Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Trending Now in DC Travel Guide
  • Argentta Spa
  • Art Galleries
  • Pupatella
  • Itineraries
  • National Zoo
DC Travel Guide  |  Food

DC Museums That Actually Have Delicious Food Options

Tweet Share
The National Museum of the American Indian's Mitsitam Cafe. Photo by Leonda Levchuk/ National Museum of The American Indian.
Washingtonian Recommends

Our Washingtonian Recommends lists bring you the best places to eat, drink, and be entertained—all selected by Washingtonian editors.

More Washingtonian Recommends

Updated on December 28, 2016.

While museums frequently offer eating options, they’re usually limited to fast food or a shrink-wrapped sandwich. Luckily there are foodie-friendly eateries around these major attractions, where you can get anything from a quick bite to a leisurely two-martini lunch.

Garden Café and Espresso & Gelato Bar, National Gallery of Art

Art inspires food at the National Gallery’s tranquil Garden Café, where local chefs may design menus based on special exhibitions. Entrées such as cheese ravioli in basil sauce can be ordered à la carte; there’s also a buffet with fresh breads, cheeses, and hot dishes such as beef braised in red wine. Pop into the Espresso & Gelato Bar in the East Building concourse for a cappuccino and a scoop of housemade gelato; the nearby Cascade Café also offers soups, salads, and sandwiches.

Fourth St. and Constitution Ave., NW; 202-633-1000.

Mitsitam Cafe, National Museum of the American Indian

Inside the Museum of the American Indian, themed stations serve dishes inspired by ingredients and cooking techniques of five Native American groups. The service is cafeteria-style, but the fare—not to mention the selection of beer and wines by the half or full bottle—is far above cafeteria quality; think bison strip loin cooked to your liking and corn tortillas stuffed with mole-braised chicken, as well as kid-friendly chicken tenders. The cafe is open from 11 to 5.

Fourth St. and Independence Ave., SW; 202-633-1000.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Newseum

Wolfgang Puck’s glass box of a restaurant at the Newseum still turns out some of the best high-end Asian in the area—the menu has included dishes such as pork-belly dumplings with black vinegar, stir-fried lamb with crisp rice sticks, and a whole sea bass with yuzu-ponzu sauce. Prices in the formal upstairs dining room are sky-high, but you can avoid the sticker shock—and eat very well—by grabbing a banquette in the lounge or taking advantage of terrific deals during weekday happy hour and Saturday brunch.

575 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-637-6100.

Tryst at the Phillips

The longtime Adams Morgan favorite Tryst opened this airy sister cafe inside the Phillips Collection in 2012. The menu is similar, featuring craft coffees and cocktails alongside sweet and savory pastries, made-to-order salads, and sandwiches with curried chicken salad or hummus and cucumber. Piet Mondrian’s “Composition No. III” is recreated on the walls; settle in with a latte and your laptop (there’s free wi-fi), or head out back to the sun-drenched patio with a glass of Prosecco. Both gallery visitors and drop-ins are welcome.

1600 21st St., NW; 202-232-5500.

This article appears in Washingtonian’s Welcome Guide.

Create your own user feedback survey

More: Garden Café and Espresso & Gelato BarMitsitam CafeNational Gallery of ArtNational Museum of the American IndianNewseumPhillips CollectionThe Source by Wolfgang PuckTrystWashingtonian Recommends
Share this list!
Share Tweet

Most Popular in DC Travel Guide

1

Our 23 Favorite Day Spas in Washington

2
The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art houses the museum's contemporary collection. Photograph courtesy of the National Gallery of Art.

10 Art Galleries You Should Put On Your DC Bucket List

3
Cheap Restaurants to Drink, Bonchon Cheap Eats 2016, places to eat in arlington, cheap korean restaurants

12 Great Restaurants In Arlington

4

How to Spend Four Days in Washington, DC

5
Things to Do In DC With Kids

8 DC Museums You Have to Visit If You’re a Science and Nature Nerd

Washingtonian Magazine

May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways

May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways

View Issue
Subscribe

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

Jazz in the Garden Makes Its Big Return May 20

5 Fascinating Works From the “Afro-Atlantic Histories” Exhibit

The Smithsonian Just Appointed Its First Native Woman Museum Director

BTS Member RM Visits National Gallery, Glenstone

More from DC Travel Guide

Your Comprehensive 2021 Holiday-Season Calendar of Things to Do in DC

The Best DC-Related True Crime Podcasts

SplashDown water park. Photograph of SplashDown courtesy of SplashDown Water Park.

11 Fun Parks for Kids

The Magic Behind What You’ll See at the Smithsonian’s New Fossil Hall

Our 23 Favorite Day Spas in Washington

Explore NoMa, Alexandria, and Other DC-Area Neighborhoods With Washingtonian’s New Guide

Snow Day? Here Are 4 Things to Do with Kids in DC

The 5 Best Winter Hikes and Walks Around Washington DC

© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs