Courtyard Café at the National Portrait Gallery
Open daily 11:30am – 6:30pm
Lunch menu available until 3 p.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. on weekends
Complimentary Wi-Fi (Free public wireless Internet access)
Situated beneath the awe-inspiring canopy of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, the National Portrait Gallery’s Courtyard Café provides a casual, gourmet dining experience year-round.
Whether enjoying a light lunch, relaxing with a glass of wine, studying over a cup of Pura Vida coffee, or treating yourself to cupcakes and ice cream with the kids, the Café offers a fresh and seasonal menu of American-inspired dishes to complement your visit to the National Portrait Gallery. Using local, organic, and sustainable ingredients when possible, the lunch menu includes salads, soups, sandwiches and Panini, a selection of antipasti with a focus on vegetarian offerings, as well as premium meats. Gourmet desserts, such as creamery-made ice cream, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and trail mixes and candies, also are available.
 SPECIAL EVENT:
Camera-Ready Color
Wednesday, June 6 - 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m
 Purchase tickets
Lucille Ball, Jackie Robinson, and Gen. George S. Patton were among the luminaries of the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s who posed for pioneering photographer Harry Warnecke. The portraits his studio produced for the New York Daily News’Sunday magazine were noteworthy both for their subjects and Warnecke’s brilliant photographic innovations, which moved black-and-white portraiture into a vividly colorful new era. Twenty-four of these images are in the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits from the Harry Warnecke Studio (on view through Sept. 9).
 This evening, the spirit of Warnecke’s portraiture gets an intriguingly modern spin in the hands of artist Alexa Meade. Meade is a portraitist who uses her subjects themselves as her canvas. She then photographs her model within a painted scene or backdrop.
Meade will create a pair of portraits with live models—one in a black-and-white scene and a second on a similar but full-color set. As visitors sip a specialty cocktail, they can also snap their own photos when they step into some of Meade’s painted scenes and view themselves on a video screen, echoing the effect of her portraits. The curator of In Vibrant Color, Ann M. Shumard, curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, will be on hand to chat about both Warnecke’s and Meade’s boundary-breaking portraits.
In advance: Resident Members $30; Gen. Admission $35.
At the door: Resident Members $35; Gen. Admission $40
- One drink ticket for a specialty cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage and light hors d’oeuvres is included with admission. A cash bar offers a specialty cocktail, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the evening.
- You must be at least 21 years old with valid ID to attend.
- This is not a seated event.
Presented in Collaboration with Portraits After 5
National Portrait Gallery
Catering for Groups
Are you planning a group visit to the museum? The Courtyard Café offers pre-arranged boxed lunches for small groups. Visitors to the museum may not hold personal events in the Kogod Courtyard, such as birthday parties or retirement events with presentations, music, or amplified sound. For additional information about group dining options at the Smithsonian or to schedule your visit, go online, or call (866) 868-7774.
If you are interested in hosting a private event, please contact our event coordinators at (202) 633-6333 or ReynoldsCenterEvents@si.edu
Children's Parties
Celebrate a milestone in the life of your child at the National Portrait Gallery’s Courtyard Café! Party times are available at 11:30am daily. Please call (202) 329-2423 at least two weeks in advance to reserve your space.
Delicious and nutritious Kids Meals are available for $8.95 each, including beverage. Cupcakes may be ordered from the Café, or may be brought in with advance notice and purchase of Kids Meals.
Wine and Cheese Receptions
 Whether you’re planning a date with friends or organizing an alumni club event, the Courtyard Café is the perfect spot to meet! Small wine bottles and a selection of poured wines, as well as three cheese plates are available to please the most discerning palettes.
Call (202) 329-2423 to plan your next get-together at the Courtyard Café.
Special Events
The Courtyard Café is housed in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, one of the largest and most magnificent spaces in Washington. With its elegant glass canopy designed by world-renowned architects Foster + Partners, the Courtyard provides a distinctive, contemporary accent to the museums’ Greek revival building. For information about entertaining at the National Portrait Gallery, please contact the Office of Special Events at:
(202) 633-6333 or e-mail reynoldscenterevents@si.edu.
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