Dirt Candy is not just a restaurant, it is a culinary experience at its finest! We requested that are dishes be vegan and it seemed like that was an easy thing for them to do. The dishes that came out were so unique and such an impressive mix of flavors, that I've really never had anything like it. Though I spent more than I usually like to spend, it was definitely worth the price. And you don't need to tip because they pay their workers a fair wage. I had the mezcal beet cocktail and it was delicious and strong. Service was outstanding. read more

Dirt Candy - Beet mezcal cocktail - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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A lovely vegetarian place that I would recommend to carnivores and vegans alike. I went here with my sister (both of us vegetarians) and an old college friend (non-veggie) for brunch. First of all, they have a great brunch special available if you're planning on getting an alcoholic drink and coffee - we didn't partake, but noticed it was excellent value for price. My friend did get coffee and I had some - it was so smooth and delicious - and I am the farthest thing from a coffee snob. Second of all, the staff was lovely. Both the host and waitress were very friendly and attentive. I got the smoked beet sandwich, my sister got the red pepper French toast, and my friend got the California cracker, and all were delicious. I am definitely planning on bringing friends here next time I'm in NYC. read more

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What a lovely dinner! Some very interesting flavor combinations, I loved the entire experience. They offer a lot of different, unique non-alcoholic beverages, which is awesome for those that don't drink alcohol or just want to take a break from it for the evening. The food is unique, and the menu changes so I won't say too much about our specific meal, but I would absolutely come here again in the future. They're super playful with flavor combinations and throw in a lot of extra dishes so you're comfortably full by the end of the experience. Also, this is such a well-run kitchen. We sat at the bar and noticed staff were very courteous not just to the guests but to each other. Also so fun to watch everyone prepare dishes, and see the perfectly executed timing of when to deliver dishes (they checked if either of us were away from the table, and if we were then they waited till we were both back to being the next course. They did this consistently). Just great communication and teamwork. Truly impressive. The price point is more than fair for what you get. LOVE that they pay staff a living wage + benefits so no tipping is expected or allowed. This restaurant is great. 11/10. read more

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This review is not about the food which has been great in the past. I recently tried to get a walk in table for two for a special occasion when the restaurant opened on a Saturday night. The restaurant was completely empty but the hostess would not seat us and was very rude. I'm not sure I'll try again. read more

I really wanted to love this place but it was just ok. We came here from California to celebrate my birthday, Our first course came without the wine pairings we ordered so we had to wait quite awhile with the food on the table. Sommelier was knowledgeable, however, and I did enjoy the wine pairings. The first two courses were great. Loved the smoky tomato leather and cupcake. The zucchini course was excellent. We didn't love the eggplant and corn courses but they were fine. Could've used more salt and acid in both. Eggplant course needed stronger flavors. My son and husband liked dessert - I found the textures didn't work as well but it wasn't bad. Check came without asking us about coffee. Not that big of a deal but we ate the chocolate at the end and it left the worst possible flavor - I asked what the heck that was and if we could please have coffee but we would have had to open a new check and I wasn't. willing to do that at that point. Our server said it was broccoli chocolate - well suffice to say it was horrific. He said they may change to avocado chocolate. Strongly recommend a change in this last bite. Interesting concept but service had hiccups and some flavors did not work. read more

Great food and great price! I love that all the staff receive livable wages and its a non-tipping restaurant. I've been here three times and each time was different and enjoyable. The cocktails have always been good and are unique with the plant theme. I'll definitely go back if I can get a reservation. read more

