Clean, sleek, minimalist atmosphere, with a great outdoor space. Ate dessert first (pumpkin cheesecake), and really enjoyed it. Then the mushroom quiche came, and it was just as tasty. Not exactly cheap--but hey, we're going high-brow at the museum. read more

Cafe 5 - Mushroom quiche - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

My partner and I got the vegan salad and the veggie pasta. I was surprised that there were vegan options available. The quantities were a bit small but the food was good. It is expensive but that is expected as it is in SF and a famous museum. read more

Cafe 5 - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This museum cafe has a small menu and high prices, but the food is excellent. If you think of it as a fancy complement to a fancy museum day, you will enjoy the food and ambience more. Vegetarians will have a couple of choices, usually a velvety soup with rich flavors or a lovely substantial salad or Thai noodles or ratatouille. Food is served on real plates, with real silverware, no disposables. If you are with kids, ask for the kids' menu (mac n cheese is good--sneak an order for yourself) and sit outside. The kids can wander around (ahem, run around) the sculpture garden. It's all enclosed. Eating here is lovely and a much better option than leaving the museum to search for something else in the neighborhood. read more

Good food, incredible ambiance. After spending an hour absorbed in mind-bending abstract art (Matisse), the visit to Cafe 5 was a great cleansing of the senses. Although indeed a cafe, with ordering at a counter and self-seating, the experience felt pampered and in some ways luxurious. A simple space but with cutting edge refinements--white plastic chairs/tables for seating, minimal decor with slabs of smooth concrete mixed with warm-colored dark and light wooden blends. The sunny patio area faced a small but lush garden, with large abstract art displays in view. I ordered the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, the soup of the day (a combination of potatoes and blue cheese), and an Arnold Palmer. The sandwich was as satisfying as expected: tender meat, fresh crunchy slaw, and durable bun that held firm throughout. They also had a small cup with a variety of pickled items; this added a nice supplement to an otherwise basic dish. The soup I couldn't quite get a sense for, the texture and look of porridge, with hints of the stated blue cheese and potatoes--but too much porridge, not enough silky smooth soup. The glass of Arnold Palmer glistened perfectly in the sunny patio and tasted even better. Overall, a great place to stop by during the museum visit to unwind, reflect, and sink into a deep state of gratitude before journeying ahead. [Visited on 4/2/2017] read more

Cafe 5 - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Most museum food is overpriced and underwhelming, so I wasn't expecting all that much when visiting Cafe 5. However, I was pleasantly surprised and what was most impressive was how fast the seemingly long line moved, and how quickly the food arrived (within 5 minutes!). While $16.50 for a salmon kale quinoa salad is more expensive than the very similar $12 dish at Soma Eats, the salmon is arguably more perfectly cooked and the ambience is definitely much more interesting. Next time I'm definitely going to try sitting outside in the garden, and maybe sampling the fried chicken bahn mi, which smelled delicious! read more

Cafe 5 - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

OK, got a bit hungry while wandering around vast SFMOMA. Decided to hit this cafe, a beuatifull open space wedged between 2 courtyards, both accesible for dining under umbrella seating. We were greeted by a very warm, friendly receptionist who handed us a menu and explained the specials. You then walk aways down to the counter to order your food and then find a table. It gets crowded so be prepared to look for a spot to sit. They do a great job at bussing and cleaning off tables as soon as people leave. We shared a turkey sandwich on chibatta bread and it was very tasty. It was washed down with an iced tea in a very elegant, contemporary glass. The entire experience was refreshing and relaxing and prepared us for the next round of art viewing. read more

Surprised by the bad attitude tall dude in the coffee counter. I just wanted to order some coffee and snack. I dun think it is too much to ask for a menu. If you can't even do that, maybe u should work somewhere else. The drink and food are actually very good. It is regrettable I ran into this rude John actually reached out and apologized to me. Thank you for paying attention to ur customer feed back. Thumbs up read more

Wow this cafe is a great place to relax, eat and unwind between all the art walking! Open, airy, and bright with a fabulous outdoor patio. Modern look is so pleasing to the eye. Service was stellar-I felt so pampered. And food is good-nice surprise!! I loved the tomato chickpea soup that had a nice kick to it and yummy nectarine salad with the crispest buttery salad leaves. Oh and chocolate blonde earl grey nectarine tart was a perfect end to the meal! read more

