A very charming musuem in a very charming square a stone’s throw from the very uncharming Oxford Street and its masses.

What I especially like about the Wallace Collection is actually the cafe/restaurant towards the back. It’s a lovely atrium (I have a thing for atriums) and is a superlatively charming place to enjoy a tea on a beautiful afternoon.

My favourite London museum

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!

Situated close to the shopping area of Oxford Street, The Wallace Collection is easy to overlook, especially alongside the better known destinations in London such as the National Gallery and the British Museum.

But that would be a pity, because the Wallace Collection is both more manageable (and less crowded) than the larger museums, and of very high quality in its own right.

The main attraction is the collection of paintings, including works by Titian, Rembrandt, Hals (including The Laughing Cavalier) and Velázquez. But the collection of French furniture and porcelain is regarded by some as the best outside France, and it has an exceptional collection of arms and armour, from both Europe and Asia, spanning the period from the 10th to the 19th century.

An excellent place to spend a quiet afternoon.