Maybe add a star if you are actually a vegetarian. Otherwise, you can go get a giant, juicy steak for the price of some brussels sprouts and lettuce cups here. It is a nice spot, and the food is definitely delicious for the most part. But I find it hard to justify spending so much money all for vegetables. It's also kind of annoying seeing these places that tell Eater and everybody that tries calling in that they are booked solid for months. There were several empty tables and it was pretty quiet throughout our whole meal, which was especially interesting to watch them turn away some people that wanted to grab one of the several unoccupied tables. The menu is fun, and I was excited to try the wide range of interesting preparations of veggies. However, we left craving some meat after spending a nice chunk of change: - Korean Fried Broccoli ($6) One of the two items available from the "Snacks" section, this was really awesome. Coated in some pretty spicy garlic sesame sauce, these crispy pieces of broccoli were addictive. This had me very excited for a promising meal, but I think this was the best thing we tried. - Vegetable Monkey Bread (complimentary) The complimentary bread arrived next, which was definitely the coolest looking bread I've seen, and was pretty tasty too. Served in what looks like a little flower pot, which each of the little segments of bread colored to look like a bouquet of flowers, this is a very nice touch to start the meal. - Kale Matzoh Ball Soup with Poached Egg and Okra ($13) Moving on to the Appetizers section, this one was pretty bizarre. Consisting mostly of okra in the bowl, with 4 tiny little balls that I guess were supposed to resemble the matzoh balls, and a poached egg sitting on top of all that, it is also accompanied by a little jug of some sort of green soup that is meant to be poured over the whole thing. The whole thing was just kind of bland, or maybe that's just how kale tastes in soup form. - Broccoli Dogs ($21) This is where we get to the entrees and prices really escalate and you kind of start to feel like you are in a Portlandia episode. This consists of two hot dog-shaped milk bread buns stuffed with big stalks of broccoli and topped with broccoli kraut and mustard barbecue sauce. These tasted pretty good, but couldn't help but evoke memories of the far superior Broccoli Sandwich from No. 7 Sub. - Carrot Waffles ($25) Not the most attractive of dishes, with the dark black peanut mole sauce enveloping the dish of pickled carrots over the carrot waffles, this was delicious, but deteriorated a bit as the minutes passed, as the waffle quickly became pretty soggy and gummy under the weight of all that thick mole sauce. - Brussels Sprouts Tacos ($30) One of the two larger items in the "To Share" section, I couldn't help but compare it to similar items at other restaurants from their large format menu items, and end up thinking that this one is more like a large side dish with some condiments rather than a $30 main plate. This gets you a sizable pile of sizzling hot brussels sprouts alongside a few lettuce cups (the tacos, unfortunately), and 8 little ramekins of various accoutrements (radishes, onions, jalapenos, guacamole, cheese, etc.). Again, much like most stuff here, it tasted just fine and was pleasant enough, but - $30 for vegetables. - Curried Fries ($7) This looked like some healthier version of poutine with a couple of hard to distinguish things set on top of some fries in a little bowl. The fries were pretty good, with a decent amount of crispiness. - Corn Cake with Popcorn Ice Cream ($11) Desserts were not great. This one was shockingly small, with enough for about two solid bites. The biggest value in this one is the presentation, with a thin slice of the corn cake balanced on top of the little spoonful of corn ice cream, on top of another thin slice of cake. It's tough to really evaluate this one fairly though from just a bite. - Carrot Meringue Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream ($13) This one was better, also pretty cool looking with a nice tall meringue swirl on top of the mushy carrot pie. The sour cream ice cream was sweet, and went well with the much less sweet pie. As you probably know from the silly 1-star Yelp reviews and complaints from people, they are instituting this new thing some restaurants want to start where they automatically add a 20% service charge and don't accept tips. I guess that allows them to kind of slack on the service, which was the case a little bit tonight, but it wasn't bad for just being open. If you are a person that actually tips, you probably won't mind this policy too much. This will probably be a favorite hot spot for vegetarians, but I think I'll stick to meat. read more

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What a great name for a vegetarian restaurant, and it turns out to be quite an accurate description. I only became aware of chef Amanda Cohen not from Iron Chef America but from her appearance on Ming Tsai's cooking show on PBS when she made a simple carrot pasta with grilled carrot & corn salsa. I tried to get into her former place the last time I was in New York, but I found out there were only 18 seats. A last-minute reservation was impossible, so I was happy to find out she relocated to a much bigger space in the Lower East Side on the edge of Chinatown. In fact, from a distance, I had thought this was a Chinese candy emporium until I saw it was indeed Dirt Candy. It turns out they offer walk-in brunches on the weekend, so I ambled over from my hotel at 11:30AM to see only about five people waiting in line. I was seated quite easily at the counter in front of the biscuit prep area. The menu was a splash of retro-fun with dishes succinctly presented in different fonts (photo: http://bit.ly/1Lham5P). I seriously needed to wet my whistle, so I ordered the $14 Poolside Breeze, a refreshing, deep green mimosa-like concoction mixing prosecco spritzer, cilantro and cucumber (photo: http://bit.ly/1ZMwxZi). As I was watching the sous chef making the biscuits, I decided I needed the $4 pair of Tomato Biscuits, which came with little ramekins of basil butter and green tomato jam (photo: http://bit.ly/1GbKwS4). Apparently, they make dehydrated tomato powder to mix more seamlessly with the flour, and the result was flavorful and light balancing nicely between savory and sweet. For my main dish, I went for the $16 Layered Omelette with a mint cilantro radish filling and whipped goat cheese (photo: http://bit.ly/1NNShjA). It was a fresh take on an egg dish that took off with their housemade hot sauce, but thanks to the recommendation of the server, the real plate stealer were the pan-fried potatoes, perfectly seasoned with sliced jalapeño peppers. I could have easily had a triple order of those and still had room for a chocolate donut at the Doughnut Plant. What a nice treat to find a vegetarian restaurant so eager to punch up their dishes with big flavors. FOOD - 5 stars...extremely flavorful dishes that happen to be vegetarian AMBIANCE - 4 stars...bright and spacious with a girlish flair SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive but not patronizing, veg-heads can be nice TOTAL - 5 stars...even vegetarian restaurants can be foodie destinations, honest read more

