Portrait Restaurant

Three of us went for the afternoon tea package at the Portrait yesterderday at 3.30. As ever, the view was great and we had the most charming waitress. There were almost more tea leaves in each of the teapots than hot water, whoever was on tea making duty in the kitchen yesterday apparently did his/her tea making apprenticeship on building sites. A waiter kindly agreed to bring us hot water which weakend the effect a tiny bit. In terms of sandwiches each person was allotted 4 small triangular sandwiches so, essentially, two slices of bread each. One triangle contained ham – OK, another contained egg mayonnaise – OK, another contained tinned tuna mayonnaise – not really afternoon tea material and the fourth grated cheese and chutney – a new take on afternoon tea which….. really doesn’t work and was unpleasant. A baking powder tasting scone each with a little pot of jam and a serving of cream, underneath the two servings of cream was some yellow sponge cake which we couldn’t quite fathom – had the cream been scraped off the top of sponge cakes??. The cakes were by far the worst element: – a piece of chocolate shortbread dripping in sugar with a cheap and nasty taste- a square of passion fruit cheesecake which tasted as if it had been made from a packet powder mix with an over sugary hard biscuit base, a miniature pavlova which in each case (we had three altogether) was so soggy it collapsed on the journey from the cake stand to the plate and then a little pink macaroon looking really odd beside an enormous slab of carrot cake which tasted like something really vile from Asda, we left one untouched it tasted so awful which must be a record for me. Our chaming waitress was very solicitous, asking us if everything was OK, but where do you begin? – we concluded it was a lost cause – the cakes were so vile that there was just no scope for improvement. Our advice would be not to ever entertain the idea of the afternon tea package here – the restaurant has a lovely view and our waitress was a charmer but, although it’s quite an extreme thing to say, the afternoon tea really was disgusting. £19.95 is admittedly a cheap option for afternoon tea in London but this one was gross.

This is one of my all-time favourites for afternoon tea and somehow it still remains a well kept secret - shhhh. You can't beat the view across Trafalgar Square and if you opt for a pot of tea and scones only rather than going for the big deal tea, it doesn't break the bank either.
I have yet to meet a visitor who was not impressed.

Beautiful views over London and an excellent lunch. The menu was very well priced and interesting. The food itself was perfectly cooked. Spent a very comfortable unhurried couple of hours with a very palatable bottle of wine and a delicious meal. Highly recommended!

Restaurants that are well known for stunning views as well as those placed within museums and other cultural institutions and tourist attractions often have a reputation for being overpriced or for making quality and taste a secondary concern. On the contrary, I found, in addition to a gorgeous view in a fab setting, that my lunch at Portrait was deliciously good value.

With a world class collection of art below thos top floor eatery featuring stunning views of many of London's most noted landmarks and the menu in the capable hands of head chef Katarina Todosijevic, this is a winner of a place to eat. More about the chef here:
http://londonist.com/2010/08/chefspective_katarina_todosi...

A very good restaurant for a date or catching up with an old friend!

I'll admit I only came here for coffee but my god! What a coffee it was! Us antipodean's lament of good coffee in London can be heard far and wide (sorry to those who have to hear us constantly complain!) but the National Portrait Gallery served up a treat, with a stunning view of the cityscape to boot. Get your caffeine fix here!

A great space at the top of the National Portrait Gallery that makes the most of the amazing view across London.

I've only ever been for afternoon tea, but the bar calls out to me every time I go in, and I've heard the cocktails are pretty good.

The afternoon tea is a tad on the pricey side, at around £15, but you get a lot of grub for your buck with a large plate of cakes and a selection of freshly made sandwiches. If you're not greedy (like what I am) you could probably share one helping between you.

The service is variable. They seem to have a bit of a problem managing groups of over...well, two people really. When six of us visited last week everyone ordered a different type of tea and the staff ended up having to smell all the teapots to work out whose was whose. Surely there's a better system that that they can come up with?

Definitely worth a trip if you're looking to impress thanks to the views alone. I'd put it it on the 'meeting the girlfriend's parents for the first time' list.

Came here for a first date and it was a great choice.

Good choice of Wines + cocktails at the bar, really friendly, helpful service and a fantastic view over London’s skyline.

Only slight gripe is that last food orders are at around 8.15, and the restaurant closes around 10.30, so we felt a bit rushed at the end of the evening.

Food was excellent, and 2 courses each with wine came to about £80

Above the consistently enjoyable contents of the gallery below, this venue boasts an outstanding view which is matched by the stylish setting and the charming efficiency of the staff.

I have only ever been for afternoon tea, which at first take appears a tad pricey at between £14-18.50 (depending on whether you have the regular or the Pink Fizz option, which comes with a bubbly glass of prosecco and fresh salmon sandwiches). However, as soon as I clocked my plate packed with fresh and exotic goodies, I was as happy as a bat in a coal mine. And when you remember that an unfriendly serving of putrid coffee and a stale muffin in a high street chain would set you back at least a fiver, the value is clearly pretty good.

There is a choice of fine teas, the macchiato making skills met my extremely high standards and the fruit adorning my selection of cakes was beautifully market fresh and full of flavour. Sadly, a rarity these days to find fruit that actually tastes like, err, fruit.

It’s a damn fine place to take a loved one for a touch of stomach-filling pampering.

Pleasant restaurant, good food, efficient service… and of course a great view. Quiet hideaway for afternoon tea.

Excellent view of London (and quite a bit of rooftop). You get in via the gallery so you can’t help but look at a few paintings. The room has lots of lights and beautifully designed (if slightly reminiscent of the 80s industrial design movement). I’m also sure its been in countless films. The service was excellent; attentive but discrete. I didn’t notice the food: I’ sure you’re not really supposed to come for it anyway.