Spring Cafe Aspen

This cafe is great. It has clearly labeled vegan and gluten free items. We got the Not Your Every Day Nachos and the Vegan Poke Bowl. Both were yummy and the house made nacho cheese was especially good. They also had house nut milk for their Chai Latte. I had to get the lemon poppy seed muffin on the way out which was one of the most moist gluten free baked goods I have had. You order at the counter and they give you a number to bring to your table so you can choose where to sit. They have free Wi-Fi if you want to bring your laptop and work. The bathrooms are clean which is always a plus. There's one single on the first floor as well as gender neutral stalls in the basement.

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.

Phenomenal experience! Went here to try their nachos and then also discovered they have tons of gluten-free and dairy free cookies and desserts as well that I’ll have to try next time! The nachos were really flavorful. The nut based cheeses were really great. I think it had about two different cheeses on there which was pretty great. I also got a chai latte with homemade almond milk, which was phenomenal. Really great experience. Also one of the rare places that you can stay late till 9 PM with your laptop. It’s really nice to have those places that you can do that. Courteous staff and a cool bathroom too. What’s not to like