Pleasantly surprised meal at the Garden Cafe, downstairs at the National Gallery of Art in DC. Order and pay at the counter, and the staff will bring your food to your table. A couple of people in my party got the French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which came with a cup of soup. I had the Chicken Pesto Flatbread, and we also got an assortment of sweets, including a red velvet cookie, chocolate croissant, apple turnover, and the special Yuzu Cheesecake. The portions were large and we enjoyed our meal. read more

See all

The GARDEN CAFE is located in the below-lobby level of the National Gallery of Art. The fountain is surrounded by some tables and the lighting is diffuesed. There is more seating in a room behind the counter. There is a line to order but the workers work quickly. AVOCADO TOAST was large and the toppings make it delicious. The avocado itself is not seasoned. The bread is very good. The accompanying salad is well dressed. TOMATO MOZZARELLA FLATBREAD was also large and filling. It had whole pieces of tomatoes and mozzarella. The balsamic dressing is sweet and tangy. The bread itself is not rubbery. The same salad accompanied this order. The CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE is large and full of chocolate chunks, not chips. The CHERRY BLOSSOM SPRITZER was a welcome afternoon pick-me-upper. It's not alcoholic; it's basically a sparkling juice. read more

See all

We got on the line in the cafeteria at the National Gallery of Art. The menu was posted and the bakery items looked delicious. My husband ordered the flatbread and I ordered the curry chicken toast. We were given a number , shared a table and waited for our lunch to be brought over. Lunch was generous & tasty. It was nothing to write home about but was substantial. Surprised many brought their own sandwiches & drinks sitting at tables here. read more

See all

A very nice place to eat in the National Gallery of Art The Garden Café at the National Gallery of Art is a convenient and pleasant place to eat during a museum visit. It is located on the lower level of the museum, right behind the north entrance, which makes it easy to find when you're ready for a break. The café offers a fair selection of food, including tacos, salads, and flatbread pizzas, with most entrées priced around $15-20. Our group tried the BBQ taco set, a salad, and two flatbread pizzas. The tacos and pizzas were a big hit and very enjoyable, while the salad itself was fine but the dressing was not really to our liking. Seating is spread across two rooms, mostly with four-person tables, so it works well for small groups or families. One room features a calming water element in the center, while the other is simply a nice, quiet dining space. The ordering process is easy--you order and pay first, then the staff brings the food directly to your table. The staff members were very friendly, and the food came out quickly, which was great when we wanted to get back to exploring the museum. Overall, the Garden Café is a solid dining option with good food, pleasant seating, and helpful service. read more

Garden Cafe - Counter - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

See all

Desperately needed caffeine while exploring the National Gallery of Art. Grabbed a couple of lattes and a pain au chocolat at the cafe inside. Definitely wasn't expecting that much and was surprised that they had glass cups and saucers for our drinks. Portions were small for the price but it was just what we needed. Service was very quick and there's plenty of seating in the bright, open atrium. read more

Garden Cafe - Latte - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

Quick, friendly service. You order at the counter, pick up your drinks at the counter and then get a number to take to your table for food to be delivered. Food was good and was a nice, fast option within the National Gallery of Art. read more

Garden Cafe - Autumn Harvest Salad and Franc Perry drink - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

See all

We came in as soon as it opened and it's a lovely place for brunch. This is the best time to come because it can get crowded really fast in there. We got a Burrata Tomato Arugula salad, Tuna Pokè, and an Ice matcha latte with oat milk. Everything was delicious and the portion sizes were big for the prices. The Iced Matcha Latte was very sweet, which I am a big fan of. One thing that was a bit strange though is that they had exposed water cups sitting at room temperature behind the machines ready to hand out for when people ask for water. read more

Garden Cafe - Burrata Tomato Arugula salad. Pokè tuna. Ice matcha latte with oat milk. - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

Stopped in while checking out the art museum. The menu is limited but I ordered the chicken pesto flatbread, my wife ordered the avocado toast. That bread was very good, chicken was a Little dry. The avocado toast was tought to cut, needed a serated knife. She said it tasted good, but had to work on it. read more