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I usually do a lot of research on a place before I come. I didn't do that here. A friend mentioned they had come, I did a short look, and was like I want to go there! I'm really glad I did. Our reservation was at 8:15pm. We ordered the Garden, which is the longer of the 2 tasting menus. I wasn't expecting to be there for a super long time, but we were there for over 3 hours! So plan your time accordingly. Each of the dishes was creative and well thought out. Our server gave us an intro when we got there and explained that this restaurant is Vegetable focused, not a vegan or vegetarian restaurant per se, but focused on making us think about vegetables and experience them in a new way. To be clear, the meal was vegetarian, but that's not the focus of the restaurant. We started off with a tower of small items. On the top were these little lollipops. Bread stick with some cheese and toppings. They each had a different topping (peas, pepper rings, onions, etc.) the middle tier was a cold spinach soup. It was light and bright. On the bottom was a seaweed "caviar" over small cucumber balls in a creamy creme fraiche consistency layer. I really loved the bread sticks - they were buttery and the creamy lollipop topping was really nice. The caviar was nice as well. Next we got the monkey bread. Oh man I would eat this every day! This is going to sound weird but it smelled like a hot dog, and almost even tasted like one, but in a good way. I'm pretty confident there were beets in here as well. The texture was perfect. The butter was even better. My only issue with this course is how small it was. The courses following that mostly came paired. Usually one was sweeter the other more savory. Or one was heavier and the other was lighter. Our next course was the Asian fried broccoli. This was very nice. The sauce was great! The broccoli was still moist inside. This was paired with some leaves (I can't remember what kind) in a black bean sauce. The dipping sauce was to die for. It was creamy and also was reminiscent of soy sauce. I would have liked a larger portion here too!! Our next course was a teeeeeny tiny bowl of soup. It had chick peas and I'm not sure how this was done but these tiny slices of sausage that tasted just like sausage. I was impressed with the sausage. This wasn't my favorite dish though. Next we got a pairing of mushrooms vs cucumbers. The mushroom dish had mushrooms in 2 ways, there was a pâté and cooked mushrooms. Along with it were pears cooked 2 ways one softer and slimy like a cooked onion and the other was in a crunchy ring. These were all to be assembled on a small piece of toast. This was one of my favorite dishes! This was paired with the cucumber dish, which came in rings of cucumber along with green cake rings all on top of a creamy creme fraiche (or similar). My guest really enjoyed the cauliflower dish light and fresh in contrast with the mushroom dish which was very earthy. Next we got a tiny box (think Big Mac from McDonald's) with a carrot sticker on top. Inside was a carrot "burger" slider, with special sauce on a carrot bun. This was super interesting and a fun dish. Our next pairing was what I kept calling cabbage broth soup, which was a soup made up of cruciferous vegetables. This tasted most in my opinion like a chicken soup. The broth was great, the veggies were great. This was one of my favorite dishes. The soup was paired with a pasta in a celery sauce. I never would have considered a celery sauce, but it was great!!! Next we have 2 kinds of beets that were cooked over a hot coal tabletop stove. Once they were grilled we were to put them on a plate in a liquid before eating. This was interesting. I preferred the candy cane beets to the traditional ones. They had a lighter and sweeter flavor. Next came dessert. The chocolate mushroom, which chocolate sauce was poured over and in the base was a small mushroom cream. The chocolate was the perfect balance between sweet and bitter. This was paired with a cauliflower cake - which I loved! I never would have thought I would, but it was pretty amazing. It came with a small scoop of cauliflower ice cream (honestly I didn't care for this). Lastly came the caramelized Chinese eggplant which they flambéd table-side.it was topped with crispy eggplant and ice cream. Never would have considered this, but it was pretty good. All in all I appreciate places that challenge the norms and are creative and think about the dishes. This place excelled at that. The service was also impeccable. We had a lot of questions about the menu and a few of the servers gave us different answers, but we didn't mind. I already told a few friends about this place. I will come back read more

