Nestled in Balboa Park's Mingei International Museum, Artifact serves up beautifully presented, unique dishes in a welcoming atmosphere that's perfect for a casual vibe.
"Anchoring the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, this Michelin-recognized restaurant makes for a perfect daytime or evening date before or after scouting the museum’s exhibits. The lunch menu offers snacks like Vietnamese-style pork meatballs, dumplings and samosas, and a kabocha squash salad punched up with aji verde; dinner can be ramped up with short rib-swathed egg noodles, slow-roasted achiote pork huaraches, and a spiced lamb burger with kefalotyri cheese." - Helen I. Hwang, Eater Staff
"The culinary offerings are proudly eclectic and international, ranging from carefully pleated rock shrimp gyoza with a yuzu-flavored dashi, to lamb kibbeh with quinoa tabbouleh. Plant-based options, like Thai green curry with sweet potato and crispy noodles, are clearly no afterthought, and desserts like cardamon tapioca with saffron granita hold their own." - MICHELIN Guide
"Friday nights at the signature restaurant for the Mingei International Museum include a four-course tasting menu with rotating themes. Culinary director Tim Kolanko and chef Tony Coito have focused on Germany, India, and Piedmont in the past. Ancient methods, along with botanicals and spices, feature in all the dishes. Make sure to book ahead." - Helen I. Hwang
"Artifact is not your average museum restaurant serving dry turkey sandwiches and bland fruit cups. It opened in 2021 in the lobby of Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, and is a prime place to stop for lunch and try foods from historic cultures. You’ll find dishes from Siam and the Fertile Crescent, which encompasses areas of the Middle East including present-day Lebanon, Israel, and Turkey. Expect items like shrimp gyoza in delicate yuzu dashi broth and lots of plant-forward options—the veggie samosa topped with a bright mango chutney and the crispy tofu with mushrooms and black vinegar dish are both excellent. If you want to try a little bit of everything, get the snack tray: it’s a shareable starter that comes with curried vegetables with labneh, lemony chicken satay skewers, and muhammara. You’ll sit among other park-goers at bistro tables or at the wood-topped bar where you can admire the swirly gold beer taps that double as an art piece, like the light installation overhead." - Ligaya Malones
"Tonight’s event was the grand finale of a series of announcements from Michelin that started earlier this year when Mabel’s Gone Fishing in North Park and Balboa Park’s Artifact at the Mingei were both honored as “new discoveries”." - Candice Woo
