Dining
RIVERVIEW TERRACE CAFÉ
Located within the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, the Riverview Terrace Café has a warm and friendly atmosphere with windows that span the entire length of the building, giving diners an unforgettable view overlooking the scenic Wisconsin River. For those traveling for business or pleasure, the café also has free access to Wi-Fi. Sit, dine, relax and enjoy!
The Riverview Terrace Cafe is open May - October serving:
Lunch & Brunch
May 1 – October 31
Lunch served daily 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Brunch served Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Menu specialties include a Hot Italian Turkey BLT, Chilled Salmon Wrap, Char-Broiled 1/3 lb. Burger, Taliesin House Salad and the Chef’s Soup of the Day. Beverages include coffee, iced tea, soda, beer and wine. And for dessert, Madison’s famous Hubbard Avenue Pie!
Dinner
June 8 – September 28
Tuesday through Saturday 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
October 3 – October 19
Thursday through Saturday 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Dinner reservations are strongly recommended. For reservations, call the cafe directly at: (877) 588-7900 ext. 232.
Dinner menu.
Adobe Reader is required to view the menus; click here to download Adobe Reader.
History
In 1953, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a building adjacent to the Taliesin Estate, which he called the “gateway” to Taliesin. Wright designed the building to overlook the Wisconsin River, and intended it to serve as a restaurant with a meeting room for his potential clients. While the architect began construction on the building in 1953, he was unable to complete it before his death in 1959. His former apprentices completed the building in 1967 and it operated as an independent restaurant, The Spring Green, for 25 years.
In 1993, Taliesin Preservation, Inc. purchased The Spring Green in order to convert it into a visitor center, with a bookstore and tour program. The building was renovated in 1993 and the next year saw the first full season of tours from the building. Thus, the building finally became the gateway that Wright had envisioned.
The visitor center houses the Taliesin Bookstore, the Riverview Terrace Café, and is the departure point for all tours of the Taliesin Estate. It is free and open to the public from May 1 - October 31, and on weekends in November and April. It also houses offices for TPI tour administration, TPI preservation planning and research, and landscape management.