HP's review of Rex Whistler Restaurant at Tate Britain

There's no doubt that Whistler's mural is the real star of the show at Tate Britain's subterranean restaurant. The mural covers 3/4 of the walls and is very impressive; if conversation fails with your fellow diners, then there's certainly plenty to look at. Nevertheless, the food is of a high standard and the set lunch menu, incredibly good value.
The restaurant was packed at lunch today; while the last few days of the Turner exhibition might have been responsible for the number of customers, it's obviously somewhere you need to book. All the dishes we sampled were well executed and you could easily work your way through three courses. The prawn and crayfish cocktail starter did look a little retro, but disappeared soon enough and mains of squash ravioli and duck cassoulet were well seasoned and not at all heavy. The apple and rhubarb crumble would have benefited from a few more minutes in the oven (be warned, this dessert does take some time). However, the sticky toffee pudding rated as “one of the best” although a dash of cream or ice-cream wouldn't have gone amiss. If you're coming to the Tate and fancy something a little more substantial that what's on offer in the cafe, then this is definitely worth a look.