At the far end of the ICA from its main entrance on The Mall, on a small mezzanine tucked underneath seemingly unnecessarily heavy girders between the skylights and with windows overlooking St James's Park, this white painted (floor included!) and white furnished cafe cum bar has no cask ales, but offers a couple of draught keg beers. Snacks are available throughout bar opening hours.

Adjacent seating areas on the ground floor below, by way of contrast paved in dark stone, provide a buzzer facility, for those that are unable to climb the steps to the bar itself, to summon staff for table service. Whilst the surroundings of the bar-canteen were, in the 1960s, hewn Modernistically out of the basements of Carlton House Terrace, a visit to the Upper Gallery, if open, affords a glimpse of interior of the elegant John Nash house above.

The ICA seeks, through its programme of radical art/cultural exhibitions, films and other events, to engage mostly the younger generation of both audiences and artists. Day membership, providing entry to exhibition spaces as well as to the bar, is available for a modest fee, reduced to zero for that day's ticket holders, for concessions and for everyone after the exhibitions close each day (generally at 6pm, but at 9pm on Thursdays) and all day on Tuesdays. Note that the ICA does not open at all on Mondays, and the 'phone number has limited answering hours, see venue website.