Airy place with tons of seating and great food choices. We started at the natural history museum and thought about eating there. That place was packed so we decided to walk to see what we could find. I'm so glad we found here. No line at noon on a Tuesday but enough people coming through that made me think the food would be pretty good. We got a cheese flatbread pizza and a kids hotdog. I also got an iced matcha latte with oatmilk. Everything was solid. The hotdog came with a drink and chips. We got apple juice which came in a sealed cup (not juice box) which I found funny. This place has ground to ceiling windows which makes it a very serene place to get food. I'm a huge plan of this architecture. I would definitely stop by again for a quick bite. read more

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A cute cafe alongside the sculpture garden with a view of the fountain. The large windows let you enjoy the outside scenery while having your food. We got salads and sangria, which were both good, if a bit overpriced. The salads are prepackaged and the sangria was nothing special, but they were exactly what we were looking for while walking around DC. You order your food at the counter and it only takes a few minutes before they call your name and you pick your seats. read more

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Pros: somewhere to eat at the mall. In a very bright, beautiful setting in the sculpture park. Regular lunch food such as soup, sandwiches, and salad. Coffee is offered. Can refill your water bottles. Cons: Way overpriced for what you get. Salad is prepackaged, so it was rotting what we got. They would not give us another one. Ruben was bare minimum, but tasted good. No child seating offered. No GF bread offered. Maybe would come back for a coffee because the setting is nice. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Cobb salad - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I cannot recommend any place that serves some type of mayonnaise or aioli on every sandwich they sell. If you don't like mayonnaise than you are out of luck at the Pavilion Cafe because you absolutely can't order a sandwich without it. If you happen to be one of the many people who don't....then enjoy your hotdog. read more

Great selection of food. No better way to start my day than chili and beer. Service was great. Amazing view of the sculpture garden. There may have been a cockroach that paid us a visit during our meal but still a 5 star experience. read more

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Clean and convenient. A great place to grab a quick bite or a drink. We had 1.5 hours until our time block for ice skating and we spent it well here with chocolate croissants and beers! There were plenty of seating available. Enjoy! read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - a display of food - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here twice on our weeklong trip to DC. After traversing the mall several times, it provides a nice (central) respite, accompanied by snacks and alcoholic beverages! What's not to love? On the first day we visited, it was sunny. We found a table outside a f I went in to stand in the long line to order. There is actually a QR code posted that you can use for ordering. I highly recommend this method if the line is long. I was surprised that the menu was pretty extensive. They have salads, sandwiches, pizzas, bakery items, chips and drinks. They even have a kids menu. I ordered a sangria, a cup of water and a bag of chips. Perfect $10 snack on a hot day. The second time we went, it was raining and I got a bowl of chili and a hot cider. A perfect $10 snack for a cold day! The other food options looked tasty too. My only suggestion would be that they post the full menu somewhere. Everyone in line got to the front and realized that the things listed on the menu screen comprised maybe half of the complete menu they only offer at the cash register. Very strange. Anyway. This place is great for a rest. Both outside and inside seating provide great views of the sculpture garden. Annddd the food quality plus the fact you can actually sit at a table makes it a way better experience than getting food from a food truck nearby. read more

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Good food, friendly staff, and a gorgeous view. The roast beef was hot & tasty and the iced tea is fresh brewed daily. We all enjoyed our sandwiches. We really like the sculptures, fountain, and nature view of course. Average prices. Healthier options. Thanks! read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Got her close to closing time. Pizza looked dry, barely any sauce on it. They weren't busy so in my opinion the workers didn't care what they served since they were close to being done. Flavor was good when there was actual cheese and marinara on certain spots. Don't waste $13 for this. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Margarita pizza - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was quite surprised at this café when we found it. It's in an amazing location and the prices aren't bad either. You can sit outside while looking at the gardens or the National Archives building as you ponder pretending to be Nicolas Cage to steal the Declaration of Independence whilst eating a salad. The salads are average but it was good enough for me to find something nearby while walking around so much. There is currently no indoor seating due to covid. Social distancing is still enforced. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Seating - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The national gallery of art sculpture is the most resent addition to the gallery of art in Washington DC. It offers a lot of modern sculptures, the tree being the favorite for me. Plenty of benches to sit and relax and enjoy the view . This is also free to see . read more

Amazing location, great dessert/sweet location. Nice and polite cashier. Upon asking all sandwiches are premade, unable to customize. Location between Museums is perfect. read more

