Last Tuesdays at RIBA

66 Portland Place is one of central London’s hidden gems – unless you’re an architect, of course – and its doors are now open for late-night exploration once a month.

The gloriously grand 1930s building is home to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA); it’s a quietly arty space that hosts architecture exhibitions throughout the year and is open to the public. Last Tuesdays – a programme of evening talks, curator-led tours and film screenings, and special offers on the last Tuesday of every month – are the perfect time to explore what’s on or just chill out with a drink in the glamorous Art Deco surroundings.

Tuesday night’s a good choice, too; while many of London’s arts institutions have extended opening hours on Thursdays or Fridays, 66 Portland Place has chosen a weekday that’s not going to be competing with late-night shopping or end-of-the-week drinks. On the night I visited, the curator’s tour of the current RIBA exhibition, A Place to Call Home (open until 28 April), was packed.

Tracing the history of Britain’s homes from the Georgian era to the present day, the show explores the experiments in architecture, and politics, that have shaped the way we live today. From Victorian slums to the suburban dream, the Right to Buy and high-rise living, it contains plenty of archive material from the RIBA’s own collections, as well as original sketches, photos and films charting a nation’s obsession with home ownership.

Co-curated by TV presenter Sarah Beeny, the exhibition ties in with the RIBA’s campaign to improve the quality of new-build housing; it’s less technical and more political than the RIBA’s usual shows, and well worth a visit.

As well as curators’ tours, Last Tuesdays also feature talks and debates throughout the evening (most of them free to attend), and visitors can claim discounts on purchases from the bookshop and special offers on food and drink. The Florence Hall restaurant is a well-kept secret; usually only open for lunch, it now serves dinner on Tuesday evenings too.

With its slick semi-circle banquettes and super-high ceilings, it’s an impressive and elegant space, and with an exhibition in the middle, it’s also a bit like eating in an art gallery. The menu is short and seasonal, featuring a la carte dishes such as Yorkshire venison and Cornish pollack, as well as light snacks and a fixed-price set menu.

For me, though, the best thing about a visit to Last Tuesdays is the chance to enjoy the building itself. From the vast staircase to the vintage-green lifts, carvings and cathedral-like windows, it really is a stunning space that has lost none of its charm and originality.

The next Last Tuesdays event is on 24 April. See the website for full details of events.

The Royal Institute of British Architects
66 Portland Place
Marylebone
W1B 1AD

Tel: 020 7580 5533