NYC Vegetarian Fine Dining
 

Looking for recommendations for Vegetarian restaurants in NYC (or Brooklyn) for friend's birthday dinner. Friend is not vegan, so places that include dairy or eggs on menu are fine.

Would like to find a place that offers a little more upscale setting since it is a special celebration dinner. BYOBs are fine, too.

Pure Food & Wine - 59 Irving Place (bet 17 &18th Streets) -- completely vegan and vegetarian.

Candle 79 -- East 79th between Lex and 3rd Avenue

Try the Bread Bar at Tabla - can be a bit pricy but very worth it.

less expensive - Gobo; Vatan does it have to be a vegetarian place? Every upscale place I can think of will do a vegetarian menu or version of their dishes, if asked . . .

check out menupages.com for addresses and menus

Go see Tony Bourdain @ Les Halles -411 Park Avenue South or 15 John St.

Does it have to be a vegetarian restaurant? Almost every restaurant that I've been to in NYC has some wonderful vegetarian options (and often when I asked about it, they'd come up with variations of some of the other items on the menu that they could make without meat or fish), so if there is some restaurant that you'd like to try, I bet your vegetarian friend would be happy as well.

I was thinking the same thing as Travelkitty. And you could try a tapas restaurant, which would offer a variety of non-meat offerings. We like Sangria 46 (on Restaurant Row) -- nice, but I don't think I'd call it "fine dining."

When I lived in New York, I often ate at Hangawi, which is upscale Korean.

It can easily take large parties, although it's a very quiet place, so people have to want that. Also, many of the tables are sunken, where you essentially sit at floor level, so if you want a regular table with chairs, you need to specify when you reserve.

It's a unique restaurant.

In case it wasn't clear:

Hangawi is vegan.

Counter:
http://www.counternyc.com/

and this opened recently

Broadway East:
http://www.broadwayeast.com/

as a non-meat eater, I prefer the latter.

Another vote for Tabla.

Since when is Tabla a vegetarian restaurant?

Pure Food and Wine is not only veg but also only serves uncooked foods. Quite expensive, too.

It isn't that Tabla or Bread Bar is vegetarian, but they have several vegetarian options, and is a fun place for a celebration. At least, that's my opinion.

That's my opinion, too, about Tabla...and as one who is *mostly* vegetarian, I found it to be a great restaurant.

"Does it have to be a vegetarian restaurant?" Yes.

I understand any fine dining establishment in NYC will offer up 1 or 2 entrees that are meatless, or can whip something together for a vegetarian patron that might not even be on the menu, but this is my friend's birthday dinner. She's a good sport who regularly has to endure a dull plate of roasted vegetables or pasta primavera (as these are typically what is offered in a non-vegetarian restaurant) while the rest of us chow down on a quivering, bloody slab of red meat.

For one night, it would be nice to take her to a place where she can order absolutely anything on the menu and has more than just a limited number of options for her - the rest of us will save the steak tartare at Les Halles for another time.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Really, check out Vatan, at 3rd Avenue and 29th Street - really good Indian vegetarian - lovely decor, an all you can eat feast that can be fun.

Thanks for the suggestion mp, but when I looked at Vatan's website, it says they are closed for renovations and won't reopen until Fall 2008. I need a suggestion for this month.

Hangawi, Candle 79, Counter and Broadway East all look great and seem to fit the bill for a birthday dinner.

My earlier response (which no one got, btw) was a joke. Mr. Bourdain loathes vegetarians. But I'm guessing vegans may not have the energy to actually laugh. (also a joke)...

WannaBe: I got your joke, hence my reference to skipping the Steak Tartare at Les Halles for this meal. Bourdain doesn't even work at Les Halles anymore as he's obviously far too busy filming his tv show (unless you count the recent show where he went back to Les Halles for 1 day to see if he could still handle the pressure of cranking out that many meals during lunch/dinner rush) and making guest judge appearances on "Top Chef".

Best of luck racking up those posts as I understand Fodors is hoping to add the number of posts made next to each user ID in the near future, and I know it's super important for some people on this board to have an impressive number next to their name.

Ceidleh:

Hangawi isn't the most lively of places and not really near any bars if your group wants to have cocktails after or before. The food can also be bland at times. If your friend is sick of having to compromise at restaurants, you might want to consider Counter or Broadway East so as to have a fine dining experience that is less "ethnic." Not that there is anything wrong with "ethnic" food, but it is always the compromise for one who doesn't eat meat. Just a thought.

Good luck.

wow, Ceidleh - I learned 2 things - about Vatan being closed (that's a drag) and the Fodor's posting . . . cool.

I'll just make one more suggestion - Kyotofu, the Japanese tofu dessert bar on 9th Ave and 48th - I have some veggie friends who love this place . . here's the website:
http://kyotofu-nyc.com/

One more suggestion, but this is v
(upscale) vegan: Blossom Gourmet Vegan.

www.blossomnyc.com

Ceidleh - Sorry for you lack of a sense of humor. If I was worried about collecting posts I'd reclaim my old name attached to an old e-mail address SAnParis of which many are attached. This moniker is fairly new. I guess it really isn't a joke, if it is true. Lighten up & perhaps you could enjoy this board (& life) a little more.

Pure Food and Wine practices "stove-free" cooking but the food is very good and the restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere with lovely Garden and outdoor dining and good wine selection. This is my pick for best Vegan/Vegetarian.
http://purefoodandwine.com/firstcourse.html

Tabla has a vegetarian tasting menu, so I think that's a good choice. Surprisingly, there aren't that many vegetarian choices on either the Tabla or Bread Bar menu (no main courses at Tabla, for example).

Kittichai (Thai) has a few vegetarian choices.

Vatan is closed at present, as I think you've already discovered.

The menu at Hangawi contains well- spiced and even fiery dishes, as is common in Korean cuisine. Their current menu lists "spicy grilled todok," "spicy chili mushroom," "beancurd in kimchi and vegetables in spicy sauce." etc. It also includes some very mild and simple dishes, like bimbaps, so first timers to the restaurant should discuss the menu with the server, because most of it is unique.

As for cocktails, I have never had any of its Soju cocktails, but I assume they are made with genuine soju, a particuarly rice alcohol. Hangawi also has a beer and wine list.

But there is no question that it's quiet.

"If you like to travel to exotic places, consider a trip to 32nd Street ... The oversize door is an entrance to another world, an invitation to a place where nothing is familiar... We live in a time when each encounter with food can be a global experience. But HanGawi reminds you of the exotic nature of each bite as you take it. In the process, time seems to vanish. It is rare to be able to travel so far so fast, so inexpensively..."


http://www.hangawirestaurant.com/review.htm

Terra Veg (http://www.terraveg.com/ ) is a site specifically for rating vegetarian restaurants in NYC & other cities. They also rate the level of vegetarian-friendliness of standard restaurants, but I think you are right that it would be nice for your friend to have her day her way. Hangawi and Gobo are both rated highly.

There are a number of vegetarian Indian restaurants in the Gramercy area (Lex or 3rd ave, in the upper 20s and low 30s). Some are more upscale than others. Not sure if that would be up her alley, but we love all the ones we've been to!