Walking to the Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe, I was excited as it was in a beautiful location. The menu on paper looked really good as there was a variety of sandwiches from Montreal Roast Beef to Eggplant Parmesan. However, taking a look at the display shelf and the sandwiches there provided a different perspective on the food, as many of the sandwiches didn't look appetizing or contain much of what was being offered. I opted to go for a hazelnut coffee instead, which unfortunately was too sweet and tasted like an off-brand iced coffee that I would pick up packaged from a grocery store. However, the cashier who rang me up had great energy and was very friendly. I did enjoy the view from there but next time, I rather bring my own coffee and food to the Sculpture Garden. read more

Do not do it. I overpaid for a very stale sandwich that had probably sat out for a few hours. It was awful. I really hesitate to post a negative review, but this food made my group all quite sick. None of us could finish it. Every sandwich stale, flavorless and waaaaaay overpriced. 2 stars because it is the cutest building, staff was very friendly, and you can't beat the location. But it's not hard to beat that food. read more

Not sure why this place gets good reviews. Other than the location, I am not sure there are a lot of positives. We ordered three sandwiches. Two were basically pieces of commercial bread with small amounts of meat and cheese slapped together. My sandwich was literally a slice of roast beef, a slice of turkey, slice of cheese and tomato on a small hoagie roll for $12. The third was toasted with basil spread, tomato and mozzarella. The last sandwich was the only one that tasted good. One star food with great location on the National Mall. read more

A wonderful option when visiting the National Gallery of Art. The salads, sandwiches, and entrees had quite a bit of fresh vegetables and enjoyed the Asian chicken salad and Mexican corn flatbread. The air conditioned and light filled spot was perfect on a really warm day. We really loved dessert, hadn't expected to find such a delicious chocolate chip cookie and flourless chocolate tart to enjoy at the end of our meal. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Lunchtime - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Might be my new favorite place to eat at the mall in DC. Wonderful service and such a cute spot!! During the winter you have a view of the ice skating rink and the sculpture garden to walk through. Food was pretty good. Portions were perfect for sharing! Definitely will come back here again! read more

Notes: 1) been here once 2) one of the few places around the park 3) went during holiday season Pros: 1) good tasting food (+1.5) 2) decent service (+1) 3) lots of space and tables 4) well air conditioned and good interior (+0.5) 5) great view of the sculpture garden (+0.5) Cons: 1) no place to get water refills unless you walk outside for the water fountain 2) kinda pricey for the amount/ quality that you receive 3) food quality could be improved 4) service could be better Total: 3.5/5 My friend and I went to tour around Washington DC and look at all the monuments in one day. Between all of the monuments, we had to stop somewhere close for lunch. Thus, we stumbled upon this restaurant which was along the way between all of the museums. When walking in, the space was really outstanding and the view was tremendous. The walls were made of glass to look at the sculpture garden outside. It was pretty nice. Upon walking in, the counter is immediately in front of you with a show of all of the food available there. There are two paths that lead to cashiers where you can order from the same menu. Along the way, you can pick up side dishes for your order like chips, cookies, and other sweets. You can also order many different beverages much like at a coffee shop. When you reach the cashier, you can detail out your order to them while picking up any of the sides to go and sit down with. From here, you can also wait until they get your drink made for you if you ordered one. After you ordered, you can go and sit and wait until they call your number to pick up your food. I had an eggplant sandwich with a salad to fill up since we were planning on walking later. I also got a water cup as well. The amount of food that I got was a little underwhelming. The sandwich was tiny, and the salad was tiny as well. It was only a few bites to get through. The issue came from when I was going to fill up my water cup back at the counter. I asked for a refill there since they had a water dispenser. However, I was denied. They told me to go to the back where the bathrooms and water fountains were to get water. As both are accessible by the public and outside in the back, it was a bit inconvenient but it was not the worst. It can cause a bit of a line as there were only two water fountains for use. As for the food, it was okay overall. The salad itself was like any other salad. The eggplant sandwich was passable. Most of the flavor was carried by the cheese. The eggplant itself could have used a bit more salt. The cheese was full of flavor and added the kick that the sandwich needed to be good. I would say that the restaurant was passing. The quality and amount of food was not that good. The food taste was okay. The service was okay. The restaurant arrangement was not the best. The restaurant maximizes the view so the bathroom, the kitchen, and the water fountains were placed in the back which can take some time to walk around. It's not the worst place to go and visit if you are in the area. The view is nice, and the restaurant is nice. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Eggplant sandwich with a side salad - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yummy chicken salad and trifle! This was a recommended stop from a local while we were visiting the Natural History museum. It is a short walk away, nestled inside the sculpture garden. A cute, clean cafe that's slightly underwhelming is how to describe it. We got there a few minutes after opening and the line behind us was forming fast. They have several sandwich and soup options. We went with the chicken salad sandwich served on the most delicious bread with lettuce on top and a side salad! The vinaigrette was very good on the salad and the bread was awesome. The sandwich was cut in two but the chicken salad was poorly spread. One half had barely any chicken at all. We basically wasted half a sammy. The tea was good but pumped full of lemon so avoid that if need be. Overall it was a decent stop and the fountains outside are pretty to see and take a break. There's also a capital bike share right behind the cafe, which was super convenient. read more