The citrus chicken was tough and overcooked in yesterday's Cesar salad. I asked for no cheese (dairy intolerant) and that resulted in no salad dressing at all! The concept of a winter Cesar with Brussels sprouts and bacon was inventive but the delivery was poor. read more

The lamb meatballs were yummy as well as the soup. The sauces were creamy and fresh. Definitely filling. read more

Cafe 5 - Little bite - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went to the museum to check things out, of course had to grab a snack on the way. The cafe was okay -- the options were pretty typical SF -- no burgers and fries to be found here. But the desserts look delicious, and the one we got was pretty good. Raspberries on top and a chocolate cream base, our slice of pie was sweet and reasonably flavorful. It wasn't quite worth the price -- a little too high for pie. Our cup of coffee was good too, nothing special but not bad. The room itself was nice though, a really good view and good vibes. Overall worth the experience since it's in the MOMA but wouldn't go again if I weren't already there. read more

Cafe 5 - Raspberry chocolate pie and a cup of coffee. - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Slow, overpriced museum food. Nice space next to "sculpture garden." I'm waiting for one tartine I ordered a while ago. Tables look clean but I saw a very short piece of curly hair on the chair. After you come out of the pop art section, it makes you do a double take. read more

Ok, first off, you get awesome art AND awesome food. Well, you are certainly winning this girl over!! This place has a great ambiance and the staff is super super friendly. Every dish we ordered was beautiful, esthetically pleasing, and oh so tasty!! I want to eat here all the time! I mean, look at this dish!! Yummy art! Go do your self a favor and eat here!! EAT ALL THE YUMMIES! read more

Cafe 5 - Food is art!!!! - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this cafe! Gourmet food for amazing prices! Service and food is to die for!! I ordered the Grilled Salmon + Moroccan Cous Cous Salad. The texture of the roasted vegetables with the crunch chickpeas, spiced tortilla with the lemon yogurt dressing was like I was eating at a 5 star restaurant! I can't wait to come back next week to try something to eat!! Please come by and try this cafe! It's a San Francisco surprise and delight read more

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Everything at this cafe is a work of modern art... especially the food! I agree with other Yelpers that the seasonal menu is somewhat limited and the prices are relatively high. But the quality is superb, portions are generous, service is excellent, and you can't beat the setting. It's exactly the kind of cafe you'd expect at a contemporary landmark like this. They even have a "gourmet" kids menu. Be sure to make Cafe 5 part of your experience at SFMOMA. read more

Cafe 5 - Crisp risotto balls and the freshest salad ingredients arranged like a painting. - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Much better at our second visit. (Why did we go back?? Decided to give them another chance. Besides, we go to SFMOMA a lot and we were hungry!) Smoked salmon dish was excellent. So was salad. To qualify: We still find this place too precious, and with too few choices. If you can't eat any of the items on the menu, you're out of luck. Best to bring along a sandwich, just in case. read more

Bait and switch... My team member made a reservation here for a meeting with a senior exec at my company and an analyst during the RSA conference. She called Cafe 5 previously to make reservations and asked if one needed a museum ticket to dine. Cafe 5 said no. When the analyst got there, the staff told him he needs to buy a $25 ticket to the museum. The analyst went to another location. My exec bought a $25 ticket, then wasted a bunch of time trying to track down the analyst. Very unprofessional bait and switch. Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

A great spot for a healthy light lunch. On a nice day, the combination of the the setting outside in the sculpture garden and quality of the food can't be beaten in the downtown area. The whole vibe is also pretty relaxed and subdued since it's only accessible to customers who have entry to MOMA. Nor is space at a premium so the open setting adds to the general sense of separation from the downtown lunchtime crush. I've seen complaints in some reviews that the deserts are over priced. And maybe they are but most of the entrees, priced around $15.00, are healthy, use fresh ingredients and are in general well executed. It's not a huge amount of food - more all you should eat rather than all you could eat. But you will feel healthier for it and won't need a nap under your desk afterwards. Annual membership for SF MOMA is $100.00 which gets you unlimited access for you and a guest which on its own is a great deal. If I worked downtown, unlimited access to the galleries plus the ability to have lunch here for myself and a guest any time I want would be a no brainer vis a vis membership. read more

