Nice resturant to go to when on the hill. But way to expensive ..
Pros: Location, Service$18. Small portion. Undercooked Asparagus but nice big Spears. Potato very good. Main dish the Seiten itself was a steak twice fried hard as rock, and with only one flavor: pepper. Upside is wonderful atmosphere and presentation but again left wondering if they are taking advantage of Vegan commitment by getting sloppy on the preparation. Overall very disappointed especially for the price. Next time will try the Seiten Wellington for $21 (!) and hopefully they wont mess that one up.
Pros: Atmosphere, Service, PresentationOn our visit to Seattle we enjoyed our food at Plum so much we went back the very next evening.
It's in a nice building with a nice interior although it seemed a bit crowded with too many tables. There's more than enough staff though so there's no waiting around. In fact, sometimes they were too fast with everything so that we got our entree when we hadn't even finished our appetizers yet and while I was still eating my entree they asked if I was done (which I was clearly not) so they could take my plate . The prices they ask for their food seems fair as it is really good, but then the service doesn't live up to that. That being said, the staff was really nice and friendly.
As for the food, everything we had was incredibly tasty; the avocado rolls as an appetizer are very good but also quite filling. Their handmade pastas are good and the burgers are also great, especially the fresh herb grilled seitan steak which comes with the yam & beet chips (which you can also order as an appetizer) served with their dill aioli, the best aioli ever! Desserts are very nice except for with every dessert we had they either were very skimpy with the scoop of ice cream it came served with (the rhubarb-plum tart with in this case 1/3 scoop of cardamom ice cream), or either they forgot an ingredient listed on the menu altogether (chocolate tart with a berry sauce, but the sauce was missing). Rhubarb-plum tart was amazing though.
But I would definitely recommend anyone to go there!
Thanks to those discount coupons from Strangermart, my sweetie and I decided it was time to find out what was happening inside the swanky Plum Bistro and we were pleasantly surprised that there is a top end restaurant serving something besides mushrooms to vegans these days! Those handmade raviolis with the cream sauce were super yummy and a giant plate of salad is all it takes to keep me happy. The wait staff were off the chart pros - complimenting your excellent choices with the gentlest hand on your back, no judgement on the water as beverage thing... Our waiter was so friendly, he even comped our desert! Talk about sealing the deal, I'm in love with Plum Bistro. The main issue if any is that they need to tone down the wheat and soy thing they've got going on. The cutting edge of vegan needs to be soy minimal, I think. I am curious how many of the staff are vegetarians. It doesn't really matter, pros are running the show, but I wonder if they're mostly just capturing the burgeoning vegan marketplace. No problem if they are, I'm just adjusting to the new world and digging it.
Pros: gourmet vegan food, great service, excellent tasteWant to woo your vegan partner? Go HERE! The place is great, Mac and Yease is to die for, and their main dishes will not disappoint.
However, pricey, pricey, pricey! Ow, my wallet still hurts!
Great drinks too! But booze will shoot up the tab even more...
Pros: Fancy Shmancy, Cool Staff, Great date placeI've been here twice for Sunday brunches and once for dinner--the dinner was pretty nice, and the brunches were insanely scrumptious things of dreams. They really know their ways around tofu here--tofu scrambles with delicate mushroom flavors; baked tofu on "avocado toast" with creamy dill spread; and an amazing appetizer: a mason jar full of kale, cooked with tiny, smoky, crispy bits of tofu.
I wasn't as wild about my linguine alfredo w/ capers--kind of a one-note flavor--but then I should have listened to my server, who recommended the other two pasta dishes. And I found my friend's tempeh vermouth to be too lemony.
But, both brunches were beyond reproach. Including a spectacular chocolate crepe, and a fabulous array of mimosas. It's particularly nice in the daytime, because the full wall of glass lets light pour from the street into the vast, high-ceilinged space with middle-earthly vertical wall plantings.
Servers have always been lovely. Though they don't seem entirely... happy--I sense a weight of managerial oppression in the air.
