Tate Modern Members Room

Stellar Views and Wine Elevate Your Experience

My recent excursion to the Tate's member-exclusive restaurant perfectly coincided with a rare sunny London afternoon—a milieu vast in seascapes and nouvelle cuisine aspirations, ever-encumbered by the whirr of chattering toddlers. Nestled behind the elegant façade of London's most flourishing art museum, this space promised solace and elegance. Yet, as the clamorous array of children rendered conversation futile, there was little room to appreciate the majestic, sweeping views of the Thames and St. Paul's—a panorama deserving of contemplation undistorted by visiting "wildlings." In truth, I relished the juxtaposition of an art-immersed ethos mingling with chatter, yet longed for tranquility at this echelon.

The wine list enticed, boasting an extensive selection worthy of any sommelier’s praise, but the enticing Bacchus' bounty served to placate rather than uplift. The once-celebrated roof terrace felt rather like a glorified daycare, and alas, the food echoed its surroundings—passable at best. However, deeper within the vibrant soul of Tate lies a cornerstone yearning revival, cloaked in echoes of its once unrivaled repute. To the patrons, service level fluctuations transcend coffee temperature thresholds or custard tart setbacks; indeed, they tinker on the precipice of nostalgia-rich void versus modern necessity. May what now seems like an 'under-controlled crèche' soon metamorphose into the laudable, cherished enclave of artistic reverence it once proclaimed. — Clarissa Cuisinier