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Oy vey... I REALLY anticipated giving this place 5 stars, but it just didn't do it for me. The staff is incredible. Our waitress was super interactive, explained all of the dishes, told us about the inspiration behind some of the dishes, the origins of some of the dishes and wine we ordered, etc. It was really cool -- not something I've experienced before. Also, half of my party was vegan and they gladly accommodated, bringing both vegetarian and vegan options. The first dish, the Korean fried broccoli was INCREDIBLE. But it sort of got our hopes up. The dishes that followed, with the exception of the brussel sprout tacos, were fairly lack luster. For the price, I expected much better food. For comparison's sake, I went with the same group of people for a meal at another vegan restaurant, we sampled the entire menu, and spent MUCH less and enjoyed every single bite. It's important to note (something my party and I weren't aware of) is that the only options for dinner are two prix fix tasting menus (and none of the dishes are listed on the menu -- it was a surprise meal). If you just pop in and sit at the bar, they do have a la cart options, which includes the broccoli. It's unlikely that I'll return for dinner, but will definitely go back and sit at the bar for the broccoli. read more

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The food, energy and service were great! My in-laws invited us to dinner to celebrate the holidays and my new husband and I recent nuptials. My brother in-law is strict alkaline vegan and he thoroughly enjoyed Dirt Candy as well. We did the wine pairing with the food and it was a delightful pairing. The servings were small so I was nervous we wouldn't be full but we were very satisfied. Our favorites was the kale pasta, mini carrot sliders and the dessert (it totally skips me now because I'm writing this weeks after going). The food and drinks were flowing and the staff made sure our glasses were filled and we were enjoying ourselves. We also received a special treat from the menu because of the celebration & the manager came out to congratulate us. It was a perfect night. Thank you Dirt Candy. read more

So delicious! Every course surprised us in the best way. On top of the 5 course menu we were given 2 additional dishes that the kitchen was trying out. Everything was amazing but favorites were the cucumber donut, mushroom, and artichoke / sunchoke. Definitely recommend dirt candy for a fancier night out / celebration. Had a great time and will be back! read more

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We put our name on the waiting list & by the time we finished dropping off our dry cleaning nearby, our bar seats were ready. Phenomenal service; though they boast a no-tipping policy, the staff treat you as if you'd slipped a $50 into each of their palms upon entering. We opted for the 10+ course Vegetable Garden ($88/person), as choosing was an impossible task. Each dish had a downside to offset the positives. The Korean Fried Broccoli was the tastiest dish, but also the saltiest. The Snap Peas made dinner fun, as you cooked your own food, but the portion was laughable. Same applies to the Carrot Slider -- whimsical container reminiscent of a Big Mac box, but the bite was no bigger than a quarter. The first course, a salad, was presented on the most glorious three-tier stand, but we ate roughage that belonged in an overgrown backyard. With every plus was a minus, which rounds out to a middle-of-the-road rating. One of our desserts, flambéed table side, was an innovative twist on Bananas Foster; eggplant took the place of the traditional fruit & the brown sugar sauce went surprisingly well with it. Perhaps a decade ago Dirt Candy was quite the celebrity of the vegetarian world, but their star quality has since waned. read more

Dirt Candy - June 2018 - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Enjoyed the Korean fried broccoli, mushroom coffee cake and brussel sprout tacos. As a low-carb eater, I found the menu a little limited but the flavor combos were great. Great service. Gender neutral rest rooms. Drinks are pricey for day time beverages! read more

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I went to one of the most amazing dinners at Dirt Candy on Valentine's Day due to King Games Candy Crush Saga! They did offer dishes they usually offer though, so I wanted to give a shout out to their Carrot Sliders, which are out of this world, and their cocktails, which were VERY strong. Can't wait to come back and try other items. You won't miss meat here and that's coming from a meat eater! read more

Went here on a Wednesday night after receiving a great recommendation from a friend. We had the 5 course meal with a bottle of red wine instead of the wine pairing option. The food was innovative and tastefully curated. Loved the combination of flavors and attention to detail. The ambience could be better specially at that price point - all in all definitely worth a try if you are in the mood for vegetarian experimentation. read more

Dirt Candy - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Have been to Dirt Candy about four times now - first three for dinner and this last time for lunch/brunch. While the dinners were more or less great, had to say I was disappointed with the brunch/lunch fare. The turnip sandwich was a disappointment - one mushy note with a flavor that is just pure hoisin sauce. Amanda, if you're reading this, take out the hoisin sauce and replace it with a crunchy, citrusy cole slaw with some sour pickles to complement the fried turnip cake. Maybe add a little spicy note to the slaw. The tomato biscuits were just okay. The kale waffle was fine - nothing spectacular but not bad either. Overall, stick to the dinner menu here and you'll be fine. PS they will make you lemonade on request :) read more

