The Cafeteria at The Met

“If only the museum could get enough nefarious corporate underwriting to make the balcony cafe pay what you wish as well, the joint'd be perfection.”

“The drinks were good – yes the prices are a bit high but it's in a museum cafe.”

“I had the grilled chicken sandwich with honey mustard and fries on the side.”

The Cafeteria at The Met

Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes

Price range.

$$ Price range $11-30

8 reviews

  1. Ouch! They may accept donations to get in, but make up for it by gouging you with the food and drink prices! $3 for hot tea, and if you want more hot water, it's $0.11.

    My mom's cupcake was $5, and coffee $3.

    Ok it's not outrageously expensive but $12 for 2 drinks and a cupcake? Hmm, me thinks not!

  2. The Cafeteria at the Met is sort of weird in a sense that it's located down in the basement of the Met and was quite difficult to find. The menu selection wasn't anything too memorable. They had pasta bar, quick wrap/sandwich/salad stations, soft-served ice creams that you can just grab/get what you want, line up and paid at the cashier.

    We just went to grab some drinks and soft served ice cream for snack and were so glad we already had lunch before going into the Met, because the price at the cafe was just way too overpriced. I think our self-service soft served ice cream was priced at $1 an oz or something. The part that made me feel bad about this place is having to pay such high price and being stucked in the basement area close to restrooms and with no actual sunlight. If I had to pay a little high of a price, I would at least appreciate some sort of view than being stucked in a basement box.

    Overall though..it's an ok place to grab some snacks. If you are planning to feed your family a full meal at the Met's Café though…organize your museum trip and of time and have lunch before visiting! The food price here is so high and the taste/look of the food was just ok..nothing special. Eat somewhere else before hand and both your wallet and tummy will thank you!

  3. Simply the worst!

    New visitors be forewarned:  A lunch for a family of 4 can easily run you $100! . It is true sticker shock. And the quality is so poor!

    The coffee tastes like dish water – so weak.

    I am a frequent visitor so I either eat before, after, or I bring a few snacks from home.

  4. I coudn't fault this place because of extraordinarily high prices.  Every food item had a price tag; outlandishly expensive prices on tags.  I don't for a minute think you should starve, but some careful planning will steer you away from this unstellar cellar cocina.  Everything here has been dumbed down over the years.  They used to be known for having exemplary choices, but now, it's just standard cafeteria fare.

    Who'd like a $4 nonrefillable soda?  Me.
    Who'd like a $14 plate of tortellini?  Me.
    Who'd like a $7 tiny cup of soup?  Me.
    Who'd like a $6 petite dessert torte?  Me.

    How about a $34 lunch for one?  Me, Me, Me!

  5. Great place to have a pot of brewed tea that is made the right way. Also had perfect amount of savory tea sandwiches to go with my earl grey – if you have access come here to relax then continue to stroll the collections.

  6. OVERPRICED. Enough said, that's all you need to know about this place.

    Unless you are super hungry after all the walking and made the mistake of not having a decent meal before stepping inside the met, there's absolutely no reason you should blow away your money on this incredibly mediocre and overpriced food. So spend wisely and get a tasty and filling meal for $7 outside the met.

  7. There's absolutely nothing to like about The Cafeteria. Even the name recalls bad memories of "mock chicken leg" day in junior high. You know, the meat-like thing that was served with gelatinous yellow gravy served up by Lunch Lady Doris? Well,  that was haute cuisine compared to The Cafeteria at the Met.

    The food is not good. Not even close. I had a "curried chicken thigh" which tasted exactly like a magazine photo of curried chicken. I also tried some "roasted pears with blue cheese" and found the pears to be basically raw. Hubs had a small salad, some mac'n'cheese with the consistency of wallpaper paste and some "BBQ" chicken. That will be $45, please….what??

    Unbelievably overpriced (even for NYC) and truly Sysco food truck quality. Make a run for the food trucks outside if you can. A dirt water dog may not taste much better but it will be less than $5.

  8. Well they have you kind of trapped, it is too much of hassle to leave and eat there is too much to see and too little time to see it. The food is passable. Grab a snack and some caffeine and get back to the Art. You'll eat a real meal later. The WiFi works down here too, but seriously get back to galleries!

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5th Avenue 1000
New York 10028 NY US
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Monday, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm
Friday, 11:30 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am - 4:30 pm