The weekend buffet is small in variety, but compared to the past is better quality and has something for everyone. Food options rotate seasonally. Staff does a good job keeping the buffet from getting dry, overcooked, cold or soggy. It could be more tidy however. The charcuterie was very good, with the cabrales blue cheese being the most prominent/tantalizing this cheese lover's ever had. Our server Senedu was so friendly and efficient, and highly recommended. Our only disappointment was the desserts, which were dry and/or underwhelming. But overall food & service compensated, especially the ambiance: hushed noise level, imposing fountain, lighting, sculptures & high ceilings...an experience hard to beat anywhere else. read more

See all

In terms of best food bang for your buck, you should come here (National museum of art). They serve lunch buffet style for only $20.75 per person AND its really well prepared classy dishes. Clean, fast service. We came when they had a Russian theme based on the new art meets ballet Russian exhibition so we had caviar, beef stroganoff, pastry lined salmon, and other yummy stuff. Russian black bread was delicious. Go there early or you might get stuck in a line. Sometimes your server writes your tip in but today ours didn't. Guess depends on your luck. read more

See all

The Garden Cafe is located just inside the main entrance of the National Gallery of Art. I posted some pictures so make sure you check them out- I wasn't sure what to expect when I found it online. I chose to do the lunch buffet for $20.75 and it was worth it to try a variety. There were people working very hard to refill the buffet, clean up spills and clear off tables- I was impressed by how hard they seemed to be working. But I was halfway through my meal before someone stopped by my table and asked if I wanted something to drink and then it was 10 more minutes before my water arrived. I thought the restaurant was quite warm- it was one of the first warm days in DC but it felt a little humid and uncomfortable. But the food was excellent! The bread was fresh and soft (no butter, though; I'm thinking it was to soak up the sauces), the coq au vin very tender and flavorful, the tomato tartlet interesting and tasty, the shaved carrots were surprisingly good and the salad was in big pieces and hard to eat but also good. I didn't try the cheese or the salmon but those seemed very popular. I LOVED the chocolate mousse and was thrilled when they brought me a recipe card of it- I will definitely try making it. It's a pretty place with tiny tables. It was a treat to try the different food. I would definitely recommend the buffet over the ala carte menu so you can try more than one thing (and as much chocolate mousse as your little heart desires!) read more

See all

The main issue with this cafe is their drinks. Their matcha latte's taste bad and their hot chocolate is more foam than drink. Not the mention the drink portions are tiny. Their food is both bad but i had to purchase water additionally to the drinks i had just bought just to be able to enjoy my food. read more

I was pleased with my meal at Garden Cafe. I was hesitant to try it with only 3 stars, but I was looking for something conveniently located in the smithsonian and was pleasantly surprised. It's not a huge buffet but there are definitely enough choices to fill your plate. The main meat dish, which was chicken today, was a little dry but everything else was very good and of good quality. Not a typical buffet. Our service was perfectly fine. I thought the waitress was very nice. Atmosphere was probably the best part of the experience. Very pretty and French-like. Would definitely come back. read more

See all

Judged by the standards of a museum cafe, this one is not bad at all. Located in the central location of the lowest level in the National Gallery of Arts, this eatery has all you need to recharge yourself while staying close to an action. Ambience is great, food as expected. The only drawback is that the place is frequently crowded even off-season. If you prefer to have more space, walk toward the East Wing (modern art) - there is another cafe in the tunnel and yet another on the second floor of the East Wing. read more

Very slow and very mediocre. I waited 10 minutes for my coffee (after waiting 10 minutes to order). The croissant I got was also tough and dry. Food is bad, Service is slow. read more

I don't think this place will suit everyone's taste buds. It's mostly bread, cheese, sliced meats, and some rustic French soups. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/H66V6CY2X3SEN8KMpT_UVg?select=2ilQu5WyET2yhM4N6Uq38A That being said, this place won't be towards everyone's liking especially children. You need to be the type that can just enjoy some decent cheese and meat. This ain't your typical buffet where you have your french fries next to the egg rolls, ok? We're trying to classy it up here. It's a nice change of pace from all the American food that is sold in the area. Buffet will run you about $20, but I feel that you'll get your money's worth.. especially when you finish off your meal with the chocolate mousse. Garden Cafe Francais's Score - 93 Points read more

What a beautiful venue to eat in! There is a beautiful fountain and bushes and classic architecture. They had a buffet for $20 plus dessert. The buffet had chicken and turkey which were dry. They had artichoke and roasted cabbage which was tough to eat and flavorless? They had some rice and beans which was also flavorless. They had two soup choices which were good. They had a yam salad that was good and 2 green leaf salads that were descent with some ok bread choices. They had a nice cheese selection with grapes and cranberries which was good. They had a choice of berries or sorbet for dessert which was ok. I dont understand why the food couldn't taste fantastic for such a high end venue? It looked nice but that's all? read more

