My life has not always been easy. I've had to deal with family issues, mental health problems, and enough stress to make a lump of coal into a diamond. Sometimes all it takes is one small thing to make me forget all that. I exist for a short time in a world without hate. Everything is perfect. Today, the Mac and cheese at this cafe took me to that world. read more

The one positive things I can say is that the location is great and the restaurant is well decorated. Neither makes a restaurant worthwhile. There are better options in Cleveland. Customer service at the reception was terrible. Late the night before our brunch, I changed our reservation from 2 to 3 people, which required a time change per Open Table, from the first available at 11AM to 11:15AM. As there are no two-person table in this restaurant, this change obviously meant that the 11AM time was not at the maximum number of guests they could handle. But when we arrived the next day, and they had just opened and only seated 1 table with 3 guests, we were told to come back in 8 minutes because it was 11:07AM and they were full. It was ludicrous as we were staring at an empty restaurant with no other party waiting to be seated. We were hoping for the food to make up for the poor start to the experience, but not a chance. One of us was pescatarian, and the choices were limited; there was meat - esp. pork - in many dishes. Cocktails and coffee were average. The quail and waffle was ok. The cornmeal pancake was dry and too salty. Disappointing meal all around. I would not come back, and definitely would not recommend the restaurant. read more

The location and view are great, just don't order anything.Our service was slow as was the wait to talk to the manager. Our potatoes were cold and our eggs crispy/tough on the bottom and not at all sunnyside up as ordered. read more

Very very nice and creative brunch menu. We shared the short rib Benedict and the corn pancake with cured salmon - also their house blended blackberry pomegranate and orange juice. Nummy. Lovely setting. read more

I want to love this place but it just isn't working out. They really need to work on their customer service. I have been 3 times since January and the service is just lacking. Asking for refills on wine rarely happens. Food has come out cold. For a restaurant in the art museum I would expect better than a mall food court experience in the restaurant. If you are finishing up your meal and it is somewhat near closing on a Friday night dinner security will approach you tableside. It has been embarrassing when dining with out of town guests and you are getting pushed out before the bill arrives. I'm a member of the museum. I just wish the service would improve. read more

Delicious lunch options, good chicken blt with arugula salad, excellent flat bread with salami, and vegetable flat bread, as well. Scrumptious cookies!! There is a wait, but it's worth it. read more

Overall Provenance is a pretty good restaurant with only minor complaints. Food was excellent, & flavorful. Pros: Inside the museum Amazing Food Reasonably priced considering quality Cons -Inattentive wait staff (Waited 5 minutes to be acknowledged to be seated... 10 minutes for waitress to introduce herself. She wasn't warm or welcoming) -Never offered refills -Never asked if I needed anything after food was delivered -Receipt arrived on a plate... really? No folder/folio? -Out of almost every single dessert including the one that was supposed to come with my meal -Waitress never came back to accept check so I left the total amount for the check and the few $$ I had left were her tips. I wasn't about to chase her down so I could tip her a full 20% Overall probably wouldn't return again based on service. Shame though considering the food was pretty good. read more

I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of vegan options. There are a number of plant based items on the menu. However, the restaurant fails to accept that a large number of people looking for plant based foods need those foods to be prepared without the use of unnecessary animal products. One example is a black bean burger made with mayo mixed in. Another was on the Tandoori oven menu. I was told the nice looking rice pilaf and vegetable stew were vegan. But why would I spend $10.25 for that and not be able to eat the accompanying bread that was made with sour cream? I finally settled on a vegetable salad from the salad bar. It had lettuce, zucchini, glazed pecans, etc. I was able to add tofu for $3, bringing it to about $11. I have to say it was very tasty. I can't confirm that it was 100% vegan though (? honey in the pecan glaze, vinaigrette dressing ingredients, etc.). This brings me to another short coming: the lack of posted ingredients or signage. Many places now use symbols to identify foods that are vegan, vegetarian, etc. This is such a simple, effective technique that saves people from feeling self conscious by needing to ask. This brings me to my final comment. Most of the kitchen staff there are VERY surly. I inquired about vegan options with three individuals at different stations. Only one of them was pleasant or made any attempt to be accommodating. The other two were clearly annoyed by my questions and one of them responded as though I was from another planet when I asked if the black bean burger was vegan. Really?? In 2015 in the cafe of a world class art museum?? Not how any customer wants to be treated in front of others. Frustrating because just a few small changes would make this dining experience so much more accessible to those of us who don't consume animal products. Something tells me, though, that the management would resist such adaptations. Oh, one more thing. A ton of delicious looking sweeties there. Needless to say, none of them vegan. :+\ read more

