365 Places to Eat

Maybe not the best reason to go to the Getty Villa, but certainly a nice bonus is the Cafe. The Cafe at the Getty Villa is perched above the outdoor amphitheater. On a gorgeous day like the one we spent there, it is the perfect place to rest your feet and fill your tummy.

The Cafe “serves casual Mediterranean fare” which is reasonably priced and made up of seasonal ingredients. Browsing through the menu, we had trouble narrowing down the choices. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the biggest appetite and wanted something light. If not for that, I would have tried the Caprese Burger ($9.50) — a beef patty with pine nuts, peppercorns and fish sauce topped with local tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and herb aioli, served with roasted red pepper ketchup, wow!

Instead, I opted for the Villa Salad ($8.25) which is a mix of chopped romaine and radicchio, artichokes, chick peas, feta cheese, pistacios, topped with a creamy lemon yogurt dressing. For a warm day after walking the Villa, it was a refreshing salad.

My wife also opted for a salad. She had the Prosciutto and Stone Fruit Salad ($9.25) — Baby greens, prosciutto, peaches and nectarines, pecorino romano, toasted walnuts and a basil vinaigrette dressing. The salad was a hit, although the plate it was served on proved a bit difficult to wrangle.

Since the lunch was rather light and we spent much of the day walking the Villa, we ordered a dessert, the Lemon Panna Cotta ($5.50). I’m not generally a fan of Panna Cotta, so I’m not the best judge. I did like the fresh blueberries and the citrus lace wafer on top.

Because of the Getty’s limited entry policy, it takes planning to make a visit. For weekends, it can take two weeks or more to get a reservation. Plan ahead and enjoy a great meal.

Of course, there is more to see than just the food. A few pictures from the Villa: