Art and food have an illustrious history. Stone Age cave artists used animal fats and vegetable juice to bind their paints while the ancient Egyptians carved images of bread and crops on hieroglyphic tablets. The portraits of the Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, meanwhile, depict facial features composed of fruit and vegetables which in their surreal strangeness still look strikingly modern today.
It was in the Dutch Golden Age, however, that the relationship between food and art reached its apotheosis in the still lifes of the 17th century. The Dutch masters’ rendering of dust-covered grapes, shiny-skinned apples, glistening fish and waxy cheeses still look good enough to eat 400 years later.
More recent artists have rendered food in a more impressionistic form – from the apple tarts of Monet to the fruit bowls of Cézanne – while in the 20th century, Andy Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s soup can proved that pop will eat itself.
Of course, many chefs see themselves as artists, and the debate as to whether food is art will rage for as long as there are diners willing to hand over money to pay someone else to cook their dinner (or artists to pay for their dinner with their paintings, as Van Gogh did).
And while there are many London restaurants with some knockout art collections on their walls – The Ivy’s selection of modern British art includes Tracey Emin and Bridget Riley while an entire Damien Hirst cow in formaldehyde hangs in Mark Hix’s Tramshed – London’s actual art galleries have seriously upped their games in recent years with food offerings that are as much of an attraction as the exhibitions inside.
Whether your taste runs to old masters or cutting-edge contemporary, London’s most prestigious galleries now make sure that there is art on the plate as well as hanging on the walls. Here’s our pick of the best restaurants in London’s art galleries.
Crane's Kitchen, Peckham
Paint the picture: Very much an addition to Peckham’s ever-improving eating-out scene as much as an extension of the ethos of the South London Gallery, Crane’ s Kitchen is a light-filled, minimally decorated space that is a peaceful spot for breakfast or lunch, with a calming view of a walled garden. Come at the weekend and there’s a two-hour bottomless brunch for £20.
Art on a plate: Toasted banana bread with cinnamon butter.
Don’t miss: The permanent contemporary collection includes work by Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Gillian Wearing and Antony Gormley.
Where: 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH
Dulwich Picture Gallery Café, Dulwich
Paint the picture: On bright days, this airy space housed in a modern glass annexe to the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery is flooded with light, making Dulwich Picture Gallery Café a lovely spot for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea; the latter is particularly popular thanks to trad Brit cakes (lemon drizzle, scones with cream and jam) which can be enjoyed along with kids’ picnic boxes on the lawn in summer.
Art on a plate: Buttermilk pancakes with caramelised banana, whipped cream and maple syrup.
Don’t miss: Thomas Gainsborough’s Elizabeth and Mary Linley – pretty as a picture.
Where: Gallery Road, SE21 7AD
Emilia, St James’s
Paint the picture: Ok, so it’s an auction house rather than an art gallery, but if you’re in the mood for buying art as well as looking at it, you won’t find anywhere better to eat than Bonhams’ light-filled restaurant Emilia, part of the same stable as Portland, Clipstone and The Quality Chop House. Wines selected by Richard Harvey, head of Bonhams’ wine department, include one-offs from the auction house’s sales.
Art on a plate: Smoked eel with black garlic and Meyer lemon.
Don’t miss: An auction of fine and rare wines on 30 April.
Where: 7 Haunch of Venison Yard, W1K 5ES
Keepers House at the Royal Academy of Arts, Mayfair
Paint the picture: Nestled in the Royal Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard, the 19th-century Keeper’s House is now overseen by Oliver Peyton and co. Dramatic classical casts adorn the windowless dining room’s olive-green walls, but the menu is more modish postmodern than old masters, with artisan ingredients and seasonal pickings to the fore.
Art on a plate: A salad of kale with roasted beetroot, Puy lentils, red peppers and balsamic dressing.
Don’t miss: Summer’s Cézanne exhibition will exhibit the Post-Impressionist artist’s instantly recognisable rock and quarry paintings.
Where: Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
The Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square
Paint the picture: This all-dayer at the top of the National Portrait Gallery wears its spectacular skyline view lightly, and it’s worth coming up to The Portrait just for the visual distractions of Nelson’s Column and Big Ben. Plentiful, courteous staff also make it an ideal choice for afternoon tea with elderly friends or parents.
Art of a plate: Fillet of sea bass with savoy cabbage, black trumpet mushrooms and chive butter sauce.
Don’t miss: Hard to say whether Holbein’s Henry VIII or the Darnley Portrait of Elizabeth I is the more iconic.
Where: St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE
Rex Whistler Restaurant at Tate Britain, Pimlico
Paint the picture: A restaurant as full of culture and character as any exhibit in the glorious Tate Britain, this aptly named eatery comes wrapped in a full-size Rex Whistler mural depicting a stylised hunt for mythical rare meats. British cooking from a serious-minded kitchen is matched to a brilliantly curated wine list.
Art on a plate: Grilled loin of wild hare with Jerusalem artichokes, spinach, pear and cacao sauce.
Don’t miss: John Everett Millais’ Ophelia: the painting that launched a thousand fridge magnets.
Where: Millbank, SW1P 4RG
Rochelle Canteen at The ICA, St James’s
Paint the picture: You'll find this second edition of Margot Henderson and Melanie Arnold’s well-regarded Shoreditch restaurant Rochelle Canteen at The Institute of Contemporary Art. It’s a relaxed and light-filled space, with only a handful of covers and a semi-open kitchen, and a seasonally changing menu of rustic British cooking.
Art on a plate: Thornback ray with monk’s beard and roast tomato.
Don’t miss: The form of the flower is unknown to the seed, the first permanently sited work in London of Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija.
Where: The Mall, SW1Y 5AH
Tate Modern Restaurant, Bankside
Paint the picture: Tate Modern’s flagship restaurant is housed in level nine of the twisted, off-kilter pyramid that is the Switch House. Boasting fabulous views, the stripped-back room is dressed in raw oak and bare concrete, leading to a canteen-style feel. A concise menu of carefully sourced Brit dishes is matched to a 100-strong wine list packed with both classic and unusual bottles.
Art on a plate: Smoked duck breast with Jerusalem artichoke purée, pears and hazelnuts.
Don’t miss: Lose yourself afterwards in Mark Rothko’s Seagram Murals as your meal digests.
Where: Switch House, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
The Wallace at The Wallace Collection, Marylebone
Paint the picture: You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but as well as housing many covetable treasures, The Wallace Collection also boasts a unique and rather beautiful restaurant, housed in a pink-toned, glass-covered internal courtyard, edged with columns and filled with trees. The daytime menus run from breakfast to lunch and afternoon tea.
Art on the plate: Pan-fried lemon sole with sauce Grenobloise.
Don’t miss: The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals: neither laughing nor a cavalier.
Where: Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN
Thinking about buying some art as well as looking at it? Don't make any decisions until you've considered your potential purchase over lunch in one of the Best Restaurants in St James'.