SERVICE - located very close to Washington square park and NYU campus area - plenty of indoor seating at bar or dining area with tables for groups of 2-4 people - servers are friendly and helpful with clarifying allergens in orders - juices and smoothies made fresh - need to order at counter and then find a table - food takes a few minutes to be served but not an excessively long wait - outdoor tables available for small groups - popular work spot MENU - cafe style menu with bowls, sandwiches, and pastries - vegetarian and vegan options available - completely gluten free - average price FOOD - not your every day nachos (6/10): chips loaded with housemade cheese sauce, refried black beans, pico de gallo, jalapeños, guacamole, and cashew sour cream. This was on the appetizers section of the menu but the portion was quite generous. I had it as an entree and barely finished. I liked how everything was made in house, especially the cheese and sour cream. It felt creamy yet light. My main issue was that the toppings really only covered the top layer of chips. There was almost half of the plate of just plain chips. I also would have liked more black beans and perhaps some seasoning in the beans. - pumpkin bread (8/10): vegan and gluten free pumpkin bread. I asked the servers to warm this up. It was such a nice afternoon snack. It was not overly sweet so you could taste the pumpkin spices. For being gluten free, it was quite soft and crumbly. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes but for the pastries and drinks rather than the meals read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Not your everyday nachos - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Great options and portion sizes! My favorite is the Tuna Chickpea Pita. Only sad part is they've changed their smoothie menu and no longer have my favorite (the Tropical Greens) - much missed!!! read more

I like running into Spring Street Aspen for coffee and pastries . Coffee is usually good. My favorite pastries are the banana walnut bread and pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Love the energy balls. It seems like lines do get long. Ambiance is very nice. read more

This may our new favorite restaurant in the NYC!! In a city that is increasingly vegan-friendly but that won't stop assaulting us with deep-fried mushrooms and buffalo cauliflower, Spring Cafe Aspen sets themselves apart by serving up vegetable-forward dishes that are healthy, delicious, and generously portioned. First, the health-conscious aspect. We came across them on a (very short) list of seed oil-free restaurants. Their website says they are free of "inflammatory oils." Very little of their food is fried or highly processed. They use whole/sprouted grains in their wraps/bread, as well as having gluten-free options. It's next to impossible to find restaurants in NYC or anywhere that accommodate a whole foods/plant-based diet, and even harder to find staff knowledgeable about the ingredients of their food. At Spring Cafe Aspen, the staff actually knows the ingredients of each dish and are very accommodating of questions and preferences, such as my wish to avoid coconut oil. If they don't know the answer to a question, they have access to the ingredient lists for everything. Next, the flavor of the food. Despite being low in oil and free of overly processed ingredients, their food is delicious! Our favorite item so far has been the cauliflower risotto (warm, comforting, creamy and rich; packed with vegetables and flavor). Our other favorite is the lentil meatballs and spaghetti (incredible meatballs, excellent sauce full of basil, and pasta you would have no idea is made with brown rice). We also enjoyed the superhero tofu burrito and the blueberry pancakes. The menu is full of great tidbits such as the epic cashew mac and cheese and the tempeh that is raw and locally sourced (Barry's). The portions - while other vegan/vegetarian restaurants in New York are serving up portions that get smaller every year, Spring Cafe Aspen actually provides generous portions that will nourish you without going overboard. (You won't go home hungry after eating the cauliflower risotto!) It's also worth mentioning that the vibe of Spring Cafe Aspen is a little different from the typical hippie or hipster flair of many other vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the city. The vibe hovers somewhere between hot yoga studio and business school seminar. Also slightly confusing is the setup - they have all the makings of a sit-down restaurant right down to cloth napkins, but they do not truly have table service. You wait in line to order and then bring a number to your table. Makes it harder to enjoy a cup of coffee or spontaneous turmeric latte after lunch, but definitely not a dealbreaker. Lastly, we initially wondered why they didn't take the plunge and turn fully vegan, but when we saw the gusto with which workout couples were demolishing egg white omelettes, we understood. Overall not a real issue for us since they make the food with such care that we aren't really worried about any stray goat cheese getting into our food by mistake. And the attention to detail in their homemade condiments like vegan sour cream and even homemade nut milk rivals that of any vegan restaurant. In conclusion, this is an epic brunch spot whipping up healthy food that manages to be both comforting and innovative; they have already become one of our regular spots. read more