Pros: SCRUMPTIOUS, airy, mimosas!I ate here with my partner, and they sat us down at this huge table. We asked for a smaller table, but the waiter said they were reserved, even though we were the only ones at the restaurant besides another couple. That was kind of weird. I had a pizza, which was fantastic. I was surprised it didn't have cheese, but I loved it regardless.
Pros: great food
Sure it tastes good but its really something you can make yourself easily. Go to Madison market Co-op up the street and buy their delicious and equaly pricy vegetables and make a candle light dinner at home. Or get the burgers cause it will atleast give you enough food. The portions are TINY! Nice cocktails tho.
Pros: Cocktails, Feels fancyYes the food is rich, yes it's quite pricey, yes it's noisy but this place is so delicious. Have been to Plum Bistro on every single visit to Seattle in the last 2 years and have never been disappointed by the food. They changed their menu in the last few months and we recently tried the tempeh vermouth, an absolute gem. Double dip seitan was really good too but came with a steak knife. Come on, we don't need that, it's just seitan!
We usually go for dinner and for brunch the next day and come back stuffed. The tofu benedict, and crepes (savoury and sweet) are so scrumptious they need to be experienced. And of course the spicy Mac and Yease is out of this world. Service is ok, not often amazing but we don't care so much, we go for the food.
I like the atmosphere of Plum Bistro and the food was tasty for both me and my companion (oddly though we were offered the Brunch menu late in the afternoon). Our waitress was totally indifferent about waiting on us or answering any questions we had, which were very basic. She couldn't be bothered to refill drinks and never asked if we wanted dessert (we had planned on having dessert). I would try this place again and hope for better service. If the service didn't improve I wouldn't go back.
Pros: Good atmosphere, Tasty foodThis place is really nice, small but really cool space. It is in a really pretty building. The service is good. My problem was we seemed to be at the only table in the restaurant that was placed extremely poorly. We came in when there were only a few other diners so we could have easily been placed at a better table. The table we were at should not even have been there in our opinion. It was RIGHT by the host stand and with someone standing there the whole time and other diners coming in it was extremely uncomfortable. We were also in the direct line of fire of the staff coming out of the kitchen. My boyfriend had to check and see if he could put his elbows out to cut up his food before eating it!!!
That being said the food is great. I had the double-dipped seitan steak with gravy, red potatoes, and grilled asparagus. SO good! I am not a fan of seitan but it sounded good and I am glad I got it. It was by far the best seitan I have ever had. My boyfriend got the buffalo portobello pizza. It was great! Amazing flavors!
Pros: all vegan , great food, nice staffWOW! Amazing food. Pricey, but well worth it! Great atmosphere, too. The Mac n cheese is unbelievable, and the entrees are all unique and delicious!
Pros: Delicious, Contemporary atmosphere, Many optionsWonderful vegan restaurant. BBQ Po'Boy sandwich. It was amazing. Good service and nice atmosphere. Will be back.
Updated from previous review on Saturday November 28, 2009
Coming from a city that is known for its off-the-chain veg options, I was pleasantly surprised to have my first experience in Seattle completely blow me away. Tiramisu pancakes is just in another league as far as breakfast. I even had my omnivorous guest reeling over this place. The staff is really casual and friendly and I love that the kitchen is open to the restaurant. Inspiring to see a well-run kitchen. My only gripe is that I couldn't eat more in one sitting.
Perfect place for a celebratory meal or a night out. Their food is to die for and their Mac n yease is heavenly. A little pricey, but worth it.
Really lovely location and beautiful building. Quite cozy too.
I had the Really Big Burger is by far the best tofu burger I have ever had, but everything is just wonderful. The Quinoa burger is awesomely spicy and the Seitan Steak is just fantastic. Not to mention the the amazing homemade buns for the burgers.
The icing on the cake is that the whole menu is all vegan AND organic. The organic bit does make it a little more pricey, but I actually found that my portions were more than genorous.
Pros: Ambiance, Fantastic food, Great serviceWe have eaten here twice so far and LOVE it! The first visit was for dinner- you must try their specialty- mac n ease (?)! I had a quinoa burger with sweet potato fries and it was fabulous! We had excellent service too! Later that week we went for brunch and had a seitan benedict and chocolate crepes, both of which were very very good too..and French press coffee. Will definitely go back again and again!
