Food and drink

The 18th century Orangery restaurant is a stunning location for breakfast, morning coffee, a light lunch or afternoon tea. Please note that unfortunately it is not possible for The Orangery to take bookings.

Kensington Palace is closed from Wednesday 4 January 2012 as we prepare the newly transformed palace and will re-open for visitors on Monday 26 March 2012. The Orangery remains open as normal during this period.

The Orangery restaurant

The Orangery offers one of the finest tea selections in London with over ten different flavours to enjoy, as well as a range of premium wines and champagnes. When the weather is fine, sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the view of the palace and its elegant gardens.

We offer

Delicious homemade food. Please see our menus below
Early opening for breakfast, morning coffee and pastries
Lunches and delicious home-made cakes and pastries
Afternoon tea (see service timings)
Al fresco dining on the terrace
A selection of wines and Historic Royal Palaces' beers

Prices

Drinks from £1.50, starters from £5.50, main courses from £9.50 and cakes from
£3.50.

We love to see children at the Orangery and can offer them a special treat - their very own version of afternoon tea.

By becoming a member of Historic Royal Palaces, you will receive a discount of 10% at our restaurants and cafés. Click here for further information >

Afternoon tea gift vouchers

Whether for a corporate, family, social or celebration event, afternoon tea vouchers are the perfect gift for any occasion. Choose from Champagne Afternoon Tea or ‘The Tea Palace’ English Tea. To purchase gift vouchers, please call 020 3166 6112 or email KP@ampersandvenues.co.uk

Please note that pictures are for website purposes only and food available at the cafés will vary.

Further information

We’re open

10.00-18.00 (March - September)
10.00-17.00 (October - February)

Click here for days when The Orangery will be closed.

Our service timings are as follows:

From 1 March to 31 October 2011
Breakfast 10.00-12.00
Lunch 12.00-14.45 (last orders)
Afternoon tea 12.00 -18.00

From 1 November 2011 to 29 February 2012
Breakfast 10.00-12.00
Lunch 12.00-14.30
Afternoon tea Noon -17.00

Admission to the palace is not required to visit the Orangery
Please note that reservations are not currently taken for the Orangery
The Orangery is wheelchair accessible. Click here to find out more about palace accessibility
The Orangery may also close early for other functions and events throughout the year. Please see below for dates.

Orangery closures

As it is such a beautiful historic building, The Orangery is often used for corporate functions and weddings and so sometimes it is closed the public. We do limit these closures, but they are an important source of income for us as a charity with no funding from the Government or the Crown. To mitigate the inconvenience for visitors planning to use The Orangery, we ensure we publish the confirmed closure dates here. The Orangery restaurant will be closed on the following dates:

January 2012
Tuesday 24 January: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Wednesday 25 January: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Thursday 26 January: The Orangery will close at 16.00h

February 2012
Friday 10 February: The Orangery will close at 16.00h

(Please note the palace is closed from 4 January to 25 March 2012 inclusive as we prepare for re-opening the newly transformed palace on 26 March 2012. The Orangery will remain open as usual)

March 2012
Tuesday 13 March: The Orangery will be closed all day
Wednesday 14 March: The Orangery will be closed all day
Sunday 18 March: The Orangery will no longer be closing early
Thursday 22 March: The Orangery will no longer be closing
Tuesday 27 March: The Orangery will no longer be closing
Wednesday 28 March: The Orangery is likely to be closed all day

April 2012
Saturday 7 April: The Orangery will be closed all day
Thursday 19 April: The Orangery will be closed all day
Wednesday 25 April: The Orangery will be closed all day

May 2012
Wednesday 2 May: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Thursday 10 May: The Orangery will be closed all day
Saturday 12 May: The Orangery will be closed all day
Thursday 17 May: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Sunday 20 May: The Orangery will be closed all day

June 2012
Wednesday 6 June: The Orangery will be closed all day
Thursday 7 June: The Orangery will be closed all day
Friday 8 June: The Orangery will be closed all day
Wednesday 13 June: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Friday 15 June: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Saturday 23 June: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Wednesday 27 June: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Thursday 28 June: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Saturday 30 June: The Orangery will be closed all day

July 2012
Friday 6 July: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Saturday 7 July: The Orangery will be closed all day
Sunday 8 July: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Tuesday 10 July: The Orangery will close at 16.00h
Wednesday 25 July to Monday 13 August inclusive: The Orangery will be closed for the entire period

August 2012
Wednesday 25 July to Monday 13 August inclusive: The Orangery will be closed for the entire period

September
Sunday 2 September: The Orangery will close at 16.00h

Further dates will be added as soon as they are confirmed. For more information, please contact us. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Catering for functions and events

Our experienced functions and events caterers have an extensive menu and excellent knowledge of the palaces. Click here to learn more.

Did you know?

It has been traditional since medieval times for the Monarch to distribute gifts of specially minted coins to poor people on Maundy Thursday. This now takes place in churches around the country, but Queen Anne held the Maundy Ceremony in the Orangery.

The Orangery was often used for ceremonies. Queen Anne was notable as the last monarch who performed the ceremony called “Touching the King’s Evil” where people with diseases believed that by being physically touched by the Monarch they would be cured.