MUSEUM RESTAURANTS

HUNGRY FOR CULTURE

Soak up a fantastic crop of art, while filling up on fine food, thanks to Europe’s latest collection of cutting-edge museum restaurants. By Dominique Afacan

FINE art and fine cuisine are not usually two things that go together. Museum catering tends to spell soggy sandwiches, unhealthy snacks or, at best, a plate of mediocre pasta.

However, all this is at last changing, as some of Europe’s top museums open top-class restaurants to match. These eateries attract museum visitors and gour mands alike and, far from the makeshift canteens of old, they also boast interiors worthy of being exhibited themselves. Here’s our the best.

Museum Brasserie

ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS OF BELGIUM, BRUSSELS

It was about time the food got a facelift at Belgium’s famous collection of museums.

At least, that’s what tourism guru Fernand David, chef Peter Goossens and interior designer Antoine Pinto decided when they developed Museum Brasserie, a top-notch restaurant, with a strong emphasis on Belgian cuisine.

Visitors can stop of for dishes such as eels in green sauce, poached egg with mashed potatoes and shrimps or calves’ kidneys with Ghent mustard. Dessert, of course, means Belgian waffles, and chocolates prepared in a multitude of ways.

With a huge terrace facing out on to the Place Royale, this is a particularly pleasant place to eat in the spring. If you’re in a rush, or out of pocket, head to the Museum Café instead, where you can have Belgian chips served in paper cones, accompanied by pickles or mayonnaise, as well as a selection of sushi rolls and sandwiches.

Rue de la Regence 3, Brussels www.museumfood.be

National Dining Rooms

THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON

Restaurateur Oliver Peyton – creator of the once legendary (though sadly no longer open) Atlantic Bar & Grill, and eco-friendly Inn The Park – is another foodie visionary, who noticed the lack of decent grub in galleries and swiftly opened this British restaurant.

Designed by interiors guru David Collins, it’s open for lunch during gallery hours. Diners can tuck in to bacon-wrapped rabbit with wild mushrooms, white wine and a hash brown, or mouth-watering baked black bream. For dessert, creamed rice pudding with “toffee’d” apples or treacle tart with clotted cream should satisfy your sweet craving. If that’s not British enough for you, pop in for their afternoon tea.

If you’d rather just help yourself, try the self-service dining hall in the National Café, another Peyton brainwave. Grab a gourmet sandwich or a freshly baked pie and off you go. Trafalgar Square, London www.thenationaldiningrooms.co.uk

Brickan and Duken

MODERNA MUSEET, STOCKHOLM

Chefs Malin Söderström and Per and Sofia Gustafson set up a café, MM Mat, when contemporary art paradise Moderna Museet was at a temporary location, during renovation works. Such was its popularity, though, that they followed the museum back to its original home when it returned there in 2004. They then created Brickan, a smart self-service restaurant, and Duken, a more formal set-up with an à la carte menu.

The self-service restaurant serves salads, soups and pastries, while Duken’s eclectic menu features everything from tabbouleh with baba ganoush to soya and ginger fried pork chops, as well as separate dishes for children.

Saturday and Sunday brunch has become a real hit too, and guests can enjoy a buffet of herring, salmon and cold meats, while feasting their eyes on fantastic views over Stockholm. Slupskjulsvägen 7, Stockholm www.modernamuseet.se

Café-Restaurant UNA

ARCHITEKTURZENTRUM, VIENNA

Unsurprisingly, given its location in the only architecture museum in Austria, Café-Restaurant UNA is a resounding hit on the design front. French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal were responsible for the project and found their inspiration from a Turkish café.

They wanted to achieve an atmosphere where people could feel comfortable sitting for hours chatting, drinking and eating. The ornate tiles, the main feature of the space, were designed by Turkish artist Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier and produced in Istanbul. The furniture, by contrast, was kept deliberately simple, consisting of plain tables and chairs in a uniform style.

Food-wise, the restaurant’s head chef and namesake, Una Abraham, creates a brand new menu every day. New York-born Una describes the food as international, with a leaning towards Austrian cuisine, the nationality of her parents.

Appetisers include goats’ cheese wrapped in bacon and smoked trout fillet with cucumber and dill salad. Main courses range from veal ragu with porcini and dumplings to a braised leg of lamb with herbs.

Museumsplatz 1, Vienna www.azw.at

Arola

NATIONAL MUSEUM REINA SOFIA, MADRID

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, Arola is a spectacular place to fill up after a visit to one of Madrid’s best museums.

Despite two Michelin stars, chef Sergi Arola’s menu is surprisingly affordable, and there are an impressive 7,000 wines to choose from.

Eccentric tapas and contemporary Spanish cuisine are the name of the game, and you can enjoy them under a soaring metallic-red ceiling. Try the Iberian pork loin with manchego or a selection of some of the smaller dishes, known as the “pica-pica de Sergi”, including an unusual take on patatas bravas. In the evenings, the space doubles as a lounge and club and stays open until late. C/Argumoso 43, Madrid www.arola-madrid.com