Behind the Museum Cafe

love this spot! super nice people, beautifully crafted drinks, and fun retail to shop.

Great place for a quick latte. Awesome Japanese treats. Traditional Japanese style café.

Drinks: ⁵⁄₅ Wonderful drinks, including rarities like hojicha latte. The matcha latte comes served in a Japanese-​style thick handleless mug.
Food: ⁵⁄₅ I haven’t tried it, but with the attention given their drinks and all of the savory and sweet options on display, including many authentic Japanese snacks, I’m taking it on faith.
Interior: ⁴⁄₅ Quite classy. Simple wooden tables and chairs. Glass walls. Power outlets along the sides. Old jazz music. My only complaint is that it lacks coziness a bit; it’s almost TOO nice, feeling slightly restrained in a way Case Study does not.
Staff: ⁵⁄₅ Polite and attentive, with warm smiles.

This place is cute. Super kawaii. Ordered the salmon onigiri with Napa cabbage, ohmaju (?! Red bean matcha roll cake) and hojima latte with soy.
Onigiri, size of the Palm of my hand. I believe they used plum to mix in with rice. Light dusting of salt on top made a relatively bland snack surprising. Loved how it was served warm. The Napa cabbage was preserved in ginger. I am a fiend for the spice so I wish there was a better bite to cleanse my palate. However between edamame and Napa I would choose Napa
Ohmaju ?! It was a matcha roll cake with red bean filling, roll cake was dense and held in bean filling which was a little too sweet and over powering for the actual cake. I wish this was less sweet
Hojima latte– good but sweet. I wish I didn’t order sweetness with this so it would go with my cake better. Alone it would have been a nice dessert
Quiet ambiance. And pleasant décor

Very cute place and great concept since I love match. Matcha latte was definitely good but the green tea brownie and parfait was just okay. Parfait melted very quickly as well.

Nice people good parfait good mugicha. Did not care for the retail décor of traditional japanese goods.

So good. I wish I hadn’t been working frantically all afternoon — and I feel bad about camping here so long but staff didn’t say a word or treat me any less kindly — and could’ve enjoyed the atmosphere and presentation more.
I was visiting from Seattle, and a café like this would be WAY more expensive in Seattle. Definitely wish this were my neighborhood hangout. I got a matcha tea latte, a wild (?) mushroom onigiri, and fantastic, kind service. I wouldn’t have minded a stronger matcha taste, and was expecting that, but I can see how a business might want to tone it down a bit for the general public. Will definitely be returning.

I love, love, looooove place!
The employees are always so sweet and welcoming. You can’t go wrong here… those little treats on display by the counter may look a little strange but trust me, they’re so good! I lean towards the hot mocha (the iced mocha just tastes like chocolate milk to me). The matcha latte is excellent but a little on the sweet side for me so i take it with less sugar. The hojicha latte is a great choice too– it’s a roasted tea with a nutty flavor.
The chikara engergy cake looks like a hot mess of a fruit cake but it’s FAR better. If you like figs and dates and nuts and raisins, you won’t be disappointed. Same goes for the pistachio brownie– try it!
For heartier options try the onigiri with salmon or chicken teriyaki– it comes with your choice of edamame or veggies. It’s affordable and filling. :)
One more thing… the ceramic, handmade cups the drinks are served in are adorable! They spark a little joy inside me everytime I see them!

To this day, I am unaware of any museum as I would probably only make it to the café.
Elegant lattes, genuine ingredients, and exquisite in Japanese-​American desserts, Behind the Museum Café was a calming and refreshing addition to my Portland trip!

If you like green tea, you must get the matcha parfait. It is amazing! It amazes both in looks and taste. You will not be disappointed. The parfait comes loaded with two types of ice-​cream in what I believe is a matcha latte topped with this dense, delicious matcha brownie the likes of which I’ve never seen. It’s then topped with whipped cream, awesome crunchy bits and an umbrella. I happily devoured this treat with a giant smile on my face. I also tried a traditional pot of Japanese tea and my husband got a matcha latte which tasted infinitely better than the matcha lattes he tries to make at home. If I lived near this little café I’d try everything on the menu. It’s a very cool and unique place.

I rate this place a 3.85
If you’re looking for a quiet place with tasty treats, this is the place to go. Japanese art lines the walls of this causal, but classy space. Lot of tables available and I never feel like I’m being rushed.
They have some great snacks too. I am a fan of their rice balls which come with edamame or vegetables. Small and healthy (ish). I’ve also tried their matcha parfait, which is a pile of random desserts into a cup. It’s pretty intense, though not as sweet as you’d expect it to be. It’s more than I would want to eat in one sitting, so it’s best for sharing.
This is a great regular place to go and read a book.

A divine place to spend a quiet afternoon before or after visiting the museum. They have positioned themselves very well in that they are physically near the museum and their branding is aligned with the space, so dining seems like a natural extension of the museum experience. The food and tea are outstanding. Get the onigiri! Service is OK. Prices are VERY spendy, so be prepared for that.

