Came here for afternoon tea and wasn't impressed at all. The scenery is great with awesome lighting however the afternoon tea was overpriced and not very special. read more

The Wallace Collection - Afternoon tea - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

I really do wish this review was better but I was so overwhelmed by this place and had so little time to spend that it's hard for me to truly describe the splendor. Every single room was filled with all sorts pieces, I could spend days here looking through everything. Hundreds of paintings, armor and weaponry, jewelry, various trinkets, beautiful china, furniture, everything you could imagine. It's crazy to thing that this was a personal collection. If you're taking a trip to London it should be high up on your list of things to see. Also the employees were pleasant and I wasn't solicited for a donation. read more

This museum houses a hodgepodge of art ranging from works by Old Masters like Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, and Gainsborough to sculpture, furniture, porcelain, and Asian and European arms and armour. A covered courtyard houses Oliver Peyton's brasserie The Wallace, where the money you saved thanks to the museum's free admission can be spent on foie gras, caviar, and the like. read more

The Wallace Collection is a true gem in the very heart of London's West End, which, the day we visited, could have been aptly renamed the wet end. This private art collection is freely accessible at no charge for everybody and should be a must see for both art passionates and people in general. It doesn't seem overcrowded like the British Museum, does not suffer from the stuffy atmosphere that plagues so many other museums and the visitor has a true feeling of being really appreciated. The collection, which mainly has been acquired in France is amazing and ranges from medieval to late 18th century. They have an extensive display of medieval armors, rare paintings, clocks and various precious furnitures. I was truly impressed by the Venetian landscapes and the way artifacts are presented with wall tapestry of different color for each room. Food is served in a beautiful large veranda inside the building. We did not eat there, but the dishes looked delicious. Go there if you can, the Wallace Collection will not disappoint you! read more

The Wallace Collection, magnificent in all its grandeur is an amazing site to see. From the beautiful fabric walls of vibrant colors such as jade green, royal blue, magenta pink to the Armory room where aisle upon aisle you can check out Medieval weaponry and swords- you will be in awe. It's free to get in like most of the museums here in London; so you can't miss out. Expect to be there for more than just a few hours because there is so much to look at. If you get hungry, stop by the cafe situated in the middle of a courtyard with glass ceilings. read more

The Wallace Collection is one of the best museums in London containing a varied and interesting collection of exhibits. It's particularly good if you're interested in Arms and Armour, that date back to the 15century, furthermore a really remarkable collection of Paintings, Busts, Furniture, Clocks, all set in a very luxurious house. Without spending a single pound, you can enjoy this remarkable exhibition and enjoy a lunch in there open restaurant, that has an enclosed glass roof, while enjoying a glass of wine. nothing short of amazing read more

The Wallace collection is a museum of art collected in the 18th and 19th centuries and bequeathed to the british nation in 1897 by Sir Richard Wallace and his wife. Located at Hertford House, the main London townhouse of its former owners, the Wallace collection includes paintings by Titian, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and many more. This stunning collection also includes sculpture, furniture, porcelain, gold boxes, and armor. This unique place has many treasures and one can easily imagine how this place must have been when Sir Wallace held court here in the 1800's. read more

Very nice place. I ate there for lunch today when I was tired and had "museum feet" (meaning worn out!) and was damp from days of rain. It's a light, pleasant place, lovely service (good wine recommendations), a nice French menu, and reasonable prices as museum cafes go. I had a light lunch and thought it was excellent; I was by myself but they are just fine with solo diners. Highly recommended. read more

Perhaps the most intimate cool museum, and free... if you see one museum in London see this one! Two...then the V&A as well. Good place to escape for coffee too! read more

What an amazing place. It has wonderful collection of antiques, portraits, furnitures, armors and many other things displaced in the building. It feels like you're experiencing the life of a noble family back in around the 18th centry. It's sad that tourists don't really know or come here. Admission is free! read more

To be honest we aren't huge fans of art but we loved the Wallace Collection for the building, the interior, the furniture, the collection of armory and the art. And it's nestled in the middle of the Marylebone neighborhood of London. Closest Underground for us was Baker Street but the Bond Street station might be better if you are taking the Central or Jubilee lines. While it is free admission it is best to offer a £4 donation. read more

This is such a nice museum and to think that I did not know it existed up until a year or so ago is unbelievable. I know many friends who do not know much about it and who has never been there. The collection was donated as a whole, which means that nothing else leaves or enters the building. The arms and armour collection is outstanding and so is the Boulle/marquetry furniture. Don't miss out on the display cabinet with the many fantastic pillboxes on the first floor! If needing a break the court yard of this old building has been turned into a rather fancy restaurant, which is slightly pricey. There is a great learning center and a library, which has been opened to the public (an appointment is needed though). Go downstairs in the court yard where there is a small room with exhibits on how some of the conservation and museum work is carried out and where when we went it also had some reconstructed armour we could try on. Lots of fun for kids and adults too. It is a unique museum well worth a visit! read more