I'd heard a lot about Amanda Cohen and her all-vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy; and great things! I went here all excited on a Friday evening for dinner and got their tasting menu called "The Vegetable Garden" which had the following courses: 1. The Green Tower: Pocky bread-sticks with peas & radish, Spinach soup served in a glass with a savory pistachio rim, Corn multiple ways, Shallots multiple ways, and a salad all around. The spinach, the corn, and the shallots were delicious. The pocky was alright. But the salad was truly unremarkable and not tasty at all. 2. Spinach Monkey Bread with Garlic butter: This green soft brioche-y pull-apart monkey bread was flavored with spinach and went great with the garlic butter. 3. Korean Fried Broccoli and Shanghai Shoots: These two dishes were wonderfully flavorful. I'm a huge fan of the Indian-Chinese Cauliflower Manchurian, and this Broccoli was that plus even more umami. The Shanghai shoots were atop a layer of creme fraiche with salty black beans and were so delicious - this is how I like to eat salad leaves! 4. Fennel "Sausage" Tagine: This Moroccan inspired dish was quite nice too: lentils, fennel, "sausage" & spice. 5. Portobello & Pear Crostini: Another great dish - portobello mushroom pate, sauteed thinly-sliced mushrooms, thinly-sliced pears caramelized with a sweet garlicky glaze, pear crisps. This was perfectly balanced on top of tiny crostinis. 6. Broccoli Hot Dog: I specifically requested for this dish and it was so good - bun, hot dog made of broccoli, a broccoli sauerkraut & a mustard sauce. 7. "Brassica": I love the Brassica family of vegetables. This tasty dish was composed of different kinds of cauliflower and brussel sprouts in a clear broth - perfect for the cold weather. 8. "Pea"-king Duck: This was a fun little dish kind of like DIY Chinese tacos. Tortillas that were MuXu pancakes, pea shoots to be lightly grilled, miniature tofu skin sandwiches with a thick creamy pea puree in the middle, fixings of cucumber & scallion strands and house hoisin & plum sauces. All combined, it made for a very tasty mouthful. 9. Mushroom Chocolate Pudding 10. Cauliflower Confetti Cake Unfortunately, I highly disliked the desserts and left both of them unfinished - they were really not worth eating. And I have a sweet tooth! The mushroom chocolate pudding seemed to have great potential with the individual components of the sunflower brittle, thyme blondie and a spinach mint cake. But all of these flavors were drowned out by the excessive amount of chocolate. I love chocolate and I know they say there's no such thing as too much of it - but then maybe you haven't eaten this dessert. I believe the cliché-fancy presentation of the chocolate mushroom and the chocolate sauce were this dessert's undoing. The cauliflower confetti cake was another disappointing dessert. I don't really have much to say - it had no real flavor other than cloying sweetness. In summary, the savory courses were all quite excellent, but the desserts were a real downer. As for the experience itself, I got to be seated at the chef's counter which was great! It was so nice to be able to watch the chefs prep, cook and plate dishes that I and other diners would eat. The chefs also chatted about food and other things from time-to-time in between service which was great. The servers weren't as engaging, but were extremely prompt and polite. I think this restaurant truly celebrates the vegetable and I would definitely recommend visiting to eat their inventive savory dishes! read more

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The courses were either a huge success or a unmistakable failure. But I must say, I do not regret coming here. For the courses that didn't out of the park: at least I got to try something novel. The only reason I am giving this 4 stars instead of 3, is because of the fact I was sitting at the chefs table. I saw how diligently the sous chef was preparing the mushroom logs. There is something to be said about dedication. read more

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Dirt Candy was incredible! The food and service was one of if not THE best dining experience of my life. The food was excellent and the wine pairing was perfect. We were lucky enough to sit at the chef's table and had a front row to their creations. The lighting, staff, and location were wonderful. I'll be back the next time I'm in NYC. Thank you! read more

Absolutely fantastic dining experience. The menu is creative yet so tasty. I love that. It is plant Forward and offers a vegan tasting menu. This is a fantastic date night, we celebrated our 20 year anniversary! All the staff were incredibly nice. Can't wait to go back. read more

Sexy! Stunning! Amazing! Exquisite attention to detail! I can't say enough about my experience @Dirt Candy. I had no expectation and I was blown away. Highly recommend this 5 Star Gem. We did the 9 course menu with a few beet spritzers and dined for almost 3hrs. Every course is plated with perfection and delivered with precision by a member of the staff who explains the origin, the vegetables involved, and how to best enjoy the dish (looks are deceiving hence my pics do them no justice) The open kitchen provided a view into the staff that creates these masterpieces. It was enjoyable to watch the team while we chatted. We struggled with the no tipping policy because the cost didn't come close to covering it although it's strongly suggested that you don't. We just had to....and we had to force it on the staff. They truly were pleased that we had a great experience. Rarely do you find an entire staff dedicated to your meal. Although there were several couples and girls night out in attendance we felt as if we had the entire restaurant to ourselves. I can't wait until we return. Hands down on of the best dining experiences I've ever had. read more

