I had a great time eating here before my trip to the museum! While you don't need a ticket to eat here, it seems like most of the time, they don't have non-visitors eating here. People who eat here still have to pass the ticket booth and coat check areas. I think this somewhat detracts from the convenience of eating here but it's perfect for museum goers. The food looks surprisingly good. I really enjoyed my shrimp piccata. It was very flavorful and had a strong lemony caper taste. The penne was really good and i loved the asparagus, it was bite size and very juicy! read more

Cafe G - Shrimp piccata - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Excellent service, bright atmosphere and delicious food. It is a limited seasonal menu but we enjoyed every bite! A perfect complement to our time at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. read more

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" Cafe G is all that & a bag of chips " This place is so good . Prices are $20 and under for a meal for the most part . Cookies are the best kept secret in town , so good . Staff were friendly, and attentive. The vibe is very welcoming. The portion size is good . You can also get alcoholic drinks here . Parking is difficult but manageable. Always read signs before parking . read more

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We visited the Gardner museum for a free First Thursday event. We had missed dinner and found that the museum cafe was open so we stopped in. We loved the decor and the employees were pleasant and friendly. My friend enjoyed the salmon Caesar salad and I enjoyed my potato leek and cheese quiche. We shared vanilla olive oil cake for dessert. We were pleased with the variety of menu selections. Great food option if you're visiting the museum or in the area. Service was fast as the menu itens don't require a lot of prep time. read more

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Wonderful service, we sat outside in the beautiful shady yard, I had salmon Caesar salad which was just a bit bland, and my friend ate the spicy tofu plate with hummus and quinoa salad which looked fantastic, and she loved it. We drank peaflower iced tea which is blue and turns purple when you put lemon in it, a first for us. For dessert, olive oil cake and chocolate pudding with granola and blueberries and coffee. Lovely sitting outside on a perfect summer day. The museum is also gorgeous with medieval collections and a fabulous garden. read more

Cafe G - Pea flower Iced Tea - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My wife and I popped in the Cafe G near closing time after wrapping up our visit to the Gardner Museum. The dining room was all windows with wooden chairs and tabletops. Despite all the hard surfaces, the noise level was OK, and we had no difficulties conversing. Our server was delightful and helped us with the menu. My wife and I wanted a drink and something to munch on. We ended up with two glasses of a tasty Côte de Rhone, a passionfruit cheesecake, and a dark chocolate pudding with crumbled Graham crackers. The passionfruit cheesecake was the clear winner. It was full of flavor and yummy. The pudding was also good. You can't go wrong pairing chocolate with red wine. Prices were a little steep but so is everything else these days. Hopefully some of this goes towards the museum. read more

Cafe G - Dark chocolate pudding with berries and Graham crackers. - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Was pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of the food and drinks given this is a museum cafe! We had the salmon caesar salad and pesto shells with burrata, and both were light enough to eat on a hot day and portions were generous. We also tried the sangria and the sparkling cava - the sangria was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I found the cava to be nice and refreshing. I thought prices were reasonable at roughly $30 pp for an entree and a drink at a museum. Service was a bit spotty but friendly, and we sat outside, which was nice. read more

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After experiencing the beauty and culture of the Palace and Courtyard of the Isabella Gardner Museum and visiting their gift shop the convenience of this eatery is convenient and a good choice. Check in at the front podium and you will be escorted to a table. The ordering and service is fast and efficient, My rigatoni had just the right amount of heat and the clam morsels and chorizo sausage bits were the first to go. Like a child I picked out all the American parsley I could and put them in a little heap on the top right of the dish, The sparking water with ginger syrup was good and refreshing and went well with the savory pasta. Hubs had a grilled chicken sandwich with salad. Great place to multitask: Yelp post and nourish your bod at the same time. after head to their indoor seating area and found it a good place to write out 4 postcards. I also bought postage stamps for them at the gift shop. Only thing no Mail Drop or post office according to an employee at the front. read more

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This spot is inside of the museum and some museum restaurants are stellar this one is kind of a meh. My server never looked at me when I was ordering, than another person came by to take my order.. ok Than the guy dropped of my drinks and my bill ok fine I guess. The quiche is not worth the price I cannot stress this enough not is the Rose' Sangria. I'm sure other things on the menu might be worth a try but it just seemed uninspired. Service is kind of wanky and the only person who had any personality was the hostess. I'd say try other stuff on the menu or find somewhere else too go. It's a meh read more

