Lunch at Horniman's

really like the business model British museums have adopted. They do not charge entrance fee. Surprisingly, they reporetedly make three times as much money as when they did. Some dosh comes from donations but the majority of the proceeds appears to come from giftshop and cafeteria trade.

Conceded, the fare they churn out is more reliable classics than top-notch culinary finesse but who would expect the latter from a museum?

Horniman Museum, despite its name, is a family kind of place. Situated on a hill in Dulwich in South London, it hosts a huge collection of stuffed animals and musical instruments displayed in mostly dark and dusty rooms. It smells like it has deposits of dust undisturbed since WWII but it is surely is a good educational value for kids.Next to it stands a Victorian orangery, except instead of potted orchids and pineapples there are wrought iron tables where the food from the cafeteria is consumed by hordes of shrieking children and their desperate parents.

By half past two, we had to put up with what was left in the kitchen:

• peppers stuffed with rice, feta cheese, tomatoes and herbs - tasted home-made;
• beef stew with a side of brown rice - the beef was soft and flavourful.

Thirteen pounds for the whole bill, not bad at all for London.

Pro's: Well-cooked classics from organic ingredients.

Con's: On a good busy day food runs out quickly.

In a nutshell: No need to bring your lunch box here: the food is cheap and good.

HornimanMuseum
100 London Road
Forest Hill SE23 3PQ
London