Garden Cafe - Cheese, with cranberries and salad - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

See all

It's a charming place to have lunch away from the regular sandwich spots. The service was fast and friendly. I wasn't that impressed with the food. I had the Oven Roasted Chicken Piccata and my coworkers had the grilled salmon. I was glad I got the chicken when I saw how small the salmon was and for the same price. The menu is concise and on the pricey side. The good thing is the food tastes good but I didn't like that my chicken was not hot. It seemed like it was sitting out for awhile. My coworkers weren't impressed with the salmon & how small it was. Overall, it's an ok cafe for me. I need the food to be excellent for the price point. read more

The service was friendly and fast, the food was light and seasoned well. Overall, this small little café at the national Gallery of Art exceeded our expectations. I will be coming here again. read more

Garden Cafe - Seating area near fountain - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

See all

Located inside NGA, this cafe is actually not so bad for being a museum cafe. I can't speak for the food (which I suspect is overpriced and not fresh), but the coffee is from La Colombe which is my favorite spot in Philly. I was actually impressed that they even offer La Colombe's iconic draft latte on tap, including the oat version. Almond and oat milk are available for additional charge in traditional drinks. My draft oat latte was served over ice, not how it's done in Philly, and perhaps why there was none of the iconic foam (also means you get less coffee). Also, you are not allowed to bring food and drink outside the cafe area (understandable). However, you are require to sit to eat or drink. Especially with half the tables unavailable for social distancing, I guess if you don't find a seat you're out of luck. read more

I adore the Garden Cafe. I try to make it for all their different menus. I'm not sure how many times I've been here, maybe six or eight. It is expensive and worth it. I nearly always get the buffet, and sometimes wine, and sometimes a different dessert. I've never had anything I didn't thoroughly enjoy. I especially like the cheeses. The service is also very good. The atmosphere is great! This is where you take someone when you want to either impress them or spoil them (your mom, your client, your girlfriend, your best friend). One of my favorites. read more

See all

I read through the previous reviews and expected French, but apparently they've switched to an English menu. On the buffet they had a selection of two English cheeses with red grapes or fig sauce, Cornish pasties, English pea salad, bubble and squeak, and I think two more salads featuring traditional English vegetables. The dessert was a cherry, sherry trifle. The cheeses were my favorite part, though I did try everything on the buffet. I love being able to eat cheese and fruit as a lunch, you can't find that at most restaurants. The cherry, sherry trifle seemed to be missing the cake part, so it was more of a parfait than a trifle. Maybe the sponge cake had entirely dissolved in the sherry. In any case, it still tasted good. $20.75 is more than I tend to spend on buffets, especially for lunch, but it was good food and so convenient when you're already visiting the museum. read more

Garden Cafe - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

We were here to enjoy the museum. This was my first time to eat lunch here. Their menu is limited. Three lunch choices were mainly available. I ordered the chicken entrée for $23.50, which was average at best. My can of DC Brau IPA beer was $7.50. I escaped for $62 exclusive of gratuities. Senedu accommodated our table nicely. The food here is average at best, but, is conveniently located within the National Gallery of Art. Location, location and convenience are their prime benefits. I would probably not return here again. If time permits I recommend eating off the premises. read more

This cafe is located inside of the art museum. And compared to the food options in other museums I was impressed. The buffet was $20.75 and was limited but included salads, tortellini dish, beef dish, cheese quiche, cheeses, grapes and chocolate mousse. The food was delicious. I loved the cheeses, salads and chocolate mousse. It also wasn't crowded and was classier than your typical buffet. The only downside was service. We had to ask twice for water and couldn't figure out who the server was. read more

Garden Cafe - Buffet - French Near Me - Washington DC, District of Columbia

After touring the National Gallery of Art with my brother and two of his kids, we were starving and throwing reason out the window, decided to dine at the Garden Cafe. We choose the buffet which featured Italian meats, cheeses, and pasta. Overpriced and very limited selection. But the food was good. I definitely overtipped the waitress as this was a buffet, but I don't feel too bad about it :-) read more

