Morlene C.

18 years ago, one too many gamey bites of subpar meat drove me to swear off red meat entirely. I've since developed a deep appreciation for the rare chef who can coax the same dynamic, umami-rich complexity from plants that most cooks only achieve with animal flesh. The brilliant minds behind City Roots Hospitality have figured it out at Le Basque, their French vegan concept, and they deserve their flowers. I think this review deserves a proper breakdown of each dish I ordered. Faux Gras: This wasn't quite a foie gras dupe, but it didnt need to be. The saffron infused butter helped the lentil base be more spreadable, and the bread slices were gently to the right point of crunch. The apple slices also paired nicely with them, making this dish a strong opener. Salmon Rillettes: I'm looking at the ingredients list now (Crème fraîche, dijon mustard, truffle caviar, quail egg, capers, toasted demi baguette) and it's unclear to me what the "salmon" was actually made of, but I really felt like they replicated diced raw, salmon quite well. I just had expensive caviar (the real stuff) the night before, and honestly, this was quite close. The quail egg that drips yolk onto the salmon when you cut into it was quite impressive. This is an excellent dish. Heirloom Tomato Salad: A clean, bright intermission between richer courses, with cuts of tomato that were so juicy and so sweet with each bite. I'm also realizing now that I felt like I was eating real feta in the moment, and could not tell it apart. Their cheese game is impressive. Mushroom Paella: I love mushrooms, so I was more than happy to dig into this dish, that had king oyster, chanterelle, and wood ear mushrooms. The tomatoes and wine had been cooked down in the rice, giving each bite nice savory flavor. Tarte au Citron: This delicate dessert tasted impressively buttery, and the wildflower honey custard had just the right amount of sweetness to go with the brown butter tartlet. Our glasses were never empty and the servers were careful with pacing and didn't hover. The space is small and looks grander in photos, but quite nice for a date. I could easily hear my date over the din of the music and chatter around me. Tables were nicely spaced apart, which is a rarity in this city where restaurateurs try to utilize every inch of floor space. Go!

Emily G.

This is an all-vegan restaurant! I was curious how they can feature Spanish and French cuisine (this restaurant features dishes inspired by Basque country) like cheese, but Le Basque did it very well. My party really liked the cheese board - multiple "cheese" and spreads that are all vegan! There were many other dishes we tried as a large group and many were hits. I loved the small plates (pintxos) the best, including the wild mushroom & truffle croquettes, romesco grilled chicken, and calamares fritos. I love City Roots' restaurants' desserts. They are always worth it! The entremet aux noisettes is A+! The service was a bit slow that night. It looked like someone was training under our server, but because it seemed they needeed debriefed after each interaction, they left in the middle of taking our orders for cocktails, so we had to flag several servers down for that. The staff was great in offering recommendations for our large party of 9. Since everything looked good to us, we gave them the ok to choose what they wanted to order for us.

Vishnu G.

Interesting dishes that seem to be pretty realistic imitations of meat dishes. My partner and I tried the truffle shrimp ravioli and grilled chicken paella. The chicken was my favorite, with pleasantly chewy skewers on top of a slightly spicy and aromatic rice dish. The ravioli was my partner's favorite due to its realistic seafood flavor. The shrimpiness actually was a bit too strong for me as a lifelong vegetarian, but that's the dish doing its job, so no points off from me there! It's a bit pricey at around $76 after tax and tip, but worth it if you're looking for realistic meat imitations.

Jenn S.

