I’ve been to Los Angeles so many times in the past few years but this was the first time Sidney brought me to The J. Paul Getty Museum. As you can see by the first picture the highlight was our lunch at The Restaurant in the museum.
From the parking garage we went to the tram station that will take us up to the museum. The grounds were magnificent even at this entry point.
We were there last Dec. 10, 2011, a Saturday. Sid said this was considered very few people. The line went quite fast.
Riding the tram provided us a view of L.A.’s freeway and a view of the Santa Monica mountains.
Pardon the silly picture 😀
The Getty Center in Los Angeles presents the Getty’s collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. from their website
with my cousin Sidney
We went around the gardens of the museum.
It was beautiful and there were still fall colors from the foliage.
Sid only gave me an hour to view the whole museum. Obviously it wasn’t enough time but I did see one of their most famous paintings, Irises by Van Gogh.
Visitors to the museum can download an app for their mobile device to help you navigate around the museum and listen to commentaries on the works of art.
Irises by Van Gogh
We rushed through the museum to have lunch at The Restaurant which was by the entrance to the museum. As soon as we arrived at the museum we made a reservation at the restaurant.
The Restaurant’s lunch menu (click to enlarge)
prix-fixe menu
Sid had the prix-fixe menu which started with this generous portion of waldorf salad filled with chunks of apples, dried cranberries and walnuts. I loved the candied walnuts which went well with the tart apples. The dressing was a bit too much but at least it was a light and creamy cider dressing.
waldorf salad
At first I thought the beef looked dry but it was really tender and very flavorful.
beef pot roast
The butterscotch pudding was unlike any pudding I’ve ever tried before. It was super light and airy and the salted caramel sauce on the bottom was simply decadent. If I only I could lick it clean.
butterscotch pudding
Sid and I shared an appetizer of roasted quail stuffed with wild mushrooms, crispy potato nest, garnet yam puree, wilted arugula and medjool dates. On it’s own the quail didn’t have much flavor but when eaten with the stuffing, sauce and dates it tasted better.
roasted quail $16
Since I was missing the bouillabaisse at Whole Foods I decided to order it for lunch. This version was totally different. Instead of a tomato broth this bouillabaisse was made with mussels, clams, shrimp, chorizo, coriander, chipotle saffron cream, fried onion and oranges.
bouillabaisse $20
This had a Southwestern flavor that was unique. The chipotle saffron cream was a bit spicy and the touch of oranges was quite a delightful addition to balance out the flavors. The seafood was perfectly cooked and very fresh.
I couldn’t help but dip my bread in the delicious saffron cream sauce. Look I was nice enough to give Sid 2 mussels and finished everything by myself. It was truly a wonderful meal. If you visit this museum be sure to have lunch or dinner at this amazing restaurant.
The J. Paul Getty Museum
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, California 90049
telephone: (310) 440-7300
Admission to the Getty Center and to all exhibitions is FREE; no tickets or reservations are required for general admission. Parking is $15.
The Restaurant
Located in the Restaurant/Cafe building, the Restaurant offers full service in an elegant setting with views of the Santa Monica Mountains. Menus change seasonally.
Restaurant Lunch Hours
Tuesday–Saturday: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Restaurant Dinner Hours
Saturday: 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Restaurant Brunch Hours (special menu)
Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Shoot First Eat Later 