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Where To Eat Before Or After Visiting The Museums
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
New York City has an abundance of museums, and chances are you have plans to visit a few of them during your time in the Big Apple. We love our iconic cultural institutions, but there are two things we can guarantee about the museum experience. One, someone is going to see a Pollock and say, “I could do that.” And two, it’s going to take much more time than expected.
When your brain can no longer comprehend the museum map, or your tour guide is starting to sound like the adults in Peanuts, it might be time to tap out and grab something to eat. Preferably within walking distance. Check out this guide for some of our favorite spots near popular museums, whether you want to grab breakfast before or refuel after four floors of ancient artifacts.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Near: The Met
Why the cast of Gossip Girl never left the Met steps and made a beeline for burgers and martinis at J.G. Melon we’ll never know, although it likely has something to do with the fact that they were still in high school. You don’t have to make the same mistake. After the city’s largest museum has thoroughly exhausted you, head to J.G. Melon, an oh-so-classic New York establishment where the martinis are very dirty, the burgers are all cooked medium-well (regardless of what you tell your server), and the cups of chili are always steaming hot. It’s cash only, but there’s an ATM on the corner of 75th and 3rd, which we assume sees a lot of burger and martini-related transactions.
Near: MoMa
Le Bernardin is the sort of old-school fine-dining institution where the servers move like they’re in The Matrix, and French accents are just part of the uniform. But if you’re planning to go to the MoMa beforehand, you probably don’t want to carry around your sports coat all day, or spend any more time stage whispering. Grab a seat in the lounge instead. It’s walk-in only, with a looser, louder scene, and most regulars far prefer it to the more austere dining room. The entire menu is available a la carte, or you can just get some bar snacks like oysters and a lobster roll in a black truffle bun. Le Bernardin’s menu changes every few days, but we can guarantee you’ll be getting some of the best seafood in the city.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Near: The Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum can take a whole day to get through, and the last thing you need is your stomach making loud, hunger-related sounds while you’re having an introspective moment underneath the life-size model of a blue whale. That’s why you should have breakfast first at Barney Greengrass, the self-proclaimed Sturgeon King of New York. There’s usually a line, but you’ll get seated quickly, and then you can, of course, order sturgeon, but also bagels, some very oblong latkes, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. And if you’re hungry again after the museum, grab an obscenely expensive hot dog from one of the carts parked outside the exit. A smoked fish bagel and a hot dog cart—what a New York day.
photo credit: Café Sabarsky
Near: The Guggenheim
If you haven’t eaten enough wienerschnitzel in your life—which is likely, and perfectly acceptable—you’re in luck, because now you’re in New York, and we have everything here. Café Sabarsky is just a three-minute walk from the Guggenheim, and has wienerschnitzel as well as apfelstrudel, and kaffee creme if you just need a pick-me-up after winding your way down the Guggenheim ramp. It’s walk-in only during the day, though you shouldn’t have much of a problem if you’re going between prime meal times. But in case there is a long wait, ask if you can be seated downstairs. It’s slightly less atmospheric, but the kaffee creme is just as creamy.
photo credit: Agi's Counter
Near: The Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is the second largest museum in the city, and a trip to the Prospect Heights institution is an all-day affair. After 5,000 square feet of exhibits and a stroll through the botanical garden in the back, your brain will be ready to explode with facts about Assyrian art and Spike Lee—and perfectly primed for all the buttery goodness at Agi’s Counter. Just one block away, this cozy restaurant serves luxurious takes on dishes inspired by the owner’s Hungarian-Austrian grandmother. Think schmaltzy potatoes, pork belly bean stew, nokedli soup with puffy grated dumplings, and an amount of dill that is borderline absurd. Grab a seat at the counter (there are only a couple tables), and if it’s warm out, plan to take a nap in Prospect Park afterwards.
photo credit: David A. Lee
Near: The Museum of the City of New York
Tutankhamun is cool and all, but make some time to visit the Museum of the City of New York for some deep cuts on the city’s history, from scandalous mayoral runs to vintage department store displays. Teranga is a great place to get a big bowl of hot food after a day of dipping into the past. Explore the various foods of the West African diaspora, with dishes like Nigerian beef suya and Moroccan chermoula over salmon, in a fast-casual format with a lot more soul than your local Sweetgreen. Grab a seat at one of the communal tables in their colorful dining room, and refuel before whatever else you’ve got planned that night.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Near: The Whitney
New York City can be extremely overwhelming, and following a visit to the Whitney with a descent into the depths of Chelsea Market is about as hectic as it gets. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, because the shrimp tacos at Los Mariscos inside the market are very much worth the overwhelm. Make your way through the narrow hallway towards the promised land of various fish. Unlike other spots in Chelsea Market, which can feel a bit rushed, you can relax a little at Los Mariscos. Take a deep breath, and then order multiple rounds of beers, fish tacos, and shrimp aguachile.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
Near: The New Museum
The New Museum has exhibits that involve cybernetics and reconfigured soap dispensers, so it’s only fitting to pair it with one of New York’s most unique dining experiences. It just takes a bit of planning. Mắm features different Vietnamese specialties on different days, which might mean steaming hot pots of cá om chuối dậu with pork bone broth one day, and platters of bún dậu with blood sausage and tofu the next. The small space can get crowded, and depending on the weather you might end up eating on one of the plastic stools outside, but it’s all part of the experience. Specials are announced on their Instagram—keep an eye out a couple weeks in advance.
