The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan is located in the London National Portrait Gallery. It has sweeping views out to London, and the food just happens to be delicious too.

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First impressions of The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan

We step out of the London drizzle and enter the National Portrait Gallery. The space is full of promise – of hours spent lingering, wandering through the portraits. But first, lunch calls. We head to the third floor to the The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan. The restaurant is cosy and cosseted, coats are slipped off and into waiting arms, and a table by the view waits. It feels polished without trying too hard.

What to order first (and why)

We start with a whole globe artichoke.

I haven’t seen these much on London menus, and here it is divine. We ease into a simple routine – pull, dip, smile. It tastes like a holiday.

Croquettes follow. Hot, crisp, soft in the middle. They don’t last long.

There’s also toast piled with ruby beef, tomatoes and rocket. A sharp little bite that eats as well as it photographs.

The dish you’ll remember at the National Portrait Gallery

A butter-poached fish arrives in a glossy beurre blanc, and with it comes samphire with the sea. Tiny croutons add crunch.

This is food that’s clean, comforting, and quietly luxurious.

If you’re in a steak mood

Across the table, a grilled fillet of beef lands with a deep, shiny jus.

With it comes a golden layered potato cake, which is simply outstanding. It’s classic London comfort, smartly done.

Save space for desserts at Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan

We’re nicely full now, but the dessert menu still beckons.

We share a rich chocolate tart and a gorgeous meringue dessert that nods to Mont Blanc. It’s all crispy shell filled with chestnut caramel warmth inside.

It would almost be old school but, like the rest of the food at Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan, there’s something extra special.

Service that lets lunch breathe

Everything at The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan has been lovely, from food through to service and general ambiance. Glasses have been topped and plates nicely paced. There’s no hurry to leave, and we’ve enjoyed exploring the menu as out eyes rove around the London view.

Make a day of it at The National Portrait Gallery

What’s so nice about lucnh today is that, once we’re done, we can spend as much time as we want wandering the National Portrait Gallery. To make the most of this, I’d book lunch for 12:30 and then have lots of time after to peruse the art.The joy here is how neatly culture and lunch click together.

Overall thoughts on The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan

The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan is quietly confident. The room is lovely and the view is a mood all by itself. And the cherry on the top is that the cooking is wonderful, and the menu full of things you really want to eat.

So if I were going again I’d order the artichoke to share, the steak all to myself and then finish with the chocolate tart. Tie it to The National Portrait Gallery downstairs and you’ve got the easiest (and tastiest) London day out.

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The Portrait Restaurant by Richard Corrigan
Address – 2 St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE
Nearest Tube – Charing Cross