Pros: great service, generous portions, delicious!I went to Plum when I was visiting a friend in Seattle. We popped in because it is in her neighborhood and we were so glad we did! We shared 'a sandwich' and a salad, and there was so much food left that we had to take some on the road with us.
The atmosphere was very beautiful and the service was great.
But the sandwich, sweet sandwich, was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. It was a Jamaican jerk tempe wrap, and I would go back to Seattle just to eat it again.
If you have a chance, be sure to stop in!
I've been here a few times and always enjoyed what I had. At first they seem kind of pricey, but once you start eating you realize "we should have shared." I like decor as well and the staff is very friendly!
The menu is pretty small though and I'm not a big fan of restaurants offering different things at different times of the day. I understand the need for it though considering I have never seen more than 2 other groups of people in here at a time. But I was very unhappy once when I specifically went there for a sandwich and found out I didn't come at the right time for it.
I wish I could give it 4.5 cows as I think the small menu is a bit of an issue, but I really enjoy it and will definitely go back!
Pros: Good sandwiches, friendly staff, Very cleanI have been to vegan places all across the country and this is close to, if not at, number one. This is true gourmet, and you really don't have to be vegan to appreciate it. I have heard non vegan customers going crazy over the mac and "cheese", unable to believe that it didn't have cheese. The tempeh vermouth is heavenly the drinks are delicious, and the staff super friendly. I would say this place is worth a trip out of your way just to try the amazing food.
Pros: Amazing Food, Great Service, Cool BuildingWe really enjoyed Plum Bistro, but there were a few things that fell short. We went ate here late on Friday and it was slightly busy, but one thing that we annoyingly observed is that our waitress was serving all of the tables while two waitresses lounged around doing nothing - our service was very slow and many things were forgotten because of this.
We started our meal with the cauliflower appetizer, it was good and had nice flavor overall. Then I ordered the Double-Dipped Seitan and my bf ordered the El Besito Caliente. We shared our meals and we both really enjoyed the seitan dish, it came with potatoes and asparagus covered in gravy, it was great overall. But the burger, El Besito Caliente was a different story. While the flavoring of the burger was nice, the texture of the tofu killed it. The tofu was actually hard to swallow and actually scrapped our throats like brillo pads - we had to drink tons of water to get it down. That said, we highly do not recommend the tofu burgers, but the seitan dish was a definite hit. Despite the service aspect of our experience, Plum Bistro would definitely be a regular place for us to eat if we lived in the area.
** An update: their service has seemingly gotten worse, or it may just be I forgot how bad service can be. They gave away our table after waiting an hour. They kept taking the kid's menu before they ordered. Took another hour to order. BRUTAL service, don't bring kids. Food still great but small portions. Get it right Plum, please! The blonde boy is lost, as is the short tatted girl. Y'all need to step up to match the effort the back of house gives. Service sadly has no idea of how to be gracious hosts, serve promptly and courteously. You think you must be on hidden camera or that the water they serve makes you invisible. Tragic servers. Good food once you get it. Owners, feel free to hire new FOH staff. *end of 2nd update*
It seems like this place is VERY inconsistent. We have had terrible experiences here and delightful times here. The only consistent thing we experience here is DREADFUL SERVICE. This last time we were here we waited to get the check for 20 minutes and waited for the check back for another 20 minutes. It isn't as though they are ever "too busy" either, it just seems like they lack organization and set no expectations for their waitstaff. We heard the diners next to us comment on their service issue as well.
The food here this last time, the same item I ordered previously, was not at all the same preparation. This time, the apple sage seitan was completely drenched and soggy without any texture. When it was "good" it was more on a bread texture than a truer seitan texture. I think they use the short method of seitan production, whereas the long way is so much better.
We order a lot of food when we go. The best item is the arugula-pear salad (w filberts). They also have great onion rings, but that only comes as three or four on the side of my entree, not as a side.