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Spring Cafe Aspen is a cute spot with lots of seating both indoors and out doors. There are lots of menu items, including both food and drinks. I got a green juice which was tasty though on the pricey side ($12). There is a lot of seating indoors and outdoors (for when the weather is nice). There is also a restroom located inside the cafe. read more

What a cute healthy and super crowded cafe that is all gluten free and vegan!! I love the soup du hour which is a butternut squash purée along with tofu stir fry and green juice read more

Spring cafe aspen is a breakfast/lunch/dinner spot with a majority of the menu being menu is vegan & gluten-free. Outside of food, they have smoothies, fresh-pressed juice, an espresso bar, and some beer & wine. The dirty chai is great and felt VERY caffeinated, I also love that the default here is nut milk. The juices are also super fresh, you can see them made at the counter right in front of you. The space is versatile as there's people there for just dining and also some people set-up to study/get work done during the day. I enjoyed the superhero burrito with tofu, the wrap itself could be slightly more seasoned but the salsa that came with it definitely made up in flavor. The cashew-based sour cream that also came with it was really watery and difficult to eat with the burrito. My friend got the huevos rancheros which was similarly a sizable portion. I've previously tried one of the grain bowls with tofu, and again the bowl itself wasn't very flavorful but the sauces made up for it. I really like both the peanut and tahini sauce! I was really apprehensive of the fact that all the baked goods were gluten-free but the chocolate chip cookie was soft and delicious. The pumpkin chocolate chip bread was a bit more noticeably gluten-free due to its crumbly texture, but the flavor was great in this one as well. As expected, you pay a pretty penny for the clean & healthy aesthetic, but nothing absurd for New York standards. read more

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I got a very fresh tofu breakfast burrito; it was well assembled, contained really fresh ingredients, and was well balanced between veggie and protein. The insides were quite spare, with some cute and/or fascinating artwork. The only drawback was that it was pricier than one might anticipate for the dish, but alas, welcome to 2025. read more

I will be vulnerable with you, my dear reader. There are 2 versions of me: Version 1: I can't for the life of me find a good coffee shop to work out of in NYC. Sometimes I just NEED to get out of my shoebox apartment and work somewhere else as the dark thoughts begin to encroach. I will step out and go to local coffee shops, but none seem to have wifi. How do you not have wifi in 2024?! ... And the ones that do have wifi are so packed I either can't get a seat, or I do get a seat and am literally rubbing shoulders with two strangers, as they pack as many seats as they can in there. Version 2: I love to get out of the house to go grab a coffee with a friend, sit and write or read a book, or just enjoy my me time and some good coffee. I will walk into my local coffee shop and get SO annoyed that someone has set up a full battle station working from their personal hotspot, taking up 4 seats in an already tiny coffee shop. They have 2 screens, mouse & mouse pad, headset, etc. They think they are like Brad Pitt in the Big Short when he makes that big trade from his laptop in the bar lol... Like dawg they don't have wifi in here for a reason, take the hint. Enter Spring Cafe Aspen. The perfect balance of my contradictory moods. It scratches the itches of both my personalities, Johnny & Patricia. They should rename this place Goldilocks Cafe Aspen ahahaha. When I need to get some work done, this is the only place I go to. There is an abundance of space & seating, beautiful white faux marble tables, great wifi, good coffee, big windows to allow light to flood in, a full food menu, bathrooms, etc. I'm LOCKED in when I'm in here. I've also been in here when I'm with friends after walking through Washington Sq Park to just grab a coffee or some drinks. I've never seen it packed to where I can't get a seat, and it is CLEAN. Spotless damn near. I always feel at peace in here. They nailed the feng shui. As I'm writing this I'm like damn maybe I should gatekeep this spot... but honestly who do I think I am lol this place not going to blow up over a yelp review ahahahaa. Can you get better coffee? Yeah. Can you get better food? Dumb question c'mon lol you're better than that. Yes, it's NYC. Can you find a better place to focus and work? NOPE! IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__ read more