Cafe G - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I stopped in this lovely cafe for brunch while visiting the Isabella Stuart Gardener museum, and loved it! They have a "pea flower green" tea which actually pours blue in color (I'd never had blue tea before)! For food, they have a decent selection of cafe fare (think salads, sandwiches, light meals). I got the quiche which was delightful - the puff pastry was perfectly done and the filling was not too heavy. It came with a salad as well with some yummy dressing. The inside of the cafe is very clean and has a modern and elegant vibe - will definitely return when I visit the Gardner again! read more

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Just a restaurant located in a gorgeous museum! I think this is probably one of the better museum restaurants I've been to food-wise. We got two dishes for two people, which was more than enough. Their polenta was delicious and filling. It was interestingly cake-like and had a texture similar to mashed potatoes. The mushroom sauce paired perfectly with this, I just wish there was more! On the other hand, I didn't think the pita was anything special. The meat was hard to chew and flavorless, but I did like the hummus and veggies. Both portions were pretty large and we left on very full stomachs. They also had a lot of tables open and our food did come very quickly so convenience-wise, it's a great place to eat when you get hungry while perusing the museum! read more

Cafe G - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Disappointed in the cafe we visited this Wednesday. Quiche seemed to be a very ordinary factory-made item for $22, not a slice from a baked pie. Very little flavor. Accompanied by a plate of greens with a sharp dressing. Wife's salad was sprinkled with salt, confirmed by the server, never a good idea without notice. Wine prices were high, especially for a small serving. Pleasant setting outside. read more

What a great little spot right at the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum! Food, service and ambiance was top notch. We could walk around exploring the museum while waiting for our table to be ready as well, which is always a plus rather than having to wait in a line. Our small group of 4 loved the drink specials and the entrees we all ordered. Loved that they were also tied into the nasturtiums that were in bloom at the time as well! read more

Came here for a work lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Stay was very kind and courteous. We had a party of 5, the food arrived quickly. I can say the quiche was delicious. The menu isn't large but all of the options sounded wonderful it was hard to decide. All of my coworkers got something different and were all very pleased with their choices. I will definitely be coming back here! read more

Cafe G - Quiche (ingredients rotate frequently) with Greens, toasted chickpeas, red grapes - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Museum cafes can be hit or miss but this one was great for a birthday lunch. Went on the early side on a weekday and got a table right away. There are indoor and outdoor options. We both ordered the chilled salmon. It said it came with tabbouleh but it was more similar to a Greek salad. Everything was delicious and service was attentive and quick. Portion size was hearty and worth the price. read more

Cafe G - Salmon Salad - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Service was quick and friendly! The rigatoni was a bit too watery for my taste, but the polenta was delicious. Both dishes were very filling. read more

Cafe G - Crispy Semolina Polenta - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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My group opted to grab a bite to eat here after we were finished visiting the museum - mostly as a matter of convenience. We decided on sitting outside and were taken to an open table quickly. The menu is very limited. I opted for the cheese and prosciutto plate because I just didn't find that anything else sounded appetizing for a mid-day lunch. My friend got the fried chicken sandwich (which came with a spicy aleppo mayo), which he seemed to enjoy well enough. My mother ended up not getting anything to eat (again, nothing really appealed to her from the small menu) and simply enjoyed some items off my plate (and a bite of my friend's chicken sandwich), along with a Diet Coke. After getting our food, it was quite a while before we saw our server again. After realizing that she hadn't noticed us after a some time had passed since we finished, we had to make a special point to flag her down for the check. The check itself was on the high end... but it's hard to know if that's because it's Boston or because it's a museum eatery. *shrug* TL;DR Cafe G is fine if you're in a pinch or need something convenient after a couple hours in the museum. Otherwise, you can certainly do better. read more

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The food here is very overpriced for the quality. It's definitely not fresh but more premade and reheat it.

One of the best museum cafés! There are not many food options near the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum. Given the good reviews, we decided to try Café G or The Gardner Café. The café is in the entrance building off to the side. Three of the walls are floor to ceiling glass with semi transparent shades available. The café is full of basic tables with red chairs - the tables/chairs are well spaced and the feeling is light and airy. The hostess and wait staff are great and friendly! There was a large group of more than 30 that entered just before us but the café is quite large and there was plenty of seating and this did not impact our service. The paper menu is also your placemat and lists 8 entrees priced from $20-$24 with 3 desserts and then beverages including wine and beer. The sandwiches did seem overpriced for $21 but the other entrees seemed more reasonable. We opted for the shrimp piccata and pasta shells with grilled broccolini, crispy semolina polenta with cream mushrooms and ricotta and curry chicken and root vegetable stew. The shrimp pasta is an excellent choice with over 6 large shrimp and al dente pasta. The crispy polenta is a wonderful surprise in a lovely cream mushroom ricotta sauce. We were a little concerned that the chicken stew would be heavily curry flavored but the waitress assured it was mild and it is but it is a pretty basic dish. We opted for dessert and ordered the valrhona chocolate budino and oatmeal raisin cookies. The budino is chocolate heaven well balanced with blueberries and broken crunchy graham crackers - we licked the spoon and came pretty close to doing the same with the terra cotta dish. The 2 oatmeal raisin cookies were homemade and good but not sure we'd order again for $5. It was a terrific and enjoyable lunch. read more