I really enjoyed the Wallace Collection. The building (the former home of the Duke of Manchester and the Marquess of Hertford) is a treat in itself. The collection is stunning: there is so much to see that it is overwhelming. I've only visited once so far, but I plan to go back. I think this museum is best done in small bites. It's easy to do that, because the Wallace Collection is open 7 days a week, and it's free! There is a beautiful restaurant in the (now enclosed) courtyard of the building, too. Combining the great art collection and the beautiful surroundings makes for a very pleasant spot. read more

One of the best collections around. Definitely a hidden jewel. Refreshing that something this fantastic is still free. The armor and swords are really neat. Each room is done in a different color and creates a different feel as you move around the house. An educational and relaxing afternoon! Great restaurants in the neighborhood to grab a bite after as well. read more

Most tourists find their way to the Tate or British Museum. Many throw down a lot of money for an afternoon tea. I bring out of town friends to the Wallace Collection. It is fun to show them a former hunting lodge on what was once the outskirts of London (how time has changed). While this isn't the place for modern art fans, the collection of weapons, sculpture, furniture, and paintings is pretty extensive. Unlike a lot of the bigger museums, the collection isn't overwhelming and can be viewed within an hour or two. Coming back to tea, the afternoon tea is a great, affordable alternative to the higher end options in central London. The glass ceiling means that you have great light. The food is perfect for people seeking an authentic scone and tea experience. read more

Excellent collection but lost stars due to the dismal staff and Gallery attendants. They were mostly talking out loud with other attendants between gallery rooms; many on the second floor this morning between the hours of 10 to 11am on Nov, 16, 2017. They were complaining about their job, HR, or bantering about things that should not be discussed when museum guests are in the gallery nor within ear shot. Two male Gallery attendant in the east wing and two female Gallery attendants in the west wing on the second floor. Most upsetting is that they all ignored how their loud, unacceptable banter was disrupting guests. The guy at the gift shop was too busy texting and on FB to help customers with authenticity. And forget a warm welcome when you walk in the place. The only person that greeted me was a cleaning lady! Such a nice establishment tarnished with sh*tty staff minus the one cleaning woman. Shame on the museum, shame on museum management. read more

I love The Wallace Collection. In a city full of magnificent museums, this is a very pleasant place indeed. There is a nice mixture of arts shown, from fine art to Samurai armour. It is small and perfectly formed...exquisite and full of surprises. And the restaurant is wonderful...very helpful chefs will accommodate special diets with a great deal of flair which is very pleasant. read more

I wouldn't be surprised if someone said the Wallace Collection housed the most beautiful interiors in London. Seriously, it's just a big house full of lavishly decorated rooms with lavish art and gorgeous armor. Also, full of old rich people, so if you want to overhear a conversation that could have come out of Downton Abbey (I'm assuming, as I haven't watched it), this is the place. read more

A museum with no tills, no queues... Actually it's a collector's home arranged as professionally as a museum, which makes it perfect. You have to like 17-18th century French art and furniture, as that makes the bulk of the collections. Boulle, Sevres, but also Flemish landscapes, Guardi and Canaletto. This is also where The Swing by Fragonard is. The inner courtyard has been covered with a glass roof and there is a cafe/restaurant. A little pricey and quickly crowded at mealtimes, but really nice. read more

Beautiful house and so much detail in each room to absorb. Great location but couldnt quite figure out why Damien Hirst had his work on display here. However i liked the contrast as after a while the older style of paintworks were becoming tiresome to take in. Eavesdropping on a curators conversation with a group of interested art lookers i found that their passion made me love the wallace collection more then i did when i entered the building. read more

I was very nicely surprised by this place. It's a beautiful house full of history and details in which you can easily spend hours. There is a hidden room down the stairs in the courtyard (near the bathroom) which is dedicated to the kids where you can try a armour!!! Great fun! I also loved the lovely cafe in the courtyard! read more

A nice and not very known collection in the middle of town, best to get off at Bond St. station as it is two minutes walk from there. In the Wallace collection you can find amazing art including but not only: paintings, porcelain and antique furniture that will leave you with your mouth open. It is free entry but the collection is not at it's best financial state at the moment so please go in to the gift shop and buy yourself a souvenir to help keep the collection open and free. read more

A wonderful gem that just not enough people know about! Has a fantastic collection of works, shown in a house-like setting which only increases the beauty of it, as it is a family collection. Has infamous paintings such as Fragonard's 'The Swing' and Frans Hals 'The Laughing Cavalier' which I'm sure most British people don't realise we have in the UK! Great afternoon out and it's free. Has a fantastic restaurant in the atrium and a friend recently got married here and it was a spectacular setting. Just off Oxford Street and an oasis of calm, with friendly staff. Highly recommended! read more

We had a works event at the Wallace Collection which is the only reason I know about this place, otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue - like most Londoners. The paintings are gorgeous and the setting makes it feel really intimate and manageable. The picture that stands out is The Laughing Cavalier - absolutely fabulous up close. read more

An excellent small museum with a fantastic collection, and amazingly it is free. Join one of the tours and hear personal and historical information from some of the interesting guides. Each tour is different, as the guides bring their own knowledge, personal interests and impressions to the collection. read more

Great collection of Art - a hidden little gem in Marylebone. Highly recommended, it's free too! And a nice cafe area if you want a lunch spot that's a bit quirky. read more

Hidden gem in London. Often passed up for other great collections, make some time to see this.

