President’s Dining Room

The President's Dining Room in 2012 (White House - Pete Souza)

The pantry The President's Other Dining Room Just off the Oval Office, through a small corridor past the president's private study is the president's West Wing study and dining room, sometimes called the "Oval Office Dining Room" (some presidents use a smaller office next door as their private study). In this room, the president may have casual meals alone or with staff and catch the news on television or discuss White House policy. Because this room is usually furnished with a small television, it is often here that the president first sees news events being reported from around the world. In the 1930s and 40s, the room was the office of the president's secretary, as the White House chief of staff position was known then. As late as the Nixon years, it was the office of the president's personal secretary. For many years, the famous Childe Hassam painting Avenue in the Rain (1917) hung in this room (it's part of the White House's own collection). During the George W Bush administration, one of the north doors to the corridor was closed off.

More Images

The President's Dining Room in 2011 (White House - Pete Souza)

The President's Dining Room in 2010 (White House - Pete Souza)

Barack Obama prepares to sit down with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 2009 (White House - Pete Souza)

Barack Obama has lunch in 2009 (Time - Callie Shell)

Barack Obama hosts in 2009 (White House - Pete Souza)

Barack Obama has tea with King Abdullah of Jordan (White House - Pete Souza)

George W Bush with Dick Cheney (VII - Christopher Morris)

George W Bush having breakfast with Congressional leaders in 2006 (White House - Paul Morse)

George W Bush having lunch with staff in 2006 (White House - Eric Draper)

Incoming Press Secretary Tony Snow and outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellen, 2006, looking northwest
note the closing up of one doorway (White House)

George W Bush watching the news in 2006, looking south (NASA [White House - Eric Draper])

George W Bush with Vice President Dick Cheney, circa 2005 (Washington Post)

George W Bush with Vice-President Dick Cheney and Alan Greenspan around 2003, looking west

George W Bush having lunch with staff in 2003, looking southwest (White House - Eric Draper)

George W Bush with Senator Tom Daschle in 2001, looking east; note the steward in the little pantry (Getty Images)

George W Bush meeting with staff after returning to the White House on September 11, 2001, looking southeast (White House - Paul Morse)

George W Bush dines with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2001 (Corbis)

George W Bush in front of the open door to the study and (at far end) dining room in 2001 (White House)

Bill Clinton, circa 1995, looking northeast (Clinton Library)

Bill Clinton with Vice-President Al Gore in 1993, looking southeast (Getty Images)

George HW Bush meeting with staff over coffee, circa 1990, looking southeast (George Bush Library)

George HW Bush watching the news with staff, circa 1990, looking southeast (George Bush Library)

George HW Bush with Vice-President Quayle in 1989, looking southwest (Getty Images - Diana Walker)

George HW Bush with Vice-President Quayle in 1989, looking southeast (Getty Images - Susan Biddle)

Ronald Reagan having lunch with Vice-President (and future President) George HW Bush, 1988, looking east (Reagan Library)

The Reagans having lunch together in 1987, looking south (Reagan Library)

Ronald Reagan working under Avenue in the Rain in 1987, looking south (Reagan Library)