The Design Kitchen Named Finalist in Prestigious Business Awards 2025

We’re delighted to announce that The Design Kitchen, the restaurant we proudly operate within the Design Museum, has been named a finalist in the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Business Awards 2025 under the Bar or Restaurant of the Year category! 

This recognition comes after an exciting and creative year for our team, as we've continued to curate bespoke menus that celebrate and complement the museum’s dynamic and thought-provoking exhibitions. 

In December, we launched a Tim Burton-inspired afternoon tea to coincide with The World of Tim Burton exhibition, and it quickly became one of our most popular offerings to date. Over 4,000 afternoon teas were served in just five months! 

The menu was a playful tribute to Burton’s weird and wonderful worlds, featuring: 

• Fleet Street barber shop pole - a salted caramel cookie sandwich inspired by Sweeney Todd 
• A recently deceased tart - a dark chocolate tart with crunchy chocolate pearls, a nod to Beetlejuice 
• An undead love - a blueberry and almond polenta cake celebrating timeless, twisted romance 

Each item was carefully designed to bring the spirit of Burton’s films to life on the plate. 

Currently, we’re embracing plant-based innovation with a fully vegetarian and vegan menu inspired by the More than Human exhibition. This menu reflects our commitment to sustainability and culinary creativity. 

Looking ahead to November, we’re excited to unveil our next themed afternoon tea, curated in celebration of the Wes Anderson: The Archives exhibition. We’ll be serving a handmade version of the iconic courtesan au chocolat, taking inspiration from the Grand Budapest Hotel, along with a host of whimsical, Wes-style treats. Stay tuned as bookings will open very soon! 

A huge congratulations to our talented team and everyone involved in bringing these experiences to life. We’re proud of this achievement and grateful for the opportunity to share our passion with museum visitors and London’s vibrant food scene. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday 23rd October, please join us in wishing our team the best of luck!