I'm an omnivore with a strong lean towards being a carnivore vs. herbivore, hands down. So when I was asked to go and check out this vegan spot, I was skeptical that it would fill me up so was already looking forward to eating a big steak afterwards... I just never got to do that this night as I was full to the gills after this epic meal. Ambience is a very romantic, warm and inviting 1950's modern art deco design where the level of detail and attention to the decor, the cutlery and tableware were thoughtful and carefully crafted in the most beautifully tasteful was possible. When I try a place for the first time, and depending on the cuisine, my tried and true go to way of ordering is to order one of each small plate/appetizer course offered on the menu because I believe these are the dishes that a chef can really pour their creativity into vs. a main course dish. I was not sure what to expect from the menu here as it's all vegan and even though the name of certain dishes sounded like they were non vegan offerings. But I really loved how each dish was made to stand on it's own both in taste and plating. Not one dish was too over seasoned nor under seasoned as well. Onto the food! For our four top this night, one vegetarian and 3 omnivores, ordered the cheese board, all nine offerings under their Pintxos section, all of their side dishes, the Faux Gras from their starters, and all of their dessert options. Unanimously loved by all at the table: The cheese board: all of their cheese offerings on the board were so good that it made us forget we were at a pure vegan restaurant. The Steak Tartare: two of us at our table knew what real steak tartare tastes like, what the flavor, texture and mouth feel should be so was completely floored how chef was able to bring all the elements of a traditional tartare into this vegan version. I would come back here and order multiples of just this dish because it was that phenomenal. Wild mushroom & truffle croquette: one of my guests is not a truffle fan and yet they ended up having 2 servings of this. Beautifully fried crispy exterior bite size balls that were really soft and creamy on the inside and just kissed with a touch of truffle. Stuffed Piquillo Peppers: small but mighty is the way I can describe this dish. The goat cheese inside the lightly charred pepper complimented it really well and didn't over power the overall dish. Tomatoes & Toast: this classic tapas dish was always a hit or miss for me because it can be quite boring and bland or way over seasoned. This one was presented with thin crispy wafer like baguette pieces with the tomato pulp in a separate bowls. Perfectly seasoned and we liked that we could control how much or how little we wanted on the crispy baguette. Truffle Beef: bright bold flavors and the black garlic lemon sauce has a great mouthfeel and balanced this dish out nicely. Loved how the quail eggs really mimicked the texture of the egg white part of a real quail egg. Potatoes Bravas: their version is a deep fried ball that reminded me of a arincini, very comforting and addictive. Truffle Caviar Montadito: beautiful presentation. Surprisingly light and we all got a kick out of the seaweed caviar. Faux Gras: Again, two of us at our table knew what foie gras tastes like and only thing missing from this is the slight gamey flavor of an actual faux gras but this one had both the mouth feel and texture down to a T! Cannot wait to return to try more of their menu!

Alan S.

I once complained to a friend after a particularly disappointing meal at Ernesto's that Basque cuisine might be the least vegetarian friendly in the world. Someone upstairs must have heard my prayers, because it wasn't long after that Le Basque ambitiously took on the challenge of transforming this meat and seafood dominated cuisine. I give an A for effort, but the results were mixed. I enjoyed the wood ear escargot because who doesn't love garlic butter, and similar to the steak at sister restaurant Anixi, the lion mane-based protein works phenomenally, although the chimichurri sauce was less successful. I also enjoyed the bites of duck confit in the frisee salad. As far as pintxos, I wanted to get behind the stuffed peppers, but the vegan goat cheese had a bit of an aftertaste that I couldn't overlook. The steak tartare was also generally unmemorable. My biggest issue is the environs. It really feels like a hotel restaurant because it is, in fact, a hotel restaurant. The ambiance at Anixi is quite magical, and that just wasn't quite recreated here.

Jennifer N.

My boyfriend and I were lucky to have been seated upstairs cause its very nice up there with the glass ceilings and art deco vibes. This was definitely one of the best vegan restaurants I've tried and my litmus for that is when I eat something and no one told me, would I know it was vegan? And if the answer is no, then there we have it. For cocktails, we really liked the sangria. It hs a hint of chocolate which is unique. Everything was tasty but my favorites were the croquettes, paella and I unfortunately forget the dessert name but tasted like key lime pie.

Pree R.