What's good: the ambiance, the outdoor seating, the line moves fast and the employees are friendly. What's not so good: the food. Now I'm not saying it's not edible but for the price it was very disappointing. The meatballs were very dry, the cubano was mostly dry and not very flavorful. For $39 for two people it's way over priced for food I'd expect at a grocery store deli. read more

I'd highly recommend having lunch at cafe 5 when visiting the SF MOMA. They serve gourmet food, with healthy fresh ingredients. Not to mention the portions are very generous..People shouldn't be complaining about Prices when portions are so good.. and hello? LOCATION?!. you are at the beautiful SFMOMA! Cafe 5 has beautiful outdoor terrace! I've dined at cafe 5 a few times now. Every time I go with different friends, I try the new dishes. I never get the same as the menu changes with the season. Daily specials are always fantastic! They have a good selection of beverages from coffee, beer, wine, to specialty cocktails and they are all nice. ;) Sweet Desserts, I cannot resist!! Tiramisu and the fruit tart are my favorite. I absolutely love outside dining especially on a beautiful sunny day. Not to mention, I just noticed the new umbrellas for more shade.. Well done! Service and staff work well together. Very friendly and efficient vibes all around. Thank you cafe 5 for delicious food and beautiful ambience. You bring a special charm to the new SFMOMA read more

Cafe 5 - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

They open at 11am for lunch, but you can buy coffee drinks and ham/cheese croissants beforehand. Very nice staff! read more

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I ate here with one of my good friends. Her husband is the head chef and he made some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life! The salmon bagel with cream cheese was fresh and smokey! The shrimp sandwich was amazing! Felt like a piece of the ocean was slushing in my mouth lol. Also tried the special fusion Thai/Vietnamese tacos! Those were so good I ate 4 of them. Not to mention the red wine and summer cocktail I had mmm mmm! The outside patio was filled with a sun and laughter and the service was impeccable! Thanks a lot to Mitch the head chef, Kerry, Mikey and Garrett for the wonderful service! Highly recommend!! read more

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Great service on an extremely busy raining day! Even the manger was out and about serving! Food was beautiful and delicious read more

What's better than delicious food, terrific service and a fabulous art collection, all under one roof? Cafe 5 is a great place to enjoy a tasty meal in a relaxed, airy and modern environment. Ask for the manager, Chris Bennett, if you need special accommodations. Chris provided us with excellent service and treated us like VIPs. I'm looking forward to returning soon. read more

Was pleasantly surprised to find the food at this cafe in the SF MOMA was really good. I had a delicious creamy, pureed vegetable soup, my son had a yummy-looking chicken sandwich with salad & my daughter-in-law had a pork & noodles dish that she said was yummy! read more

Museum Cafe; decided to try it. You have to get past the cafeteria like set-up where you wait on line to order and then they bring the food to your table. When I finally got to the counter to order, they were out of one of the items. They originally wanted me to text for a replacement order but I needed to find the person I was with to ask what they wanted. When I returned to the line they initially were going to give me a hard time about line jumping. They should find a way to address this; either tell us what they are out of before we get the menus, or some easy way to return to the line. We had 2 orders of the salmon kale and Quinoa salad which was wonderful, and a shrimp sandwich. They iced the coffee and mocha (iced is not on the menu) and used soy for the mocha. Very nice. All and all a surprisingly good experience !! read more

Cafe 5 - This is the wonderful salmon kale and quinoa salad ... - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been to Cafe 5 at SFMOMA many times, and my experience just keeps getting worse. The food is not bad, but way overpriced. Maybe charging extra for mediocre food goes towards helping the museum, but it seems unfair that low income people and college students simply cannot enjoy a meal there, while the older, upper-middle-class crowd can. This year, I have realized that they don't know how to make cappuccino. They think it is OK to do their own way which is to add some milk steamed to suds on tope of a shot of espresso in smaller-than-standard cappuccino cup, and call it a "cappuccino." SFMOMA is an internationally known place, yet Cafe 5 is bringing SFMOMA down. I was told that I need to have a "supported membership" to get a 10% discount, but that I couldn't with my "regular membership"! I also got a "SFSCHO surcharge" which it is "legal", but not many restaurants do this in SF. Go to the third floor cafe to get professionally made coffee drinks, and you can get 10% off with your regular membership as well. read more

