Best Art cafes in United Kingdom

Love this place, friendly and relaxed with great food and drink and good music.

Just waited over an hour to cook a few portions of chips. The people in the kitchen just don’t have a clue, getting orders wrong, cooking extra for no customers and arguing between themselves.

Just to top it off, we watched one of the chefs pushing rubbish into the bin then moving straight to handing customers food without washing their hands. Disgusting!!

Me and my sisters went yesterday, it’s such a nice environment we spent hours there and all loved it it’s a very affordable activity and I highly recommend it .

Foods always great with no complaints on taste, quality or presentation.

The atmosphere is unbeatable, it’s so calm and inviting in the day perfect for ‘working from home’ or revision sessions, and chirpy and joyful in the evenings whilst being less rowdy than other nearby pubs
Service is always with a smile and staff are more than happy to help whenever I’ve needed it!

I took a group of friends for a morning of crafting and we had a fantastic time. The hosts were lovely, very friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend this place for a relaxing few hours.

Came here for my Hen do as a surprise activity!
Never knew this sort of thing existed! The team are brilliant and very helpful!
It's an addictive and therapeutic craft! Highly recommend it!
Thank you all for your help and patience! Can't wait to recieve mine in the post once it's done! 🐧🥕🐮🤣

I went to a party there.A fantastic venue with great hosts and good value drinks and excellent food.

We really enjoyed our afternoon at the cafe. This place is amazing and I'm glad I pre-booked as there were 9 of us in total. The owners are really friendly and our visit was stress free. This place is perfect to spend a few hours drinking coffee and painting pots. A hidden little gem just off the main street. Next time you are in Scarborough I recommend you visit. Thank you to the owners for a fantastic afternoon on behalf of me and my family. The pictures I have posted are my family's creations

Really enjoyable experience, the owners were really knowledgeable and helpful, I went with my teenage daughter, sister, and her partner's teenage daughter. Lots of equipment and resources available to do the fused glass workshop, not rushed and we could spend as long as we wanted on our designs. All four of us cannot wait to go again next year. Thank you so much, would 100% recommend this business.

Absolutely lovely.
Food portions are very decent and are great quality- value for money 10/10.
There are plenty of alcohol free options available. For the Gin of the week with elderflower tonic and 330ml bottle of low alcohol beer came to £11.30. Two burgers with fries and salad £22 (£11 each).
Highly recommended! Booths along with comfortable chairs too. Charity run, with live entertainment too.
While Wetherspoons was packed, this place was still mellow. Lovely bar staff, friendly,

We arrived around 6pm on a Saturday and upstairs was still very quiet- which we were happy about. As it got busier it still wasn’t too loud upstairs (compared to Wetherspoons over the road)
When our food came we were overwhelmingly impressed. Such good quality for the price of it (£11 burger WITH fries and a salad) at today’s prices of things we do not have a single complaint. By the looks of things they have plenty of entertainment throughout the week too- will definitely be back when somethings on and to show friends this awesome place😁

My friend and I stopped in and had a beer and a cider together. We enjoyed a short conversation tasted a few and made our choice. We did not try any food items. It was a quiet Thursday evening, we sat upstairs and enjoyed the setting.

Friendly staff, great exhibitions, reasonably priced gifts and a lovely little tearoom

Malt Cross is one of the few remaining Victorian music halls remaining in the UK.  It is run as a non profit pub by the Potters House Trust and it is where Nottingham's Street pastors are based.

Atmosphere is fantastic.  Have lots of Belgian beers available.  Music was great - the DJ was superb.  Loved this place.

Been here couple of times so it’s time to leave my reviews. Very nice and cosy place to have drinks or enjoy food. I love to sit top floor and enjoy view of hall where people having bit fun. Cool staff and good service. This time they had security at door which was good. They’re serving mix drinks in keg and cask. Good to be here.

