Wallace CollectionvsSir John Soane's Museum
Both are recommended by professional reviewers writing for major publications. Overall, Sir John Soane's Museum ranks marginally higher than Wallace Collection. Sir John Soane's Museum comes in at #4 in London with endorsements from 14 reviews including Michelin Guide, Lonely Planet and Travel + Leisure.
Wallace Collection
Fodor's
Concierge
Frommer's
Let's Go
Michelin Guide
Condé Nast Traveler
Travel + Leisure
Time Out
Afar Magazine Frommer's
Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
From $0/night
Fodor's "This exquisite labyrinth of an art gallery is housed in Hertford House, an 18th-century mansion that was bequeathed to the nation, along with its contents, by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace." Full review
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Stay for lunch at the restaurant, which is elegantly sited in a glass-roofed courtyard.
Concierge "A treat along the lines of the Frick in New York, wherein the setting is as much of a draw as the art, the Wallace Collection is spread out over the 28 rooms of a gracious mansion in the West End."
Frommer's "This collection, built up over 2 centuries by one of London's leading aristocratic families, is a contrasting array of art and armaments." Full review
Let's Go "The ground floor’s four Armoury Galleries boast scads of richly decorated weapons and burnished suits of armor, while the State Rooms hold a collection of sumptuous Sèvres porcelain. " Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"The largest private art collection, bequeathed to the nation in 1900, can be found in Hertford House, a beautiful private mansion in Marylebone." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Tucked inside a townhouse in Marylebone, this small but impressive collection boasts French and Dutch paintings, furniture, and decorative objects from the 15th-18th centuries." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Housed in a former estate home, the collection of Titian, Rembrandt, and Velázquez also features a vast amount of shiny knights’ armour." Full review
Time Out "This handsome house, built in 1776, contains an exceptional collection of eighteenth-century French furniture, paintings and objets d'art, as well as an amazing array of medieval armour and weaponry." Full review
Afar Magazine "This elegant town-house gallery is one of the capital’s lesser-known art spots, but it's simply packed with priceless paintings, furniture and porcelain." Full review
Frommer's "A little bit V&A (decorative arts and furniture), a little bit National Gallery (paintings and portraits), but with a boutique French flair, the Wallace celebrates fine living in an extravagant 19th-century city mansion, the former Hertford House" Full review
Sir John Soane's Museum Fodor's Concierge Travel + Leisure
Not For Tourists Michelin Guide
Departures
National Geographic Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
Atlas Obscura Show All Reviews
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn, London WC2A 3BP
From $0/night
Fodor's "Everywhere, mirrors and colors play tricks with light and space, and split-level floors worthy of a fairground funhouse disorient you." Full review
Concierge "A wonderful fun house designed and inhabited by Sir John Soane (1753–1837), Royal Academy professor and architect of the Bank of England, among other buildings."
Travel + Leisure "Wonderfully hodgepodge collection of art and ancient sculpture in the wildly Victorian private house-museum of Sir John Soane." Full review
Not For Tourists "Spooky museum dedicated to the great 18th century architect."
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"On entering, visitors are immersed in the world of the museum's creator, Sir John Soane (1753-1837), the great architect of the Regency period." Full review
Departures "This extensive Georgian house pays homage to the legendary Grand Tour." Full review
National Geographic "Vast, varied collection of art and architecture crammed into three town houses." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The former home of architect Sir John Soane is one of the quirkiest museums in London." Full review
Travel + Leisure "John Soanes was a prominent 19th century architect." Full review
Atlas Obscura "A cluttered and astounding collection of antiquities and curiosities. " Full review
