The PMA Café by the Black Tie Company
7 Congress Sq, Portland, ME
Crema's Take
“Tucked in the basement of Portland's art museum, this cafe strikes a welcoming balance between casual museum pit-stop and genuine destination, with solid espresso and pastries that pair well with the unhurried vibe. The space is genuinely conducive to lingering—good outlets, ample seating, and a neighborly atmosphere make it ideal for meeting a friend or settling in with your thoughts for an afternoon. Just note that they close down the espresso machine by mid-afternoon, so arrive early if you're craving coffee later in the day.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
We visited on a late Saturday afternoon in mid-June 2025. We found street parking a couple blocks away. The cafe is in the basement of the museum near the bathrooms and water fountains. There is a large meeting room or lecture all auditorium thing we believe too just further down the basement. We did not actually eat anything here but we did take a bunch of pictures hoping to help others out. We actually didn't see any staff while we visited and we weren't sure if they were already closed for the day or what.
Friendly service and the food and coffee ☕ were good 👍. This cafe is convenient if you are visiting the museum 🎨. You can visit the cafe without visiting the museum 🖼️. I had the chocolate 🍫 croissant 🥐 with a decaf hot drip coffee. Just sitting and listening to the video that was describing a display was relaxing 😌. There is other artwork on display as well. Plenty of 🪑 seating and WiFi available. Limited menu. Prices reasonable.
Was a nice place to sit with good outlets for those needing a charge. They did turn off the espresso machine at about 3pm which felt a little preemptive. Wasn't able to try any food or drink but the atmosphere was nice.
Was told the quiche was addictive. If you like soggy, three napkins needed to stop up the runny stuff, maybe. If you don't mind that it's still cold, even after asking for another reheat, and or that the crust wasn't done. Chowder is made with cream or milk and thickened. That was just lousy potato soup someone put a tablespoon of milk onto.
Great coffee
Crema Reviews
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