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A simple ham and cheese sandwich and a filter coffee at the museum? Those days are over. More and more museums and amusement parks are taking their catering facilities to the next level. In addition to exhibitions of the old masters or famous rides like Space Mountain, good food and high-quality dining experiences are becoming a major draw for the public.
High-end restaurants located in museums have been a growing trend since 2010, especially in big cities around the world. For example, the Centre Pompidou in Paris has had a fine dining restaurant on the top floor of the building for years. At the beginning of the century, the luxury restaurant in the Guggenheim Museum in New York was even one of the city’s leading culinary hotspots. The past years more and more unique dining spots have opened in museums all around the world. We've highlighted a few.
“O” Anatolian Café – Fenix, Rotterdam
One of the newest high-end hospitality concepts in a Dutch museum is restaurant “O” Anatolian Café in Rotterdam, situated in the newly opened Fenix museum. The all-day restaurant was conceived by Turkish star chef Maksut Aşkar, in collaboration with catering company Vermaat.
Fenix is a new art museum about migration that opened in May 2025 in Rotterdam. With “O”, Michelin-starred chef Aşkar brings Anatolian cuisine to the Netherlands. The café is open to museum visitors and the general public. Chef Aşkar is known for his Michelin-starred restaurant Neolokal* in Istanbul, but the menu in Rotterdam mainly features street food and dishes based on family recipes.
Bar Luce – Fondazione Prada, Milan
The interior of Bar Luce is a work of art in itself and was designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson, known for The Grand Budapest Hotel, among other films. Surrounded by Formica chairs, old pinball machines, a jukebox and pastel colours, you can choose from a simple menu of sandwiches and paninis, fresh pastries, ice cream and tiramisu. Bar Luce also offers a large selection of cocktails and wines.
Spring – Somerset House, London
Spring is located in Somerset House, a museum with rotating exhibits and courtyard pop-ups. The restaurant is led by Skye Gyngell, who operates with a zero-waste philosophy. Her specially priced ‘Scratch menu’ uses food waste to create unique dishes. Stale bread is upcycled into puddings, herb stems are used in salsas, and other normally discarded ingredients are transformed into intriguing creations.
Mosu – M+, Hong Kong
South Korean chef Sung Anh is known for his Netflix show Culinary Class War. His restaurant Mosu in Seoul has three Michelin stars and ranked No. 41 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024. In 2022, the chef launched an offshoot, Mosu, in Hong Kong’s M+ museum. At M+, Anh creates modern and traditional Korean dishes served in a series of tasting menus.
Nerua* – Guggenheim, Bilbao
This restaurant, situated in the Guggenheim in Bilbao, is named after the Nervión River that flows through the city. Chef Josean Alija, who once worked at the renowned El Bulli, is at the helm of the kitchen. The minimalist décor ensures that guests can focus their full attention on the seasonal menu. The restaurant received a Michelin star in 2011, just a few months after opening that same year.
