The Getty Center: Where To Eat

The Getty Center, one of Los Angeles' architectural gems, is renowned for its history, museum, gardens, research institute, and stunning views. No trip to L.A. is complete without a visit, but a day spend touring the grounds can certainly make you hungry. Here's a guide to where to eat at the Getty Center.

The Restaurant
The Restaurant at the Getty Center is a full-service high-end eatery with amazing views of the Santa Monica Mountains. Menus change seasonally, but sample menu items include grilled octopus, bouillabaisse, filet mignon, pork cheeks, cobb salad, and English pea risotto. Entrees average $25, and they're open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Click here to make a reservation.  

Café
The Getty Center's café is a self-service casual indoor eatery on the lower level of the Restaurant/ Café building. It's a great lunch option, with available menu items including soups, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, Tex-Mex classics, and a kid's menu. It's closed Mondays, and is open every other day for lunch (and until 6 p.m. on Saturdays). No reservations are necessary.

Garden Terrace Café
This big outdoor café overlooking the Central Garden is one of the center's hidden gems, and serves coffee, lunch, and snacks. It's open for lunch until 5 p.m. every day except Monday between June and September, and is only open Saturdays the rest of the year; it also closes down when it rains.

Coffee Carts
If you're looking for a quick snack on the go, there are two coffee carts in the Getty Center for your convenience. One is located in the Museum Courtyard and the other is on the Plaza (up the stairs and to the right from the Tram Arrival Plaza). They serve coffee tea, espresso drinks, other beverages, as well as baked goods and both hot and cold food options. They open at 10 a.m. (when the Getty Center opens); the Courtyard coffee cart is open until 5 p.m. during the week and Sunday and until 8:30 on Saturdays, and the Plaza cart is open until 3 during the week and Sunday, and until 5 on Saturdays. Like the museum, they're closed on Mondays.