Ordered two diet cokes, which were 7$ for both pre tax and deposit. Person at the counter takes two warm cans of Diet Coke off the counter and hands them to me with a cup of ice. They should be able to afford a refrigerator for the beverages if they're charging 3.50$ for a can of soda. read more

My husband and I went for an afternoon at the museum and stopped for lunch at the cafe before we wandered the exhibits. We were so impressed! The food was amazing. The dishes were obviously created by a chef because they were unique and interesting; the flavors blended so nicely. We loved our food so much we kinda over-ate. oops. I highly recommend hitting this cafe before you enjoy the museum or even just for a great meal anytime. read more

Casual place. Order and pay at the counter and take a number and someone will bring the food to you. Very good lentil salad. Good cup of mocha. It was a chilly day Saturday and many people including me had to eat at tables outdoors because several of the indoor tables were marked reserved. General advice for visiting San Francisco - wear layers! read more

Cafe 5 - Cafes Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got horrendously ill on their quinoa kale salad. Please put warnings on quinoa as it can trigger horrid reaction.

IMHO lunch at Cafe 5 is SFMOMA's ongoing art session.  I've eaten here four times since getting a membership in August 2016 and my lunch just days ago was by far the absolute best ever. Irish Stout Cheddar Cheese Plate, tuxedo Sesame Crusted Cauliflower, Grilled Salmon & Moroccan Cous Cous Salad, Lemonade, Arnold Palmers, Princess Cake and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake were all pure heaven to my senses that can appreciate food which is far beyond sustenance. Kudos to the Cafe 5 chef and staff and my biggest and loudest Thank You to Chris Bennett.  See y'all soon. read more

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We love coning here for lunch on weekends, the ambiance is nice and the food is good. This weekend, however, my husband ended up with FOOD POISONING from a nicoise salad he ordered. Poor thing he spent three days sick and barely eating anything. read more

I had lunch here when I was visiting SFMOMA. I really liked the atmosphere- there is seating both inside and out and the space is open. I got the grilled veggie sandwich, which definitely wasn't the most incredible sandwich but it was pretty good for a museum in a hurry. Also, they were very organized and quick with their service. I wonder if that is because they are new, but nevertheless, it was nice. I ended up sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. Overall it was decent fuel and a nice atmosphere during a busy day of museum going! read more

The fried chicken bahn mi sandwich was delicious!! Crispy, not dry. Filling. Wish I could come here for lunch w/o visiting the museum. They need to open an outpost or something. $15 for that dish -- a little steep, but comes w/the SFMOMA territory. read more

I was recommended by a friend to check out Cafe 5, while visiting SF Moma. This place did not disappoint! As soon as you enter the cafe you are greeted with a friendly host. My friends and I ordered the California vegan wild grain salad, Moroccan couscous with grilled salmon, the Asian noodle salad, and to top it off the strawberry rhubarb tart! The food was healthy and light, the presentation of the food was on point!! I would highly recommend this place while attending the museum. read more

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My third visit here. Simple food, well prepared in a refined setting. Excellent salads, lovely soup and an above average deep fried chicken steak sandwich. All at about half of the price of the more elegant restaurants in museums (eg. Le Frank). read more

The atmosphere is great, and the salad was exceptionally good and big. I had a salad, a carrot muffin, and a glass of wine (small/med pour) and the cost was $32. As long as they keep the greens fresh and diverse and the serving of salad generous, they're pretty much on point for SF prices. But it's pretty dear for casual dining. The service is excellent. Even though you're doing it cafeteria style, the busers and staff are very attentive when you are at your table. read more

Cafe 5 is an outstanding restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner at the SFMOMA! The food was fresh and delicious with a variety of artisanal choices on the menu. The service was excellent! The staff is well run, polite and friendly. The place is kept impeccably clean and the decor complimented the sculptors just outside the tables which you can see directly through the glass walls. What a wonderful place to stop for a scrumptious meal before heading back out to the exhibits. Nice job SFMOMA!!! read more

Art on the wall and on my plate. I have dined at Cafe 5 at least half a dozen times, bringing friends, out of town guests and even my discerning mother; and it never disappoints. The entrees are as delicious as beautifully created. My favorite is the salmon salad with a beet "shmeer" that sweeps across the plate like a purple rainbow. The princess cake makes me feel like royalty. The staff is attentive and friendly. I look forward to visiting Cafe 5 again soon! read more