Cafe G

A very good and civilized option if you are visiting the Gardner Museum. Attentive and pleasant service, and reasonably-​priced for the quality of meal, etc.

Very nice little restaurant at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. I had a pork taco which was insane, a huge salad and a beer. The salad (Eva green’s prosciutto salad) was really good, everything tasted very fresh. The service was excellent as well. It was a bit pricey, but well worth it.

We’ve actually had a number of good experiences with museum restaurants — not all perfect but there does seem to be a trend of them trying to offer up-​scale cuisine at reasonable prices. Café G was an exception even beyond that. It’s set in the beautiful new atrium behind the ISG, with huge glass walls that give almost any table a great view.
The food was excellent — it’s a rotating menu built from what they get from local farms so my listing here probably won’t be around in a week or two. But for the record, I had the pork ossobuco off their specials menu, which was very well prepared (ossobuco can be dry) and served on a bed of what looked like acini di pepe. My wife had the chicken salad. Both meals were excellent, but the star was the service. Our waiter was a bit overworked table-​wise but others kept coming by to help out. We were never more than 5 minutes between check-​ins, and enjoyed the meal straight through dessert. We’ll definitely eat here again.

I’m so thankful that Café G exists in this neighborhood. The welcoming atmosphere is unique. It’s a compliment to the Isabella Gardner Museum.
The plates here have exclusive senses of artistry and passion. The presentation is beautiful and the taste is a treat for your taste buds.
Their menu is in constant change and their specials are delicious. The taco for an appetizer is the right choice and the chicken salad is a favorite as well.
I had my birthday lunch there and the staff prepared everything with excellence. Plus, the staff is mostly composed of artists and musicians. You have to let them sing you happy birthday, you won’t regret it. I’d recommend it to everybody!
Also, be sure to make a reservation so that you don’t have to wait for long and also to take a look at the museum after your meal.

Since I’m used to museum restaurants being operated by the likes of Danny Meyer, I walked into the MFA, looked at the cafeteria and turned around. Thankfully, Café G was close by.
This may not be Untitled or the Modern, but it was pretty good for a museum café. The atmosphere itself is very relaxed but elegant, or what I term classic chic. The service was slightly lacking, but I do think that may have been because they were very busy. The bread in a box was a very nice touch.
Onto the most important topic — the food. I had the quiche and my friend had the flatbread. We also split appetizers. Was the food amazing and worth the trek here? Probably not. Was it one of the more decent options around? Definitely. The flatbread was very basic and the quiche was, well, a quiche. It wasn’t the best quiche I ever had, but it also was pretty tasty. You also definitely pay for the ambiance, as the menu isn’t cheap.
Overall, not a bad option if you are in the area and are less worried about the dollar signs on Unilocal. (FYI Unilocal,it’s more of $$$ than $$).

I usually assume that a restaurant affiliated with a museum tends to have overpriced food. Café G has excellent service and good quality food. However, i wouldn’t say it’s a must try. The food is pretty standard rather than exceptional and innovative.

Great place for lunch. Started with a rose sangria infused with squeezed citrus fruits and a mint syrup. A summer beverage confection that was refreshing but the mint syrup kept throwing me off. Would prefer more citrus and maybe fresh mint instead. I chose the salmon special for the main course, and it was outstanding! Perfectly cooked, roasted exterior and succulent interior. Layered with edible flowers, on a bed of couscous and a drizzle of cherry reduction along the outside of the plate. Not overly filling, so had enough room for dessert. I tried the ginger ice cream and flourless chocolate cake. The ginger ice cream was coated in honey & jalapeño with candied ginger. Refreshing and unique. The cake was somewhat dry and the raspberry coulis was nice though not as tart as expected. Great ambiance. Friendly waitstaff with an attention to detail.

Mediocre food at best, considering the prices. But if you’re hungry after a long afternoon walking around the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and really just need to sit down ASAP, this is your only option.
Service is pleasant, I love the décor, but the chicken salad with apricots and pistachios in it was not worth the whopping 15 dollar price tag. And it came out from the kitchen so fast that there’s no way that it was freshly prepared. Same goes with the salad my mom ordered.
Oh well. I definitely didn’t come to the museum for the food, that’s for sure!

In museum restaurants, the artistry rarely extends to the food, but Café G is an exception. A burrata appetizer and a special tartine appetizer were delicious, a quiche slightly boring by comparison. Desserts were unique and flavorful, though the flavor of the black-​pepper ice cream was a little strong. All the dishes were beautifully plated and the atmosphere is bright, modern, and pleasant.
It’s not a bargain but compared to other museum restaurants in Boston the food and experience is worth the price.