Great space for outdoor dining. The food is good. Great salads and sandwiches. Very enjoyable

This place is located in the Sculpture Garden to the left once you enter the gates from the center of all the museums (where all the grass is lol) We came here with the expectation that it would be an overpriced tourist place, and I can't say that's exactly wrong... but the prices definitely could've been worse and I was pleasantly surprised by the food. So this was an okay experience This place surrounding was a great place to rest and recharge in the middle of exploring all the museums! TIP: We ordered online and even though the food still took some time, we avoided standing in line and that made it more of an enjoyable experience for us. read more

A little pricey, but the food and atmosphere can't be beat. We loved strolling through the art, then stopping for a delicious bite inside the cafe. Perfect for a leisurely afternoon downtown or a quick lunch on a work day. read more

My mom and I were going to eat at the Garden Cafe, until we found out that it wasn't actually in a garden, so ended up walking over here. The place is like a cafeteria, with TV monitor menus and samples of all the entrees behind a glass case. You can choose your own seats: indoors, outdoors or you can take your food and find a spot somewhere in the sculpture garden. We ordered two entrees: the cheese gratin and the eggplant caprese sandwich. Both were good and decently priced. We also got three pastries: a whole grain croissant (my mom's favorite), spinach turnover and carrot cake. All pretty good! The line was long, but went down pretty fast, and it didn't take long for our buzzer to go off either. Everything here was better than we expected and we were pleasantly surprised. It's a good place to stop by for lunch or a snack to rest your legs while walking around all the museums. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Cheese Gratin, Eggplant Caprese and pastures - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was pretty good. The lines were very long (40 mins to order and 10 to get food at 1pm on a Sat.). The scenery was beautiful. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - View from our table - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a gorgeous spot on a beautiful June day like today. They have indoor seating in the pavilion, but the outdoor tables were a hot commodity today. There was a line, but the process was fairly efficient. All of the food choices are visible in the cases, which helps to make it easy to order. We paid and were given a beeper, and the food was ready in a few minutes. We sat outside with a view of the fountain. My Mediterranean salad was really good, and the prices were not exorbitant. What a lovely lunch venue! read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Mediterranean salad - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Prepare for long lines if you're getting there during lunch hours. Suggest to order ahead online. I had their Asian Chicken Salad and a cinnamon bun. Both were pretty good. Also, kind of pricey (you are in the middle of DC). Location of the restaurant is cool and you can sit inside or outside and enjoy the art sculptures and fountain. read more

Great stop to get out of the heat! My son's hot dog was good and my turkey sandwich was great

Beautiful outdoor sculpture garden. Free and open to the public. It has a divider collection of sculptures including magnificent pieces by Roy Liptenstein and Marc Chagall. Stroll through the our gardens and enjoy some amazing public art. read more

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Food portions are quite small. I ordered a sandwich with and drink and a pizza with a drink and also and small slice of cake and it was $40 not quite worth it in my opinion but the inside is really pretty and cute and customer service was pretty good and you also get free refills. There's also not a lot of food choices just sandwich, pizza, and salads put the food quality it good. I would recommend to try this place ones and that's it. read more

