Lambeth museum cafe crowned Best Restaurant

The Garden Cafe, attached to the Garden Museum in Lambeth, has won Best Restaurant at LCD Awards.

Dubbed ‘the Oscars for museums’, the LCD awards recognise the places offering the best cultural experiences across the globe. Nominations in the Restaurant category included LA’s Otium at Broad, Aura at National Gallery Singapore, and London’s Rochelle Canteen at the ICA.

The 54-cover Garden Cafe was singled out by the judges for its seasonal menu, “carefully curated on a daily basis”, with a focus on fresh ingredients, celebrating seasonal British cuisine.

Florian Wupperfeld, co-founder of the awards, said that the Garden Café was chosen for its “culinary culture, a hidden gem for art and food lovers alike.”

Starter dishes include Crispy lamb, aubergine & mint, and Squid, courgettes & salsa verde, followed by mains of Whole mackerel & kalibos cabbage slaw, and Bavette (flank steak), potato cake & bearnaise. To finish there’s Chocolate pot, fig & honeycomb, and Pear crumble & custard.

In charge of the restaurant is joint head chef Harry Kaufman, who gained experience at St John Bread & Wine and Lyles, and George Ryle, who formerly worked at Padella and Primeur.

On the win, Kaufman and Ryle commented, ‘When the museum Director, Christopher Woodward, approached us to take over the new restaurant space at the museum he was looking for a cafe that fitted with a gardener’s ethos, serving food that is fresh, unpretentious and unique to its location.

‘We’ve tried to create an offering that changes daily, evolving naturally with the seasons and showcasing great produce, which sits naturally alongside the museum.

‘We’re really pleased to receive international recognition from Leading Cultural Destinations and to be recognised alongside some of the world’s leading museums and galleries.’

Christopher Woodward said, “We decided – unlike almost all other Museums – to run the café ourselves, and pick our own team, and I remember meeting Harry and George for the first time and thinking, wow, that’s delicious. It’s a small café and we work hard at getting every dish right. So we’re thrilled.’

The Garden Cafe is open daily for lunch from 12pm, and for supper on Tuesday and Friday evenings.