The Summer Exhibition starts today at Burlington House and continues, throughout the summer, until the 18th of August.
Now in it’s 245th year, the Summer Exhibition acts as a survey of what’s happening in all areas of the contemporary art world. It’s open to all artists and up to 10,000 sculptures, prints and paintings are submitted with the best 1,000 selected for inclusion. It’s the largest and most popular exhibition in the country and all the work included is for sale.
The building for the Summer Exhibition is accessible – there’s a ramp to get inside, a lift to all floors and level ground throughout. There are disabled toilets too. Every year a number of sculptures in the Summer Exhibition are available for visually impaired people to explore by touch – which is a really good idea. For some very extensive details, check the Disabled Go access guide.
The Royal Academy’s big summer show tends to be the hottest ticket in town and if you are going it’s a good idea to make the most of it by going out for a meal before or after the exhibition. There are so many brilliant restaurants in that area and we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourites – the most stylish and accessible around. Here’s the Blue Badge Style guide to accessible venues near the Summer Exhibition:
The Wolseley, a high class brasserie in “grand European tradition”, earned 2.5 BBS Ticks when we reviewed it. The food is as you would expect from a high class brasserie i.e. it merits a visit! And the atmosphere is lively but not too noisy which is always good! There is a disabled toilet and although access to the venue is via a very steep step, there is a doorman to help you up.
Another good spot is Cecconi’s – one third of the BBS ‘Golden Triangle’ (more of that to come). The Cecconi’s website describes the restaurant as a modern day classic Italian restaurant. We described it as a place to see and be seen and gave Cecconi’s a maximum 3 BBS Ticks.
Getting a table is difficult unless you go at an ‘off peak’ time but at least they serve food and drinks all day. The access is obviously excellent, as you’d expect at a 3 Tick restaurant, with step-free access and a disabled toilet. Another nice feature is that the seats are all quite low down, so wheelchair users are at the same height as everyone else.
Brasserie Zedel offers an alternative evening out after the exhibition at the Crazy Coqs Cabaret. Or, if you don’t fancy that, you can just sample the brasserie style food at another 3 BBS Ticks location.
Zedel is styled on the traditional Parisien brasseries and has done a masterful job of capturing that look and vibe. The Bar Americain is particularly nice to go to for a cocktail. They have a lift and portable ramps to help you get around.
Sketch is part two of the ‘Golden Triangle’ and as the name suggests the restaurant draws heavily from the art community.
When we were last there they had a disabled toilet at the bottom of a flight of steps! Not ideal but they had promised to change things so that there will be access to all areas. Whether they have made the changes or not, the staff are very helpful (the manager even came out to talk about possible improvements) and do their best to help the less able. We duly gave them 2.5 BBS Ticks, potentially rising to 3. If anyone does go here, please get in touch to tell us if they’ve made the access better.
The decor is stunning, the sandwiches are works of art and the cakes even better. In the downstairs restaurant, Turner Prize Winner Martin Creed has produced a work of art where absolutely everything is different – from each piece of cutlery to the bar stools. A brilliant art-themed place to go after the Summer Exhibition.
Embassy doesn’t have a disabled toilet, apparently because it’s a ‘managed building’!! Not much of an excuse. It’s on a ground floor so it’s only really partially accessible as it’s on 2 levels.
We’re only putting it in this guide because Vivienne Westwood had a party there for London Fashion Week so it has some links to the design/art/fashion world (which is still a faintly tenuous link to the Summer Exhibition!).
It’s a bar and brasserie and there’s also a nightclub called the Salon . It serves modern Mediterranean cuisine all day. Only a 1.5 Tick restaurant due to average-at-best accessibility but it is very stylish.
Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill has a lively atmosphere and as you would expect from a Richard Corrigan venue, excellent food. It is very much a bar but there are tables to sit at and there is a terrace area outside. They are stuck for space as it’s an old building so it can get a bit cramped.
Access is quite difficult as there is a large step to get into the bar and a further step to the restaurant. There’s an upstairs but it’s way too difficult to attempt, even with sticks. A disabled toilet is in the main bar.
However despite all these obstacles it is definitely worth a visit. It might be a good idea to reflect on and discuss the exhibition over a few oysters and a drink. Highly recommended but due to the access issues it only received 2 BBS Ticks.
Alyn Williams at the Westbury has Michelin star quality, fine dining. Williams was the 2012 National Chef Of The Year so you know that you can expect the best food when you go here. They even have a full a la carte vegetarian menu.
Getting in is easy as everything is on one level and step free. The tables are at a good height for wheelchairs. Finally, the disabled toilet is also on the same level and has everything you need. The only concern is that the lush carpet may be an issue for stick users. Above all this is a stylish place where being disabled is unremarkable. We gave them 3 BBS Ticks.
Momo is “London’s original Arabic Den”. Today it “encompasses Music, Food and Visual aesthetics”. When we visited Momo the food was great. Timeout described the atmosphere is “intoxicating and seductive”.
Momo has got very good disabled facilities and access as far as the restaurant and cafe are concerned. Unfortunately there are stairs down to the bar; the cafe is on street level, with one small step into the restaurant. They do have a disabled toilet. Momo recieved 2.5 BBS Ticks.
Sartoria is the final restaurant in the Blue Badge Style Golden Triangle and therefore seems a sensible place to wrap up our Summer Exhibition suggestions. It’s another one of the fashionable, hang-outs for people in the art world. The food is good, the design very trendy and the access is also very good. We gave it 3 Ticks.
That’s the end of our guide for places to go after the Summer Exhibition. Do get in touch if you’re going this year to tell us where you went and how you found the exhibition!