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Amazing waitress and delicious food. We came right before close and she was incredibly patient and kind and joked around with us. read more

Cafe G - Braised Pork Chimmichanga - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Always the best! Tour the Palace! Enjoy the vast, eclectic collection and ongoing performances and exhibitions! Be inspired and soothed with the beauty and horticulture in the Courtyard and garden! Then, enjoy the restaurant! Nothing better in Boston! read more

This place was just okay. I ordered the Burrata and Ancient Grain Bowl for brunch on a Monday in late September 2021. Unfortunately, it was quite bland. So much so, that I had to ask for salt. They said the chef added lemon/lime but I couldn't taste it at all. I also got an English Breakfast Tea which came with cream and brown sugar on the side. It was nice little cafe inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Tons of natural light with glass for walls that look out into the garden. The service was good just didn't order the right thing, I guess. read more

Cafe G - Menu as of September 27th, 2021 - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Wow. This is probably the best dessert I've had in Boston. Inside a museum too! Their menu is limited but they have every dish nailed down. The prices are super affordable too and the serving size is huge. read more

Cafe G - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Cafe G is a great museum cafe. Not too pretentious, but also fancy feeling, and an interesting menu. The food is lighter fare, which will suit you well as you meander around the rest of the place. I had pumpkin soup and chickpea fries that came with a smokey dip. It was all incredibly tasty and flavorful and seasonal, and warming. Exactly what I was looking for on a brisk fall afternoon. The space is nice and relaxing, and doesn't get too loud. Good for people watching, as museums often are. Especially though, the staff was just awesome. Friendly, engaging, super professional and also relaxing. Top notch hiring that team. Also had fun watching them all interact with each other. Seems like an excellent crew running the show. Thanks for lunch! read more

Cafe G - Pumpkin soup and chickpea fries - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This cafe in a "glass box" is within the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. The menu is small but there was something foe everyone in our party The server told me the quiche was the most popular menu item. I know why! I ordered it and it was cheesy with a fluffy interior studded with zucchini. I loved it. The crust was very good too. To offset the richness of the quiche a salad with a lemon vinaigrette was a perfect pairing. I only give it 4 stars because it was pricey- but it does support a fantastic museum! read more

Cafe G - Delightful! - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The restaurant food was excellent, with limited choice but outstanding. Drinks and desserts are great too. The servers here suck, definitely the rudest I have ever encountered. The place was not that busy, and you needed to serve my check at the same time you served my food. also the menu paper was left there the whole time and the server pretended he didn't care!? read more

Cafe G - Mussel Rigatoni - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Good restaurant for a meal at one of the most famous museums in USA. The clam bellies and rigatoni pasta was good. I didn't get enough clam bellies so I also got some broth and it was tasty. The Sav Blanc was good too. I will return! Fun, attentive waitstaff too! read more

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First time at this fabulous museum. I got hungry and decided to have lunch at Cafe G the on-site cafe at the museum. You can sit indoors or outdoors and on this day while it was a bit overcast it was very comfortable. I ordered a Crispy Polenta with mushroom sauce and baby greens. To accompany the polenta I goat a Sauvignon Blanc which the fruitiness of the wine complemented the polenta well. As for the polenta it was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The texture of the polenta was almost cake-like. Service was very quick and very attentive - not what I expected for a museum cafe. read more

Cafe G - Crispy Polenta - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food was good but not fabulous. Tea was excellent. Price fixe was$33 and they let us upgrade to the salmon salad. Was ok, but a bit over priced at $26. Youre paying for the atmosphere of the museum around you, which is really nice, but the food just doesn't measure up. They should enhance the plates a little more, maybe up the serving size or offer bread w/olive oil or something to make you feel like you're really dining. read more

Cafe G was the setting for a friend's birthday celebration and it was exactly what she wanted. We ordered pork belly, deviled eggs, and the flatbeard. It was delicious, very classy, and the swanky meal you'll want to treat your friend to on their birthday! They also had a good wine selection to pair with their dishes. One of the best parts of the restaurant is that you're right in the museum! We were able to eat, drink, and follow it up with a night time stroll through the museum. It was emptier than usual, so we were able to move with ease. The courtyard also looked amazing lit with the moonlight. Though it was emptier than expected, a reservation can't hurt. It's a small place so if you're a large group, you should call ahead. A helpful tip, as far as I know, they're only open late on Thursday. read more

Cafe G - Pork belly - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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good service and ambiance, the banana bread pudding is amazing and i highly recommend that!