Lea Basque is a fully vegan restaurant inspired by French and Basque regional cuisine. I discovered it after dining at Coletta (a vegan Italian spot) a few months ago and learning about the restaurant collective that owns Coletta and a bunch of plant-based restaurants offering global cuisines all around NYC. Since then, I've made it my mission to try one every time I'm in NYC -- and La Basque definitely caught my eye! French cuisine is typically very meat-heavy, so the idea of an entirely vegan take was exciting and unique. I arrived around 4 PM -- an off-peak hour -- and had no problem getting a table for one. I was seated upstairs in a cozy booth, which was a nice touch. I skipped appetizers to save room for the main dishes and started with the vegan salmon Pintxos (skewers). These came with paprika-crusted salmon, sunchoke, dehydrated black garlic powder, and both balsamic and herb sauces. The skewers were beautifully plated over a creamy balsamic drizzle. The "salmon" was tender, chewy, and full of flavor. For my entrée, I ordered the "Port Beef Bourguignon," a vegan take on the classic French beef stew. It featured plant-based beef (I believe from Chunk Foods), a rich port wine sauce, heirloom carrots, pearl onions, crimini mushrooms, and Yukon gold potatoes. The dish was elegantly presented on a rounded rectangular plate, with the protein on one side and roasted vegetables on the other. Everything was well-seasoned, hearty, and filling -- high in plant protein and incredibly satisfying. I didn't order dessert (wanted to save room for gelato later), but I did have a bottle of sparkling water. The service was fast, the ambiance warm and welcoming, and the presentation and flavors were top-notch. I love that this restaurant -- and the whole restaurant group -- is making gourmet, cruelty-free dining so accessible and enjoyable. It's empowering to eat amazing food without compromising on ethics or experience. I'll definitely be back and continue supporting their mission!

Jeannie W.

Amazing first meal to kick off my restaurant week. My friend and I went for the $30 brunch menu and it was worth every dollar. Smoked salmon caviar toast (8/10) Amazing flavors very strong dill sauce (i love) -1 point for a kind of hard to cut crust and -1 for "salmon" that was a lil too jelly like (it's my own fear of raw fish texture) Wild mushroom and allium quiche (9/10) Flavors were spot on; idk what the sauce they gave me on the side was but it definitely elevated the salad AND the quiche. -1 for the quiche, even tho i dont know much abt quiches, it was super crumbly and hard to pick up + the crust would often separate from the filling. Salad by itself was strong on the vinaigrette BUT the sauce countered and made it yummier My friend got: pressed balsamic croissant + savory farmers crepe + la vie en rose (mocktail) Pressed balsamic croissant and la vie en rose (8/10) Both on the sweeter side but like the croissant more than the crepes Savory farmers crepe (7.5/10) Came with a sour salad (tomato) but she doesnt like salad in general but she understands why it was there...7.5 purely vibes The interior is super cute and cozy, especially on the winter storm sunday. Service was amazing--prompt but not overwhelming like some other places where the servers come back frequently. Overall, it was an amazing brunch experience and im curious how my other reservations will compare to this!

Rose I.

This restaurant is part of the City Roots Hospitality group which includes a bunch of fantastic vegan establishments. I'm quite familiar with the other restaurants which are go-to's for myself, friends and family looking for vegan dishes. For some reason, this restaurant, the newest of the group, fell short for me. While grateful for the upscale ambiance and French- and Spanish-inspired menu, my impression of some of the dishes reminded of my experience from two decades ago when vegan dishes tasted too much like the earth. The best dish for me here was the cheese board, diverse in flavors and texture, and very tasty. The faux gras was also really good. As for the other dishes, it was difficult to detect the French or Spanish influence. My friends did enjoy the Mojo Flank Steak, made with Chunk Foods vegan meat. For the pintxos, we tried the mint grilled lamb, allium, and truffle beef. The lamb was very stringy, and the allium really is a bunch of onions. The truffle beef was topped with an impressive vegan egg. It is pretty obvious each pintxo was unique and dressed with different sauces. Each pintxo was presentable and sounded interesting, but tasted less so. While I appreciate the availability and effort of these dishes, I was not a fan of the execution of the pintxos. In addition to the cheeses, the Entremet aux Noisettes (hazelnut chocolate cake) was my second favorite bite. In regards to the service, our waitress was professional when it came to taking our order and letting us know the name of the dish if she was nearby. Her demeanor was quite robotic, seemed purely transactional. Also it was really odd to have had a dish placed on our table which didn't look like one of the dishes we had ordered. It took a couple of minutes before our waitress appeared and we got her attention to clarify the name of the dish. She did realize we were brought an incorrect dish and did remove it from the table. But then she proceeded to place that dish at another table (probably the correct patrons who ordered it). The couple could see the dish had come from our table and then rejected it, rightfully so. We were asked if all was okay by a man who appeared to be the manager. Even though the pintxos were less impressive than expected, the cheese board, faux gras, and hazelnut chocolate cake were great; and the chunk foods steak, for me, was not bad. I have faith in the menu and would like to still return and try out the other dishes and also the brunch menu. The service provided by the food runners and bussers was on-point and attentive; they were very friendly and helpful.

