I recently enjoyed a date night at Willow. While an omnivore, I enjoy the culinary sensations of vegan food - and Willow did not disappoint. The dining room is spacious and with a nice ambience between the lighting and artwork of willow trees. For dinner - I had the whiskey BBQ brisket and fries. The texture and taste of the "meat" was fantastic. Most meat eaters wouldn't even realize that they are eating plant-based brisket - it was that good! Our server "Teddy" was attentive, informative, friendly - and with a clever sense of humor. The price paid was commensurate for the quality of food and service received. Vegans, omnivores, and explorers alike - should try Willow Vegan Bistro! read more

SERVICE - located in Chelsea - spacious interior with tables for groups of 2-4 people - reservations are not required though could be helpful if you do not want to risk waiting - great service! our waiter provided us with comprehensive descriptions of the dishes and drinks - food served relatively quickly - ambiance good for a semi formal meal MENU - french American bistro food - all vegan/vegetarian - slightly pricey FOOD - French dip (7/10): vegan grilled steak with provolone cheese, goat cheese, caramelized onion, and horseradish aioli on a toasted baguette served with a side of au jus dip and fries. This sandwich is usually not something that is available vegetarian so i was curious to see the flavors and textures. The steak is chewy and meaty so if you are not a fan of faux meat then i would proceed with caution. I enjoy the cheeses here as they are unique and different from each other. The sandwich overall was okay though not my favorite sandwich ever. - smoked Mac and cheese (7/10): macaroni with smoked goat cheese, cheddar, mozzarella baked in a cast iron skillet and topped with vegan pancetta and breadcrumbs. This was a cozy appetizer especially on a cold day. The flavors of the cheese are rich and smoky with a hint of saltiness from the pancetta and breadcrumbs. I would have liked it to be a larger portion and offered as an entree. WOULD I GO BACK? Maybe. I liked the ambiance and the option to try dishes that are usually meat heavy but the cuisine is not my personal favorite. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Smoked Mac & Cheese - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

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Visiting the city and my friend picked this spot for us to meet up knowing I'm vegan. When she sent me the menu, I kept having to double-check it was actually vegan because I never see these items at other vegan spots back home. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived way before dinner rush. The server was friendly and helpful as we navigated the menu. Since we were just catching up and grabbing light bites, we ordered a bunch of smaller sides. It's a nice quiet spot with not a ton of tables so you can enjoy conversation and a more intimate setting. We ordered the broccoli rabe, fried pickles, mac and cheese, house salad, and onion rings. Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious. It's so hard to get melty vegan cheese right, but they nailed it with the mac and cheese and the vegan pancetta was salty and the perfect compliment to the dish. The broccoli rabe was cooked well and tasted fresh, and the fried pickles were great with the crispy shell and chewy center, but the dip was the winner of that dish. We saw another table order the onion rings and had to add them for ourselves, and boy was that the right decision! The onion rings are BOMB! Fried perfectly and nice big pieces. Don't sleep on this spot. Even my non-vegan friend loved every bite! read more

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The food is absolutely amazing, as all the drinks. The room is beautiful, and the service is excellent. I'm going back there for my birthday next week! read more

We went for dinner and had Cornbread with Garlic Thyme butter & French Onion soup to start & the Ravioli & a Grilled Ceasar Salad with Plant Based Chicken added. The food was absolutely incredible - amazing quality and taste. The staff, service and ambience were all superb. We can't recommend it enough! Bring your non-Vegan friends- they will love it too. Hard to believe it't 100% plant based. Kudos to the chef, staff & owners in creating this amazing food that also helps human health, animal welfare & our environment/planet. PS the cocktails & mocktails were outstanding as well. read more

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Willow Vegan is phenomenal! We actually travel from Jersey just to eat here -- that's how good it is. Chef Guy (who also owns several other amazing NYC vegan spots) is constantly raising the bar, and it's refreshing that you can actually see him at the restaurant. He's hands-on, engaged, and clearly passionate about what he does -- not an absentee owner at all. The food is out of this world. The French Dip is amazing, the Double Cheeseburger is superb, and even the fried pickles appetizer is ridiculously good. It's truly elevated comfort food at its finest. The menu changes from time to time, but it never matters -- everything they make is consistently delicious. I find myself craving Willow often! The ambiance is beautiful -- stylish but comfortable. You can dress up or down and feel right at home either way. The cocktails are creative, balanced, and clearly well thought out. The service is always top-notch -- attentive, friendly, and professional. You can tell everyone is well-trained and takes pride in creating a great experience. We've never had an issue with parking (which says a lot for NYC!) and the vibe is perfect for a date night, birthday, or anniversary. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say. Willow deserves a 5-star rating time and time again. If you haven't been -- go. You'll thank yourself later! read more

