Latest reviews for Arts & Culture in Westminster, London, United Kingdom

The National Gallery - A world of art by RR123

RR123 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:42:34 +0000

Review by RR123

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7839 3321

Website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Tags: paintings, paintings fantastic art

The National Gallery brings together art from around the world and you can walk through the centuries soaking it in. If you're not an art expert or would just liek to learn a bit more, you can get an audio guide to take round with you (for which a fee applies) and that can really help to bring the pictures to life.

Whilst the majority of the gallery is free, they do also have paying exhibitions. You can often get into these for half price on a Wednesday night though, so it is worth checking.

There is also a nice cafe at the gallery where you can get soup sandwiches or tea and cakes. Very pleasant.The National Gallery brings together art from around the world and you can walk through the centuries soaking it in. If you're not an art expert or would just liek to learn a bit more, you can get an audio guide to take round with you (for which a fee applies) and that can really help to bring the pictures to life.

Whilst the majority of the gallery is free, they do also have paying exhibitions. You can often get into these for half price on a Wednesday night though, so it is worth checking.

There is also a nice cafe at the gallery where you can get soup sandwiches or tea and cakes. Very pleasant.

The London Transport Museum - absolutely top-notch by Navajo_Pete

Navajo_Pete — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:36:07 +0000

Review by Navajo_Pete

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7379 6344

Website: http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

Tags: cafe, chips, shop

Brilliant destination in the heart of Covent Garden. You couldn't select a more unusual setting for a busy museum with some huge, heavy rolling stock. The LT Museum used to be a place where excited children would take their exasperated grand parents, but since the refurb a few years ago, the museum has grown into a really exciting, interesting destination for all ages. The many interactive displays make it feel more like the Science Museum and the nostalgia of many of the every-day items from buses and tube trains give it a homely, familiar feel.

I think that this part of the Covent Garden market buildings used to be used by flower sellers. The outside has been nicely preserved and the inside has been transformed into one of my favourite tourist destinations in central London. The Museum has also ventured out onto the cobbled Piazza with a small cafe - lovely muffins and Danish, good coffee and a lively setting. Some of the unregulated street entertainers can be a bit of a pain (too loud and boring) but the afternoon sunshine in this corner makes for a great place to rest and be entertained.

When you're visiting with Children, you only pay for the adult admission, as under 16s still go free! (that's why granny and grandpa always get dragged down to Covent Garden by their little angels, perhaps!)
Brilliant destination in the heart of Covent Garden. You couldn't select a more unusual setting for a busy museum with some huge, heavy rolling stock. The LT Museum used to be a place where excited children would take their exasperated grand parents, but since the refurb a few years ago, the museum has grown into a really exciting, interesting destination for all ages. The many interactive displays make it feel more like the Science Museum and the nostalgia of many of the every-day items from buses and tube trains give it a homely, familiar feel.

I think that this part of the Covent Garden market buildings used to be used by flower sellers. The outside has been nicely preserved and the inside has been transformed into one of my favourite tourist destinations in central London. The Museum has also ventured out onto the cobbled Piazza with a small cafe - lovely muffins and Danish, good coffee and a lively setting. Some of the unregulated street entertainers can be a bit of a pain (too loud and boring) but the afternoon sunshine in this corner makes for a great place to rest and be entertained.

When you're visiting with Children, you only pay for the adult admission, as under 16s still go free! (that's why granny and grandpa always get dragged down to Covent Garden by their little angels, perhaps!)

National Portrait Gallery - National Portrait Gallery by PinkPink

PinkPink — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:31:29 +0000

Review by PinkPink

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7306 0055

Website: http://www.npg.org.uk

Tags: paintings, photographic exhibition, modern art

I really, really loved this gallery. It is pretty easy to find and inside houses many, many magnificent paintings. You can find paintings of contemporary celebrities such as Judi Dench and JK Rowling. The entry fee is free and there is so much to see that it is worth the travel money to get there. Apart from paintings, they also have areas of the gallery devoted to stunning photographs.

Last time I went, there was a Vanity Fair Exhibition, I did want to see this, as it had been quite publicised and the photographs looked beautiful, but the entry fee was over Â£8!I really, really loved this gallery. It is pretty easy to find and inside houses many, many magnificent paintings. You can find paintings of contemporary celebrities such as Judi Dench and JK Rowling. The entry fee is free and there is so much to see that it is worth the travel money to get there. Apart from paintings, they also have areas of the gallery devoted to stunning photographs.

Last time I went, there was a Vanity Fair Exhibition, I did want to see this, as it had been quite publicised and the photographs looked beautiful, but the entry fee was over Â£8!

The Cabinet War Rooms - Historic by carum

carum — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:19:54 +0000

Review by carum

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7930 6961

Website: http://www.iwm.org.uk

Tags: museum, toptable

Winston Church is much celebrated man but this museum is the first to remember is life and accomplishments. The museum merges revolutionary technology with rare and important historical artefacts. This permanent exhibition is displayed inside the distinctive setting of the Cabinet War Rooms, the hush-hush underground headquarters that fronted the British war effort between 1939 and 1945. It is amazing to think about the extraordinary events that took place here half century or so ago.
There is also a great audio tour to accompany any visit as all guests are offered a free personal sound guide, available in English and for any tourists in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Dutch and Mandarin.

Winston Church is much celebrated man but this museum is the first to remember is life and accomplishments. The museum merges revolutionary technology with rare and important historical artefacts. This permanent exhibition is displayed inside the distinctive setting of the Cabinet War Rooms, the hush-hush underground headquarters that fronted the British war effort between 1939 and 1945. It is amazing to think about the extraordinary events that took place here half century or so ago.
There is also a great audio tour to accompany any visit as all guests are offered a free personal sound guide, available in English and for any tourists in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Dutch and Mandarin.