This is a wonderful place to have afternoon tea and later browse the collection. The sandwiches are superb, as are the desserts.

Such a beautiful collection and the building itself is also very beautiful, full of history. A great place to have tea and cake after a wander around oxford street and bond street. read more

i don't particularly love the type of art at the wallace collection, but it's nice to go through the various rooms which all had different themes and color schemes. the armory is amazing. from the outside, it's hard to tell how vast this place is, but once you get inside, you get lost in the maze of rooms. definitely worth checking out. read more

So this place is utterly BRILLIANT! Since I am an architect with strong classical urges, I love this massive towne house turned museum. The interiors are just wonderful and I spent a good afternoon just roaming the vast rooms and halls looking at furniture and paintings. There is a great collection of miniature portraits on the first floor, spent 20 mins picking out the hottest birds and blokes. Whilst I was there, Damien Hirst had an exhibit, No Love Lost, his blue paintings. They were brilliant, and very refreshing from his pickled animals, though I am quite fond of the preserved cow. read more

There realty aren't enough stars for this place. And it's FREE. Get the audio tour for £3. And the restaurant rocks too!

Difficult for me to understand how anyone interested in fine arts can give anything less than 5 stars . Beautiful collection . Free admission and free tour . The restaurant is also very pretty albeit the afternoon tea was definitely just average , but you really pay for the ambience and not the quality of the high tea . I personally find afternoon teas to be a huge ripoff , but the wife likes them so I suck it up . read more

Excellent museum and free. We went there because I had a two-for-one coupon for tea. Great atrium for tea and food, a little warm in the summer, but lovely. Didn't even intend to tour the museum, but ultimately was tempted and ended up wandering around the first floor. It is quite good! I thought the collection of armor was better than at the Tower of London. No crowd at all. Really a hidden gem. read more

We sort of stumbled upon The Wallace Collection one of our last days in London and I'm glad we did. The collection is incredible, especially all the swords and armor - I've never seen anything like it. The staff was lovely and was available to answer all sorts of questions. Take a break and enjoy tea in the courtyard. read more

The Wallace Collection is a lesser known gem a couple of streets back from the bustling Western end of Oxford Street. Displayed here are the works of art owned by the family that lived in the house in which the works are displayed. The collection, while having its specialisms, is diverse enough to fascinate and absorb anyone with more than a passing interest in art. The house itself is full of character and it is surprisingly easy to become disorientated once inside. One of the leaflets available in the foyer asserts that 'it is possible to explore the 25 galleries in just an hour', which I think is a quite ludicrous statement given how much is packed into each room. I was there for about two and a half hours and found that this was not enough to take everything in. Famous paintings on display include Hals' The Laughing Cavalier and Fragonard's The Swing, but my personal favourites were A Hermit by Gerrit Dou and The Temptation of Saint Hilarion by Dominique Louis Papety. Entry is free and a visit is highly recommended. read more

Fantastic, quirky collection. Outrageously over-priced cafe but good service. Shame about the BO of one of the curators, but I suppose that's one way to get people to leave at closing time. read more

Wonderful place never too busy and yet it has some brilliant pieces in a lovely, compact venue. Far more civilised than the National Gallery! If you haven't been then you must. read more

After an informative and pleasant tour of the elegant collection, (today), a friend and I headed for the Wallace Collection cafe for a quick lunchtime snack. We didn't have much time. She ordered espresso and a cheese cake and I the carrot soup and a pot of sencha. The order arrived promptly and this is where the trouble started. My guest wanted to know if there was dark sugar for the coffee. We waited, trying to catch a waiter's glance. The soup was nice, but needed seasoning. There was none. Actually there was plenty salt, pepper and sugar on all other tables, but not ours. We had somehow became invisible. I went to the bar and asked for salt. A waitress brought what looked like salt and pepper and even if she was in a hurry I managed to ask her for more hot water for my tea. She had brought 2 peper dispensers and no salt and the hot water never arrived. The waiting started again. I had to get up and go to the bar again and demand salt, hot water and basic attention. Then we wanted to pay. The waiters were totally convinced that we were invisible. We should've used this to our advantage and left without paying. Instead I had to go again, to the bar, and ask to pay at the till. As in a supermarket. I complained to the manager and asked him to remove the service charge. He apologised but did not remove the service charge. As if this wasn't enough, I noticed on the adjasent table, a bowl of carrot soup, exactly like mine, but served with a selection of breads, at least 4 generous slices of white and brown. And mine was served with just 2 and much thinner brown slices. And all this nerve racking experience at the cost of £17. Did I go to the Wallace Collection Cafe to feel ignored, disregarded and robbed of my money? Do you think I can get my money back or do I make a good use of my invisibility and return to the Wallace Collection Cafe to empty their till, feeling confident that the waiters wouldn't notice me? read more

Very intimate feel. I love this place