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Everything was great! The place is clean and cute. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. Most importantly the food was delicious! I had my first vegan poached egg and was blown away. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

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Where is the 6 star!!! Omg I had the most amazing experience here. From the friendly service from Teddy to the comfortable seating. The music is a perfect blend of classics. Loud enough to hear but not loud enough to disturb or to not have a conversation. The food taste amazing!!!! Nothing bad touched our table. Walter the chef and Amazing Teddy will see us again soon. read more

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Great food and great service. Was shocked to see how comparable the brisket sandwich was to the real deal. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Pulled BBQ Brisket Sandwich - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

I'm not vegan but I met some friends here and the food is very tasty. The atmosphere is a little dark in the restaurant, but there is a little table lamp that gives off enough light. The service was really good, and our waiter was very attentive. We got the cheese plate, onion rings, mushroom burger, grilled Caesar salad with ponzu steak, and the salmon. My friend who ordered the salmon said it felt like the fish he missed, and it tastes pretty close to the real thing to me. My salad was good but pretty watery, and the steak tasted more like a pulled pork which is an option on the menu. It's overall a great option for vegan food. read more

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I love Willow! Chef Guy's restaurants never disappoint - the menu here has changed a lot over the years but I'm pleased with the current offerings. To drink, the Run for Error and the Herbal Haven are delicious and refreshing. The Truffle Mac is tasty and flavorful, and the Fried Chicken Sandwich and French Dip are musts. Really glad they have Onion Rings on the menu too! My favorite thing on the menu has to be Skillet Cookie - INCREDIBLE. The Banana Pudding is also fabulous - I'd order all the desserts! The vibes are casual but like all of the City Roots restaurants, the design is classy and clean cut. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Herbal Haven & Rum for Error Cocktails - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

Willow is one of my new favorite vegan restaurants in NYC! I've always admired Chef Guy Vaknin's work, and I'm excited to eventually visit all of his restaurants. The ambiance at Willow strikes a good balance--it feels cozy and intimate, yet open enough to enjoy an easy conversation. This makes it a great spot for a variety of occasions, whether a casual lunch or a celebratory dinner. We started with the fried pickles to share, which were tasty, though the dipping sauce could have used a bit more flavor and a thicker consistency. Next time, I'd likely try a different appetizer. For my main, I ordered the Cobb salad, which was both delicious and generously portioned--something I appreciated given the higher price point. The honey chipotle chicken skewer that came on the side perfectly balanced sweet and spicy flavors with a satisfying texture. My friends thoroughly enjoyed their burgers and even complimented the flavorful side salads. One friend opted for the fries as a side, but I found them to be fairly standard steak fries. Overall, I'm excited to have Willow as a go-to for vegan dining in the city and can't wait to bring my parents here for a meal. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Cobb Salad (GF) - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

Very comfortable restaurant with good vibes with all drinks half off during happy hour 4-6pm. Service was slow so deducted a point. We also tried their French dip sandwich which had "cheese" and "steak". For a vegan sandwich, it was not bad. You can def tell it's not meat but it had good flavors. The fries that came with it was just ok. Decent vegan spot with good drinks. read more

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The food and the service were Amazing I highly recommend.! Everything we ate was delicious from calamari and onion rings and are main course . We went tonight Friday to Coletta, and we loved it. It's always great to be able to enjoy wonderful food and both restaurants were amazing. read more

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Food was very good and service was fast. Crab Rangoons were excellent, definitely recommend. Cheese plate was good, a lot of interesting textures and flavors. read more

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Love the ambience, service was quick , food were delicious , mind you prices are on the expensive side and I wasn't crazy for the cocktails , happy hour is from 4pm- 6:30pm *Beet avocado tartare and Yuzu spicy tuna tartare were delicious and I couldn't stop eating the malanga root chips *crispy calamari : I was amazed , tasted like the real deal without the fishy smell , it was served hot and crispy . *crispy crab ragoons: just order it ! It blew my mind *crispy Philly cheeesesteak: taste good (I only say this because I had the ragoons first , so everything else doesn't matter) *double smash burger with avocado and eggs : it had a clean taste , but I'm more used to messy real beef burger , the rest of my friends liked it *whiskey BBQ brisket frites : amazing and delicious ,and tender . My friend ate all the remaining BBQ sauce with fries *Dijon Pepper Flank steak : soooo yummy !!! Soft and full of flavors . But I don't care for the lentils *cheese grits and hen: Nah I didn't like it , plain , almost flavorless , none of my friends liked it. *honey chipotle chicken skewers : soooo yummy , full of flavors *ponzu glazed salmon : presentation was beautiful but salmon was super fishy , more fishy than real salmon , and I didn't care for red quinoa. We were too full to order desserts . Maybe next time read more