Pros: Good view and outerior Good coffee tasting ( as normal) Cons: Too expensive good desert ( just normal, but expensive) Self service Note: To get a quick break during DC tour, I can recommend. But for your lunch or dinner, I can't. And it is considerable thay this house brew coffee is NOT refillable, DC's tax (10%) read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Service was ok, people were friendly. Food was not good, bland and bad at the same time. Albeit we didn't expect a lot, $80 to feed a family of 4 white bread turkey sandwiches and lays chips is a bit much. Sparkling Rose was no longer sparkling. Nice view of the garden but loud and crowded inside. read more

Came here for shelter from the snow. Ordered a chili bowl. It came out quick. Did just the trick. Then I ventured back into the cold. The chili was good. The service was quick. A good place to fuel up while exploring the mall and museums. It's also harder to dislike this place because it is literally the only food around. read more

Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe - Chili with cornbread. - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food is very good in the service was very personable and attentive. They make the bread in the house and you can tell from the quality. How many is pretty straightforward but there's some site embellishments that make it a little bit above the norm. The view is wonderful read more

We stopped by this place due to its convenient location and unique surroundings. Food My first impression was that it was cool, memorials but would ridiculously expensive due to its high convenience factor. I was wrong, the menu is decently priced for the amount of food you get even though it's kind of bizarre/eclectic. Everyone in our party of six loved their food. I wasn't crazy about my ciabatta and didn't eat half of it but my brother polished it off. I really enjoyed the lemonade and the side salad. My brother said he'd order the Mac 'n Cheese again in a heart beat. The kids menu I feel is a little limited only three options, but still no complains from our little munchkins. Cost It was about 10$ a person for a large sandwich, chips or side salad and a drink. We were all stuffed by the end of the meal. Service There are bathrooms on the back of the building. Indoor seating is limited and in high demand, outdoor seating would have been nice if it wasn't 92 degrees and blazing sun. The buser we interacted with was very pleasant and had our table cleared when we were finished. Location The girls and I loved the fountain, a dip in the foundation was very refreshing for our tired feet on the hot day. The guys likes the shaded sitting area, the sculptures and art is very. . . artsy. Overall a good, unique and memorable experience. I would recommend. read more

I stopped here twice in my two days I walked the mall. It is located practically mid point from end to end and is a hidden gem, tucked discreetly in the gardens. A perfect healthy option for a pit stop between the National Gallery and the Natural History museums. Eat in or outside in the lovely surrounding garden with fabulously famous and intriguing sculptures. Plenty of seating either way. Sandwiches, kids size meals, soups, salads and tempting pastries and desserts Parisian style delish coffees, teas and wine - truly French style, they even have a Metro sign in art nouveau style outside to greet you. Line up order your meal and they give you a buzzer to alert you it's ready for pick up. There are also restrooms that are nice and clean and a great reason to rest here along your way from the Capitol to the Lincoln memorial and stops between. read more

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Light snack before lunch "Spinach Strawberry Salad / Roasted Turkey Sandwich" POGIBALLS overall rating 4 Stars Food 4 Stars Service 4 Stars Restaurant Cleanliness 4 Stars Restroom N/A The spinach salad was excellent, the spinach and the strawberry were well proportioned and there was plenty of goat cheese. The dressing was just right. The turkey sandwich was good but not great. There was plenty of turkey but a little too much onions and tomatoes. Overall worth buying for a meal. I would dine here again #sculpturegardenpavilioncafe, Sculpture Garden Pavilion Cafe, Washington D.C. #pogiballsratings read more

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Decent looking pastries and light lunch options at the west end of the sculpture garden. We had a parfait and a muffin and both were good. This place is really all about the location though - which is about as good as it gets. read more

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Hanging at the museums and needed some place to get lunch. Found this place on Yelp. The location was really nice because you can also visit the sculpture garden or even get on the ice rink, which is located right in front of the cafe. The food is good for a cafe. Nothing extraordinary. read more

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This place absolutely ruined my trip to DC. I got kicked out because I was eating ethiopian food. Some guy came up to me and said it was inappropriate to do that in a restaurant-- proving that the employees clearly don't have a solid grasp on the meaning of the word "restaurant." Furthermore, the water bottle filling station was on an orange filter level, absolutely disgusting. If you want to eat disgusting sandwiches and have unpleasant interactions with old bald guys then this is the place for you. read more

Absolutely disgusting restaurant. Pretty sure someone spit in my food. Even if he hadn't spit in my food, the food wouldn't have been good. Would never come back here again. I genuinely feel traumatized after my experience. I have never felt so disrespected in my restaurant eating career than I have at sculpture Garden pavilion cafe. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more