I got a dessert of chocolate w strawberries. She brought it out w cranberries. Not at all the same. She moaned saying she could try to find some strawberries, but... and I told her yes, to do so bc that is what I ordered. The service here is very unprofessional. Seattle has a lot of service issues, granted, but this is truly outlandish; negotiating w a server for what you order.
I have to order everything w/o cilantro. They over-use it here, which is more common than ever sadly.
On their good nights they execute better. Also sadly, it may still be the best of the strictly vegan cafes in Seattle.
Pros: good food, vegan, latin cuisineCome hungry, thirsty, tired and weary from travel. Leave much later, much happier. Call to see if you need a reservation. Have fun. I did....
Pros: Food, Local beers, Ferrari dealership down the block...the workers are so polite and the service is amazing!!! My mother who is not Vegan loved the food. They really take pride in their creations on the menu, and you can tell in the way its prepared! Its a little pricy but well worth the money :)
Pros: amazing food, amazingly friendly staff, quick service!The layout and decor makes for a very nice, classy atmosphere and the menu offerings and prices reflect that. We got very average service, nothing to complain or rave about. I ordered the El Besito Caliente and my SO got the Cajun Tempeh Burger, we shared our sandwiches and loved them both, couldn't decide which was best. The sweet potato fries were good, but the sauce drizzled on top of them was to die for. Went in later in the evening so there was only one other table occupied by an older couple and it was so nice having the place mostly to ourselves. The weather was beautiful and the big windows in front made everything feel very comfortable, open and relaxed. A little expensive but the norm for this type of restaurant/offerings. Also, my leftover sandwhich was even better cold the next day!
Pros: Excellent food, Fantastic atmosphere, Unique offeringsFirst, I'm vegan - and I want to support vegan businesses. This is my first review on Happy Cow - because I feel so strongly about it.
I ate here with my boyfriend two weeks ago. We were in Seattle visiting for the weekend - and went out of our way to go to Plum Bistro because of the many positive reviews on Happy Cow. I asked for recommendations from our waitress (who was great) and my boyfriend ordered the Mama Africa Burger and I ordered a Seitan Dish with Olives and Mushrooms. His dish was pretty terrible. Mine was worse - it was the saltiest dish I've ever had. Overall, the food was really flat, there was no balance to the flavors and nothing redeeming about it. I wanted to give them only one star, but I can't do that on Happy Cow. Plum Bistro is actually the worst vegan restaurant I've ever been to. And to top it off, the hot toddy I ordered and the cocoa that my boyfriend ordered weren't good either. :(
It could be that the night I went was a complete fluke. What scares me is that the items we ordered were highly recommended by the waitress.
By the way, the service was really great. Our waitress was sweet, which is maybe why we felt so bad that we didn't say anything.
My meat eating cousin who lives in seattle took my husband and I(we are vegans from KS) out to eat at this very fancy vegan restaurant. This was my cousin's first time eating veg. We ordered the mac and cheese and it's probably the best vegan mac n' cheese I've ever tasted. You cannot go here and not ordered that! For my main course I ordered the cabbage and brown rice bundles. Honestly it sounds much better than it was. What came was a soggy mess, that was hard to eat. It was too runny. But I'm still not letting this ruin my experience of this place. All the appetizers were great, and I also tried my husbands burger, which was tasty. I'll just need to stay away from those bundles next time. :)
Pros: organic food, fancyI went here this morning. The menu changes throughout the day and my guess is the menu I was choosing from was the lunch menu. Food available was under 3 headings - sandwiches / wraps, salads and entrees. Everything is vegan veggie so I asked the waitress to recommend something for me. I ended up having the sweet & spicy Jamaican tofu wrap. I warned the waitress that I didn't find generally chilli agreeable but she said I would be fine with this so that is what I had.
Firstly it's a big sandwich so I am glad I didn't order an entree. Secondly kit tasted great and the waitress was vindicated in her judgement. Good value at $10.
The setting is an interesting building (you'd need to see it for yourself) and is around a 15 min walk outside of downtown. Staff are friendly and all in all this was a big winner for me.
Update - I've just had brunch here and had the squash soup (excellent) and then some pancakes as recommended by the waitress. It was enough for 2 people and a couple of them I have taken away and will have later.
