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Tavern Room

Illustration of a logo featuring a man with curly hair and a beard in profile, set against a blue circular background. Text reads "Tavern Room" and includes decorative script. A QR code is displayed beneath the portrait.

The Tavern Room was originally the Adelphi Tavern and Coffee House (no.18 Adam Street), run by William Osborn.

This was where the members of the Society (the RSA’s original designation) adjourned for dinner in 1772, after laying the very first foundation stones of the Society’s original house.

Image of the Tavern Room with furniture arranged in cabaret style.

We obtained the leasehold to the plot in 1957, exercising an option to purchase it outright in 1977.

The ornamental plaster ceiling of the Tavern Room suffered war damage in 1944 and was restored in 1990 with the generous sponsorship of Ronald Gerard OBE. The chimneypieces and doorways were salvaged from Bowood House, and the room was extended in 1979-80 to include the former entrance hall of 2 John Adam Street.

Hire this space for your event

Tavern Room

A wonderful bright, airy and modernly decorated room with a polished wooden floor and plain Adam ceiling. The Tavern Room is well-suited for receptions, smaller conferences and meetings, and private dining.

An elegant conference room with rows of black chairs facing a screen displaying "RSA" above a white fireplace. The room has high ceilings with ornate detailing, tall windows with curtains, and wooden flooring.

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RSA history

Looking to the future since 1754. Find out more about the famous names and change made in the past.

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