My favorite local vegan cafe, I always get the blue breakfast smoothie! It’s nice to have healthy organic options.. not to mention gluten free muffins!! The staff is always nice as well :)
This place is superb. A true gem. I’m a local and have eaten here many times but my most recent visit compelled me to write a review. A waiter forgot one of our orders (it happens in restaurants). The waiter and manager graciously apologised, brought us some snacks on the house while we waited, didn’t charge us for the dish and offered us a nice dessert wine on the house. I wish all restaurants managed inevitable errors like this.
Ambiance: Outdoor area is situated in a walled garden with nice greenery and warm lighting. It allows you to escape the noise of the street and the Subway and almost feel like you’re somewhere in Tuscany. Tables are spaced apart enough that you won’t feel like you’re part of the adjacent table’s conversations. Indoor is more lively and cosy with open kitchen and bar adding to energy. The windows fog up during winter, creating a “warm refuge with tasty food” vibe from the outside.
The food is very good. I’ve tried most of the mains and I go back to the sausage and cavatelli. It sounds like the most unoriginal red-sauce Italian restaurant meal you’ve ever heard of, but it’s hands down my favourite meal in New York. Handmade pasta with brown butter, Italian sausage. Glorious. Folk who’ve lived here 15-20years agree too! For other meat dishes, the lamb ragu and the meatballs are some of the best I’ve had. The sweet sausage and red peppers is gluten free, served with polenta.
For something lighter, the eggplant marinara is perhaps surprisingly a lighter variant vs the typical 8tonnes of bread crumbs, cheese and red sauce production served in many NY Italians. Homemade tomato sauce, nice balanced seasoning. Sweet potato ravioli is also nice and light.
For dessert, give Tiramisu a break for just one Italian restaurant outing and try the stunning Red Wine Prunes and Mascarpone instead.
I've been coming here for years and the food has always been consistently good. My go to is the Rigatoni Firenze. The eggplant is beautifully cooked and delicately smoky and complements the tomato sauce and the gooey chunks of mozzarella. The other dish I would recommend is the spaghetti dish with the saffron sauce (might not be on the menu anymore). For dessert the tiramisu is a good choice. The coffee flavor comes through and is not overly sweet. The last time there was a bit too much cocoa powder on top.
Also, just noticed today they also offer gluten free pasta.
A very chic new addition to the neighborhood 💕 Vegan and Gluten Free options to choose from as well as great coffee, all in a beautiful setting. It’s easy to see this place was a labor of love. Can’t wait for full food service to open as all the pastries made in-house look fantastic ☕️🥐