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THE COFFEE HOUSE & LIBRARY      

Welcome to The Coffee House, a space open to all visiting RSA House.
A display of various pastries, including croissants, danishes, and custard tarts, on wooden and metal stands. Fresh fruit like bananas and apples are on the side. Each pastry has a small label indicating its name.

We’re all about coffee, food, and connections – so as well as a place to eat and drink, our Coffee House also offers a place to work, collaborate and meet like-minded people. 

Food and drink at The Coffee House

The Coffee House serves a delicious breakfast and lunch menu alongside hot drinks, softs drinks and snacks throughout the day. Our team champion locally sourced food from suppliers from our own London Larder and have initiatives in place aligned with our regenerative mission.

Our unique history makes The Coffee House an inspiring place to be. Our displays showcase innovative designs, change projects, and you can also book our interactive meeting spaces and visit the RSA library when you visit. Or just join us to enjoy our delicious new food and drinks menu.

Opening hours

The Coffee House is open five days a week (Monday – Friday), 8:30am – 5pm.

See our menu

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A bowl of creamy mushroom soup garnished with fresh greens sits on a wooden tray. A grilled cheese sandwich with grill marks is leaning against the bowl.

Our Community Blend and regeneration

The Coffee House’s Community Blend is a collaboration with Well Grounded – a social enterprise helping people into work by training them as baristas. Well Grounded runs a series of specialty coffee training academies for adults facing barriers to employment. We provide placements for those undergoing the training programme and donate £2 for each kilo of coffee purchased.

To reduce food waste, we partner with Waste Knot – an organisation working directly with farmers to utilise crops. They provide us with surplus ‘wonky’ vegetables which our in-house chefs whip in to delicious homemade dishes such as soups and salads.

Spaces in The Coffee House

Our unique history makes The Coffee House an inspiring place to be. Our displays showcase innovative designs, and social change projects, and you can also book our interactive meeting spaces and loan books from our library when you visit. Or just join us to enjoy our delicious new food and drinks menu.

As part of our refresh within The Coffee House and level -2 spaces, we have is-style-typestyle-largeduced specific zones to help you have the most enjoyable experience.

Coffee House (Gerard Room), Old Archive Room

This space is for food and drink to be enjoyed therefore we request no laptop use or meetings to take place.

Long Gallery, Dame Caroline Haslett Collaboration Room, Suthers Court

Work and laptops are encouraged in this area but please be mindful of others whilst on calls.

Dr Cross, Vicky Heywood

Priority is given to those catching up over food and drink in these areas so please keep laptop use to a minimum.

Library

Quiet zone. Please refrain from calls and meetings in this space.

As we are a registered charity, the purchase of your food and drinks from The Coffee House directly supports our work and charitable mission as a social change organisation. We therefore do not permit externally purchased food and drink to be consumed at RSA House.

Please note: we do not accept cash payments but accept all credit/debit card payments.

 We look forward to seeing you soon, if you have any queries, email general@rsa.org.uk.

Dr Cross Room

Rotating displays of great designs from RSA Royal Designers for Industry.

A modern, well-lit interior with gray and wood-toned furniture. A long wooden dining table with chairs is centered. Seating areas with armchairs and circular tables are on either side. Art decorates blue walls, and large windows provide natural light.

Gerard Room

Displays on change projects from Fellows around the world.

Modern coffee shop interior with blue walls and light wood flooring. A long wooden table with orange cushioned benches is in the foreground. The counter area features pastries, snacks, and coffee machines. Plants and shelving add to the decor.

Long Gallery

Features a mural on our history from the team who brought you RSA Animates.

A modern library with shelves filled with books, a man seated at a table, and soft seating in the form of round, green chairs. There's a large sign on the wall about the Royal Society of Arts, spanning from 1754 to 2018.

Archive Room

Filled with our history, displaying copies of documents from our archive.

Two women are seated at a small round table in a cozy cafe. They appear to be engaged in conversation, with one holding a cup. The wall behind them is decorated with various framed artworks.
TAKE A 360 DEGREE TOUR

Library

Over 6,000 books and journals. From philosophy to management, design to politics, and books from our latest event speakers you can always find a read to inspire. The RSA Library is open to all Fellows, including a freepost lending service.

Search the catalogue
A cozy library setting with a yellow sofa and a beige tufted couch in front of bookshelves filled with colorful books. A modern floor lamp with a metallic shade stands beside the sofas, illuminating the glass coffee table.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book/reserve a table?

We do not offer table reservations in The Coffee House. There are plenty of places to sit across Levels -1 (where The Coffee House is situated), -2 and the Ground Floor, as well as dedicated meetings spaces that you can book in advance (more information further below).

Can I bring my own food and drink into RSA House?

We have a delicious range of food and drinks available to purchase at RSA House. As we are a registered charity, the purchase of your food and drinks from The Coffee House directly supports our work and charitable mission as a social change organisation. We therefore do not permit externally purchased food and drink to be consumed at RSA House.

Do I need to be an RSA Fellow to visit?

The Coffee House and other public areas of RSA House are open to the public and not restricted to RSA Fellows. All visitors who aren’t Fellows will simply be asked to sign in at Reception on arrival.

Are there spaces to work in RSA House?

There are numerous spaces where you can bring your laptop and work within RSA House on the ground floor and lower levels, including in The Coffee House. When The Coffee House is busy, the tables in this area should be prioritised for those consuming food and drink.

Can I hold a meeting in RSA House?

There are public areas in which you can hold small informal meetings, though please be respectful of others using the same space.

If you intend to have a larger meeting, consider booking one of our dedicated meeting spaces in advance:

  • You can request to book either the Dame Caroline Haslett Collaboration Room or The Steps for your meeting or event, free of charge, for up to three hours within The Coffee House’s opening hours. Please do so via this link. Please note that due to the number of bookings received, it may take up to a week for us to respond to your request.
  • RSA House also has a selection of private meeting rooms available to hire for a half day, full day or evening, including the Long Gallery and Dr Cross Room. To find out more, please contact our Venue Sales Team at house@rsa.org.uk.

RSA Library update

The library is open for Fellows and visitors to RSA House.

We are able to issue loans by post and books can be returned using our freepost service.

 

Join our community

Learn more about Fellowship. We value all who champion curiosity, creativity and courage to inspire better ways of thinking, acting and delivering change.

Two people talking at a table with coffee cups. One, wearing a colorful top, gestures with hands. The other, in a blue shirt with a lanyard, listens and smiles. A table with promotional materials is in the background.

What’s on

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SHORTIES

20 Sep 2024 At the House At the House