Went here for a dinner to celebrate a family birthday. On the positives: They gave us a great private room with great art work hanging from the wall. Indeed, this is a big gallery (with a restaurant inside it) so its great for browsing, particularly if you're waiting for your meals. Food is fresh and very good. Had a miso soup while others had a potato/celery soup too. And a mushroom pasta dish to start was also tasty. For main dishes, the salmon was well done with an ample portion. On the negative: The service was haphazard on a busy Saturday night. Go on a weeknight when it is less crowded. They didn't fill out water glasses and seemed to disappear for stretches of time. Also, the "frites" on the steak au frites dish were cold and a plain pasta was a little al dente. Also, the place lacks air conditioning which is 95% fine in Vermont, except on that really warm day. Which was the day we were there. (I should note that our dinner companions had been there on the prior Thursday and said the experience then was spectacular, so the kitchen could've been a bit off on a dish or two). But overall, we had a very pleasant experience and one of the better restaurants in the South Central area. A definite place to go if you're looking for a night out.. read more

Let me start by saying this review isn't about the food. I never got to try the food because we were told this establishment is reservations only. So to save someone some grief after driving long distances to dine here and be turned away...you've been warned, you will not find this information on their website either. I checked! We didn't go on a busy night, there was only 5 tables seated and the place was otherwise empty. The attitude that we encountered being told we cannot be accommodated that night would not be something tolerable in the hospitality business and we're glad we didn't spend any money here. We could have easily made reservations for next time if the guy did not let out a god awful sigh like we were I interrupting something. I'm sure the food would have been good, but the service we received was absolutely terrible. read more

Food is outstanding. Cocktails are creative. Decor is charming and inviting. Service is consistently horrendous. You've been warned.

Fabulous healthy fare in an art gallery setting. Don't be scared by the word 'healthy'...there are no sacrifices in flavor to endure. You can expect creative, flavorful dishes with a lovely presentation. The circular brick fireplace in the main dining room is unique and sets a fabulous mood in the cooler seasons. Likewise the full-wall brick fireplace in the private room is gorgeous and is the focal point of a lovely room. I've seen some negative reviews on other sites from 3 or 4 years ago. I never experienced anything terribly negative here but I will say that, especially over the last 2 to 3 years, the level and consistency of the cuisine has risen steadily. With the Inn at Weston nearby, and SoLo recently opened in the space formerly occupied by the Three O'Clock Inn this area is absolutely a hot spot for dining in Vermont. read more

Wow - what a tasty meal we had here celebrating my friend's birthday! The drinks were perfection, the food divine. I had a stuffed squash that was out of this world, though I felt the mashed potatoes could use a little more flavor. Our waitress was friendly and because we told the staff that we had a vegan in our party when we made our reservation, the staff accommodated us with our dietary needs. Bring a sweater - we were seated near the fireplace, but it was very cold inside on a fall evening. Prices were a bit more than I expected. read more

Worth a trip! The gallery is impressive and a fun pre- or post-dinner activity. Delicious and inventive food!

I went to Garden Cafe for lunch and I ordered Italian Panini and Cappuccino with it. The Panini was BIG and delicious it comes with side of salad. Overall It was good. I love the food! read more

The Garden Cafe is definitely a labor of love. I love all the architectural elements and the cuisine is outstanding. It also happens to be one of the best places in the area for cocktails, real cocktails. The bartender is masterful and creative. I love the semi spherical fireplace and the bar is a work of art. The brunch is a dream. read more

Excellent food, bar and service. A high end meal at a good price. Plenty of vegan options with help from the chef. Great wine and beer choices. Will be back soon. read more

We have been wanting to try this restaurant for some time but the timing just hadn't worked out. We stopped in on a Friday evening on our way to Bennington. We were greeted enthusiastically and sat at a lovely table viewing the round brick fireplace; spectacular architecture! Our food was excellent; both in preparation and presentation. The service was superb. We are shocked that we were only one of two tables in the restaurant on a Friday evening. This place is awesome! We will definitely be back and look forward to trying the Sunday brunch very soon! read more

My husband and I held our wedding celebration at the Garden Café and Gallery in June of 2010. We held our vow renewal ceremony in the gallery on the second floor and our dinner reception in the restaurant. Also, we invited our guests (approximately 50 family members) to join us for Brunch the next morning. I cannot say enough about the quality of the ambiance, food and service at the Garden Café and Gallery! Judy Platt was a joy to work with in planning our dinner menu. She was open to suggestions, gave great recommendations and was willing to recreate for our guests our favorite Paella using my mother's recipe. Judy's graciousness and attention to every detail extended to every staff member/server from the Café who worked at our event. The various dishes that Judy and her staff prepared for our dinner event were fabulous and beautifully presented. Our guests were so impressed that several of them changed their travel plans to be able to join us for Brunch the next day. As it turned out, everyone who attended our dinner event returned to the Garden Café for brunch. We ordered from the regular Brunch menu that offered exquisite options and fabulous desserts beautifully decorated with edible flowers. Our family and guests still talk about our wedding celebration and how much they enjoyed the meals. Since our celebration, we have returned to the Gallery Café on two occasions (once for dinner and once for brunch) and have not been disappointed. I would not hesitate to recommend the Garden Café and Gallery for any occasion. Any meal served at the restaurant promises to be a gourmet treat! Maria Alexander Nunez read more

Went here for NYE dinner we had a party of 7 and they split us up at two different tables with two different servers. As a result our food came out at different times and the first table had to wait while we finished up. The food was tasty! huge cheese plate, lobster bisque and paella all made me happy. The service was SLOW especially since the restaurant wasn't that busy - took an eternity for each course to come out. Also our server spilled our prosecco all over the table/entrees while refilling all of our glasses and didn't seem to notice the mishap. read more

I have heard from several people that the meals at the Garden have been amazing! I recently joined a very good friend and her family here for her birthday. Because of a VERY NEW addition to the family (3 weeks old) it threw off the reservation by about an hour when a few members arrived late. due to this we were forced to wait a ridiculous amount of time for even ours drinks and seemed to be a bother the entire night. The waitress (who was just shy of having any manners what so ever and got upset when I made a comment when she leaned over the top of me at one point that I literally had to move out of the way as not to bother her) seemed to be even more frustrated when one of the party went up to her and asked if we could be accommodated for a first round of drinks! Unfortunately at one point we were then stripped of our menus, when a larger party arrived because we had not ordered fast enough. They did not have an adequate # menus (or remotely experienced wait staff) for the amount of tables in the place on a busy holiday weekend. The service was weak at best and unfortunately over shadowed what could have been an amazing meal. I am told that the cook is very talented but I will never set foot back in this pathetic eatery/ gallery ever again! I sent my meal back when it arrived cold, after waiting almost and hour for it The Garden seems to have all the makings of an amazing restaurant with none of the experience or professionalism of a true dining establishment. Sorry to say but I have traveled the world and have had some bad service (none of which I would be as much of an ass to write about as this place) in my life!!! But this one takes the prize as a Darwin Award! If they were on the evolutionary chain this species would have been dead in minutes! I hate writing reviews like this as I have been on the receiving side of it. The one word to describe this eatery is PATHETIC! Go up the street to the American Grill save yourself a ton of money and get some real service! Oh and if the owner reads this PATHETIC is the word! Stick to selling cheap necklaces and even worse ART! read more