Have you ever heard your own stomach growl so loudly in a silent exhibition hall that visitors turned to stare? …Me neither. When hunger strikes during a moment of artful contemplation, many of us turn to the nearest available food source: museum cafes. But even as admission prices to many of New York City’s most popular cultural institutions reach all-time highs, a post-show snack or drink can easily add another few dozen dollars to the cost of your visit. We looked at the menus of 10 cafes in museums in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to tell you all about the most (and least) affordable options for coffee, sandwiches, and other snacks.
The Morgan Café at the Morgan Library and Museum
Legend According to reports, Polish composer Frédéric Chopin’s favorite food was zraziga kind of stuffed beef. The $25 Morgan Smashburger may be the item on the menu that most appeals to the musician — and unlike him, you can enjoy a dining experience without fear of cholera. Saratoga mineral water (purified) costs $5, a pastry can be purchased for $8, and tea costs $4.50. The café also serves a simple selection of iced or hot coffee ($4.50), espresso ($4.75), and cappuccino and latte ($5.50). It is generously lit, spacious and open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 4pm and on Friday from 11am to 7.30pm.
The Brooklyn Museum Café
After a much-needed overhaul and remodel, the Brooklyn Museum Café opened this fall with a new menu curated by local restauranteur Andre Hueston Mackand luckily the price for a standard coffee is $4. In a space designed by New York studio Office of Tangible Space, with tables and chairs laid out to ‘islands and streams,” cranberry, orange, and pumpkin spice muffins are reasonably priced (at least compared to other items on this list) at $5. Sandwiches are all $18 or less. The café is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Espresso bar at the Museum of Modern Art
Located across from one of MoMA’s gift shops, the aptly named espresso bar on MoMA’s second floor is barren for a coffee shop whose job it is to wake visitors up before they start gazing at Salvador Dalí’s dreamy “The Persistence of Memory.”” (1931). A San Pellegrino seltzer water will cost you $4, so you might as well get a latte for $1 more. For something sweet, the cheapest item on the menu is a $4 cookie. The best is the $5 croissant. Savory pastries can be had for $6. If you’re really hungry, Cafe 2 is not far away, serving sandwiches but as much as $24 cost. Choose wisely. The most concerning item on this menu is a $12 canned cocktail. And even after you get your food, you may have to fight for a seat on one of the black half-benches. The café is open every day from 11am to 5pm, except on Fridays from 11am to 7pm.
Café Rebay at the Guggenheim Museum
Café Rebay on the third floor is a welcome break from Frank Lloyd Wright’s winding slopes. While Hyperallergic conditions News editor Valentina Di Liscia described the cafe as “one of the saddest places” she has ever eaten in two years ago. I thought it was a pretty good experience these days. That said, the prices are shocking. A latte cost me $7.75. They do have a set menu ($28.60 for a sandwich, beer or wine and a simple soup), but the environment is much better suited for a solo coffee. After all, for $4.65 you get a black coffee, while a bottle of water will set you back $5.30. Other caffeine options include a single espresso shot for as much as $5.70, hot tea for $5.15 and $5.45 for ice. At the bakery, the pastries vary between €6.80 and €7.95. Café Rebay is open from Monday to Friday from 11am to 4pm and from Saturday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
The American Wing Café at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
To be taken back to the days of the school cafeteria, grab a tray and hop in line at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing Cafe. If for some reason you’re looking for the most expensive item on the menu, buy a $21.50 pre-made sushi combo. If you want something simpler, try the $10 peanut butter jelly sandwich. Salads average about $16. In terms of hydration, you can buy a case of water for $5, or a reusable Met water bottle for $7. Don’t expect much of barista talent, because the coffee is poured from ready-made barrels. (Black coffee costs $4.50 and tea $4.25.) Although putting food on a tray and walking to a plastic chair is one of the saddest experiences in a museum cafe, you can find the most stunning views on the list here . The American Wing Cafe is open Sunday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Café and bookstore bee Amant Foundation
In Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, Amant’s 21,000-square-foot campus is home to its own bookstore café. Among the collection of recently translated works and literature published by independent presses, inspired by the content of the museum’s exhibitions, you will find a small range of snacks and an extensive drinks menu. A shot of espresso costs $3.60, and a latte costs $5.50. Batch brew is as cheap as $3. As for the food – only served on afternoons Thursday through Sunday – there are three sandwich options, starting at $12, and two $16 salads. Open Monday to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a quiet place to get some work done.
Unisphere Café at the Queen’s Museum
The institute’s Unisphere Cafe by the August Tree takes the cake for the lowest overall prices. Bottles of Hal’s Seltzer water cost $1.85 and several flavors of Boylan Cane Cola for $3. All hot drinks cost $5, including cappuccino, Vietnamese coffee and Oaxaca hot chocolate. During the museum A billion dollar dream exhibit celebrating the anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair, the store is selling “World’s Fair Waffles” for $11.50. A piece of quiche costs $6, and Japanese fried rice costs $12. These various snacks and dishes are available for purchase during the store’s opening hours, Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mon Amour Café at the Museum of the Moving Image
The Mon Amour Café at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria has a $2.75 cup of coffee, a $3.25 cup of tea and public Wi-Fi. A medium latte costs $5 in the old Paramount Studios building. Cookies cost $2.25 and flatbreads, pizzettes, paninis and salads all cost less than $15. Smoothies all cost $6.50 or less, and bottled water costs $2.00. The café is only open from Friday to Sunday during museum opening hours.
International Center for Photography Café
Visitors to the International Center of Photography on Ludlow Street can secure a $3 espresso or Americano or a $2.50 cup of regular coffee on their way to the galleries or classes. San Pellegrino costs $3 and beer and wine are offered on the cafe’s simple menu for $6, in addition to pastries priced at $2.50 and under. The place is open from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM every day except Thursdays when it is open until 7:30 PM.
French bakery bee the Whitney Museum of American Art
Frenchette Bakery opened last fall on the ground floor of the museum as an eatery open to the public. A whole baguette can be yours for $6.50, or a savory comté kimchi pastry for a whopping $9. A simple jamon-beurre sandwich costs $15. Black coffee starts at $4.25, and for $6, 00 you get a latte or cappuccino. Tea is the most expensive drink you can choose at €7.00 – and remember that you must drink it before entering the galleries. The bakery’s opening hours are Monday from 9am to 6pm, Tuesday from 9am to 3pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 6pm, Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm.
