First day after a red-eye flight from the West Coast, I was craving something truly healthy and…read morenourishing. We wanted to chill at Bryant Park while each of us grabbed whatever we felt like eating, and La Botaniste--right across from the park--was the perfect grab-and-go option for me. The colorful Dutch ovens filled with fresh, vibrant dishes and amazing aromas made it so hard to choose. I'm still kicking myself for not taking pictures because everything looked so mouthwatering. I finally went with the Botanical Salad, and it was AMAZING. Fresh, flavorful, satisfying, and exactly what I was hoping for. Everything on the menu looked comforting and delicious while still being plant-based and health-conscious. Even though the line was busy, the staff was genuinely friendly. They took the time to answer questions, explain the dishes, and make recommendations without making us feel rushed.

Such a great place for a quick last minute dinner in midtown.. The staff couldnt have been nicer…read more The woman taking my order gave me a detailed run down on my options. I opted for the asian noodle salad and the energy cookie. The food was ready fast and was both delicious and felt healthy. Which is a rare combination..

Had the most magical Valentine's Day dinner at Avant Garden in NYC. They offered a beautifully…read morecurated menu for the evening and every dish felt thoughtful, creative, and incredibly satisfying. We were honestly surprised by how filling everything was -- so many generous, flavorful courses. The pizza ended up being our favorite dish of the night -- absolutely delicious and such a standout. And the sweetest touch at the end: cookies to take home! Such a small detail but it made the whole experience feel even more special. If you're looking for a plant-based spot that still feels like a true night-out experience, Avant Garden really delivers.

I had been looking forward to trying Avant Garden for a long time and chose it for a birthday…read moredinner, so this was especially disappointing. We had a 9:30 reservation on May 9. The reservation email said they would hold the table for 15 minutes, and we arrived at about 9:43 after getting stuck in traffic. We were still within that window, but as soon as we checked in, the host immediately told us the kitchen was closing in one minute and that the bar would close in about 20 minutes, so we needed to place our food order right away. It made the meal feel rushed from the moment we arrived. The restaurant was virtually empty, but we were seated directly next to the bathroom. There were clearly plenty of other seating options available, which made that choice even more frustrating. Unfortunately, there was a noticeable bathroom odor from our table, which was really unpleasant and not what I would expect from a restaurant at this price point. Servers were also constantly going back and forth between the dining room and what seemed to be either a storage or cleaning area near the bathroom, so in addition to the odor, there was steady foot traffic throughout the meal. There were also papers or sugar packets underneath the table next to us, which added to the feeling that the dining room was not being carefully maintained. We ordered the paella, fig toast, and Calabrian flatbread. The food itself was fine in terms of flavor, but the rest of the experience made it feel understated and much less enjoyable than it should have been. The paella and toast came out quickly, and then we waited about 45 minutes for the flatbread. During that time, no one checked in, explained the delay, or asked how anything was. We honestly thought the flatbread had been forgotten. Then, after that long wait, the flatbread and dessert were brought out almost at the same time. The server explained that the kitchen was telling them to bring everything out at once. We had also ordered a bottle of Lambrusco, but it was not available, so we were given a different wine instead. Overall, the pacing and service felt very disorganized. We were rushed to order immediately, then largely ignored for the rest of the meal. No one asked how the food was, no one checked on the delay, and the timing of the final dishes made the meal feel chaotic rather than enjoyable. Even though the food was fine, the experience around it really took away from the meal. I also think there is a practical issue with the reservation timing. If the kitchen closes 15 minutes after the last available reservation, it does not make sense to offer a 15-minute grace period. Either the final seating should be earlier, or the kitchen should remain open long enough to properly serve guests who arrive within the stated reservation window. For a restaurant with Avant Garden's reputation and price point, I expected a much more thoughtful and polished experience. I wanted this to be a special birthday dinner, but we left feeling disappointed. I don't feel eager to return, and based on this visit, I would have a hard time recommending it to vegan friends.

Vegan Tapas?? Wooooow!!…read more This place is amazing great food, great vibe, wonderful people. and I don't have to feel like I've given anything up in terms of one of my favorite ways of eating before I became vegan. Lady Bird's Tapas is simply out of this world!

All the food was vegan. Super cute restaurant that's pretty small…read more The dumplings were my favorite. Thought the skin was kind of thick but I loved the curry sauce. The general Tso dish was also pretty good. The arancini and mac were ok in my opinion. Service was pretty good. Wouldn't say it's the best vegan food I've had but I did enjoy it overall.

A vegan dim sum restaurant! Of course my sister was the one that found this, and my my was it a…read morefeast! It was a perfect addition to Mother's Day weekend festivities. Their square tables comfortably seated six of us, and the staff was consistently on top of things. For the first 10 minutes or so, they walked by several times and noticed that we were nose is deep in our menus trying to figure out what to get. When we were ready to order, everything was super efficient from then on. We had too much to name, but some highlights were all of the dumplings, the vegan chicken and pepper on tray, turn up cakes, sesame balls... There was just so many amazing items that we had. For Saturday afternoon, no surprise that the place was full, so well done for managing everything so well. I would definitely return to try all of the things that I didn't have. And all of it is vegan, how cool is that?!

Amazing service and everything is delicious! Came at 6 on a weekend and we were seated before a…read morehuge rush of people. The General Tso dish was the standout. I am not vegan and I prefer it to the chicken version! Service was above and beyond. We had soup dumplings and they prepared and served each dumpling to us in spoons for us individually, putting the sauces on for us even. Definitely try this out for great vegan Chinese!