It is a bit crowded most of the time and it's pretty expensive, but they're fast and the food is really tasty and filling. read more

Cafe G - Creamy mushroom polenta - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Made my man nipples quiver with delight. This is the only cafe that would let me in with my disability (crumpled toe syndrome), all other cafes in the area beat me and kicked me out when they got a look at my little piggies. read more

Cafe G - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love a good museum cafe and this one was extra good. We enjoyed covered outside seating which was perfect on a slightly rainy day and we got to look at the cool museum facade and some greenery while eating. They have lots of indoor seating but there were too many unmasked patrons in there for my comfort. The service was friendly and efficient. It was a little busy so they took our cell # and texted us when our table was ready - so we did a little museum-shop shopping while waiting. I loved the Crispy Semolina Polenta with creamy mushroom sauce! It had great texture and rich mushroomy flavor. I highly recommend. My dining companions both had the Fried Chicken Sandwich served with salad and were very happy. read more

Lovely setting, delicious food, and great service. Great place to while away the early afternoon.

We had a lovely meal at Cafe G after spending hours enjoying the museum. Fun menu. 3 course prix fixe available for $35. Friendly service. Complimentary popovers. Ordered: Toasted beef brisket sandwich ($16) - German mustard, pickled cabbage and ciabatta Steamed mussel and farm egg tartine ($10) - brioche, nasturtium aioli, shaved radish Quinoa and sausage stuffed quail ($23) - nasturtium, sunchoke, kumquat agrodolce Spring dug parsnip cake ($8) - rhubarb and nasturtium ice cream Dining here added to our experience at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. Would recommend. read more

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Stopped by for a bite at Cafe G after visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Service was great overall, we were seated, ordered food and received good all within 15 minutes. The staff was very attentive and efficient. We ordered the winter sangria, which was delicious. We got the olive tapenade to start, which was great. We also ordered the fig, blue cheese flatbread and the brisket sandwich--both were very presentable and tasted better than anticipated. Overall would highly recommend stopping here when at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for a quick bite. read more

Cafe G - Gig, blue cheese and arugula flatbread - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Really bad service, nice on the surface but mean and had a really short fuse. Super overpriced, do not eat here save your money

Few museums have much in the way of fine dining (NYC's Museum of Modern Art's fantastic "Bar Room at the Modern" and the Michelin-starred "The Modern", being a notable exception). But as museum food goes, the charming Cafe G is actually very good. I would even recommend it for a romantic lunch before or after visiting one of my favorite, quirky museums in the world. Good food, good wine, good service, in a pleasant, not too loud setting with an open atmosphere through floor-to-ceiling windows. Discounted parking at the Simons School of Management garage a couple of blocks away. Note, the previous Chef has apparently left and returned to Russia, so his Sous Chef has now been promoted. The only challenge is getting a seat. We arrived exactly when they opened at 11:15AM on a Saturday, but by 12N they were packed. You can call in advance for a reservation, or put your name down and they will give you a buzzer that rings when your table is ready. Located just down the hall from the main entrance in the new Gardner wing (used to be in a different location). You can order a la carte, or a 3 course Pre Fixe is $35 and currently includes: WINTER CITRUS & FENNEL SALAD: Goat cheese, sumac, walnut ROASTED LOCAL SWORDFISH: Romanesco, capers, truffle butter FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE: Cranberry, vanilla bean ice cream read more

Cafe G - ROASTED LOCAL SWORDFISH: Romanesco, capers, truffle butter ($23) at the charming Café G - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great for a museum restaurant and nicest option in the area for lunch. Food is good to great. You'll occasionally get something phenomenal and atleast decent. The portion size is huge. You likely won't need an app unless you're splitting them. The iced teas are interesting and refreshing. The chicken salad is always a solid go to and uses creme fresh instead of mayo (though I suspect a tad of mayo). The salmon flatbread is basically a medium sized pizza of goodness. The osso buco is always done well. Don't sleep on the desserts. The location and vibe is modern and green. The restaurant is playfully located to be in the shade mid-day so enjoy the outside. The flatware to plastic chairs are all artful. Service is good as one would expect at these prices. Nothing too snoody though and always helpful and gracious. Less expensive prices would be nice but perhaps that'd bring down the quality. Don't go on a Tuesday. They're closed. read more

Cafe G - Chicken salad - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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