Garden Restaurant

The Garden Restaurant works for visitors to the Barnes Foundation. The earth tones and windows that open to a garden provide a welcome respite from the wild, intense colors of the art collection. The large space is attractively laid out and the service is professional if not warm. The only problem is the food.
I ordered gazpacho and it was fine. But it didn’t come with anything so I asked for a bread basket. I got a cup of hard slices of stale bread and was told they were crostini. I ordered the mezze plate. I got two tiny stuffed grape leaves, two tiny dips, 4 olives, and a microwaved pita (for $ 15). I ordered quiche florentine. I was hoping for an egg tart with a flaky crust. That’s quiche, no? I got a wobbly slice of yellow gelatin that I can only describe as egg-​flavored Jello. I took one bite and sent it back.
This is disappointing. Everything at the Barnes should be first class, to match the collection and enhance the experience. For coffee and dessert, I left the Garden Restaurant for the coffee bar downstairs, had coffee and a cookie, and was satisfied. Maybe the message is keep it simple.