Museums & Attractions

Best restaurants for Mother's Day

Mother's Day gift guide

Manet to Picasso
Rehung at the National Gallery, you can't go wrong with the classic prettiness of the Impressionists.
Manet to Picasso, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2 (020 7747 2885). Adm free.

Babbling Bulbs
Kew Gardens is in its element at this time of year - 5 million bulbs bloom, forming a purple and white crocus carpet, a daffodil parade on the Broadwalk and a wild mountain flower extravaganza in the Alpine House. New interactive exhibits let you call and get info from horticultural experts as you move through the plant displays.
Kew Gardens, Kew Road, Surrey, TW9 (020 8332 5655). Adm £9.50, concs £6.50, under-17s free.
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RHS London Orchid Show
Admire thousands of varieties of the highly sought after flowers, including exotic hybrids, rare species and traditional favourites. Then buy one for your ma.
RHS London Orchid Show, RHS Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, SW1 (0845 612 1253). Mar 16-18. Adm £8 (Fri)/£5, mems £3 (Sat & Sun).

Bramah Tea and Coffee Museum
Discovering the history of your favourite brew is thirsty work, so follow a wander round the exhibits with a pot of assam and cream cakes in the tea shop.
Bramah Tea & Coffee Museum, 40 Southwark Street, Bankside, SE1 (020 7403 5650). Adm £5, concs £3.50, family ticket (2 adults, 4 children) £10.

Alfie's Antique Market
Lose yourself (literally, as the labyrinthine layout can be disorientating) in an afternoon hunting out vintage finds for the home - ornate chandeliers, delicate china, deco mirrors and old advertising posters are typical treasures you might unearth.
Alfie's Antique Market, 13-25 Church Street, NW8 (020 7723 6066).

Afternoon tea at The Wolseley

Afternoon Tea at The Wolseley
Suitably sophisticated and not too stuffy, The Wolseley's Art Deco grandness is a great excuse to get dressed up in the middle of the day. Buttery scones, cucumber sandwiches, dinky pastries and endless refills of silver tea pots come in at a not-too-steep £18.50 per person.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7499 6996).

Books for Cooks
Culinarily inclined mums will be in alimentary heaven flicking through the shelves of cookery books, foodie fiction and nutrition tomes at this specialised bookshop. There's a café at the back that sells the products that emerge from the test kitchen from noon onwards.
Books for Cooks, 4 Blenheim Crescent, W11 (020 7221 1992).

The Berkeley Spa
For the ultimate in luxurious lounging, Knightsbridge is the neighbourhood to head for. The spa at the Berkeley Hotel is reliably professional, with all the massages, body scrubs, manis, pedis, steam rooms and saunas necessary to put the stresses of the city far from your mind.
The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1 (020 7235 6000). Prices vary; a 25-min massage costs £40.

Hampton Court Palace
A walk around this regal pad - a mix of Tudor and English Baroque architecture - is bound to lift the spirits. If the weather decides to be kind, you could try navigating the maze. There's a Mother's Day weekend exhibition titled Florimania in the stately environs of the Queen's Apartments - 40 artful flower displays such as Greek and Roman garlands, Japanese cherry blossom presntations, and bouquets in Dutch Renaissance, Tudor and English cottage garden style.
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 (0870 7515 175). Florimania: Mar 16-19. Adm £12.30, concs £10, children (5-15) £8, under-fives free, family ticket (2 adults & 3 children) £36.40. Discounts available on advance tickets.

The Geffrye Museum © Morley Von Sternberg

Geffrye Museum
This modest museum has sweet recreations of British living rooms through the ages. The current exhibition, 'Home and Garden', features domestic spaces in paintings and drawings from 1914 to 1960. The exhibition includes works by Vanessa Bell, Walter Sickert and Paul Nash, focusing on the English middle classes. On March 21 you can also take a tour of the historic almshouse.
Geffrye Museum, Kinglsland Road, E2 (020 7739 9893). Adm free. Tours £2, Friends £1, under-16s free.

Best restaurants for Mother's Day

Mother's Day gift guide