch appropriate version of the famous Marseille dish. The fish was cooked to perfection. I also tried lamb from the tasting menu, it was tender, flavourful and an absolute delight to eat. On to dessert, the chocolate saint-émilion was rich but not overly sweet, the spiced roasted pineapple with lemon sorbet was refreshing, yet interesting with a slight kick of chili. The festive cocktail, lemon drop Bellini, was beautiful, easy to drink and not as sweet as it sounds. For someone who has trouble finishing any alcoholic drinks, I drank up the last drop. The service was also impeccable from beginning to end. To me, the Portrait restaurant was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to have a such an exquisite meal in a gallery but I enjoyed every aspect of it. I'd highly recommend anyone to pay a visit.

    Lauren W.

    Came here for afternoon tea with champagne which ended up costing us around $140. Wouldn't have minded the price had the service been better. Our original server disappeared without any explanation midway through the meal, assuming he got off work. A girl replaced him but rarely checked on us. The food itself was okay but definitely left more to be desired. Service was bad.

    The view
    Christine Y.

    This place is a hidden gem!! It is located on the 3rd floor of national portrait gallery (not the same entrance as the national gallery) and the view is amazing. You can see everything from the London eye to Westminster abbey. We came here for afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is only from 3:30 to 4:30 Thursday to Saturday I think and the tea set is around £30 per person. Each person gets 3 savory items, two scones, and 3 desserts. Personally, I think the scones are the best and the desserts were not impressive at all. You also get unlimited tea. You're basically paying for the view. Small tip for people who don't want to spend a lot of money - just order one/two set and share the food. The others can just get the tea. It's cheaper that way ;)

    A view like from nowhere else!
    Ian D.

    Great view! The NPG has been reconfigured such that where the new stuff once was is now a for-pay exhibition. We were just popping in to see what was new. We did one of the quick galleries - the hallway on the second floor outside the Tudors. Then we got in the elevator and saw "Restaurant, 3rd Floor." We decided to start a pub crawl to our dinner reservations there. It's a view that you will not get anywhere else in London. My friend said, "What church is that roof from?" (We know all the churches in central London.) We went through about 4 roofs when he finally said, "NO! The one that looks like shells on it." I replied, "That's the top of the National Gallery!" There was a party of 10 who looked like university students having a last afternoon tea before their final exams and graduation. Perfect for such an occasion.

    Jonathan E.

    Here's a little secret: come in the morning. You can grab a coffee, tea, boiled egg or toast and get the same views without a major spend. The only downside to this strategy is that the views are to the East, so the morning views come with the sun in front. This makes photos (all from indoors) a bit more tricky, but also gives you a taste of what you might experience if you come here at other times in the day.

    View from the Portrait Restaurant
    Bisi F.

    Duck Song Before joining the achingly hip crowd gathered for the Late Shift Extra at the National Portrait Gallery, we couldn't resist having dinner at the Portrait Gallery. This rooftop restaurant has the most breathtaking panaromic views of London, particularly on a sunny day.We tore ourselves away from it, to order our main, the confit of duck, presented on an island of creamy mash, surrounded by a lapping sea of red onion gravy. The duck was cooked perfectly, encased in a thin crispy skin which was golden brown. The mash was smooth and well seasoned, while the red onion gravy was a revelation. My dessert of raspberry and apple crumble, arrived with a tiny side jug of custard, which took the edge of the fruit's combined tartness. My other half unfortunately went for the chocolate pot which was lovely, but far too large a portion for something so rich. Late Shift Extra We finished dinner and headed downstairs to Room 20 - The Reform Room. A beautifully proportioned room, full of paintings of notable British historical parliamentaries and reformists. In front of an epic execution of The House of Commons, 1833, drawfed by the sheer scale of the canvas stood Andreya Triana. This tiny, bare footed powerhouse singer songwriter, treated us to an emotive, soulful tinged delivery of six excellent songs. Accompanied by a keyboard/mixer and talented guitarist 'Matt' , she ended her set with a brilliant electro choral reworking of the Eurythumics"Sweet Dreams". Her voice soared over a deep, pounding bassline, that had the whole audience rocking. All in all a great Friday night !

    The bar view during sunset.  What's not to love?!
    Travis L.

    Personally, it's all about the view (and classy ambiance). I went with three other friends to the bar, and we all gushed over the view above the National Gallery. The view is rather magical because you don't see the hordes of tourists & activity on Trafalgar Square below, only the classic architecture surrounding the area. It almost felt like I was in St. Petersburg or Prague. The wine prices were reasonable and the bar service was just fine. My friends ordered queen olives as our bar snacks; I don't even *like* olives, but these were absolutely delicious! It was like a "Sword and the Stone" experience. For that, Portrait Restaurant will always have a special place in my heart ;) One of the best (and unique) views of London. Come during sunset!

    Mariel G.

    Lovely light-filled restaurant inside of the National Portrait Gallery. Spectacular view of Westminster, my first sighting of the London Eye was from inside of Portrait and it really got me excited about the week we'd be spending in town. This was one of our first meals in London as we were staying right off of Trafalgar Square. The food and the service were wonderful (why is the butter so delicious???) Just a lovely little gem. After our meal, we wandered around the museum. Free admission! What a luxury. Take note, US!

