NYC Vegan Restaurant Guide

Most Recent Restaurant Reviews

Subscribe to the latest restaurant reviews by XML feed or e-mail.

Curly's Vegetarian Lunch reviewed by Bailey on May 9, 2008:
Im not one to leave a review of a place with so many reviews already but i noticed that not a single person had mentioned Curly's vegan crabcakes...they are INCREDIBLE! Super crispy on the outside chewy and fishy on the inside and served on a bed of black beans, corn, and tomato and the whole thing is covered in chipotle "nayo". My friend and I got this as the starter and it was definetly the best part of the meal. dont miss these!

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Candle 79 reviewed by kerstycakes on May 8, 2008:
Best vegan restaurant ever. I always judge other veg places against Candle 79 (and very few come close).

I have taken hardcore meat-eaters here and they loved it so much they actually requested to come back on their next visit to town!

Especially wonderful: seitan chimichurri, seitan piccata, polenta fries, ice cream sampler.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

The V-Spot reviewed by food! on May 7, 2008:
I eat their chocolate chip pancakes with a side of tempeh bacon almost every weekend and they are great. I wish I was eating some right now. Yum.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Burrito Bar & Kitchen reviewed by Olivia Lane on May 5, 2008:
I just went for the first time on Saturday night. The staff was very friendly and attentive, but not so much that they became annoying. The guacamole was superfresh and made to order at our table by a big old dude, which was pretty cool. We also had tasty cheesy nachos with black beans, fried sweet plantains, and very strong, but refreshing, $5 margaritas. The atmosphere is rabidly festive and more like a "Mexican" place in the middle of America than an actually Mexican restaurant, still the good vibes are infectious. I can't wait to go back on a warm day and eat outside on Flatbush!

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Candle Café reviewed by chelsey on May 3, 2008:
I've been disappointed with Candle Cafe in the past (maybe because I love Candle 79 so much) but their new menu for the spring changed that for me today.

First of all, they use Teese (Tease?) vegan cheese now so you don't have to worry about the unvegan soy cheese anymore. My boyfriend got the quesadilla appetizer which had that lovely substance in it and it was mind blowing. He compared it to the stuffed manicotti at Candle 79 which speaks for a lot. It's not manicotti-ish but I guess awkward to eat in the same way? Whatever, just get the quesadilla at Candle Cafe.

I was really happy to see the Aztec Salad on the spring menu too. I had it once before at 79 as a special and dreamed about it ever since. I promise you it's not "just a salad". I would recommend this to anyone.

For our main course, we got the porcini-crusted seitan and the pumpkin seed crusted seitan (the special). If you know Candle Cafe and Candle 79, you know the seitans are a must. I can't go to either restaurant without getting one of the seitan dishes. The porcini-crusted seitan came with some potato thing and was just perfect and creamy and wonderful and I want some right now. My boyfriend like the pumpkin seed crusted seitan better. It came prepared much like a Mexican dish with black beans and guacamole... but also quinoa and whatnot. Really really great.

Oh, and don't forget to get the carrot cake. I never did until today and I'm not too sure what my problem was.

Overall, the food was amazing, the service a little slow, and the price-scary. However, the value speaks for itself...I'm still full and it's been over 6 hours since the meal. It will be hard to eat anything else again because nothing will ever be so good.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Pumpkin's Organic Market reviewed by JasonB on April 29, 2008:
A great local place to shop for all your vegan needs. The staff is ultra-Awesome and it's good to know that you can get advice from them on all their products (unlike some other "Markets" in the area). Plus, supporting local independent stores rocks.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Saravanaas reviewed by keramel on April 28, 2008:
The food here is incredibly tasty. I'd recommend it to anyone who's craving some really good South Indian food.

You need to be careful about dairy, especially ghee.

Also, most of the food is fried or heavily oiled, so if you're on a diet . . . this is NOT a place to go. That said, the food is delicious.

I had the channa batura and the idli. Be sure to ask about dairy or ghee before you order anything.

My service was fine. This is a place that's supposed to be a quick, tasty meal. It's not a place to have a relaxed, leisurely meal.

Plan to wait in line for a seat and to be pressured to order, eat, pay, and leave asap.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Organic Heights reviewed by Red Lurcher on April 27, 2008:
Do you like getting a lecture from the staff on proper chewing technique while you eat your food? I don't so much. I guess it was friendly, but no thanks.

The coffee is very good. The baked goods look so unappetizing that I didn't even want to try them. The quiche was nothing to go out of your way for, but it was fine.

Between this place and the V-Spot, the North Slope is really sucking vegan establishments. Good thing Vegetarian Palate's there!

I'll try Organic Heights again in a little while. Maybe they'll get better.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Body and Soul (Union Square) reviewed by Zell on April 25, 2008:
Body & Soul's savory treats (the turnovers and wraps) are wonderfully good and surprisingly sophisticated. each is packed with a vast spectrum of herbs, spices, and texture--piquant, delicate, and well balanced. every time i get one, i'm shocked that what i'm eating came from a cart. they really are unlike anything else--and are in a far superior league than the premade vegan fare you'll find in health-food store fridges. it's all quite fresh, too.