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What a fun, yummy vegan restaurant! Good for large groups or intimate date night. Very friendly staff with pretty quick service. Of the dishes that we ordered I would highly recommend the French onion soup and the Smashburger. Those were one of a kind where I can't say I've stumbled the pond anything even close. If you're in the area, it's a must try. read more

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A new favorite vegan spot: awesome food and service - the downside is that we didn't try enough things! Enjoyed the chef's other restaurant Beyond Sushi and another winning spot here. On a Wednesday evening there was plenty of seating for an early dinner. A selection of items on the menu, with a few burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and desserts. We enjoyed the BLT (tasty and a little messy to eat because of the generous filling) with salad (while small, it was NOT a salad with wilted greens and lame veggies which I appreciated) and the sirloin steak with asparagus and whipped potato (tender "meat"). Wish we had room for the desserts and appetizers. Service was very nice and attentive. A good date spot. The actual street isn't the best in terms of things around the restaurant but better than a few streets uptown. Looking forward to returning! read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Steak fillet - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

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As a part-time Vegan, I give Willow some of the highest remarks! Nice atmosphere, great service, and delicious food. The Truffle Mac & Cheese was very tasty, but I was really impressed by the Double Smash Burger! Wasn't sure how they'd execute the egg, and if it would even be runny, but they pulled it off. From a QPD (quantity per dollar) perspective, this was a tremendous value and was definitely one of my favorite restaurants on this NYC trip. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Double smash Double Smashburger - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

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The steak cut fries are amazing! The "tuna" caviar appetizer is flavorful. I would def recommend. The broccoli and mash potatoes were also really good. The honey chipotle chicken was ok not bad. I really enjoyed the mocktail especially being pregnant with aversions this was something I would go back for. My bf had a steak sandwich which was good & drink with mezcal which he enjoyed. The ambiance is really laid back. The service was good just felt towards the end a bit rushed bc there was a larger party who they wanted to use our table for but there were definitely other places they could sit. read more

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This place is nice... Quiet, dim lighting. I saw a couple of solo visitors come in to enjoy a meal peacefully alone. This place is small so the host who seated us was also our waitress. She was knowledgeable about the menu & had great recommendations. The Mac & cheese including the onion rings were my personal favorite! So yummy!!! My friend & I both enjoyed our food & were stuffed. I can't believe we managed room for desert because I rarely order any. Our cocktails in my opinion weren't it, we'll pass on that next time. Bathroom is in the back, door to the right which was clean. Two seater tables are a little too close to the next table for my liking. All in all I would be back to try other items on the menu. We enjoyed our visit. Thanks Willow. read more

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The food a Willow blew my mind! Flavors were on point. Service and ambience were superb. I wish we had this restaurant in Chicago. read more

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Great food and great experience! I enjoyed the crab Rangoon a lot. The service was excellent as well. Definitely recommend. read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - Honey Chipotle Chicken Skewers - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

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Yet another City Roots/Chef Guy offering to love! Willow takes the "comfort food" concept to a whole new level. To be honest, what is comfort food to most is not comfort food to me (I dislike mac and cheese and most casseroles and don't love burgers), but here I was comforted by everything I ate! Probably no one thinks of a cheese board as traditional comfort food, but by gods, Willow's cheese board inspires what is instrumental to that feeling of coziness-- satiation. As an ensemble, each cheese selected offers an array of umami, tanginess/brightness and creaminess vs more toothsome. I absolutely loved it (the blue is especially exquisite) and even the gluten-free crackers are not an afterthought. I might have liked them even more than the crostini. Start with this and share, though I can't say I wouldn't come here and get one for my main course. I ordered a BLT and the perfect salad to accompany it. The sandwich is served on soft sliced whole grain bread and is piled high with bibb lettuce, housemade succulent bacon, avocado and tomato. It deserves a spot in the BLT hall of fame. Willow's ambiance lends itself to a good date night, but I also saw a large group dining in (space is large and open but not as big as my favorite City Roots' spot, Anixi). Acoustics allow you to hear the person across from you, which is nice. The cocktail list is intriguing (and I had a sip of my friend's thoroughly unique Willow Wonka-- try if you are more adventurous!) but I stuck to a Montepulciano. Although I do prefer the Mediterranean and Italian offerings of Anixi and Coletta (minus the chunk steak and chicken skewers offered there) and Anixi's ambiance is the ambiance of my dreams, I'm glad to put Willow on regular rotation especially when I'm in Chelsea. read more