Definitely a huge step up from your typical museum cafeteria experience. I love the wide variety of flavors they offer, as well as the many healthy options. I'd give them a 5 but I think there is a little room for improvement. I had a cold noodle salad on my most recent visit that was good, but needed something to give it a bit more flavor, maybe some lime juice or jalapeno. On my previous visit I ordered a sandwich and fries from the tandoor oven station, but by the time the got around to making the fries, the sandwich had been sitting already for quite a while and was very soggy. read more

Great lunch for around $12 and a contemporary atmosphere in the Cleveland Museum of art. The service was fantastic and we really enjoyed the sophisticated restaurant during our art break. Yummy bread and butter is included with your order too. read more

I loved the variety of the food and was very appreciative that it was not your average prepared offsite, packaged in plastic cafe type food. You do have to wait but it is prepared fresh and is definitely worth the wait. The kitchen does seem to need a bit better coordination. Lots of people sometimes standing around doing nothing but waiting for others. Still, I liked the ambiance, and ability to eat in the atrium (or inside the cafe) and appreciated the fresh and healthy alternatives to what is typically provided at a museum cafe. I did not mind the multiple stations as it kind of kept the lines and crowds down. The kitchen just needs better management. We had the tandor sandwiches which were delicious. Naan flat bread with harissa, cucumber yogurt, hummus, eggplant and your choice of protein (we had chicken and falafel). Both were delicious and came with a fresh side salad. read more

Stopped at the bar for a cocktail during our visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art. I ordered a lime, thyme, ginger cocktail and my boyfriend had a manhattan. Drinks were great! The bartender was so nice. Told us all about the social event the first Friday of each month and even recommended a place for us to go to dinner later that night (Felice). We took his advice and had a wonderful time. Will definitely be back to visit both Providence and Felice!! read more

Good, but limited menu. I had the walleye, which was excellent.

We ate here while visiting the Cleveland Art Museum. Unfortunately, they do not have a children's menu. Paid $8.50 for a grilled cheese sandwich for our daughter. It had 1 slice of cheese on regular white bread. Completely uninspired & overpriced! On a positive note, the burger was tasty. read more

Provenance - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Provenance Cafe is in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The food is good. I think the serving size is small compared to the price. After spending $15 on braised beef stew over rice, and a drink, I finished eating my lunch and was left hungry and immediately started thinking about my next meal. My petite wife had a wedge salad and soup and she was still hungry too. I would go somewhere else to eat next time. read more

This food changed my life. I had the Mac and cheese. First, scoop sriracha sauce on your fork. Then, take a mondo chunk of Mac. Plop that stuff in your mouth and transcend reality. read more

REally outstanding birthday dinner at Provenance! We were in Cleveland for a convention and didn't know the restaurants well, but we looked at lists of "Top 10" and highly recommended restaurants and chose Provenance for my wife's birthday. We were not disappointed! They had a lovely table overlooking the park waiting for us. The menu was really interesting and enticing, and our waiter was exceptionally warm and professional. We loved our meals, and they gave us a free birthday dessert, as well. Such a nice experience and memory! When we're back in Cleveland, I know we'll want to go back to Provenance- and also see more of the extraordinary Cleveland Museum of Art! read more

Been here for brunch and dinner. Would love to catch lunch but don't work in the area. The food has been unbelievable over the last couple of months. On the brunch menu you have to try the short rib Benedict or the pain perdu. Check it out it's worth it read more

The new building and atrium are neat, and there are some interesting food choices here, including some vegetarian (tasty but not great--they mix unusual things to be interesting, but the result isn't always memorable). Service was surly and very slow, and everything in the Cafe's grill area was handled manually (gloved), not with tongs/utensils (with the exception of some scooped side dishes). That means meat grease gets on every single thing: the bread, the lettuce in the salads, the french fries, etc. They pick up greasy burgers and skewers of meat by hand, and move right on to hand-grabbing someone else's salad or sandwich or fries. This wasn't one single employee--it's how everyone there operated. Sometimes they'd "clean" the gloves by wiping them on their clothing. I can only hope the raw meat is handled better? If you're a vegetarian without an iron stomach, stay away from the grill. (The salad-only area may be a better bet--I did not observe the practices there.) read more

