Is Victoria and Alberts ever coming back?

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
I get that vibe from the original look, but certainly not the new refurbishment.

Are we all looking at different images? Am I crazy...

Yeah, I don't think the refurb is very good -- it screams faux luxury to me, like something you'd see at a mid-level Vegas hotel -- but it doesn't look like a funeral home.

The original look wasn't very good either, but it at least tried to evoke a Victorian setting in a way this does not.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
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Let see...

Recessed canned lighting isn't very Victorian. In general, I hate hate recessed canned lighting, and it is especially out of place here. You can see how the canned light shines on the wall as if it were a spotlight... but it's not lighting anything up. There should be miniature crystal chandeliers instead.

Too many shades of taupe. Change the background of the walls to a dark blue-grey slate and make the relief gold leaf. There should be more gold accents, like the frame of the mirror.

The chairs' arms should be upholstered and the fabric of the chairs a dark blue.

Too many buffet tables scattered all over the place. The ones by the pillars should be built into the pillar like it was an extension of the low walls between the pillars. And paint them white so they blend in. The natural wood is a sore thumb.
 

mdcpr

Well-Known Member
We must be of different worlds. The photo you provided screams tacky and old to me.

The updated Victoria and Albert's gives me opulence, rich, clean, and bright. Exactly what I expect from an establishment of its ilk.


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That's why everyone has different taste. The picture I shared is from Celeste--one of the most expensive restaurants in London. And while the restaurant is French, it has a more English look. If it wasn't French cuisine, it could have been a nice addition to the V&A museum.
 

erstwo

Well-Known Member
Either way - back to discussing the decor for V&A - a restaurant I have never been to and have no current plans to visit, but evidently feel I have the right to give my inputs on it's recent redecoration! 😂
 
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UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Those smaller areas in the photos look much better than the main room, although I think not being able to see the carpet is a big part of why for the fireplace shot.
 
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Ansem

Member
The details in fixtures/wallpaper/etc are really well done, but the colors are making this feel really dated to me: there's next to no contrast or vibrancy, which is giving me some funeral/wedding vibes, and feels like a space for my grandmother or grandfather instead of something strictly elegant or specifically themed (maybe that's intentional?)

Overall it's not terrible, though, just not what I expected or what I'd have run with.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
The details in fixtures/wallpaper/etc are really well done, but the colors are making this feel really dated to me: there's next to no contrast or vibrancy, which is giving me some funeral/wedding vibes, and feels like a space for my grandmother or grandfather instead of something strictly elegant or specifically themed (maybe that's intentional?)

Overall it's not terrible, though, just not what I expected or what I'd have run with.

This is essentially my complaint too. It's not really themed to the Victorian era, which is okay if they decided they wanted to build a luxury space instead. But then they didn't really build a high-end luxury space either, so it's just kind of bland and doesn't really do anything at all.
 

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
I am excited to visit again, but only when I can get the chef's table. (We missed that last time, but were in the small room.)

It's a nice refresh, and like everything else, it's temporary. I don't know why we have to act like everything is "the way it will be forever."

The people who enjoyed it the old way got to appreciate that. The people who enjoy it this way will appreciate it this way, and some other people will appreciate it after the next refresh. There is 100% no way to please everyone all the time. It's a clean look, strikingly different from the old look (which matters when trying to have a "wow" moment, often more than details.) I'm not a design expert and have no reason to pretend to be one.
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
I am excited to visit again, but only when I can get the chef's table. (We missed that last time, but were in the small room.)

It's a nice refresh, and like everything else, it's temporary. I don't know why we have to act like everything is "the way it will be forever."

The people who enjoyed it the old way got to appreciate that. The people who enjoy it this way will appreciate it this way, and some other people will appreciate it after the next refresh. There is 100% no way to please everyone all the time. It's a clean look, strikingly different from the old look (which matters when trying to have a "wow" moment, often more than details.) I'm not a design expert and have no reason to pretend to be one.

I’ve designed a lot of places on Sims, so I’d like to think of myself as a design expert at this point

😉😝
 

RoadiJeff

Well-Known Member
I am excited to visit again, but only when I can get the chef's table. (We missed that last time, but were in the small room.)

It's a nice refresh, and like everything else, it's temporary. I don't know why we have to act like everything is "the way it will be forever."

The people who enjoyed it the old way got to appreciate that. The people who enjoy it this way will appreciate it this way, and some other people will appreciate it after the next refresh. There is 100% no way to please everyone all the time. It's a clean look, strikingly different from the old look (which matters when trying to have a "wow" moment, often more than details.) I'm not a design expert and have no reason to pretend to be one.
I guess I don't understand the attraction for the chef's table in the kitchen. We ate there several years ago during the Christmas holidays. We were seated in the main dining room and a lady was playing Christmas carols on a harp throughout the evening. It was a beautiful experience and something the diners in the small room or at the chef's table missed out on.
 

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't understand the attraction for the chef's table in the kitchen. We ate there several years ago during the Christmas holidays. We were seated in the main dining room and a lady was playing Christmas carols on a harp throughout the evening. It was a beautiful experience and something the diners in the small room or at the chef's table missed out on.
Sure, it's all about which experience you prefer! I'm not going out of my way for a harp. Not against doing the main dining room one day.

Last time we went, it was for a special occasion and we wanted the Chef's Table for the more personalized experience. Since that was unavailable, we went with the smaller room. We enjoyed that very much! Only 3 of the 4 tables were full, so just 2 other couples in there with us, and we ended up engaging in a little small talk, which I'm sure wouldn't have happened in the dining room. It was the night before a big hurricane, so we were all talking about that.

So the chef's table is unfinished business for us!
 

LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
Sure, it's all about which experience you prefer! I'm not going out of my way for a harp. Not against doing the main dining room one day.

Last time we went, it was for a special occasion and we wanted the Chef's Table for the more personalized experience. Since that was unavailable, we went with the smaller room. We enjoyed that very much! Only 3 of the 4 tables were full, so just 2 other couples in there with us, and we ended up engaging in a little small talk, which I'm sure wouldn't have happened in the dining room. It was the night before a big hurricane, so we were all talking about that.

So the chef's table is unfinished business for us!
You'll love the Chef's Table! We were able to get it for our anniversary a few years ago, and it was awesome. Being able to chat with the chefs while they were preparing the meal was just the best. And Chef Amy explained in detail all that went into each dish that we were served. We'll be trying for the Chef's Table for our next anniversary, and we are hoping for luck, as it falls on day 8 of our trip.

We were in the Queen Victoria's room for our last anniversary prior to COVID, and it was great as well. We've done the main dining room as well a few times, and have no issues with that either.
 

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