My second visit to Willow and I am just as pleased as the first time. It's close to the PATH and 8th Ave lines. It was a Friday around 3pm or so. And there was a light crowd but nothing crazy. I was meeting up with a friend that I hadn't seen or spoken to for about ten years. We were able to catch-up and the waitress was very nice to give a minute to decide what we wanted. (We had jumped right in to catching up without looking at the menu!) The menu options are just enough not to be overwhelming and had many options that appealed to both of us. I asked the server if the "calamari" made with porcini was better than another option ...which I can't remember because her recommendation was so delicious! Will definitely be ordering that again. Very generous portion! I had the "BLT" and it was great. Loved the sauce! I can't remember what my friend had but her plate was spotless :) I do eat meat but only when I have a craving for it. I think a meat-eater who knows that they are at a VEGAN restaurant will be happy with the options. The drink options sound so delicious and look amazing. I'll have to go back just for the drinks but I probably won't resist ordering food as well. read more

My meat loving friend gave me the liberty of picking the restaurant for our girls night out. When I told her it would be vegan she almost had a heart attack but decided to try it since she insisted on me selecting the restaurant. To her surprise, she loved the entire order and questioned if it was all vegan. Yes, the entire menu IS VEGAN! Let's begin with: Food: we ordered the Mac and Cheese, calamari, steak and potatoes, a burger and cocktails. Everything was flavorful and cooked with love. We both kept saying "oh my GAWWWWWD" in disbelief of how delicious the food was. They were well balanced flavors and textures that mimicked the real thing. The drinks were also exceptional! Service: Our waitress was attentive and had an extensive understanding of the menu. She made the recommendations and we were pleased with her choices. We gave her a nice tip! Ambiance: Intimate and good for conversation. The only con was that the AC was not working properly so we broke a sweat as we enjoyed the food. I'm summary, my meat loving friend and I enjoyed our meal and she said she would return. That innitself is a surprise. This place is a must! read more

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I really want to give 4.5 stars, because of one item, discussed below. I rounded up because our server was so hospitable, so friendly, and such a great spokesperson for the brand, kudos are due. If you go into this restaurant expecting your food to taste like meat, you'll be disappointed. Keep an open mind: everything is fresh and de,icious ( coming to the exception). Don't miss the fried pickles or the onion rings. They're terrific. French fries not so much. They tasted fake: almost like freeze dried yucca. We had the fried chicken sandwich and the BLT club. The chicken was better. Moist, with good crunch. The club wasn't a club sandwich. It was a BLT . It was tasty but it needed some kind of condiment on the bread. There was a green sauce but there wasn't enough of it. We will come back for sure, better informed about what to order. read more

The menu was fully vegan, the food was good, the service was good, and the restaurant felt 'right'. Especially happy with the soups, we had the French Onion and New England Clam Chowder. I was especially happy with the clam chowder which was actually a fairly good translation. Partner was also happy with the French Onion. Both would be ordered again. The grilled steak filet was outstanding; the Chunk Foods product was as close to a real steak as I have ever had. Served with asparagus and mashed potato it was a delight to eat. Second dish was chicken sandwich and fries; fries were excellent, perfectly cooked...nice and crispy. Chicken sandwich was...ok; given the menu options should not have been ordered. Will definitely return on a future trip. read more

Absolutely scrumptious dinner Don't skip the cocktails! They are inventive and tasty. I chose something with elderflower and the Mr chose an infused bourbon. We loved them both Starters was the truffle Mac n cheese to share & wow & so creamy & lots of truffle flavor! Then shared the Fried Chicken sandwich and the BBQ Brisket. Both winners but if we absolutely had to close, we'd err on the side of the Brisket. It was so incredibly flavored with a BBQ sauce that had the best afterburn. Sweet to start then the heat kicked in. YUM! Too full for dessert but we'll make sure to save room next time! read more

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Delicious food, very attentive service. Nice decor. They are making vegan foods that I never would have thought possible! The mac and cheese was deliciously creamy. read more

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The steak is crazy good, service, amazing, what an amazing date, healthy food, great people. Amazing read more

Willow Vegan Bistro - THE STEAK IS AMAZING - Vegan Near Me - New York, New York

I had an absolutely great meal and experience here. Maria, Manny, and Hugo were exceptional and made my experience that much greater! I had the fried chicken sandwich and fries, and I must say it was the best vegan chicken sandwich I have ever had! I also ordered strawberry vegan cheesecake for dessert and it was so delicious. The fries were perfect as well! I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The atmosphere, food, and staff were perfect! They also informed me of the other locations either different cuisines. I will be checking out all of the other locations when I can! read more