Beautiful, healthy food in a stunning setting. Fresh, made to order entrees & salads- this is not your parents' cafeteria. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. I stopped in three times while visiting a family member at the University Hospital just three blocks away. Gorgeous old buildings, neighborhoods and Case Western campus to discover if you're a walker. read more

I'm only going to speak for their macarons - THEY ARE AMAZING! seriously, they cost $1.75 (same price as luna bakery cafe) but the quality is better! They are fresher and the flavor is a little stronger. However, they only have two flavors to choose from. read more

This is such a near place. The space offers a peaceful calm just off to the side of the busy museum. It has a modern design and clean lines, but also offers cozy seating near the bar and breathtaking views near the windows. My boyfriend and I decided to grab a cocktail and small bite of food after exploring the museum and this was a perfect stop to do that. I ordered the Brussels sprouts and asked the bartender if the aioli came on the side, noting that because of allergies I cannot have it, but still wanted it so my boyfriend could enjoy. She said yes and places our order after making our cocktails. Both were ok-a little too sweet for either of our tastes-but inventive nonetheless. When our food arrived (very quickly I might note) she said "the aioli is actually mixed in, hope that's ok" and began to walk away. Fortunately we stopped her and got a new plate made up for us. And let me tell you-this was some of the best tasting food I had the entire time I was in cleveland. Skip the cocktail, order a $5 chimay, Brussels sprouts, and enjoy the view. read more

We went here for Sunday Brunch. Wonderful experience! There is a menu of classic breakfast and lunch items. Included with each entree is the chef's table - which contains various continental breakfast items such as yogurt, fruit, croissants and other pastries. Simple items such as scrambled eggs and bacon are upgraded in flavor and presentation. the short rib hash is hearty beyond words but very good. The meat is mixed with potatoes and cheddar cheese. Add some scramble eggs and sourdough toast and you have this amazing menu item. Their take on eggs benedict is also exceptional - yes the hollandaise sauce is very tasty. There is a nice selection of breakfast cocktails and a wine list. Prices are a bit high, but one would expect this for the location. Service was very good. The only down side for me was the visual appeal - there is no view. If there was a view of the museum atrium, for example, this would add to the experience. Even a view of the outdoors would be nice. I have not tried other times during the week to dine, but plan to in the future. For those planning a visit, I definitely would recommend making reservations, as the dining room is small, and fills quickly. read more

The only reason I am giving this restaurant 2 stars is because it is in the art museum. We called ahead earlier in the week for a Sunday reservation for lunch. I was told the cafe was not open on Sunday and that they only served brunch, which was wrong, but we decided to try the Restaurant and have brunch. After being seated it took over 5 min. to be approahed by our waitress, who told us about the table with the pasties and fruit and salad and told us to make sure and take our plates as there were none up there. Ok! Then said she would be right back to take our orders. No water in our glasses, and very thirsty, we waited over 15 min for her to return. We asked about beverages and specifically coffee, and were told they were not part of our brunch pricing. But we had to ask several more times to find out about coffee and the price and ask again for water before we were given an answer by a haughty waitress. At a price of over $20 for what was really breakfast, not a true brunch, the coffee at least should have been included and the waitresses attitude should have been excluded. Several of us ordered the lump crab quiche, which was almost inedible. The crust was so tough and over baked it was like leather and even the eggs were dry. It was accompianed by a very small citrus fennel salad which was good. We all left more than half of our quiches on our plates because it was so bad and ate what we ate because we were starved. The waitress had takrpen our bread plates off the table so we could not go back to the very small bread and salad table which was not refilled Nd mostly empty the entire time we were there. We had to ask them to refill the contents and theu only replaced the fruit. There was no jelly in the bowl, they were out of most of the pastries the rest of our meal. Our waitress never checked in on us through the rest of our meal and we had to ask the host to have someone bring us water and coffee. When our waitress returned to remove our plates, we told her about the quiche and she rudely told us they would have replaced it had we told her even though she had not been seen for over 20 min durring our meal. She never discounted our meal for such a bad product despite the fact that all three of us left most of it on our plates. We asked her to split the bills which she said she could not at first, but after being questioned did split the bill. We were very disappointed in our service and more so in a meal. $22 for a piece of quiche was not worth it and we will definately eat in the cafe next time as it outshone the restaraunt by a mile! read more