Anumeha T.

We came here for our anniversary dinner and what an amazing job Chef Guy Vaknin has done with this place - food, drinks, ambiance, service - everything is great! The vibe is modern, dark and swanky! Perfect spot to celebrate your special occasion, that too at an all VEGAN restaurant. We loved all other city root hospitality's vegan restaurants and was looking forward to try this newest place under their umbrella. I went ahead with white wine based tropical sangria and devoured it throughout my dinner. Husband's bare it all cocktail which is mezcal based had an amazing kick too! We started off with pinxtos which are kind of tapas small plate items. We opted for both soy based pinxtos. I loved the chorizo especially appreciated the crunchy salad and sauce it came with. The Mint lamb was also delish, but I would have liked a dash of lemon on it. In the main course we went with Chicken paella and blue oyster mushroom steak. Best was chicken paella - the soy based chicken was so nicely spiced and smoky charred. Even during our Spain visit, we didn't had such a good paella :) And great creativity with the oyster mushroom steak - my husband couldn't believe it was mushroom, hahaha! I loved the sauce as well which came with this dish and asparagus on the sides were perfectly cooked! The service was quick and they were very attentive of our needs. Lot of people were ordering the chocolate based dessert which looked tempting but we were too full. Probably next time!

Jennifer S.

Le Basque is a top notch vegan restaurant with an elegant decor and elevated menu. We came here to celebrate my husbands birthday and it served its purpose and then some! When we first walked in we were greeted by name by the manager - a very nice touch to the evening. Our table was located on the second level of the restaurant which proved to be much quieter. The tables were well spaced so you did not seem too close to other diners. Our servers were attentive and very friendly. Food and drinks came out quickly and everything was tremendous! We started with the calamari and mushroom croquettes. Both were delicious. The calamari had a chewy texture and were lightly fried. It came with an aioli and a parsley dipping sauce - both were great accompaniments. The croquettes were like soft pillows of robust mushroom flavor. My husband had the mushroom paella for his main and I had the salmon with quinoa. The salmon was so flaky and delicious. The quinoa was a bit plain but when I added some of the sauce for the salmon it punched up the taste a bit. Our dessert was an apple cake and it proved to be soft and delicate - a perfect ending to our most lovely evening.

George C.

One of the best vegan restaurants! The food was divine, very flavorful and balanced. The butternut squash soup with soy bits and spicy oil was the star it was so delicious! They have French and Spanish classic dishes made vegan. Upscale place but ambience was laid back, servers were very attentive and wait time for food was minimal would def recommend.

Alex H.

Le Basque in Unión Square is a vegan French and Spanish restaurant inspired by the vibrant flavors of the Basque region that straddles both countries. We began with the crispy patatas bravas croquettes, the chorizo and romesco grilled chicken. The patatas bravas was one of my favorite bites of the meal and the chorizo and chicken were so convincingly meat-like I had a moment where I was questioning whether we were in fact at a vegan restaurant. For our mid course we had a juicy Heirloom tomato salad and the salmon rilletes. The salmon rilletes included caviar, creme fraiche and gorgeous layered potatoes. It was essentially an insanely accurate vegan caviar service. For entrees we went with the grilled chicken paella and port beef bourguignon. The paella was nicely fragrant and featured the same chicken as the appetizer while the beef bourguignon was so realistic it caused us a bit of cognitive dissonance. Dessert was perhaps the best part. We enjoyed the Cider Goxua which featured Apple compote, almond cake, and a gorgeous brûléed wildflower honey custard on top. It came with a taster of Sagardoa cider making this an exceptionally nice fall treat. Le Basque leans in the transformation of plant based ingredients into dishes that delivers nearly perfectly the experience of eating their non vegan counterparts. The flavors are deep and the textures are perfectly preserved. This makes for an elegant dinner venue for both vegans and non-vegans alike