| Behind the Museum Café | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Exterior of the original cafe, 2022 | |
 Interactive map of Behind the Museum Café | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2011 (2011) |
| Owner | Tomoe Horibuchi |
| Food type | Japanese |
| Location | Portland,Multnomah,Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°30′59″N122°41′03″W / 45.5164°N 122.6843°W /45.5164; -122.6843 |
| Website | behindthemuseumcafe |
Behind the Museum Café is a cafe with two locations inPortland, Oregon, United States. Owner Tomoe Horibuchi opened the original restaurant in 2011 and followed with a second in 2019.
The original cafe, located west of thePortland Art Museum serves coffee, tea andJapanesesmall plates,[1] including baguette sandwiches, sweets,onigiri, andotsumami.[2] The drink menu includesespresso, iced coffees, lattes, and other milk drinks; tea options includematcha andhōjicha lattes.[2] A second location in the formerGuild Theatre servesmatcha and homemadesweets.[1]
Walker MacMurdo ofWillamette Week described the cafe as "inconspicuous" and "a microcosm ofJapanese culture: a one-stop shop for imported antiques and kimonos and contemporary ceramics, pottery, calligraphy and art in the Japanese tradition".[3] The newspaper has said, "Antique jewelry boxes, kimonos and kokeshi dolls line the walls, and the mix of PSU students, museumgoers and fortunate wanderers seated within are never in a rush to leave."[4]
The original Behind the Museum opened in a former Boyd's cafe in 2011.[5][6] In 2019, owner Tomoe Horibuchi confirmed plans to open a second location called Book of Tea Café in the Japanese bookstoreKinokuniya, within the former Guild Theatre.[1][7] The second location opened on August 21, 2019.[8]
InThe Oregonian's 2017 list of the ten best coffee shops in downtown Portland, Samantha Bakall described the Behind the Museum as "a serene, almost monastic coffee shop lined with Japanese art and ceramics" and wrote, "Behind the Museum Cafe is one of our favorite cafes in the city. With its high, airy ceilings and lengthy menu of Japanese teas, temple-style snacks and Extracto coffee drinks, it's the perfect place to have a relaxing cup of matcha or catch up on work."[9]
Seiji Nanbu included the cafe inEater Portland's 2020 list of "where to find mesmerizing matcha treats in Portland and beyond".[6] The business was also included inEater Portland's 2022 overview of "where to eat and drink in downtown Portland".[10]