Tate Britain - Great Tate Britain by simonlarois

simonlarois — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:08:13 +0000

Review by simonlarois

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7887 8000

Website: http://www.tate.org.uk

Tags: sculptures, paintings, modern art

My absolute favourite gallery in the whole wide world! Tate Britain is the place to go for art, with a good mix of modern and traditional, old masters and new pretenders.

Hosting the perennially controversial Turner Prize exhibition each year, the Tate Britain gallery offers a glimpse of the forefront of modern art mixed with classic portraiture and sculpture. My personal favourite is the statue â¬ÜThe Sluggardâ¬". Also, video of an orange exploding! On the (arguably) more traditional front, there are (or were) some great William Blake illustrations from his illuminated manuscripts on display.

Overall, a great day out â¬ you could spend hours there and not see everything. And, like all of our Great British galleries, itâ¬"s free!My absolute favourite gallery in the whole wide world! Tate Britain is the place to go for art, with a good mix of modern and traditional, old masters and new pretenders.

Hosting the perennially controversial Turner Prize exhibition each year, the Tate Britain gallery offers a glimpse of the forefront of modern art mixed with classic portraiture and sculpture. My personal favourite is the statue â¬ÜThe Sluggardâ¬". Also, video of an orange exploding! On the (arguably) more traditional front, there are (or were) some great William Blake illustrations from his illuminated manuscripts on display.

Overall, a great day out â¬ you could spend hours there and not see everything. And, like all of our Great British galleries, itâ¬"s free!

Royal Academy Of Arts - Good gallery by jmcfar

jmcfar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:37:41 +0000

Review by jmcfar

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7300 8000

Website: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk

Tags: paintings

The Royal Academy of Arts is located on Piccadilly, and is a very good art gallery. It has a permanent collection, â¬Ühighlights from the Royal Academy Collectionâ¬", housed in the John Madejski Fine Rooms, which is free to visit and worth doing so, and in addition there are several exhibitions on at a time which can be extremely good â¬ although you do have to pay for the special exhibitions. I recently went to a Lucas Cranach exhibition there which was very enjoyable indeed. The queues can get quite long for the more popular exhibitions, so itâ¬"s worth booking in advance or getting there early if possible.The Royal Academy of Arts is located on Piccadilly, and is a very good art gallery. It has a permanent collection, â¬Ühighlights from the Royal Academy Collectionâ¬", housed in the John Madejski Fine Rooms, which is free to visit and worth doing so, and in addition there are several exhibitions on at a time which can be extremely good â¬ although you do have to pay for the special exhibitions. I recently went to a Lucas Cranach exhibition there which was very enjoyable indeed. The queues can get quite long for the more popular exhibitions, so itâ¬"s worth booking in advance or getting there early if possible.

Sister Ray - Great little shop by claireymr

claireymr — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:11:07 +0000

Review by claireymr

Rating: 4.00

Tags: records, music, vinyl

With shelves stacked full of 7"s behind the counter, Sister Ray is everything a record shop should be. Filled with obscure breaking bands' debuts and classics, you'll definitely find what you want. The best thing about this place is the staff, because they're always ready to help you find that single you couldn't find in the nearby HMV or newly christened zavvi (but why would you be there anyway?), and are quick, polite and are always willing to help. Also puts on the occasional instore performance to entertain customers, which is how I first found out about this place. Well worth exploring the side roads off Oxford Street to find shops as good as this one.With shelves stacked full of 7"s behind the counter, Sister Ray is everything a record shop should be. Filled with obscure breaking bands' debuts and classics, you'll definitely find what you want. The best thing about this place is the staff, because they're always ready to help you find that single you couldn't find in the nearby HMV or newly christened zavvi (but why would you be there anyway?), and are quick, polite and are always willing to help. Also puts on the occasional instore performance to entertain customers, which is how I first found out about this place. Well worth exploring the side roads off Oxford Street to find shops as good as this one.

Sir John Soane's Museum - A gem by candyshop

candyshop — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:22:14 +0000

Review by candyshop

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7405 2107

Website: http://www.soane.org

There are many large wonderful museums to visit in London but I found my most memorable visit was to a home near the Holburn tube stop, Sir John Soane's Museum. This gentleman created a living museum with a beautiful collection of architectural delights and a wonderful collection of paintings. The Painting Room has some special hidden features that must be admired. The staff was so helpful - one gentleman could have been a character of Dickens' - his love of the collections was so evident. There is also a special display - this time it was the poetry of Sir John Betjeman. I did not know much of this talented man before but I left with a wonderful sense of his love of architecture and community. There was a display of his letters and visual clips of his programs and poetry reading with music.
This place is very special and well worth seeking out when visiting London.
There are many large wonderful museums to visit in London but I found my most memorable visit was to a home near the Holburn tube stop, Sir John Soane's Museum. This gentleman created a living museum with a beautiful collection of architectural delights and a wonderful collection of paintings. The Painting Room has some special hidden features that must be admired. The staff was so helpful - one gentleman could have been a character of Dickens' - his love of the collections was so evident. There is also a special display - this time it was the poetry of Sir John Betjeman. I did not know much of this talented man before but I left with a wonderful sense of his love of architecture and community. There was a display of his letters and visual clips of his programs and poetry reading with music.
This place is very special and well worth seeking out when visiting London.