Tryst At the Phillips

It’s always nice when visiting a museum to have a spot to get a snack and coffee to refresh and rejuvenate. Tryst did this well for us. My wife had a macchiato and I had a Cuban coffee. Wasn’t cheap but didn’t expect it to be, and it was good. We also had a slice of apple pie, which was OK. They asked if I wanted it heated up and I said yes, but it wasn’t heated up well. So, it was just luke warm.

I love Tryst in Adams Morgan and was super happy to find one inside of the museum. The menus are similar, but the atmosphere is completely different. This one is — well — like a museum. Classy, quiet, hidden away from everything else. The other is eclectic, bustling and alive.
Not sure if you can go to this one w/​o paying for the museum.

Coffee is alright, not the best but not bad either. I found my cappuccino verging on being overroasted.
Atmosphere is nice; it’s a great place to relax and wind down after spending an afternoon in the art museum. I liked the art books scattered throughout the room, and the sunlight filtering through the windows was lovely. Also found it cute how they included animal crackers with my drink.

An extremely rude employee informed me that no backpacks are allowed in café. Considering just last week it didn’t seem to be an issue, I’ll go spend my money elsewhere.

Great chai latte and Tanya sandwich. Friendly service. Could use a few more vegan options :)

These guys need to get their act together. How long does it take to make a sandwich? 40 mins and counting…

Very kind staff, but most importantly incredibly delicious latte! And very unique confections… I wanted one of each, but settled on the lemon snickerdoodle. The outside seating was very quiet when i was there– offers a respite from busy Dupont.

Was looking forward to lunch – scoping in part for when my mother is in town, and remembering lunch when the café was downstairs many years ago.
Today’s experience was not great. The food was great – chicken soup and quiche-​like tart, plus serve-​yourself iced tea. The cash register woman was great.
The big issue was their process. I got there at 11:30, and got lunch at 12. In the interim, I bussed tables as older foreign tourists were arriving, but had no clean tables to sit at. The process was kind of frozen in place, which is not a good way to make money. Yes, few will ever come again but that doesn’t make it OK.
The faster you move people through (within reason) the more money you make. You need clean tables for folks to sit at right after they pay. You need food to come promptly so folks can then eat at their preferred pace and then leave. Repeat.
I was told that the hang up was a catering job for the museum (and a modest trolley did depart about 20 mins after I arrived). But that must happen regularly, and you can’t hold regular lunch customers hostage to the museum’s needs. Adjust their menu so it can be prepped at 11 am, or adjust the Café’s menu so it can be served promptly. But a half hour to get a cup of soup (presumably made at 10 am and heated in a pot since…) is not OK. I was looking forward to a 20-​minute lunch with newspaper and instead had a 45-​minute chance to watch the process unfold. (And the rowdy ‘70s British pop blasting out of the speakers facing the customers, and away from the staff, wasn’t helping.)

Tryst at the Phillips Collection is as intriguing as the name implies. It’s a fantastic place to spend your lunch hour for some good hipster food and a stroll through the gallery (if you’re a member).
The kale salad is fantastic, the quinoa salad is pretty good, and the sandwiches are wonderful. The wine and beer selections are pretty good.
All-​in-​all, this is a great spot to eat in the art gallery. I think the National Gallery of Art should take a hint from Tryst and let hipsters run their dining rooms.

The staff in Tryst (like that of the actual Phillips) are incredibly nice.
I give them 5 stars just for that…
If I don’t order a latte or espresso, I get the mint or the camomile/​lavender tea. Desserts are great, though warm entre options can be limited (depends on traffic in the museum, I suppose).
Wifi always works. And, tables are always available. When the weather is nice, they have a wonderful patio and courtyard.
*I have a membership so no entry fee to Phillips and 10% on Tryst.

Lovely setting just inside the Phillips and right next to their gift shop.
The food I’ve had has been delicious and the cappuccino I had was superb.
I’m IN LOVE with the Mondrian wall treatment. I haven’t eaten outside. Seems I’m always there when it’s too cold out.
WiFi is FREE and fairly fast.

Cute and unpretentious. Ordered chai tea and got chai latte. Oh well. Hummus sandwich and lentil soup were yummy. As were the homemade chips. Bakery items looked good but saved those calories for another place.

This Tryst is wonderful! There’s a line though so plan accordingly. Their fruit cake is worth a try, and coffee is great. It’s small but we love the atmosphere. A great place to rest those tired legs after an afternoon in the museum.

I visited this little pastry /​coffee shop in February and absolutely loved it — I ordered the freshest fruit tart I have ever had. It’s a really classy and quaint little shop located in the lovely Phillips Art collection. I definitely want to visit again.

3.5 stars.
I met a friend here for coffee on Sunday. Both my iced latte and spinach mushroom turnover were good, but a bit on the pricey side. I felt one of the items was overpriced but can’t remember as I write this review! Good location, and wasn’t super crowded for a late Sunday morning.

I’m excited that I work close to Tryst at the Phillips. Tryst has the best latte in Dupont. Their lattes are strong, flavorful, and the barista even ensures a nice foam for my soy version. Unfortunately, they don’t open until 10am, so that means I have to wait for coffee. I can’t do that all the time, but when I can, I will. Also, the staff is super friendly. They change their salads often — I’m obsessed with the quinoa and Brussels sprout one. It’s so tasty! The menu is a bit small, but very reasonably priced, and the café is filled with sunlight and relaxing music. It’s a much appreciated change from the typical Dupont eateries.

Pros: Hidden gem within the Phillips Collection. No entry fee if you only intend to patronize Tryst. Indoor and outdoor seating options.
Cons: Limited food menu. Food is pricey considering the small portion size.

Best coffee I’ve had in Washington. Comfortable, quiet place with great wifi, so it’s a good place to get some work done. It’s in a museum, and I got a couple of weird looks from museum staff who watched me walk straight into Tryst with a laptop bag. That made me feel a bit self-​conscious, but I’m that sort of person, so good for you if you don’t care about that sort of thing!
Great coffee — which is surprisingly rare in a part of town full of coffee shops. I’ll be coming back.

The room has beautiful wall art of Sandra Cinto and there is nice outdoor seating.
I think if you are the type who has no particular time constraints and just want to sit and read or be on your laptop there then the place is for you.
However we ordered food and it took no less than 30 minutes to arrive. While I understand that a BLT and a Turkey sandwich are complicated affairs, at least they could have brought out the wild rice salad that was just sitting in the display case prepared. The veggie chilli though we were told was not spicy was in fact quite spicy and tasted horrible (think watered down tomato paste and too much spice).
It took so long we had to get the food to go and when we asked for utensils, not surprisingly, they said they had run out.
The place was not crowded either. But maybe they are understaffed.

What’s this? A Tryst has opened near my house in Dupont, negating the need for that sweaty uphill bike ride to Adams Morgan for my Counter Culture coffee fix? This place is basically perfect: indoor and outdoor seating, sunny, free wifi, good lunch food (try the soups!) and yummy desserts. They also serve beer/​wine/​cocktails. Note that the menu is smaller than at the big Tryst and I think some of it’s pricier. ($ 9 yogurt? Wow. Also the iced coffee here is half the size for the same price as at the other location.)
Only thing I’d really change would be better hours! It opens so late and closes so early, except on Thursdays, and isn’t open at all on Mondays. But that’s probably a non-​negotiable part of being housed in the Phillips. Plus where else can you see a Mondrian on your way to get an americano?
FYI, bathroom’s downstairs and it’s counter service not table service.