Sadly this hotel is looking very tired. It used to have a real buzz when The Art Bar initially opened. The best thing about this hotel now is the ski bar that is set up outside over Christmas. The breakfast room could do with a refresh. The 2 members of staff I came across were friendly but it's obvious they are short staffed, but apparently this is in hand and other staff members and managers are helping the situation.
Some of the rooms have been redecorated so I would ask for one of these if staying. Great location, but parking is an issue (like most of Bath). Everything is in close proximity to this hotel as Bath is very walkable and you can get a bus ride if you wish to climb some of the hills to visit the famous Crescents and culture spots. There's lots on the doorstep to visit and explore, The Bath Abbey is literally next to it, as is Parade Gardens and the famous Horse shoe Weir of Pulteny bridge. Great proximity to the train and central bus station. A taxi rank is a 1 minute walk away outside the Abbey. If location is key for your trip, then this hotel is a good place for a base.

We had a good stay here. Would stay here again. Tough to grade this one. Certain things were great and some just a notch below expectations.

Pros:

Cute hotel. Interesting design.

Location. Cannot be beat. 2 min walk to Roman Baths. Cafe right on corner. Quaint pubs very close by. Convenience store just off of the square.

Night staff (Jan 9 7pm and Jan 11 12am crew specifically). Check in was very smooth and staff were super welcoming with a welcome bag for gold status. Extremely friendly staff. Would highly recommend them. Night staff after midnight quickly helped me get towels and was very nice.

Room (cinematography room) was large and had everything we needed.

Breakfast food was good. We had full English and avocado toast. Fried eggs were very good.

Cons:

Coffee in carafes at breakfast was not very good. (Coffee provided next day in metal presses was much better—thank you)

Room wasn’t serviced when we had our sign up to clean it. Shower floor could be a bit cleaner. That said, room was tidy when we arrived.

Overall:

Stay here, but book a higher end room. It’s an older building and if you want space, the extra price is very much worth it. Staff are doing a good job.

Seems to simultaneously get it right and wrong.

FOOD
Food has always been good but the cakes are pricey. (£9 for a slice of chocolate cake)

SERVICE
Service is generally fine at the counter but can be abrupt and verging on unwelcoming around the tables. Not sure why this is.

LAPTOPS
There was a time when you could use laptops, then not after 5pm, then not at all. Now it seems that you can. It's a bit schizophrenic and makes you not sure what reception you are going to get when visiting. Now we just don't bother, which is a shame as we would lunch here more if we could.

EVENINGS
In the evenings there is a DJ which is great, but it often feels like it is mainly for Tate employees who sit at the end of the bar, or the seating area between the bar and door. I totally understand this, it's a nice bar and they must get a discount but it would be nice to feel a part of it. We only want to support it, but you can feel like a bit of an inconvenience as you often have to interrupt their group conversations to get served.

LOCAL POLICY
When it first opened I was given a locals discount card because I live in the same postcode. This was very generous but it soon stopped being honoured. It would have been nice to be told why this was no longer accepted. When it was given to me they said it was to make locals feel welcome, but the reception I have received when I have offered it has made me feel otherwise (I suspect this might be due to others abusing it). With this being revoked, and the firm line on laptops, it feels like tourists are being prioritied over locals. Admittedly, this makes financial sense but as a teaching assistant the discount was very welcome, but more importantly, the gesture made me feel more included and supported as a keyworker visiting Corner.

Also I have found the bar doesn't accept my Tate members card for a discount after 5pm/6pm?

AMBIANCE
The ambiance is brilliant, they clearly have spent a huge deal of time, energy and money creating a beautiful space, lighting and sound design.

Overall I'm really grateful to Tate for the investment in the new area (especially now the Blavatnik members room seems to be permanently closed) but would be grateful if the visiting experience would be more coherent.

Unfortunately, after sending an email expressing a couple of concerns before Christmas I never heard back about my concerns/feedback. We went to see the pantomime itself which was fantastic. On a whole we went THREE times.

The greeting we had from staff when arriving was very cold and not partaking of a Family Pantomime show experience. The toilets were a sight to behold, filthy. Particularly the ladies according to my colleague.

In the theatre itself, there also seems to be very little to no control of children running around, particularly in the intermission and during the segment where children are invited on stage. On one occasion, it actually looked rather unsafe as admittedly, parents were encouraging their children to run up on stage with the actors whether they'd been invited too or not.. We had a child in our group that was asked to go up by the actor, yet sadly this child was nearly run over by other children being thrown up by their parents/family members despite not being asked. But there was no staff in the theatre to police this in the theatre at the time? There were no staff hands in the theatre throughout the show. Ruined the experience.