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I used to live a few blocks away and this neighborhood hasn't been this cool in.. ever. So nice to see the Lower East Side as a destination rather than a mere historical spot. Anyway, I digress... I had known about Dirt Candy for a while, so we took advantage on our last NYC trip and went. The interior uses pops of color in an aesthetically pleasing way. The service is primo, which I expected, but was nonetheless gratified to experience. We had the Vegetable Patch and it was ample food for us. The folks at the table next to us had the Vegetable Garden and we overhead them remarking early on that they were getting full. Everything is an elevated form of whichever vegetable is being spotlighted. I mean, portobello mousse? Showstopper... until you get carrot sliders... and so on. It was such a fun experience. We go to vegetarian and vegan restaurants wherever we travel, and Dirt Candy is by far one of the most creative ones that really applies a Michelin-like approach to vegetables. read more

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Wow! This is a wonderful expression of vegetables. Too often vegetarian/vegan places get too far away from incorporating vegetables into their recipes. We have the prefix menu starting with the beet scone and mushroom muffin. Both showcase the culinary teams ability to fuse the flavors of vegetables with regular menu items to create a sumptuous flavor. For our entree we had the carrot crepes (vegetarian) and tofu kim chi sandwich. Amazing flavor and perfect portions. Don't forget the beverage menu as they don't limit their culinary design to the food. I was stoked to find a green tomato Bloody Mary which was perfect! So the icing on the cake (vegan of course) is their service and business model. Menus outline their pricing structure and that servers are paid living wages and share in the success of the restaurant - which also equates to tip included. Now I didn't feel right about that but even the check says please don't tip additional. Needless to say, service and attention to detail was that of a fine dining restaurant. We Loved our server! I have two more days in NYC and am definitely going to try to get back for dinner which looks equally as memorable as lunch. Im also looking forward to buying the cookbook so I can replicate some of their items. read more

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I ordered takeout from here two days ago and let me start by saying that I was very excited to try their food because of their innovative vegetarian menu. However, the experience was beyond a turnoff. I ordered a Peach slushee, a muffuletta and fried broccoli. The food had an unusual taste and made me sick to my stomach after eating. I continued to drink my slushee and noticed something floating in it so I opened it up. That's when I saw some type of bug in my drink. This place is unsanitary and they do not handle food properly. read more

Dirt Candy - The bug that was floating around in my slushee - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

I came here for the first time after they reopened from the COVID-19 pandemic. Had the heirloom tomato sandwich which was absolutely succulent and exploding with flavor. The smoked feta cheese and chili jam add notes to the sandwich that I will be dreaming about for days. The outdoor setup is great too! read more

Dirt Candy - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Wow. This place impressed with food and service. I tend to cook with no meat at home and I do enjoy a vegetarian/vegan meal outside from time to time. Problem is that I find it difficult to find a vegetable heavy restaurant that tastes great. Before our brunch dishes came out, we received complimentary mini pastries; a cinnamon bun with beet jam and carrot cake muffin. It was delightful. I ordered the zucchini pancakes (they were able to make it vegan). It's the perfect blend of savory and slightly sweet. The squash blossom "butter" was decadent as well. At the end of the meal the manager surprised us by saying that our meal was on them because the entrees took a long time to come out. I was stunned; it did take a while to come out but I was catching up with some old friends that it wasn't a big problem. It was refreshing to see that they were paying such attention to their customers to make sure we left happy. And we did indeed. read more

Dirt Candy - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW one of the best meals of my life. First of all who are these people giving them less than 5 stars??? I don't understand how that is possible. Let me tell you why they deserve 5 stars 1. The place is absolutely clean and the decor is perfect 2. The lighting is not too bright and not so dark, its spot on 3. The presentation of food, OMG mind blowing! Mushroom pâté, brussel sprout lettuce tacos, broccoli hot dogs, carrot sliders chocolate mushroom dessert, tres leches. Literally every presentation of food was on point. Not to mention in between courses they gave you fresh plates and silverware. 4. The cocktails, "Parsnip Martini" and "Popcorn Old Fashion", so unique yet so good! 5. The waitstaff- knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and overall wonderful attitude This literally was the best meal I have ever had...and I am not even a true vegetarian! I just wanted an excuse to eat lots of vegetables and drink alcohol. Let me say that this meal was so good, that I want to go back to my other reviews and change them to 4 stars because this set the tone for 5-star reviews from here on out! Definitely go to Dirt Candy, you are in for a treat! read more

Dirt Candy - Wow! Mindblown by the mushroom pâté - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

