Level 6 Kitchen & Bar at Tate Modern

Food used to be an afterthought at art galleries. Visitors would be expected to make do with soup and an overpriced sandwich at best. Now, however, things are different. Gallery restaurants are becoming well-known in their own right, and a post-exhibition three-course meal is no longer a fantasy. And no gallery, one could argue, is better placed for a knockout restaurant than Tate Modern. Its combination of height and proximity to the river certainly lay the groundwork for success. All that’s left is to try the menu.

The space itself is pared-back with Scandi touches, although diners are scarcely looking anywhere except through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Following suit, we soak in the spectacular panorama of St Paul’s, the river and its various boats and bridges. Despite the restaurant's fullness, the service is friendly and attentive and we are soon sipping on well-mixed negronis.

A very on-trend ash-baked leek dish gets things started, accompanied by a pleasing entourage of romesco, sour cream and parmesan. Alongside, a far more traditional cured trout number arrives atop a bed of buttermilk, with a nice hit of tang from fermented radish and pickled onion. Both are effective, if a smidge on the straightforward side.

Next, a courgette main keeps to the summertime theme of fresh flavours, with a hit of chilli, crunch of pomegranate and nuttiness of tahini coalescing into a moreish trio. Brixham hake, meanwhile, comes perfectly cooked and paired with a silky, forest-green parsley sauce. The creamy leek fondue is a lovely addition, although the slightly bare mussels nearby feel a touch neglected. No matter, because we are soon diving into a dangerously decadent chocolate tart, contrasted by brittle salted caramel popcorn and sour creme fraiche.

As art gallery meals go, this is certainly better than most. Not only this, but £37 for three tasty courses and a killer view feels like great value.

The magnificent Tate Modern on London's South Bank boasts a few different dining options - head up to the sixth floor to find the Kitchen & Bar, perched high up in the museum's iconic central tower. Naturally, being this high up at the Tate Modern affords you a pretty spectacular view. Through the large glass windows you can see across the river Thames, over to St Pauls's Cathedral, with City of London landmarks bringing up the rear. If you're looking for a place to stop in between exhibitions that gives you a nice vista, the Kitchen & Bar is certainly worth a look. The space itself is decorated simply, with plants dotted around and wood flooring providing a natural feel.

Meanwhile, the Kitchen & Bar serves a bistro-style set menu that focuses on seasonal produce and smart, classic cooking. On the summer set menu, you'll find starters such as burrata with heritage tomato, salsa verde and basil cress, an ash-baked leek with romesco, very sour cream, parmesan and pine nuts or citrus-cured Chalk Stream trout with fermented meat radish, buttermilk and pickled onions. Mains, meanwhile, include Brixham hake with spring leek fondue, samphire, mussels and parsley sauce or roasted courgette with tahini, guindilla chilli, dukkah and pomegranate. Finally, finish with a decadent chocolate tart and salted caramel popcorn or Nice Cream strawberry sundae with coconut chia and honeycomb. For a more savoury end to the meal, try the baked Barod Bigod with golden raisins and apricot. 

The Tate Modern Kitchen & Bar also feature food and drink that ties into themes from exhibitions in the museum. Currently, that means drinks that are inspired by Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror Rooms installation, but guests can also choose from a selection of beers, wines and soft drinks. The set menu is available as two or three courses, and there is also often a special dish based on a current exhibition.