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I came in Friday afternoon and grabbed the Blue Beauty smoothie. It was a nice interior with plenty of space and light. The smoothie tasted mostly of almond butter and wasn't sweet at all but I enjoyed it! I came back and got the pretty in pink and I liked it better! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Blue beauty smoothie - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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I've never been to a cafe and was refused to make me a flat white... and their cold brew tastes like iced drip coffee... I don't know if it's a management decision or just staff decisions. It seems like they source their coffees from coffee project but it doesn't live up to it here. The location and place is great but they need to work on their quality. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Food has improved a great deal but the service is always great as usual. I go there mainly for their pastries and coffee service sometimes I will get there food but almost always the specials. read more

I can't wait to go back. The menu is so healthy & I love nutritious food. I had a beetroot latte and zucchini bread (total perfection) read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Beer - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Ordered the harvest salad and they forgot TWO ingredients. They took my bowl, and all they had to do was add the radishes and almonds yet they somehow took forever to do that. Then, when they remade it, they forgot two ingredients AGAIN: dates and almonds. And the worker was passive aggressive read more

spacious, bright, and calming place to get work done and have a good drink/meal. worker who helped me order and made my drink was so patient and kind as it was my first time here. their menu has a wide range of items! i was able to sit down, drink my latte, and use their wifi. I think this place is geared toward being more of a sit down and have a waiter attend to you, as there were no napkins or straws just out to grab. I have the blackbird breakfast club pass, and I'm glad this restaurant allows me to get any drink, aside from smoothies, for free every day. I had the dirty chai latte, but I think I'd get just a regular latte the next time around. the dirty chai was spiced a little too much, and I couldn't get past that taste. hoping they add more syrup flavors, as they only have agave right now. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Awful experience Spring Cafe Aspen is, hands down, one of the most frustrating restaurant experiences I've had. I went in with a friend on our lunch break expecting a normal lunch -- what we got was 40 minutes of confusion, disorganization, and complete disregard for our time. They got my friend's order wrong not once, but twice. When we tried to address it, instead of fixing the issue, they kept printing receipts showing us the wrong orders like that was somehow helpful. It was like a scene from a hidden camera show where the joke was seeing how long we'd tolerate their chaos. When I finally told them we needed to leave, they suddenly "couldn't find the order" to refund my friend. Really? After 40 minutes and multiple wrong attempts? I ended up leaving my untouched $25 lunch, cold and sitting on the table, just so we could grab something from somewhere else before heading back to work. I'd ordered something with gluten, so he couldn't just share mine, and I was waiting to eat until his arrived. At this point I didn't even want to ask them for a takeout container. How long could THAT have taken? :::eye roll::: We were both late getting back from our break because of this disaster of a place. And it didn't end there. I called the next day to give them a chance to make things right, the call disconnected. I emailed them, no response. I was polite the entire time, and they didn't even bother to acknowledge this cruddy situation. Total lack of accountability or care. The NYU area has plenty of better spots. Save yourself time and frustration--skip this place. read more

Visited Spring Cafe Aspen for lunch and was really disappointed. The ambiance is what initially peaked my interest and I will say that the outdoor seating is nice. The service and food, however, were beyond mediocre. We tried the falafel wraps and while they were well portion sized, they were bland, dry and crumbled apart immediately when we picked them up. Ended up taking home leftovers not because they were too big to finish but because they weren't enjoyable enough to finish on the spot. On top of all of that, they were incredibly overpriced and took 30 minutes to come out. It's easy for me to say with confidence that this place simply doesn't live up to the standards that a "healthy" lunch spot should. I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon unfortunately. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Falafel Wraps - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Lots of healthy options! Good place for a quick meal. Usually super busy so not the easiest to get a table. They messed up my first burrito but would go back to try again. Food was decent read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Breakfast wrap and Falafel Wrap - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Spring Cafe Aspen is a great breakfast stop. They have good coffee. They have wonderful local artists work displayed on the walls and they are open at 8 am. Good place for relaxing or having a quick business meeting. Near NYU read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Spring Aspen Cafe. - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Nothing special but not bad. First off, took about 30 minutes for our food to come, which was quite slow for an order at the counter spot. The falafel wrap was massive and my fav item. The salad it came with was meh. Tried my friends huevos rancheros and it was so bland - glad I didn't order it lol Very loud inside on a Sunday read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Falafel Wrap and Huevos Rancheros - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