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    8 years ago

    Food was over salted and all the courses, service was also very poor. For the price it is not worth the time, try somewhere else!

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    12 years ago

    All the stars go to the view, everything else is as you would expect: fine, a bit pricey, worth the visit.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Portrait Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Portrait Restaurant

    Excellent food with sweeping views of London, located on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Saint Espresso - Stuffed croissant and latte

    Saint Espresso

    4.4(41 reviews)
    1.8 miIslington, Angel
    £

    -_____- . I'm gonna be real, the matcha drink that I had here tastes way better than more than half…read moreof the matcha drinks that I've had back home in California LOL. I had the iced matcha cloud with raspberry syrup. Quality matcha powder used *and* the added fruit sweetener (raspberry here) is subtle but still tasteful actually complementing well with the matcha (unlike fruit sweetener that tastes like straight jam overpowering the whole drink.....). A matcha drink that actually makes sense lol. I also tried the iced Japanese cold brew. Pretty strong in brew taste but still smooth! Polite barista. Low-key, chill vibes at the cafe on a Monday late afternoon. Definitely a nice spot for a pick-me-up drink while venturing London. :)

    We've gone here twice now and both times have been pretty great! We really enjoy their croissants…read moresandwich. The one we have had has a delicious and flaky seeded croissant and it has a really nice portion of cream cheese and prosciutto and arugula. It's really savory. I ordered a latte on both visits. The art on it is very nice, but it also tastes as good as it looks! It's smooth and creamy and the perfect temperature to enjoy it right away. The cappuccino my brother ordered also looked pretty good. The staff working here are really friendly and welcoming as well. She was very attentive and asked us if everything was good and if we needed anything else. Unfortunately, we're just visiting the country, but would definitely love to come back to this cafe in the future!

    Photos
    Saint Espresso - If it's sunny outside, why not grab a table on the pavement ? Food and drinks will be brought to you

    If it's sunny outside, why not grab a table on the pavement ? Food and drinks will be brought to you

    Saint Espresso - Iced matcha cloud w/ raspberry syrup (highly recommend!) & iced Japanese cold brew (pretty good as well)

    Iced matcha cloud w/ raspberry syrup (highly recommend!) & iced Japanese cold brew (pretty good as well)

    Saint Espresso

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    Bloomsbury Cafe - Neapolitan pasta

    Bloomsbury Cafe

    4.0(23 reviews)
    0.6 miBloomsbury
    £

    So my mother and I ate at a lot of eateries while we were in London last year. Only Bloomsbury Cafe…read moreleft us declaring defeat: we just couldn't finish our meals here. Their servings are HUGE, and are so affordable too! I left wishing my mother and I had the ability to save our leftovers for later, because we hated wasting any of the delicious food that we ordered. Even before we got our food we were pretty excited. When you walk in you're greeted here with a beautiful sight: fresh sandwiches, bread, and pastries, all on display right at their main counter. Once we were seated I noticed little flower pots line the window, too. Fresh food and flowers - what more can you ask from a cafe for a first impression? We also loved the owner and his wife: they were very kind and they constantly kept us up to date on our food order, just to mention what was done and what they still needed to do or cook. They clearly work hard to provide fresh fast meals - and we learned quickly as people came in and out of the place that takeaway is available here. But we wanted to enjoy a sit down meal, and enjoy we did! I started mine with fresh squeezed juice - we're talking so fresh you'll want to add sugar to it if you're used to the juice that comes in stores. And when our English breakfasts came out? Just, wonderful. My mother and I each received SO much food. Both meals came with amazing buttered bread (like, I would have happily eaten an entire plate of bread and only bread), hash browns so fresh that they may as well have given us the original potatoes (yum), and what I can really only describe as a mountain of beans, eggs, and meat (well, on mine anyway - not so much on my mother's vegetarian breakfast order). All of it absolutely delicious, and every single bite made me smile wider and wider. Definitely walk on in if you're near this little shop. Don't be afraid to order one meal and share it if there's only two of you, either - you'll likely both leave well fed, and you can always order a little more food if you want too from that great looking counter of theirs...

    Had the New Yorker. Hit and fresh bread, what you want in a panini. Staff was friendly and…read moreefficient. I'd eat here again if you just want a quick sandwich and not in the mood for pub food. Though I did not have any, their desserts look really good too.

    Photos
    Bloomsbury Cafe - Freshly baked Fugasun is only 168 calories, light and perfect for a quick lunch that won't give you food coma.

    Freshly baked Fugasun is only 168 calories, light and perfect for a quick lunch that won't give you food coma.

    Bloomsbury Cafe - Full breakfast!

    Full breakfast!

    Bloomsbury Cafe - Show a smile, the man behind the counter takes great personal pride in his shop and your experience.

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    Show a smile, the man behind the counter takes great personal pride in his shop and your experience.

    Portrait Restaurant - british - Updated May 2026

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