Arie M.

All looks but little substance unfortunately. At first glance this place is beautiful. It's big, it's clean, it has outdoor seating, indoor seating, and they even have food, pastries. Also, this is right across from the MFAH on Bissonnet so don't go by what google maps tells you. Customer service on the other hand is pretty bad. The person I was with was asking the kid taking the order whether some of their deserts were gluten free and the kid started acting weird and almost getting upset because it was such a hard question. It could have been as easy as "I'm sorry, I don't know, but I can ask my manager and get back with you!" but his reaction was just awkward. And then for me, on a 100 degree day, I asked for Iced Tea, after the person ahead of me got one and I was told "Sorry, that was the last one". This was around 5 PM and they close at 6 so I'd understand that if it was 15 minutes till closing and they didn't want to brew a whole new batch, but with another 50 minutes to go, they likely would have still sold a few more cups before closing and even if they didn't, at the prices they charge, even selling one cup of iced tea would have covered the cost of the big tea-bag they use for iced tea so if they had to throw a little out after closing, it'd just be a cost of doing business. I mean the place is cute so I probably will be back but they need to train their people better here.

David P.

We went looking for an Italian bakery in the area and found Café Leonelli. I did not get anything due to concerns of cross-contamination between the Hazelnut gelato and the Almond Croissant with other pastries. A very spacious, sun-lit café in the Museum of Fine Arts. Maps isn't going to help you getting here, since it's in the museum and parking is elsewhere. We parked on a Sunday afternoon on Main Street outside St. Paul's Methodist Church and walked over. There are two entrances to Café Leonelli: (1) from inside the museum itself, and (2) from the left side of the museum (facing it from Bissonnet Street) in a little walkway. The café prices are high, as anticipated by a restaurant for convenience inside of the museum. We sampled the butternut squash soup, which was a bit sweet; and the Tuscan soup, which was a bit salty. There are other sandwiches, hot foods, and pizza available for entrees. Coffee, tea, pastries, and gelato are also available. Complimentary water is available at multiple locations in the café, which is nice.

Allysa O.

I found this cafe on TikTok after looking for a local place to "work from home" during the day. Turns out, it is connected to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH). I arrived at about 9:30AM and it was super quiet. I loved the lighting in this cafe, it was very bright and airy. I ordered an oat milk latte that was really good. Once lunchtime came around, the cafe became flooded with people (mostly museum visitors). Before the rush, I ended up trying the margherita pizza and the chicken Caesar salad. Both were just okay in my honest opinion, but not much is to be expected of cafe food. The menu is not very robust, it's just cafe food with an Italian style menu as there were lots of pizzas and bread, and a salad bar. It was quite limited in options. I really enjoyed working in this space before the lunch crowd rushed in, there are tall glass walls and I had a nice view of the museum statues and the street. I'd come back for a morning working session, but the lunch crowd was a bit too loud and hectic for me to work, so I left shortly thereafter.

Thuy P.

I came back last week for desserts after eating lunch elsewhere and finally good a good desserts this time at Cafe Leonelli. The eclairs this time wasn't dried as last time.

Michelle O.

The flavors and textures of the Slice of Sausage and Rapini and Slice of Margherita, which I shared with my sister, were pretty good. You choose from the slices that are in the display case, then it goes into the oven to be heated up. The cheese is melted, and the dough gets crispy. They hand you the slices on plates while you're in the line, and then you pay at the register. The fennel seeds's flavor was apparent, and I like how the cheese had toasted. The mozzarella on the Margherita had softened enough to be enjoyable, while the tomato had a slight blistered edge.

Maria S.

This is a beautiful place and convenient for hanging out after visiting the MFAH. It was about 4 p.m. and they were already out of the tomato gnocchi soup. Mind you, they close at 6 p.m. Plus at $4.50 for a small cappuccino, they should have brown sugar available. If you're a member of the museum, you get a 15 percent discount.

Inga C.

A great museum café is part of the experience. Cafe Leonelli makes a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston even more satisfying. The menu ranges from satisfying hot entrées (salmon, potatoes, etc.) to soups, salads, and sandwiches. They have kid-friendly foods like cheese pizza, and also pizzas with flavorful toppings. For beverages, they have coffees, teas, and Italian sodas. There are self-service water carafes. For desserts, they have chocolatey brownies, as well as several flavors of gelato. As any good museum café should, the surroundings elevate the experience. You might think the light fixture is just a light fixture, but it's actually an installation: "Moon Dust" by Spencer Finch (2014).