The name cafe is in the title.. and yet the coffee is terrible. I mean they don't even have sugar. No sugar packets! I got a macchiato that tasted very burnt and was looking for a brown sugar packet. To my surprise they don't give any and they only offer stevia or liquid agave sweetner. My friend got a cappuccino that was grainy? I'm not sure what was going on there but it tasted weird and pretty unenjoyable. We both ended up tossing our drinks. They are pricey too! On a side note I've come here before and gotten a smoothie. Honestly it was pretty bland and expensive. Not worth it. read more

I stopped by on a cold day for some coffee with a friend. I loved the location of this coffee shop right next to Washington square park! The best part about this is that there is a ton of seating! They have both indoor and outdoor seating! The outdoor heating is heated and very comfortable! The coffee is good! They also have a lot of food options and I noticed that many people buy meals here, so I'd come back to try that! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Menu - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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This place was exactly what I was craving on a Sunday morning! It has a menu geared toward healthy ingredients, but all the food was so tasty and the portion sizes are large! We didn't order a salad, but those bowls are huge! My friend and I shared the Fall Spice Pancakes and the Falafel wrap: Pancakes - I love anything with apple and fall spices and this definitely hit the spot! I wouldn't have know that they are vegan and gluten free, and the portion size is so filling! Great amount of food for what you pay for:) Also, the syrup is a great addition, we even asked for more(but who knows, maybe that ruined the healthy aspect of it haha) Falafel wrap - I loved the pancakes but this was definitely my favorite. The filling in the wrap was so flavorful, and the hummus dip it came with was a perfect, more creamy addition to the leafy wrap. Also, it even came with a generous side salad. Needless to say, we were very full after these two dishes! Looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of their menu: ) read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Fall Spice Vegan & Gluten Free Pancakes - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Just don't order delivery. The food is great if you dine in. I've tried delivery on more than one occasion. Both times the food was cold and super late and inedible. The most recent time I tried reaching out to the restaurant and to the delivery platforms they use - toast and relay. The restaurant has been completely unresponsive. Relay blames the restaurant, toast blames relay. read more

HORRIBLE The matcha had so much chunks and was tasteless. Cold cookies. Banana bread tastes nasty and was cold. The service was acceptable. Indoor was pleasant. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - acai smoothie - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

The food is great, and uses top quality ingredients- which is almost impossible to find around nyc. Organic and seed oil free, I always feel good after eating here. read more

AMAZING place to come for a quiet environment & great chai latte! Good for students, if you're working remote or just want a calm space! Staff are also very nice & helpful! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Seated Area - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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This was a really good breakfast place and we really enjoyed it. We were looking for something lighter and refreshing and were excited to try it some of the vegetarian options. The food was good and very filling. It's had a kind of fast casual vibe but the dining area was bright and well lit. When we were there it was off of the busy hours and so there were only a few people. The service was nice, we just ordered at the cover and they brought it out to us. read more

Would eat the greek salad here everyday if I could! Big salad in a big bowl, and so refreshing! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Great fresh food with incredible flavors. My highland bowl was huge, I could have shared it. The veggies were perfectly steamed the brown rice cooked precisely, the tofu had good flavor and the peanut sauce was out of this world. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Inside - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is great, especially for GF/DF options. Staff is sullen and disengaged. Handed me a latex glove to bag my own pastries instead of simply bagging it for me lol. Ambience is stressful - note that it's counter service, and there's barely any seating available on weekends. The other patrons were not mindful of this - there were people overstaying their welcome with a laptop and only a glass of water, and small parties unnecessarily taking up multiple tables instead of making room for folks expecting full meals and plates to be served soon. This isn't managed by the staff at all. Crowded, very loud and a bit chaotic. Cafeteria vibe. Next time I'll be using counter service to order food to go - I think that's the better way to go about it here! read more

