Getty Museum Gardens and Restaurant

The Paul J. Getty Museum is a haven for art, nature and food enthusiasts. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, colleagues and I spent an afternoon at the iconic museum’s gardens and enjoyed lunch at the restaurant.

The Paul J. Getty Center is one of the world’s largest art organizations, situated on a hill overlooking the city and accessible by a cable-pulled hover train. The top of the hill is 900 feet above sea level, high enough to see the Los Angeles skyline, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains and the Pacific Ocean on a clear day.

The large campus is comprised of the Paul J. Getty Museum, elaborate gardens, a restaurant and a small outdoor café. The museum itself features 20^th-century European pieces and 19^th– and 20^th-century American, Asian and European photography.

The 134,000-square-foot Central Garden, designed by Robert Irwin, is both a garden and a work of art. Water plays an important role, with fountains, waterfalls and peaceful streams running throughout the garden’s vibrant flowers and uniquely shaped hedges.

The chic, modern restaurant at the Getty Center boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, offering breathtaking views of the Santa Monica Mountains. I enjoyed a delicious Cobb Salad, served chopped, with romaine, radicchio, free-range chicken, pecans, cranberries, apple cider dressing, apples and bacon. The restaurant’s menu changes seasonally, with dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.