The Garden Museum Cafe

Glaring sunshine, a crisp breeze, and a bowl of piping hot mince and potato by the Thames is more than enough to get us whistling ‘Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner’. But sometimes it really is all about the simple things—and The Garden Museum Cafe knows this. The peaceful canteen inside the Garden Museum and connected to St Mary-at-Lambeth church is, quite simply, a wonderfully tasteful (and tasty) place that reminds everyone why London is the greatest city in the world.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

This is a restaurant best described as a much-needed exhale. Light floods into the paired-back room from its leafy green courtyard (dated around 1062) and the vibe is like The Secret Garden meets MasterChef. During the spring and summer months, tables and chairs are brought outside so you can enjoy lunch or dinner in leafy, idyllic surroundings. All year-round friends, academics, and thinkers of every generation clink glasses in the day and order another bottle at night—dinner is on Tuesdays and Fridays only—before tucking into modern British things. Picture gutsy slices of homemade brawn or umami-rich venison mince and mash, as well lighter touch European-inspired bits like asparagus and wild garlic fritti with tarragon mayonnaise. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Although the menu at The Garden Museum Cafe changes weekly, there’s guaranteed to be something that catches your eye. And when the sun is out, there are very few places better to eat in London.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

The Menu

The menu changes weekly at The Garden Museum Cafe but here's a gist of what to go for. The freshly baked rosemary focaccia is suitably oily and springy, and should certainly be on your table. There’s often a soup on the menu too. Be it wild garlic, or smoked eel, beetroot, and horseradish—it’s a comforting, flavour-packed bowl.
Main meat dishes, like mince paired with silky smooth, butter-laden mash, or a crackling-topped chop with vibrant salsa verde are always a hearty option. Alternatives depend on the day but if there’s a gratin on, get it. Beige, gooey, and just a little decadent. Anyone who says you can’t eat a baked cheese dish all year-round is lying. The same goes for dessert: cheese is always an option but we lean towards the saucier custard or cream-laden option.