Really good vibes in this place, but the food and coffee left something to be desired. For the high prices I would have liked my burrito to be a little more intact and less weakness in the tortilla. Too many places in NYC to justify coming back! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - Chai - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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The first time I came here I loved the food. I thought the portions were great and there was so much flavor. The second time, the eggs were overcooked, wrap was soggy, the english muffin was mushy, the potatoes were huge not in bite size pieces, and the food lacked salt. Other things I ordered: Cookie which was actually too salty. 2) Pancakes: not good 3) avocado toast was fine but you can't really mess that up.I was surprised because it was a sunday and usually they're known for brunch. $127 breakfast and nothing got eaten. There were only 2 staff members total and the place was a mess. I hope they can get it together because I did like it initially. read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - not so great soggy - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

I found this place while visiting my friend lives nearby. We decided go there for brunch on a Saturday noon. No a long waiting which is great. We got the highland bowl and falafel wrap. It's pretty healthy cause a lot of greens. But do I like it? Not really. The sauce is not that tasty to a moment I think I should mix it with other sauce to make it tastier. One thing good about this spot is their interior design. I did feel relaxed but that's all. Hope they can make the food a little bit more tastier. read more

The most CLUELESS, inefficient, and rude service EVER. If I could give 0 stars I would. Ordered in a 20 minute line because only 1 person was actually working while the other workers sat around talking. Finally when our food came out, the waiter silently held up all of dishes... We then realized he wanted us to grab to our dishes ourselves from his hands. The food arrived UNCOOKED and cold. When I asked for my dish to be heated up, the men working laughed and kept feeling the plate and standing around and looking at each other. I asked if the dish should be cold or hot? And they said hot. So after standing around for 2 minutes laughing and touching the plate they finally sent it back to be heated up. I WAS SHOCKED at the response. read more

Always a great spot for good vegetarian options. Cute atmosphere and good service. I haven't had something I didn't like! This is one of my regular spots when I'm in the area. read more

I can't give this place enough stars!! The food. The service. The ambience. I wanted to specifically highlight one of the team members, Ronaldo, who went above and beyond to make sure our experience was incredible. I have never ever ran to write a review quicker because of HIM. I also LOVE that everything is organic and super vegan-friendly. Food 10/10 Service 12/10 Will be back a ton!!!! read more

Spring Cafe Aspen - French Toast - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

I've gone here a few times and the service gets worse and worse. I waited 20 minutes for a latte today and when asked about it, the worker shrugged. He asked his coworker about it, and she shrugged. Then carried on with their business. That was all I got. Eventually I got my latte and it was just awful. It was the rose latte specifically. I was eating more petals than I was drinking coffee, and it had no rose flavor. My friend and I ended up leaving early. P.S my friend asked for a fork and waited 10 minutes for it at the bar. read more

Love this place. Environment is full of natural light and service is always amazing. Have been back every time I'm in NYC great food all around. Try something new every time and it never disappoints read more

Spring Cafe Aspen recently opened two blocks from us, so we had to check it out. The place looks nice - brightly lit, beautiful interior design, and the artwork... well, it actually looks like art. The restaurant prides itself on a super healthy philosophy, with all food being organic, vegetarian, and locally sourced. On their website, they even comment on the type of water filter they use and on the fact that their counters do not contain formaldehyde. Doesn't get more die-hard than that. Their menu is cosmopolitan - from grits and avocado toast to shakshuka, enchiladas, and ramen. They close at 7 pm but they definitely have enough dinner items (and enough customers right before closing time!) to justify full dinner service - maybe in the future? We got the black bean soup, the huevos rancheros, and the "vegan walks up to a street cart". I had to wait a bit long for the pick-up order to be ready, but the staff checked on me and after a while, offered me a slice of chocolate mousse pie - for that, I would have gladly waited another half hour! (but in fact, the food came a minute later) We liked the tastes, with the tofu sour cream that came with the huevos rancheros and the chocolate mousse standing out. The prices are very reasonable given their prime location, the pandemic, and mostly that all their ingredients are organic - which is incredibly rare/brave even in a place like NYC. Very minor minuses: - The "street cart" portion was a bit small. - The take-out bag was enormous and only ~25% filled - maybe save some trees by using smaller bags? But overall, this was a great first experience and we will definitely be back! read more

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