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Garden Cafe

3.9 (74 reviews)
ModerateAmerican, Cafes
Closed • 7:00 am - 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Garden Cafe Photos

GARDEN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Garden Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Roasted Chicken Breast
Trung T.

The Garden Cafe is one of my pre-pandemic lunch time staples when I'm working downtown. It's technically a hotel restaurant for the State Plaza Hotel on GW's campus but it has it's own side entrance. They have a rather large shaded outdoor patio, too, perfect for days like today that are not too humid or hot! Today's lunch was the Roasted Chicken Breast. It came out super juicy and tender with lots of gravy drizzled on top with mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots and green beans. It was a little pricey, but well deserved! I'll definitely be back to try the Fried Chicken Sandwich and fingers crossed that they bring back the Crab Cake Sandwich, one of my favorites pre-pandemic! Service was top notch even when we were sitting outside on the patio. Bathrooms did require asking staff to unlock for you just outside the restaurant in the hallways since it requires a keycard.

Pain au chocolate
Justine T.

Nice little spot for a quick bite if you're in the National Gallery of Art. The pain au chocolate was good - I liked the flakiness. Similar to the pain au chocolate, the croissant was standard. Nothing seemed fresh. Service was efficient. Just a basic cafe - can't complain, but can't rave about it, either.

Glenn S.

Decent little coffee shop located on the lower level of the National Art Museum. The coffee is ground fresh and hand tamped by a barista. It reminded me of the coffee shops in Europe. However, The drinks were not made right. We ordered 2 double espressos and each filled a 10 ounce cup. I would call it more if an Americano than an espresso as my order should have been 2-3 ounces at the most. Don't get me wrong it still tasted great for what it wad. So, three stars for a cool looking spot and fresh coffee. If I returned I'd probably order a different drink such as the cold brew nitro they had on tap!

Fried chicken sandwich.
Robin F.

Located in State Plaza Hotel. Food is okay. I had the fried chicken sandwich this visit, Although it was huge I could tell it was made from a pre-made frozen chicken pattie. The fries were good. My ketchup was old and dark and thick like it had been sitting out in the dipping container for a long time. I asked for another one which came much fresher and fast. It's a bit pricey for the quality but if you need lunch it will do.

a plate of salad on a table

Good food, good service, good ambiance! Big portions! We had the place to ourselves on a Thursday night at 6:30, but don't understand why. We would definitely eat here again.

Seared Salmon Cake
Micah L.

We were up bright and early on Easter Sunday. Before officially going about our day, we stopped by The Garden Cafe at the State Plaza Hotel for an early breakfast. According to their website, The Garden cooks "with fresh, local ingredients" and "serves an enticing menu of American classics with a creative twist." Hmmmmm. I ordered the Seared Salmon Cakes ($16) -- cheesy grits, two eggs, home fries, and fresh fruit. Where do I even start with this one? Ok, let's start with the fact that even though the menu advertised "salmon cakes," the plate came with only one small salmon hockey puck. We found this particular hockey puck to be underseasoned and devoid of any of the natural flavor and decadence of fresh salmon. The cheesy grits weren't much better, overloaded with cheese but still lacking the salty, deep, complex flavor that cheese has the potential to add to any dish. Although the home fries were pleasantly crispy, we suspect that they were frozen as they continued the resturan theme of underseasoned food. Also, I hate to state the obvious, but what even is this presentation. Believe me, I could go on and on. Because our rubric also considers other factors besides taste and presentation, areas in which this restaurant was satisfactory, we cannot give them only one star, but we can, and will, give them 2 stars.

He had the fish tacos.  He said they were "the best ever."  However, he regrets choosing the hard shell...Don't we all?
Erica T.

The food and service were good. They offer patio dining. Not likely to return, however; not particularly memorable. It's a good place for a business lunch. My companion, however, had the fish tacos and said they were "the best ever." I had the crab cake sandwich. The bread on the sandwich was fluffy and buttery, and the side salad was surprisingly delicious (especially considering that I wanted the fries but was trying to be loyal to my diet plan). I detected something along the lines of Miracle Whip in the sandwich, which left a bad taste in my mouth. But, to be fair, I cleared my entire plate.

Great food and service!!!

A wonderful hidden gem just blocks from the White House and the noise and traffic of the Mall. Generous portions and great presentation.

John H.

Great food. Nice presentation. Casual elegant setting. Friendly, attentive staff. Reasonably priced. A hidden (literally) gem. Recommended: Pulled chicken cashew salad, layered almond cake for desert

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8 years ago

The breakfast was okay. It wasn't anything to knock your socks off and we mainly went there due to staying at The Hive.

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11 years ago

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9 years ago

Great food! Ordered a salad with salmon and the portion of salmon was huge! It was delish! Very great service.

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

Great ambience, good food, decent prices for the location. I often come here when I am treating somebody from work to lunch.

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7 years ago

It's so good here, from the bread and butter to the actual meal. It's really quiet and very pretty outside

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9 years ago

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10 years ago

Service is good and nice dining experience overall, but food is just so-so.

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10 years ago

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11 years ago

Excellent food quality and presentation. Superior service that you typically find only find at much more expensive establishments.

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Tatte Bakery & Cafe | Farragut Square - Dark Chocolate Muffin (GF)

Tatte Bakery & Cafe | Farragut Square

4.2(148 reviews)
0.6 mi•Downtown
•$$

Great place to get lunch! They have so many different food options--sandwiches, salads, soups,…read moreShakshuka, bowls, pastries, etc. The place is spacious inside with tons of seating--during weekday lunch it can get busy so you might need to wait a few minutes for a table or high top. You order your food first, then find seating. Food comes out fairly quick. Dishes I've tried and would recommend: Chicken Pita, Turkey BLAT, Spiced Shrimp & Avocado Mousse Salad, Chickpea & Fava Plate, Lamb Meatball & Labneh Shakshuka, and Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich--there's so much I want to try but haven't yet! Their cookies are delicious too, my favorite is the Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookie.

My favorite bakery and coffee shop while visiting the D.C. area during the cherry blossoms…read morefestival. A five-minute walk towards downtown from the Mayflower hotel made Tatte Bakery an ideal spot for breakfast. It also has nice views of Farragut Square. I went with the House Full breakfast that included Applewood bacon, eggs, potato fritters with tomato jam and mint parmasean, and house made sourdough. I was curious to try one of their best sellers - monkey bread, and it didn't disapoint. A solid breakfast with on point service before catching the metro to Virginia. I really enjoyed my visit here and would return in a heartbeat.

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Garden Cafe - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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