This was a much-anticipated meal on a recent trip to New York, but it turned out to be a massive disappointment. A few items were hits (off their July 2024 menu): the tomato cupcake and the zucchini spring roll. But several items were just incomprehensible, like the excess of bamboo shoots in the zucchini dish and the huge mound of labneh with the eggplant. Perhaps the problem with visiting in the peak of summer is that summer vegetables don't benefit from elaborate preparations. Their "corn" plate had me longing for a simple ear of buttered corn. Sometimes less really is more. read more

This place is great. Vegetarian or not, I'm confident that you will be impressed with their food. They changed to a pre-fixe menu which is kind of a bummer because there's some classics that I would highly recommend - the Tomato dish, which is this really tasty savory cake composed of different preparation of tomatoes (dehydrated, fresh and cooked) paired with feta. The balance of acidity and sweetness from the tomato and the creamy saltiness from the feta is so good... my mouth waters with this post. The other dish is Broccoli - which are these broccoli floret 'hotdogs' that have a deeply savory smokey taste sans the char thanks to whatever magic the chef is doing and it's topped with some flavorful aromatic mustard and kraut. The pre-fixe menu is still really good and they tout that some classics will be rotated into the mix so you might be lucky to still sample those two dishes! They have two options: The Vegetable Patch (5 courses - $58) and The Vegetable Garden (9 courses -$84). I tried out The Vegetable Garden in hopes that the additional courses gave me a higher chance of trying out the Broccoli or Tomato dish again, with no avail. What we did have didn't disappoint. My favorite out of all of them was the soup/pasta course where they served this miso sesame soup with spinach pasta topped with greens. I could eat a big bowl of that any day. Another highlight was rice fennel 'sausage', it had a great flavor profile and texture, again could eat this any day of the week. Dirt Candy also delivers on presentation, however, the most impressive dishes weren't the strongest dishes of the night. The most lackluster was the grilled sugar peas - they gave you a little coal fire grill and mini sauces and a mini bamboo steamer and you got to make your own... dumpling? I guess? I don't know. It was really cool looking but at the end of the day it was two sugar peas each and it wasn't particularly interesting to eat. OH! Let me tell you about the dessert. They did this eggplant fosters... now hear me out. If you're not a huge aubergine fan (I'm not), I get that this doesn't sound appealing, especially for dessert no less. But it has the right texture for it and eggplant has a pretty mild flavor so the sugar and brown butter and ice cream really help carry this to a dessert land. It was really good and innovative. I was impressed. There were a few other desserts for the 9 course version but they pale in comparison. Drinks are also supreme, most based on, you guessed it, dirt candy/root vegetables. I would totally give this place 5 stars but not being able to have a choice to pick my favorites takes one away. read more

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The Caviar and Potato Pie was one of the top ten dishes I've ever had. As I understand it, the caviar is bought from another company that specializes in making vegan caviar; nevertheless, it's usage in this dish is masterful. I've always hated kale noodles; however, Dirt Candy's preparation of their Hand Pulled Kale Noodles have flipped my assumptions about kale on their head. Both the chefs gifts were raw food; again, I've always approached raw food with deep suspicions based on my numerous negative experiences, but both were among the top 20 dishes I've ever tasted. The mushroom mousse was terrible. I imagine this is how Rachel's English trifle/shephards pie from Friends tasted like. However, you cannot hit home runs without taking some strikes. The Riblets were great but weren't unique. They came with squash noodles that would have been better as a separate dish. The service was warm and friendly, and our servers were knowledgeable about each dish. read more

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I have been to a lot of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in New York City, and Dirt Candy is by far one of the best. They offer two choices, a 5 course, and a 9 course, both of which can be made vegan. My partner and I, who were there to celebrate my birthday, both opted for the 9 course vegan option. The courses were innovative and we enjoyed most of them tremendously. The presentation was also masterful. The only thing that I'd say needs improvement is the the seats. We both found our seats narrow and uncomfortable. On the other hand, $99 for a 9 course meal (as of July 2019) of such high quality, is a steal in New York City, and to top that off, they don't accept extra tips! read more

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If you can cook the vegetables and let the flavour of that particular vegetable shine without depending much on the spices. You have cracked it. The 5 course meal is amazing. There is so much food going in there. And every dish had a unique taste to it. The management takes care of every little detail. I saw the manager change my plate for some reason that I didnt even realize. They accommodated our request to a better spot on availibity. We indeed had a perfect fine dine experience. I cant really compare the dishes but everything was perfect. And I can substitute chicken sliders or those carrot sliders!! read more

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Omg so good! I need to go back to this place again. They don't have a large amount of options to choose from, but the options they do have are quality. I will definitely be back to try out more of their menu. I just went for brunch and I was very pleased. I ordered their Korean Fried Broccoli, it was worth every cent. And I ordered their lentil waffles, which were good but I wouldn't get it again. You don't have to tip your servers btw, the restaurant pays them nicely. read more