How depressing that this cafe still has the same awful menu and system of serving as when I last wrote my review. This is in no way a buffet since you cannot help yourself. Instead the food, in skimpy portions, is brought to you by the staff When I passed by the cafe a few days ago I asked several people leaving what they thought of the food and service. They advised me not to bother as the food was tasteless and they felt neglected by the servers FYI- the very positive review by Fair R is not a real review read more

Wildly overpriced, albeit in a great location. The service was unbelievably slow.. Until they wanted me to pay so they could turn the table. I won't be back. read more

Planned a day to visit the Hirshhorn and in efforts to look up a decent place to grab a bite I found the Garden Cafe in the NGA. Atmosphere: 6/10. a bit stuffy in the back room, but fine in the main (nice lighting in front of the fountain). Service: 6/10. girl at the front desk is snooty, and couldn't give me an estimated wait time before being seated... waitresses though were lovely and mine also had a sense of humor (always appreciated). Food: 7.5/10. buffet is pretty good, dessert was really good. warning: if you don't plan on eating from the buffet it takes 20 minutes to cook/bring out anything on the menu. I'll probably be back. read more

Before I start my review, I have to mention the SANITATION was not that great. ALL of the bottom of the plates had food particles sticking to the bottom. It kind of bothered me but I used them anyways. A little food dirt don't hurt right? Not sure if I ever had a sanitation problem like this before at a restaurant. Like all the other reviews, the selection is limited but the quality is slightly better. In my opinion, not worth the price. Unfortunately, they didn't have charcuterie the day I went :( FYI, even though the desserts are on the buffet list, supposedly it is NOT unlimited. But even if I were to go again, I would still ask for more helpings to the dessert! LOL! The selection was strawberry sorbet, cappuccino gelato and mixed berries. I had one of each with an addition to the strawberry sorbet. The desserts were delicious! read more

"Garden Cafe Francais" located inside the National Gallery of Art in D.C. is worth a visit considering the menu is designed by the French-born Chef Michel Richard of the award-winning restaurant "Citronelle" in D.C. for a limited time until Jan.2011 (in honor of "The Chester Dale Collection" a collection of French art from Impressionism to Modernism) The restaurant has very limited seating so a wait of 10 to 15 minutes is guaranteed. They offer a Lunch Buffet for $19.95 which is a good deal including a wide selections of french cheeses like camembert & roquefort. Charcuterie like Jambon de Bayonne, saucisson & faux gras. They have ratatoulle and salads and for hot items they have beef daube provencale, quiche & potage St. Germain. Don't miss the only dessert but you can probably eat two of it "very yummy" mousse au chocolat. Service is prompt as there's a lot of people waiting to be seated. Staff are nice and accomodating. I would definitely recommend it to people visiting D.C. Museums to stop by for lunch or coffee break and order a la Carte, Crepes Suzette (orange crepe w/caramelized almonds & grand marnier sauce), which I would definitely do the next time I'm here. I would like to try Chef Richard's "Terrine de Saumon fume' salade vert for a price tag of $15.00 (not bad, considering it's a creation of a famous Chef) read more

See all

Chef Michel Richard (from Central, Citronelle) partnered with the NGA's West Building Garden Cafe to accompany the exhibit "From Impressionism to Modernism: The Chester Dale Collection". Richard created the menu and some of the recipes for this exhibit running through July 2011. It was....quite fantastique! Every time I have French food, I like it more and more...and this buffet with a small sampling of all things French was such a steal for $20...or $19.75 - yes people - that is less than $20. Items from le menu include (and I am clearly not doing it justice, as I am listing the items in their anglicized terms and not the French): Bread (3 kinds): country bread, brioche, gruyère cream puff French Onion Soup (my favorite -- esp. with the brioche toast with melted cheese on top - delish! Endive salad with walnut dressing, bacon, hard boiled egg (yum!) Charcuterie (dry pork salami, cured Basque ham, faux gras) Fromages (Cheeses) - Camembert, Comté,Roquefort, Livarot (another favorite - could have eaten the cheeses all day) Quiche Coq au vin Chocolate mousse These are just some, not all of the items...Need I say more??! The food is simply fabulous...and the service is really good to, the host and servers are very polite and they constantly keep bringing out fresh plates of food. Not to mention after walking through the gallery you feel rather cultured for a Saturday afternoon...you even get a dose of a little Lautrec (another favorite of mine)....so clearly, people, this is a win-win situation on all fronts... read more