Don't judge them by their cookies (not so exciting), go for the savories: at $4.50 a pop, these dense packages of joy are a rare bargain.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Organic Heights reviewed by AmyArgh on April 25, 2008:
Tempeh 3-Bean chili and Cream Of Broccoli soup were both amazing. They open early, so stop in on your way to the 2/3 in the morning for a muffin and some REALLY good coffee.

They need some tables, or something. They have counter seats but it feels a bit naked inside. The staff is very friendly, and even offered up a book of their foods ingredients if you need to check for allergies, etc.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Temple in the Village reviewed by danitatopcagic on April 24, 2008:
Stumbled into this place by accident...walked past it few times, but always looked empty. Once I peaked in and saw wholistic and healthy vegetarian food, along with welcoming hosts. Food is delicious, healthy, and there are no attitudes here. Love the simplicity of it.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Gobo (Downtown) reviewed by keramel on April 21, 2008:
I think Gobo is a great date spot. The small plates and appetizers are good for sharing. I recommend trying a whole bunch of things. Yes, it's a bit expensive but it's worth it for an occasion. It's also a nice place to take omnivores.
I've never had a bad meal here, so I'd recommend it. It is definitely loud and a bit cramped, but I still like it quite a bit.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

The V-Spot reviewed by keramel on April 21, 2008:
I love it here. I definitely recommend the Latin and Italian dishes.

The nachos are amazing.

The "chicken" burrito is out of this world.

And the mint chocolate chip shake is . . . heavenly.

I've never ordered a "miss" dish. My friend, however, didn't love the raw pasta dish he ordered. I'm not a raw foodie, so I wouldn't have ordered it.

The patio seating is a bit sunny depending on where you sit. If it's a full sun day, wear a big hat and enjoy!

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Slice reviewed by felmed on April 16, 2008:
This place is awesome! They have so many different kinds of pizza. It isn't totally vegan, but it is one of the few places you can find vegan cheese.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Dang Lai Palace reviewed by Red Lurcher on April 13, 2008:
What a waste. The wait staff (or at least my guy) doesn't know what vegan means and was not at all motivated to tell me what was. Knowing this place had some connection to Zen Palate, where you can never predict what's going to be vegan, I was scared to order any fake meat, so I got the "Black Mushroom and Tofu" lunch special. Which turned out to be just that... no other vegetables or even a garnish, just more than $8 "worth" of tofu and black mushrooms fried up in sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch.

I've gotten much better food and service at ghetto bulletproof Chinese restaurants. This place has a waterfall, though.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

Tiffin Wallah reviewed by Red Lurcher on April 13, 2008:
If you like the idea of Burger King adding a South Indian menu, you'll love this place. That ain't me. There are a dozen places within a few blocks that will feed you better.

Service was good--friendly, and attentive but not overbearing. The decor is like of Pukk-lite: modern, green and white, nice lighting.

It's very nice that the menu clearly marks which dishes contain dairy, but our Uthappam (which was virtually inedible) came out with a dish of dairy-based something on the platter. When I asked about it, they first said it was coconut, but took it back to the kitchen when I was unconvinced. Apparently it was "not on the menu" but served as a courtesy bonus thing. Hooray. (Honestly this didn't bug me all that much, but be careful here, fellow vegans.)

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

JivamuktTea Café reviewed by champurrado on April 12, 2008:
Jivamukti cafe is magically delicious! It's a tea and coffee/espresso cafe but they also have sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies, baked goods, and that ubiquitous 'choose three items and a dressing' plate. They even have a vegan Mad Hatter tea party with a pot of tea and lots of vegan treats. You can't go wrong with the portabello panino, sprout bowl w/mustard vinaigrette, or giant chocolate chip cookie. Bonus: everything is vegan, organic, non-gmo, and sustainable.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

JivamuktTea Café reviewed by tamarsamir on April 11, 2008:
The Jivamuktea cafe recently reopened under new ownership.
The food is delicious - organic, vegan, and prepared with love.
Try the supergreen salad, mango smoothie, maharini dahl, and everything else. Yummy baked goods.
Great lunch place for those working in the Union Square area - it's hidden on the second floor of 841 Broadway, across the street from the Regal Multiplex.

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

The Organic Grill reviewed by ramones on April 6, 2008:
I have only been to Organic Grill once. I went for dinner, but I think I would rather go to OG for brunch or lunch. I had the house made bbq seitan plate. It was a really big plate, and really delicious. I loved the jalapeno cornbread!

Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:

'sNice (Brooklyn) reviewed by champurrado on April 4, 2008:
Normally I wouldn't leave a negative review, but this place has such a high rating that I feel compelled to add my opinion. It’s true that the staff is surprisingly competent and kind, but I thought the food was a real disappointment. First off, for anyone who doesn’t know, ‘Snice serves sandwiches/wraps, a few salads and sides, and one soup. The problem, though, was that nothing I tried was really worth eating. The Thai salad was fine, but not great. The pot pie wrap tasted gloopy, salty, and processed, almost to the point of being inedible. The tofu club was a complete embarrassment, consisting of tofu slathered in thousand island dressing and a handful of bacos (yes, bacos) thrown between three pieces of cold toast. Many of their sandwiches rely heavily on fake meat and processed products. If this isn't your cup of tea, then you may want to skip it, or at least eat beforehand and just go for coffee.