I have never left a review before. But after having emails ignored I feel this is the only option now available.

There is simply NO WAY on planet earth this hotel should have 4 stars.
Having spent one night night there I have the experience of a lifetime.
The ONLY positive here is the staff.....who were very nice and polite.
The hotel is extremely tired and old. Carpets smell, dusty, paint and decore very poor.
Room was extremely small and in poor state, you couldn't see out of the window and couldn't open it more than an inch. Ventilation was not existent......even in the bathroom!!! Seriously......a tiny bathroom, shower only with no extraction fan and a window that didn't open....a broken toilet roll holder.......it goes on and on.
Next experience, a drink at the bar.....as no room upgrade was available then a complimentary drink was offered...no complaints there, however....enter the bar area and there is a couple eating carry-in fish and chips whilst their dog runs around with a foot long chew in its mouth. No barman there....eventually we're served a drink by a girl who is barely 16. I mean......what the absolute......??????
THIS IS NOT 4 STAR.
Next morning, exit room having slept terribly due to no air and some outside machines/fans running all night, the dog in the next room starts barking....I go for breakfast.
One very nice (not so tall) lady in the breakfast is running around like crazy whilst one other (taller) lady just makes a few coffees. We wait 5 minutes to be seated and to be fair the cooked breakfast was tasty but poorly presented. The buffet for toast and pastries was the worst I've ever seen in a commercial hotel, seen better in travel lodge, no jokes.
Overall this has to be the most shabby unprofessional run hotel I've seen in the Marriott group......and I've seen a lot.
The only thing worth saving is the beautiful Bath stone facade, the rest should be demolished.
This hotel, in the UK's most popular tourist destination, is a national embarrassment.
2 star MAX
Marriott group......hold your heads in shame.

I have been to a few events at this venue including the wrestling and the pantomine and the playhouse staff seem very rude and don't care about anything.it was very cold.yesterday while watching the pantomime. the toilets were disgusting. Bar staff couldn't fault them but prices left a lot to be desired, it doesn't give you any incentive to buy a drink from there.

Went to see Aladdin the pantomine on new years eve. Was very impressed with the pantomine but the venue left alot to be desired.toilets were disgusting playhouse staff were rude and it was extremely cold in there not a very nice place I told the bar staff it was cold and they said they proberly got the back doors open not very good when you have paid to see a show wont be going again

I’ve been to a fair few events now and the atmosphere seems a little hit and miss, dependant on who is working the door/checking tickets.
The bar staff are all lovely and try their best to please their customers but some of the management team can be a little standoffish and rude sometimes.
It’s a shame because it could be a really nice venue and without the rude staff I would have reviewed it much higher.

Worst 4 star boutique hotel ever.
On arrival welcoming staff was annoyed to see us.
Our room was not clean, long black hairs everywhere , no clean sheets , dust everywhere , bathroom was very dirty.
Basic breakfast with boring industrial bread corner ,wobbly tables , no cappuccino available ,no yogurt , no fresh fruit...
Worst X-mas eve dinner ever !
Filthy & sticky fingers everywhere.Overall dirty hotel.Floor is sticky and basement toilets are disgusting.
No cleaning staff available during 4 days.
Hospitality horror.
Unbelievable.

Have been to a few events here, the bar does not cater well for those with children or diabetes, and on more than one occasion I have been charged differently at the bar for the same order.

The events were good, but the theatre management seems to need improving.

We stayed Christmas to Boxing day. A wonderful option especially if you're looking for a dog friendly hotel! They were very kind to us and our greyhound! Rooms are comfortable, hotel has fun charm, and a perfect central location. Thank you for making our stay so relaxing!