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Willow Vegan Bistro is located in the heart of Chelsea and they have several other restaurants in their group. This vegan place did not disappoint! I was able to make a reservation same day to sit at the bar. Getting there is no issue; I took the one of the A C or E trains downtown and got off at 14th/8 Ave, then walk up a few blocks and you're there. The food was exceptional and perfect. They have a great variety of options including steak and caviar! I opted for the French onion soup which was SO GOOD. Some of the best I've had. I also got the BLT club. It was good but kinda messy to eat. But the vegan bacon was thick cut so it was super good. The prices are so fare compared to most NYC places. I paid $30 for my meal for both entrees. Definitely put Willow on your NYC bucket list read more

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Let me start by saying we really wanted to like this restaurant. My daughter and I saw a 7pm show for her birthday, and I was happy to see that Willow had a 10pm seating for dinner. When I made reservations I let them know It was her birthday as well. After being seated and looking over the menu, our server came to ask us that we order everything at once as the kitchen and bar would be closing at 10:30- giving us only fifteen minutes. Not a great start, felt rushed to decide what we wanted and had to order two drinks each so we'd have something with dinner. The food came out quickly and one on top of each other. We barely had a couple of bites before the entrees came. Our server asked how things were, we were visibly upset at being rushed and when we told her the French onion soup wasn't good she offered salt and pepper. At this point we were willing to let the food lift our spirits. Sadly only the ravioli and dessert helped there. The mushroom calamari was decent - nice and chewy albeit overly fried. The double smashed burger was beyond meat patty with not much to show for itself. I'm okay with that as a substitute but season It or add something to It so it's not exactly like what I'd make at home. The ravioli was good- a nice light lemon flavor. The dessert came quickly after- a nice banana pudding, It stood out mostly because everything else didn't. They put a candle It and sang happy birthday which was nice. As to the ambience- the restaurant had a nice vibe with its decor but was overshadowed by the too loud, Top 100 Tracks, not exactly curated for the restaurant. Here's the thing, I get that restaurants can have an "off night". And I get that at the end of the night you need to close up and allow time for cleaning etc. however, if you're going to accept a late seating, you should deliver the same experience as an earlier seating. Or, at the very least, explain this when we first arrive or even making the reservation so an informed decision can be made. This could have been saved by an empathetic server and staff, instead we were made to feel like a bother. Not at all what you want your guest to feel. read more

I picked up takeout from here, so I can't comment on the service beyond the food being ready when I arrived, but the inside looks cute. The food was excellent, some of my favorite vegan food I tried in the city. I'll be returning! read more

As a meat eater, I was pretty satisfied with the food here! I didn't miss the meat at all. I came with my friend who's vegetarian and she enjoyed it too. Our waiter was so kind and attentive! Our favorite dish was the fried calamari, had same texture and taste as the real thing. read more

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We went here on my birthday Oct 26 and let me tell you ZuZu & Teddy knocked it out of the park. With just the 2 of them to handle the guest due to minimum staffing I applaud the excellent service we received. We never at any point felt like anything was wrong because they were GREAT. Our food came out quick and perfect!!! The atmosphere at Willow is so cozy. As usual they are always warm and inviting whether you come every week or once in a blue moon. Thank you so much for the thoughtful birthday card it really meant a lot! read more

What's not to like. Everything we ordered from the clam chowder, the mac and cheese, steak entrée, chicken entrée and the chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream was absolutely delicious. Seriously, the flavor and texture of everything we ate was spot on. Good location for a date. Metered parking on the main road (8th ave) or free parking the side streets. read more

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If you're craving classic American comfort food with an upscale twist, you must visit Willow in Chelsea! This vegan gem offers a menu that's 100% vegan and certified kosher, but what really blew me away was how spot-on the flavors and textures are. From the salmon crudo and New England clam chowder to the steak fillet, every dish was a culinary masterpiece. They looked and tasted just like the real thing--so flavorful, so satisfying. Truly exceptional! And shoutout to Ian, our server, who made the dining experience even more memorable with his top-notch service. We'll definitely be back for more! We ordered: -Lychee Pom Pom -Dragon's Den -Salmon Crudo -New England Clam Chowder -French Dip -Grilled Steak Fillet -Banana Pudding -Strawberry Cheesecake Follow @spinx17 for more NYC Food recs! read more

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I can't say enough good things about the service ambiance and delicious food! Highly recommend even if you're not vegan!