Pros: 100% Vegan veggie, tasty food, Helpful staffTo be fair, I have only been to this restaurant once so far. I found the service to be excellent; it felt like fine dining to me. The food served was incredibly fresh and decorative. The atmosphere is warm and romantic. The seating is a little tight, but I enjoy that. The major qualm I have is the price. The dishes we ordered seemed really expensive for the quantity. But, if fine, organic vegan, raw dining is what you seek, this might be your cup of tea. There aren't many non-raw options, and they are in the $15 - $17 range. I still prefer Cafe Flora for this expensive of a meal, because it is somewhat more creative and extensive in its menu options. But I will definitely come to Plum Bistro again.
Pros: organic, fresh, raw, vegan, gluten-free options, romantic atmosphereMy boyfriend and I were visiting Seattle for the first time as vegans and wanted to try out as many places as we could but we were so impressed with Plum Bistro that we had to go there for a weekend brunch as well as dinner! We tried their version of macaroni and cheese and thought it was better than any we remembered eating as omnivores. We also ordered their Quinoa Nachos, Portabello appetizer, cornmeal crusted seitan with mushroom gravy, and the seitan with mole sauce (not all of this was in one visit! ha ha) and thought all were excellent! We also tried their drinks such as Spanish Lemonade and Sangria and were also impressed! We were impressed with their prices because we are used to paying more at the limited vegan places where we live. We highly recommend Plum Bistro for the food, ambiance, price, service and location!
Pros: excellent food, friendly staff, open window option on nice daysI went to Plum a couple of nights ago, and was really impressed. The place was very elegant, but was still very laid back (the waiter was in t-shirt and jeans).
The food was amazing and the prices were a little high, but actually cheaper than I expected. My husband and I split the avocado sushi roll for an appetizer, which was very tasty (although I have never heard of cheese, vegan or otherwise, in a sushi roll) and served with a spicy chipolte mayo.
I had the seitan steak with wild mushroom gravy, potatoes, and chard. It was so good; I would recommend this whole heartedly! My husband had the potato Parmesan over pasta, which was pretty good also.
We will definitely return when visiting Seattle for a nice meal out.
Pros: Delicious Food, Elegant Atmosphere, Nice Drink ListWow! Gormet vegan bistro. The creativity in dishes is remarkable and the desserts are out of this world. The environment is nice, with fresh flowers on the tables and a chic modern design. This is not an inexpensive restaurant, but it is worth the price. I had a mushroom and swiss chard crepe and my companion enjoyed a vegan take on the po' boy sandwich for lunch.
Pros: upscaleI'll preface this by saying that any vegan restaurant that can impress a carnivore should probably be given 5 stars, but Plum has some imperfections that are worth noting. I'm a vegan and visited Plum in January with a vegetarian friend and a carnivore friend. I ordered the Southern Fried Seitan with Rainbow Kale, my veg friend ordered the Teriyaki Tofu Kabobs, and my carnivore friend ordered the Spicy Cajun Mac 'N' Yease. I was super worried about my carnie friend's choice because (as most vegans know) mac & cheese is one of the hardest dishes to authentically veganize. Although the dish didn't look anything like the original (and was overpowered by the two slabs of, albeit DELICIOUS, Southern Fried Seitan), she (and the rest of us) thought it tasted amazing. I would describe it as mac & cheese meets spicy gravy. I was raised on Midwestern meat dishes and the Southern Fried Seitan was the spitting image (if memory serves) of the original. The outside was incredibly crispy and the seitan was meaty enough in texture and flavor. My veg friend loved her kabobs, I found the tofu texture odd and the marinade to be overly salty, but when I paired a bite with the accompanying grilled pineapple (and ginger-garlic yams) it was heaven. I do have a few criticisms, however. We ordered the fried green tomatoes (which come with some HEAVENLY garlic-jalepeno-cilantro-avocado aioli) and, for $7 I expected more than the three VERY small (yet delectable) slices of fried tomato. Additionally, our drinks took forever and our waiter was MOST useless in helping with wine pairing. He also got our drink order wrong. My other friend and I tried to choke down our dill-cucumber martinis but they were awful. The manager/owner(??) noticed that we were leaving off our drinks and offered to replace them for us. We both went with different red wines that were FANTASTIC. Another disappointment was the one dessert choice, which turned out to be a very tiny (3 bite) key lime coconut cheesecake -- all I tasted was coconut. The parking on the Hill is like slow torture, so I recommend cabbing it or taking the bus. The main courses are so delicious and the manager/owner(??) so attentive and accommodating, though, that one can overlook the few flaws. I am anxiously awaiting my next trip (which will include the Po' Boy Sandwich, I think). As far as approachable vegan comfort food goes, it doesn't get much better than this!!