Dirt Candy - Korean Fried Broccoli - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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I have to be honest, this place did not live up to my expectations. I came here for a birthday brunch, and was eager to visit what is often cited as one of the finest vegetarian establishments in NYC. I ordered the zucchini pancakes - perhaps I was biased in the negative direction by the fact that they came out sweet, when I was expecting something that straddled the line between savory and sugary, but I did not love them. I also had the chance to taste the green huevos - the dish was ok, although the tempura eggs did have very nice texture. Pastries were good, but not exceptional. I may give this place another shot for dinner, as the food was not bad and service was friendly and professional. Just not quite the vegetarian beacon I had thought I was visiting, based on brunch. read more

This is a hard review to write, because the restaurant is good. Just not great. There are always 1-2 dishes that miss the mark. For example I felt like the tomato cake was stodgy, and the corn needed a sweet element. Which is a bummer because there are always 1-2 standout dishes as well. The green beans were amazing and I loved the scallion bagel tower as well. Unfortunately the dessert has also been underwhelming --it tends to be visually attractive but very one-note and blandly sweet. On the plus side service is great and the mocktails are tasty. read more

Dirt Candy So, was I excited to dine at an exclusively vegetarian restaurant that cannot accommodate gluten free requests,????? no.... was I VERY pleasantly surprised, ABSOLUTELY! (My vegetarian dining companion was also extremely pleased with the entire experience.) It's not easy to get a reservation at this Michelin star hot spot, but it's well worth it. Located on Allen street in a sidewalk level industrial space, the food and service were truly noteworthy. The staff is warm and accommodating. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable, warmly attentive, and professional. The 5 course tasting menu was delicious (the "caviar" blinis, "chopped cheese sandwich" and zucchini course were scrumptious standouts). The vibe is cool and hip, yet approachable and unpretentious. Dirt Candy exceeded our expectations on both food and service. We highly recommend Dirt Candy for vegetarians and non-vegetarians as the food and service are worth the trip. (NOTE, they do NOT accommodate strictly gluten free patrons, accordingly, my only caveat to my recommendation is to avoid Dirt Candy if you are strictly gluten free). read more

I couldn't believe my tastebuds! All of the dishes in the tasting menu were so beautifully and thoughtfully crafted, it truly felt like a creative, delicious "vegetable centered restaurant" as opposed to just labeling it as "vegan food." I could go into so much detail describing all the taste experiences of the different dishes, but that would be a whole dissertation. All i have to say though is that they make you question everything you ever thought about vegetables and their flavor profiles. Corn can now be corn mousse, tomato can be tomato fruit leather and cake, zucchini can be a soup dumpling, and cucumber and dill pickle (meringue) can be a dessert. But don't be afraid-- your eyes will be opened by the culinary magic happening here. This is an amazing experience for any special occasion, and totally worth the price. Plus no tip required (written on the menu), only tax, as they pay their staff fairly without relying on tips. Amazing establishment that I hope becomes an NYC icon! read more

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Genius. The food here demonstrates how you can combine creativity and vegetarianism to achieve unparalleled excellence. I honestly don't have words to describe the food and the experience. Each course was superbly flavored with a mix of fresh ingredients, flavorful condiments (oh those fennel seeds were yum) and beautiful presentation. We had the five course meal and the lineup included broccoli hot dogs, brussel sprout tacos, carrot sliders, fennel salads, fried asian-style broccoli and more. Look at the pictures for the mouth watering presentation. The service is also brilliant. The menu states that the staff are fairly compensated and also get in with a share of the profits. Tips are discouraged. This is great to see. read more

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Who won't miss meat when you dine at Dirty Candy. The staff is warm and inviting and always pleasant. They are prideful about the food and very knowledgeable about the ingredients and preparation. Every staff member. That's special. Opted for the smaller tasting menu and it was plenty of food. Didn't care much for the wine pairing but you aren't here for the wine. Drink later. You're here to eat lovely vegetarian food. So lovely, meat is suddenly considered corny. Started off with a fried cauliflower that was so delicious, so crunch, so full of flavor. Celeriac with cornmeal was heavenly. Monkey bread was good. Other standouts -- mushroom pate that taste like Foie gras but better. Carrot sliders -- whaaaat!!!! YUM. Then came broccoli dogs that taste so much like a hot dog I kept checking to see if one was hidden. Brussels sprouts lettuce wraps were outrageous!!! Delicious. Desserts -- goat ice cream with a sweet, crunchy biscuit and the best rice pudding. Looking forward to going back! read more

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