Gin Y.

This cafe was conveniently located within the Kinder building and had adequate outdoor dining tables. So, if you were visiting this museum, this is a great one stop shop. We had to go to the museum across the street, though. But, we decided to get a quick bite here first. We wanted something savory for this visit and settled on their mushroom and margherita focaccia breads. They were pretty good. They both had punchy flavors, but I wished they had put more sauce and toppings on the bread since they were quite pricey. They did have beverages available, but we opted for their sparkling water. It was ok. I wished they had Topo Chico. Oh well. Overall, I'm giving them a 3.5 stars for now. But, I do plan on trying out their desserts next time. They look delicious from the pictures. I'll have to give their coffee drinks a try too.

Jessica H.

This cafeteria style cafe was set up in a way that some of the offerings were just as you walked in but had to turn the corner to read the menu and see the hot offerings. The options were plentiful but my veggie sandwich was just ok. The gelato was excellent. They had a lot of staff behind the counter but none clearing the garbage or self service bus pan.

Natalie E.

Café leonelli is it quaint, modern bistro, perfect for a snack or a lunch. They had a variety of sandwiches and salads and hot plates, as well as a European pastry case and gelato and sorbet. I ended up getting the mango passion sorbet and it was refreshing, tart, and berry smoothies. It is attached to the Kinder building, but you don't have to be visiting the museum to eat here. If you were an MFAH member you do get a discount, I think 10%.

Wendy W.

Review #2 We have a Michelin star chef in the house Houston! Chef Jonathan Benno has an impressive resume. Working in San Fransisco and of course New York City. Yes he even worked along side Daniel Boulud!!! How's that Houston, Texas!! I was laughing tremendously because a Yelper compared Cafe Leonelli to Houston's Common Bond. I almost wet my pants. Y'all this is NOT EVEN remotely the same. Two totally different concepts. Isn't Common Bond French influenced? Cafe Leonelli is Italian influenced. Lord help us all with some of these Yelpers! Located directly across from the MFAH Sarfin building which actually seems if it is on Bissonnet, but the address seems to be on Main. Confusing. It is located in the MFAH Kinder building. Beautifully lit with wall to wall windows to let in natural light. Modern lights hang from the ceiling, with minimalistic decor. Remember this is a cafe, so prices are extremely reasonable. Food ranges from fresh pasta, baked pasted, porchetta sandwiches, salads, sweet breads and deliciously eye appealing pastries. I was excited to dine the first weekend after opening. Extremely exceptional service with a wonderful atmosphere. Order at the counter and the food will be brought to you. One side of ordering is strictly for sweet treats and the r other side order anything. It will make sense you get there. Remember MFAH receive a discount so be sure to show them your membership!

Dan A.

Museum Cafes are usually best kept secrets with great lunch selections and coffee/snack/dessert options. Leonelli meets this billing. Quite busy on a Thursday afternoon around 1:30. Thursday is free for general admission so possibly why?- as well their reasonable prices We mixed it up with ordering lunch (Lasagna) and Dessert (Apricot Crostata Della Nonna) with a Cortado. Tasty lasagna with spinach and mix of beef/pork filling. I asked which pastry, Crostata or Babka? The Apricot was excellent with a good balance of fruit and cookie crumble. Will try the Babka next time. They had some sandwiches, flat breads as well ice cream. You line up to place your order and they bring your food/drinks to your table. Friendly people behind the counter, making the food and delivering to the tables. Plenty of windows and light in the dining area make for a pleasant experience. Work this spot into your MoFa visit!

Anthea R.

Open, and minimalist decor makes this cafe feel clean, and welcoming. They have gelato, sorbets, pastries, desserts, breakfast options, as well as lunch. Breakfast is from 8-11 am, and lunch starts after 11am. I ordered the lemon meringue , and strawberry mascarpone pate choux. Loved the lightness of the pastry and the creams were just right and not too sweet. The cornetto (Italian croissant )breakfast sandwich was delicious. So flaky that I wanted to have more. I also got the dark chocolate babka. IT is my favourite from this place now. So many brioche layers with generous dark chocolate oozing with every fork stabs. Their flat breads are delicious too because they are made fresh daily. The ricotta and meatball, and margherita were just yum! So if you haven't had the chance, I'd recommend trying this place out before or after a museum visit, or just go for the food!