This is a favorite Variety of cheeses Two soups: minestrone and cream of mushroom Cheeses Cous cous Salads Home-made croutons Turkey breast with excellent apricot chutney Grilled Rosemary chicken Roasted bell peppers Pannacotta: orange or cherry The only problem I have it they're not consistent. When I arrive around 1pm -which is a proper lunch time- it's clear they've already ran out of certain lunch items. Sometimes their cheese variety is super good (blue cheese, Brie, ceddar) other days (like today) it's just a bunch chopped-op cheeses which clearly shows me they had to improvise. Their quality is, overall, very good but -because I lunch here frequently- I can see the difference. read more

Garden cafe brunch buffet is a delight! For $30 pp, it is really one of the best choices at the Smithsonian museums. The other one to mind is the American Indian Museum. But the Native American Indian cuisine can easily reach to $40 or $45 pp if you want a decent meal. The buffet selection is quite decent and selected. Good quality food and service. Definitely recommend! Save the physical receipt for 10% off the next time! read more

Ordered chicken plus two salads and the experience was great. It's a convenient place to get food when you don't have the energy to walk out of the gallery for lunch read more

HIGHLY OVERPRICED for what you get. It was convenient, as we were ice skating that day, but the food cost an arm and a leg for no table-side service. Very touristy, and not really a place I would have gone if my son weren't starving. read more

20$ buffet with a tiny cart. Terrible service! The tables r super small and since no one comes to pick up ur dirty plates its quite a conundrum. read more

The reason for the three stars is the awesome location. The original salads at the Garden Cafe inside the National Gallery of Art are amazing. The featured meat is not. For years they had coq au vin, which in my opinion was not cooked fresh, had been prepared from frozen. The meat often had a bad taste and odor and I stopped going to the Café and stopped taking guests. Now they have replaced the unsavory and disappointing coq au vin with better meats, but they too are not cooked fresh--probably purchased cooked from a supplier--and are dry and rather tasteless. Putting some salad dressing on the meat helps. As I said, the salads, as well as the cheeses and soups are amazing and fresh made and the fact that the restaurant is inside the museum makes the experience a good one. Occasionally, some salads have ingredients that are tough and they should be eliminated from the menu. Service is rather slow so be prepared and some of the hostesses have not been trained in customer service. For starters, a smile wouldn't hurt. read more

It sucks. Trust me, if you don't like any kind of American food, stay away from this place. I don't know when they change to English menu; all I know is that the food makes me feel disgusting for a whole day. There may be other good French restaurants in town, but this one - apparently - has been crossed off from the list. (I personally prefer healthy food, like Japanese or Korean) I was cheated by the high reviews on yelp and that's why I signed up to tell you how I feel! Hopefully next time when I step into the cafe, I'll be shocked by the authentic French food. read more

I'm generally pretty wary of restaurants inside museums - usually overpriced, with bombastic dishes names on the menu and with poor food quality. I'm even more suspicious of so called "Italian" restaurants, since they usually serve some twisted version of the original recipe adapted to the local taste. I was happy to be completely wrong this time while having lunch at the Garden Cafe: for 20 dollars this restaurant offers a "all you can eat" buffet with tasty salami, ham and Parmigiano Reggiano (not "parmesan", the real one!), also a good chestnut soup and fair "parmigiana" (aubergines); the pasta was probably the least satisfying. As a dessert I got a "panna cotta", a bit liquid, but still good. Apparently, the menu changes accordingly to the temporary exhibition hosted by the Gallery. The choice is quite limited and you might wait a bit before getting a table, but it's a perfect place to get a rest and some good food during the visit. read more

This is a very delicious and convenient place. We were at The National Art Gallery on a cold snowy day and being able to take a break without going outside was perfect. This a French all you can eat buffet. For $20.95 we had: Comté and herb-crusted goat cheeses with honey-candied walnuts and red grapes Roasted fennel and pears with dried cranberries Arugula with roasted beets, apples, toasted pecans, and champagne vinaigrette Roasted butternut squash, brussel sprouts, and red onion with maple-cider vinaigrette Braised Cornish game hen with roasted lemons and savory herbs Pumpkin bisque soup and Crème brûlée with fresh berries for desert We enjoyed it so much that we came back and did it for our Thanksgiving lunch. Selection does NOT change every day, but rather with visiting exhibitions. We didn't mind as everything was delicious. Closes at 3 pm, so don't miss it. read more