The RA Grand Café

The walk to reach the cafe is worth the trouble. From Piccadilly main thoroughfare turn into the palatial courtyard of Burlington House, described as an ornate 17th Century mansion right in the modern hustle and bustle of Mayfair. Go through the revolving doors, admire the marble lobby of the Royal Academy of Arts (RA), and then walk to the side, and behind the grand staircase to reach the Grand Café. This is an imperious place to sit for coffee, surrounded by columns, arches and frescoes by the RA’s Gilbert Sullivan. The comfy red horse-shoe shaped chairs allow you to rest your weary feet after a visit to one of the varied high-profile art exhibitions that the academy regularly holds. The parquet flooring adds warmth to the environment and seating areas have been cleverly divided into several sections by a temporary wall of glass exhibition cabinets, which form an artistic display wall between seating areas. Within these glass cases you can find alabaster, marble busts, and other oddities to muse over while taking a snack and a coffee. They have an appetising self-service buffet offering quiches and salads. Try their Americano, a generally smooth taste without any hint of bitterness.