This hotel does not talk to Asians. Went in to inquire about accommodation. No one would look at me when I asked at reception. A white couple was standing behind me and a staff member approached them were nice enough to say hello to them- insulting. I walked away from reception. I peeked in at the cafe and asked another staff if I could order a coffee and I got a casual “its not open”. Staff member promptly left. I lead myself to the bar, stood at the bar counter for 5 minutes, looking expectantly at the staff and NOT ONE employee working at the bar would even look at me. All patrons were white people who were getting friendly service from the wait staff. My fault entirely for having black hair and brown skin. What a dreadful experience. Yes, despicable racist staff are employed by The Abbey Hotel.

if you are into music and art, this is a cafe to go to . Spoke to the landlord (forgot his name). They also have some vintage clothes for sale upstairs. The cafe has been artistically decorated.

I called on for a drink on a Saturday with some friends, a lovely old building with loads of character. Lively but not busy, straight to the bar and served as soon as we were there.

Well worth a visit, I'll pop in again 😀

Great hidden spot in Ledbury. Very home-run: homemade food and pastries, selected coffees, ales, ciders, and wines. You'll be well looked after! Live music (open mic) on Saturdays, starting around 3ish. Woodburning stove, two floors full of couches, loungers, stools and seats (read: bohemian), electric heaters in some spots as well.
I'm celiac, and there weren't a ton of gluten free options (I got a soup!), but for the scale of the place you can't really ask for too much.
Good vibes, good drink options.
If you're going in winter: bundle up! If you're not near a heater it can be a little drafty

Lovely little cafe hidden on the ground floor corner. You can find the entrance from the gallery from the education room, or through the street.
Cake is nice, coffee is good, and tape water available too. Some interesting seats layout in the middle, while watching through the big window wall towards the Thames is a great view.
Fyi: tate members discount doesn’t apply here.

Booked lunch in the restsurant weeks ago, as we were visiting the Christmas Market.. Lovely welcome but told we couldn't eat in restaurant as they had a coach load in for afternoon tea.
Sat in bar area, which was cosy and had Christmas tree so nice. We had to ask for menu after waiting a while. Had drinks and meal ordered and in fairness the meals were great.
Asked for dessert menu only to be told there weren't any available as the kitchen was dealing with the afternoon teas.!!!
Decided not to stay any longer and so gave our money elsewhere.
Really really disappointed as so looking forward to spending the afternoon chilling..We can't believe an hotel of this class couldn't cope with preparing food for more than one coachload.
More annoyed that they'd even known we coming weeks ago and had messaged to ask the previous day, if we still coming!
Wonder if this would have been the outcome if we had been staying guests.
Put a dampener on our day as we had to look elsewhere for desserts!!
May as well had gone elsewhere in the beginning.
Advise anyone booking to make sure what is advertised is available on the day.
However, hotel is in a lovely location for Abbey, Baths, Shopping etc.
Shame.

.

Family room was well furnished but a bit cramp. Decor is a bit worn off but still charming. Love the location and staff. Unfornately the breakfast was more akin to that of a youth hostel. I would strongly recommend not paying for breakfast and go else where for that. There are many nice breakfast places around.

Julia Donaldson show, AMAZING!!!
The venue was good,not too crowded but in afraid the ladies loos left alot to be desire.
Staff were wonderful!

A mix of a coffee shop and a stylish pub. Nice selection of beers, I quite enjoyed the Irish Stout I share on the picture, perfect after a full-on art session with the family.

The Corner is a beautiful cafe with amazing options of healthy salads and drinks. The atmosphere is super relaxing and you can always pop in and out of Tate Modern. Highly recommend ☺️

A real gem to find in Ledbury on our first visit. Delicious fresh coffee and cake served in a fascinating and very relaxed space. Very friendly staff and owner. An eclectic, arty and bohemian vibe, yet understated and cosy. My mom was able to get into the entrance ok on her mobility scooter. Absolutely loved it!

Helen and Carl are very knowledgeable, welcoming and patient. We did the glass fusing workshop, it was an absolute bargain. It's definitely one of the most affordable places to craft! We had fantastic experience from booking the workshop to getting our crafts. You decide on the day how many pieces to do, what sizes etc, and pay at the end of the workshop.
Highly recommended and will definitely return next time when we visit Scarborough.

