Tate Britain is one of London's most famous art galleries. Although the opening of Tate Modern in 2000 rather deflected media attention from the original Tate, the annual controversy that is the Turner Prize guarantees that it is never overlooked.

Tate Britain was opened in 1897 and the gallery is situated on Millbank about a five minute walk from Pimlico tube station. The permanent collection covers British artists from 1500 right up until the present day and can be viewed for free. With iconic works by such luminaries as Hogarth, Blake, Turner, Gainsborough, Stubbs, David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Tracey Emin, the gallery is a fantastic testament to Britain's artistic heritage.

Despite the amazing quality of the permanent collection, it is probably the regular programme of major art exhibitions that really draws in the crowds. Exhibitions vary from thematic surveys to individual retrospectives, but are always distinguished by the clarity of the layout and the mass of accompanying information.

Tate Britain is one of Spoonfed's Best Galleries in London. Click to see the full list.

Click here to see what's on over at Tate Modern.