The Behind the Museum Café is elegant beyond belief. It has a mix of both Japanese and American elements. Tea takes center stage as customers are meant to observe cultural artifacts. Also, this is not part of the adjacent Portland Art Museum.
Going here was nice. The green tea has the right notes of flavor. I did add Splenda since I am an American after all. It was a familiar flavor done with skill. Twelve ounces is $ 2.50 and a pot is $ 3.50. Pastries such as the ice cream are a bit too pricy. Yet, this tea is a far better way to begin your day than Starbucks coffee.
Experiencing this bliss ought to be on the horizon.

My friend took me here after touring the Portland Art museum and I must say I was enchanted by the high ceilings, the wooden tables, and the Japanese themed feeling of the place. I had a very creamy green tea latte and a delightful slice of a fruit tartlet, filled with macadamia nuts and dried fruit.
This place has free Wi-​Fi and it seems like a quiet place to work on art, journal, or just reflect upon life.

What a lovely find in Portland. I was looking for a quaint café to have a quiet, sit-​down breakfast with my family and we walked about 10 – 15 minutes from our hotel here on a rainy morning.
We ordered one parfait ($ 7), a pot of Sencha green tea ($ 3.50?), a salmon onigiri ($ 4) and a chicken onigiri ($ 4). Unfortunately they were out of the red bean soup when they opened, but not a huge deal.
+Beautiful place. Loved the quiet ambiance and zen atmosphere.
+A variety of food and tea options on their menu — thank you for offering the parfait (with two flavors of ice cream) for breakfast :)
+A decent amount of seating, but it fills up fast.
+Friendly staff — especially the guy who kept filling our tea pot with hot water.
+Great location next to the Portland Art Museum — perfect for a date.
–A little pricey, but not unreasonably so.
–Matcha brownie in the parfait wasn’t that great tasting — but offering vegan and gluten-​free options is great.
Definitely check this spot out if you’re visiting the Art Museum or in the area!

Relaxing, like I could sit their forever, downtime tea place, and simple.
This is the place to go if you need a break in the middle of the day, or if you were like me, a place to unwind after a day of traveling. After three hours of travel on a Monday afternoon, this was my place to have my daily tea after dinner. It was within walking distance of my hotel and I liked how the servers made me feel so welcome. The place had soft music playing and other people in the dining room who were having soft conversations or just on their own like me, reading or on their laptops.
Rather than go with the green tea cake that Unilocal recommended, I went with the server’s favorite, the pear tart. Oh yum! Perfect compliment to my matcha latte. After you go here, you will find your mind going back here when you are feeling stressed. You will be picturing the time you had in this beautiful café. Sip your tea, take a bite of a sweet treat, listen to the relaxing music, and smile from the serenity you are feeling.

Directly across from the Portland Art Museum is this cute and cozy café with lots of lighting and one the best sandwiches I have had in awhile. It was a mini baguette with a light layer of brie, prosciutto, crisp pear, crunchy sweet walnuts on a fresh baguette. It was just what I wanted even though I was staring at the otsumami (3 assorted appetizers). For my drink I had the matcha latte and really enjoyed it, although a tea would have been better since it was cold out. Next time!
The owner rang me up and even though I was indecisive, she was patient and inviting. My food order came out within 5 – 10 minutes and once I was finished there wasn’t a rush to leave. I was really happy to have randomly found the café before going to the museum.

If I lived in Portland, this place would be my joint. My study den. My work office. My haven to spend a rainy afternoon. In other words, this place rocks my socks!
Staff is super friendly, the vibe is zen, they have free wifi, and there are cute little plants adorning the spacious and clean wooden tables. Plus, they have stamp cards.
What I also love is the matcha green tea latte. Creamy and slightly sweet. I wanted to order a second one but had to contain myself. I also tried their roasted rice tea latte, which was delightful! Love the pure taste of the teas with the added component of cream and sugar.
Overall, Behind the Museum Café left a great impression on me, and encompasses everything I look for in a café. I shall most certainly be back!

We stopped here for breakfast before heading out for a day of fun. I got the bagel with salmon and it was very good. The bagel was absolutely perfect – a bit crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Flavor (plain) was excellent, reminded me of New York bagels. The sandwich was very good and I enjoyed it very much. It kept me full for several hours.
The wife got a ham and egg sandwich and also thought hers was excellent. The eggs had great flavor and there was a plentiful portion of ham.
The spot is indeed behind the museum. Seating is relatively limited, but the food quality is high and I would recommend it for tea, coffee, or a sandwich.

Absolutely one of a kind place… Filled everywhere with gorgeous Japanese art of all mediums.
I really enjoyed the visit, especially the great quiet environment here. The art on the walls are so cool, I looked into purchasing. But I can’t afford good art! Sigh
Off to Land of the Rising Sun for a real visit,& this was all the stimulation I needed to kick the excitement into high gear!