The Malt Cross has been a staple since moving to Nottingham 12 years ago. Love bringing friends and family here for their first time. Stunning venue but also super relaxed. Plenty of activities running throughout the week, have taken part in many quizzes over the years. Good beer selection and currently offering a loyalty card which is great value. Had the Sunday roast recently, generous portions, beautifully presented and very tasty. Good communication with booking a table also. A must visit for both locals and tourists.

Delicious freshly-made food, with friendly counter service. Pleasant enough location, with a partial view of the river. There's also a bar with craft ales and lots of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Prices are a bit on the high side, but that's London for you!

Had a wonderful time at Crafty Creations. Very well priced items and unlimited painting time, didn’t need to book either. The items were shipped very quickly back to us in Nottingham with all five items costing only £3.50 shipping. Lots of paint colours and brushes and drinks available too. Staff were super friendly.

Lovely staff. We did the Tuesday clay leaf making workshop during the summer holidays. Stacy was lovely and patient.
There was a mini treasure trail around the mad hatters tea party theme.
We can’t wait to do it again whenever it’s on next.

Spacious and accessible café. One of the best hot sandwiches I've ever tried. Coffee and cakes are excellent. Will definitely be back.

Fabulous little museum with a nationally important collection of ceramics. In need of some modernisation perhaps, but rather charming for it's more back to basics approach.

New cafe bar inside Tate Modern. Spacious and the food is decent. A free water server with clean glass tumblers are a bonus :)

Stunning contemporary design that melds beautifully with the industrial vibe of the rest of the museum itself. Clever lighting sets the mood for evening cocktails too. Wide craft beer selection and great views from prime riverfront setting, and since there’s very few places to have a drink on this stretch of the river it’s a welcome addition.

Very tasty lunch in a lovely shaded courtyard out back. Friendly team running the place and good value. Tucked away off a back street near the busy Ledbury High street. Useful parking very close by too.

First time there last night.
Excellent venue and just felt superb.
Would have been 5 stars, but several people moved from floor seating area to tiered seating at interval as could not see very well as floor is flat and stage is low so not a great view if someone tall sitting in front of you. Also side banks on tiered seating has obscured view of stage due to safety railing to prevent you falling off edge of tiered seats.
Fully recommend middle area of tiered seating if you want a good view. Leg space just fabulous, which was real bonus for me as normally have knees hard against seatback in front in many other theatres.
Bar venue just felt great.
Thank you for a superb venue, and the show I saw was excellent too.

Had the most fantastic night and catch up with friends/family. Smashing food atmosphere and attentive friendly staff. Topped off with singer and acoustic guitar. We will definitely return. Diolch yn fawr Iawn 😊

I watch the circus of horror here.
Lovely little venue. Happy and helpful staff.

I had a very meditative and therapeutic experience, painting my own mug ☕️ at Crafty Creations cafe, the hosts were really nice and accommodating, and the concept is so cool. I just received my customized gnome mug at Bradford, and it is so cute after the glazing process. It’s just beautiful to see your own creation this way, and many thanks to Carl & Helen, for doing such workshops. I am drinking hot chocolate in this amazing mug, an excellent gift for the holiday season, thank you

Love the garden and great collection of ceramic.

Enjoy visiting at half-term with grandchildren to go on a Spider Trail this time. Other activities are upstairs. Lots to look at and nice gifts to buy.
Weather permitting, a wander around the garden is a delight followed by tea, coffee inside or out.
The volunteers are always friendly and helpful.
Well worth a visit.

Good little gallery at the top of town. Long term display of pottery if you like that sort of thing. Gallery which has different shows on over the course of the year. Good outside space, well maintained garden. Self service cafe area with a couple of tables and coffee/tea machine, home made cakes and a few other bits and pieces. Very friendly staff. Good kids area upstairs too!

Superb gallery and museum around the corner in need of financial and moral support. Superb collection of porcelain and tiles, with little space to display them adequately. Great volunteers. coffee and cake, art gallery exhibition space.

Lovely little gallery with a gorgeous garden. First visited during the Jane Bown exhibition and planned a revisit the following week to take another look. Sadly on the 2nd visit (Saturday lunchtime) we were clearly in the way as the staff wanted to photograph and close the exhibit :(