Extremely rude and unpleasant workers at the counter where you order (adjacent to the kitchen area). They seem to hate their job. 2 out of 2 times we were very disappointed. Will never eat at this place where workers give you a bad attitude, ironically within such an extraordinary, beautiful museum. The cashiers and salad bar works have been somewhat pleasant. read more

Superior would be a modest expression of a great dining experience this past Sunday 7.20.2016. Excellent coffee with a buffet laid out offering a choice of pastry, fruit, juices, jams and other delectables were the starters. Then on to wide selection menu from which I chose the eggs benedict over crispy crab cakes and English muffin, accompanied with a side of thinly sliced yellow potatoes sauteed with caramelised onions. The sauce was excellent ala Brennan's of New Orleans and the eggs served with soft yokes to run as it should be, cooked perfectly which is nor mean feat for any chef to accomplish, not well done at all. Flavorful estaurant grade butter for the soft french rolls to dunk in the yokes was perfect. My guest had an excellent quiche surrounded with hearty flaky crust with excellent flavors of its makeup. Tables are set near high expanses of glass overlooking a garden area which while still being constructed one can anticipate being beautiful. The excellent offerings and fine service completed a superior dining experience. I hope to be back soon. Our desert was taking in an exhibit in the Museum....you just can't find that kind of offering at any other restaurant. A Cleveland Treasure Joe Mersnik read more

Stopped here after a morning at the natural history museum with two young children and was pleasantly surprised. I chose a tomato grilled cheese sandwich and absolutely loved it. I would go back here just for the sandwich even if I didn't plan on going to a museum, so it's really nice that the art museum is free! The only downside is that the food is kind of pricey. This is to be expected in a museum, but still a little hard to swallow, especially if you have kids with you who don't eat as much. Overall, it was good quality and in a nice environment- both the cafe itself and the museum. read more

Horrible. Just horrible. Food was cold, grill chef was in prepared for any orders. Burned fries and had to start over. We waited well over 15 minutes for a burger. Chef was just standing around. Melted cheese sandwiches were not melted. Waaaaay over priced for the quality. Horrible. Hit the food trucks outside. read more

We had lunch here. Ordered Curry Mussels B-, Young hare dijon B-, Local lamb claybread C, Rhubarb strudel D. Ambiance was nice but a bit boring, Service was "kind of nice" but forgetful and not professional. Value was bad for the experience received. No coming back. read more

What a disappointment this place was. Something has to be done about management. My husband, father- in-law and I went there to grab lunch. When we arrived I went to the salad line and the two people behind the counter said nothing, so I asked if I could order a salad and the woman started telling the other man behind the counter how there is no salad because she was alone, and continued to go on about her terrible day. I get up to the cashier and they were having problems with taking credit cards and the manager is up there saying she did not want to bring in the back up machine unless it was necessary. At this point the line was ten people deep. On top of all of this the "barista/cleaning grunt" was yelling out if people needed coffee and then started singing a rap song....not the kind of attitude I would want at the art museum cafe. But all of this could be solved with management. It is obvious there is no training, no sense of urgency, and no customer service... Hopefully they can clean it up quickly. We ended up walking out, by the way. Went to the cafe in the museum of natural history. read more

As good as it gets in Cleveland. Just had brunch there this morning. Looks like they have read the comments from earlier this year. The service was excellent. The Chef's table was impressive ... house made yogurt, granola, and a great micro greens salad ... Miso dressing was very tasty, but for some maybe a bit too much garlic, not for me though. The highlight of the chef's table (btw, the chef's table is where you load up) was the pastries. Croissants both plain and chocolate stuffed were superb, light and flaky. Coffee (which i gauge a restaurant by) was excellent. Ordered the "Croque Madame" for my entree ... It was well seasoned, well flavored and served just as I finished my yogurt, granola, croissants and salad. Am a CMA member so I got the discount ... My total bill (before tip) was $19.19. I'd say that is very reasonable for the quality of the food. Nice ambiance and my waiter told me not to rush. Will definitely go back. Btw, if you don't like an item on the menu, let's say you don't want Eggs Bennie with trout, they will happily swap the trout out for ham or something else. I like the fact that thy will work with you. read more