Pros: Delicious Food, Approachable food for non-vegs, AmbianceI'm really surprised by the high ratings. I found the food to be a letdown. Plum seems to be a more expensive version of Hillside Quickie's (same owner): the same flavors but not as good. I would call it "faux fussy." Too many ingredients (I had the Wild Ginger Salad) that were not that harmonious. The tofu was overly teriyaki'd and the texture was downright spongey. My partner's dish also suffered the same problem: a bunch of ingredients that seemed to be thrown together without regard to whether they taste that good together. I have no problem spending $13 or more for a salad, but not one that I wouldn't want to finish. On the bright side, the setting is pretty and the service was friendly. I wanted to like Plum, but I'll stick to Hillside Quickie's.
Ok, I'm a vegan "foodie" and am shocked that I never heard of Plum before. EXCELLENT. Not in Horizon or Millenium's league but a really great restaurant. So happy I found it on Vegguide's list during my recent trip to Seattle.They make mock white russians and really have a done a great job on the creativity front. I ordered a few items from their appetizer menu. The sliders were awesome. Great location and perfect atmosphere. Will recommend!
Pros: cocktails, location, decorThe mac 'n' yease appetizer is the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had, even when compared with those consumed during my non-vegan days of home-baked gooey casseroles, velveeta, and kraft. The place is small but the dinners are outstanding. Do not go here without getting the mac 'n' yease! Can be a wee bit pricey, but it's totally worth it.
Pros: excellent food, friendly staff, smallBest Bloody Mary ever! Very, very tasty. The sandwiches were very good as well. When they say spicy they mean it. Would definitely come back.
Pros: Bloody Mary, Location, FoodMy husband and I dined at Plum Bistro. We loved the ambiance. It had a cozy romantic feel. The staff and service was outstanding. They could not be friendlier or more helpful. We wanted to love the place. The menu had so many options that sounded fabulous. Then the food came and the presentation was wonderful. Unfortunately though, everything we ordered was excessively salty- to the point that it took away from our enjoyment of the food. We had the Tofu kebabs, the pecan salad, and the seitan/mac & yeese plate. If the food had not been so salty we would love this place. It had all the characteristics of a perfect restaurant.
Pros: ambience, service, creativity of menuWe recently moved to the area and have been excited trying out new restaurants. We visited here last night and were very pleased. The menu is very exciting, we had a hard time deciding what to get. I ended up getting their pizza of the day which was a Margarita pizza with vegan mozzarella, a unique and tasty sauce, basil and tomato. It was very tasty and I ate half and saved the other half for lunch the next day. My husband got the seitan sandwich and he loved it too.
It was nice to see it drawing in many non-veg people, I heard the next table asking what seitan was and the server explaining. It's fancy enough for a nice night out, but not cheap enough for regular, quick, after work trips.
We didn't get dessert but we did ask what they usually have and they said it's a rotating menu so it changes often. That night they had rice pudding and cheesecake. I almost regretted not getting the dessert when the server walked by with a slice for another table. It's walking distance for us so I'm sure we'll be back often and next time I'll try the dessert.
I'm with the last reviewer, why is there still no website for this place??
Pros: Unique Menu, Many options, Rotating itemsAbsolute dream of a place! Close to my apartment on the Hill, comforting and delicious food, smiling faces, worry-free dining. The Mac-n-Yease is superb, as are the sandwiches and wraps. What's up with the website though (there isn't one as of 8/19/2009). Cheers!
Pros: Delicious, Delicious, Delicious
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