This is the place to go for vegetarians and meat eaters. The restaurant is fully vegetarian (and…read morekosher). They manipulate the food (tofu or soy product) to resemble meat. My favorite is the BBQ roasted meat that resembles roasted pork. I find that it always is moist and packed with pork flavor. This time there was a seafood special that arrived in a sizzling pot. The sauce was a typical brown sauce with some seafood broth added for flavor. The scallop by the texture, look and taste did resemble the real thing. Mushroom e-fu noodles is another favorite dish that I always get. Noodles are sauced just right to carry the umami from the mushrooms and not be soggy. They usually have a subtle plumpness to them but last time they seemed to be a bit on the flatter side. They renovated since the last time I visited. Most of the circular tables have been removed replaced with rectangular ones. Bench seating is now along the perimeter. I think they can accommodate more people this way. Another plus is they now accept credit cards and participate in several dining cash back programs (Seated, Upside and Franki).

I wanted to like this restaurant, but overall the dishes lacked flavor. We ordered the spicy…read moreeggplant and tofu with mixed vegetables. While the sauce with the eggplant was good, the tofu and mixed veggies came in a watery sauce that felt bland and under-seasoned. One thing to note--none of the entrées come with rice, so that has to be ordered separately. On the positive side, they do serve hot tea, which was especially comforting on a cold weeknight. The interiors are simple and clean, the service is quick, and the pricing is reasonable as well. Overall, not a bad experience, but the food itself didn't leave a lasting impression.

Great experience at Sentir. I posted up at the bar alone and was immediately greeted with friendly…read moreservice by the bartender. I ordered a drink and a chile relleno. The drink came out right away and was good, but expensive. The chile on the other hand was excellent and filling. The flavor was surprisingly unique and the impossible meat filled the pepper perfectly. The ambiance was cool, definitely date night energy. I'll be back!

The missus and I stopped here on a Thursday evening, 5ish, for a drink and small nosh…read more Really nice happy hour options. Got two cocktails - the smoky Hedgehog Maize and the jalapeñoy De Vacaciones - at 50% off (so cost us $8.50 and $9.50, respectively). Service was great, the drinks were really nice. The Sentir Guac was quite tasty, lots of really fresh avocado. If in the neighborhood, try the happy hour.

This is HEAVEN....omg how do I explain the experience, we ordered 4 items - cream and celery soup,…read morespinach artichoke dip for appetizers...umm delicious and chicken pot pie and scallop paella for enterees and both are the BEST I ever had....absolutely loving this vegan heaven right in the heart of NYC, definitely give it a try. Okay so here is an update : we were in area for only 4 nights and after trying it once for our dinner we kept going back, we were there for 3 times total and tried all the things we wanted to - tried Broadway burrito, linguini Fini Alfredo, vegetable barley soup. For sweets we had vanilla bean pan a cotta and blueberry lemon shortcake and. a cappucino - can you tell we were obsessed with this place???? Everything we ate we licked our plates - so DAMN DELICIOUS.

This is a gem of a restaurant! From our host Hans to our waiter, David, everything was perfect!…read moreWe were seated upstairs. The music was a little loud for me, so it was hard to hear and to talk. But I still loved it.. David the waiter was so nice near the menu. He's a great server.!! and incredibly patient. Hans the host was really friendly, warm and engaging. We didn't have a reservation and he didn't mind. The bathrooms were clean. The presentation of the food was beautiful, and it was absolutely delicious every single dish.!! I had two Modelo beers, we had an order of vegan crabcakes with tartar sauce. Chicken wings, which were so good with a few few different types of sauces. Vegan steak came with rice and spinach, which is absolutely delicious. a vegan chicken pot pie. I personally think it should be a little bit thicker and not so soupy, but it was really really good. we had fries with black beans and Vegan cheese. espresso and for dessert, vegan tiramisu and a blueberry dessert. It was really good little sweet for me but very good all the same.. I highly recommend this restaurant and I will definitely be back!

So yum!!!! Top 3 thai spots for me…read more Food- Classic order of Pad Thai & Drunken Noodles. The pad thai noodles are a big thinner than i've had before but that didn't bother me, it has such great flavor too. I recommend ordering it spicy, it's the perfect heat if you're looking for that kick but don't add it if you can't handle spice. The drunken noodles are not spicy in my opinion but i can handle a bit of heat. Loved the flavor and the noodles had the right texture, could've done without the huge chunks of tomato but great otherwise. The summer rolls were good, hard to mess those up. We also got a free mango salad with the order and that was so fresh and delicious. We just popped in for pick up but the hostess was really nice and attentive as soon as we walked in. It looked to be a nice casual spot, could be good for dinner with friends or date night.

Obao has delicious food. If you're in Hells Kitchen and happen to stumble by Obao, it is worth…read morecoming in. Obao is has both Thai and Viet food. It does well with doing the whole "fusion" schtick without losing the essence and flavor of the dishes. Pad Krapoa Moo Krob, the meat on the pork belly was so juicy - the pork skin was crunchy and chewy at the same time, flavors of Thai spice, basil, and bell peppers harmoniously working together to bring a balanced meal. The shrimp basil fried rice was delicious, a great alternative if you're not feeling the crab fried rice. The service at Obao is always prompt and helpful, whether it's questions about the menu or recommendations, anyone is willing to help. Inside Oboa is dimly lit, a moody vibe that is fun and invites playful conversations.