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Cafe Flora Restaurant 
 based on 18 member reviews
2901 E Madison St, Seattle Washington
98112
206-325-9100
Type: Ovo, Lacto, Vegan-friendly, Wine
Info: Vegetarian restaurant serves international cuisine for lunch Mon-Fri, dinner Mon-Sun, and brunch Sat-Sunday. Price: Moderate.
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| "Good Food."
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Thursday, August 27, 2009 |
Review: I liked Cafe Flora. It was my first time there, I liked the food and the decor. But the service was a little slow. The staff was very nice, but we were there for 2 1/2 + hrs , which was a lot of waiting to order, the meal, and the bill, etc. But, I'd try it again there for sure.
Pros: Food * Decor * Location
Cons: * * |
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| "SLOW SERVICE/RUDE STAFF"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 |
Review: I have eaten twice at this restaurant and have been disappointed both times. The food is bland. My last visit there is just that. Lets see, the waiter ignored us, wrote down the wrong order, we were told by him that they had mixed up the order lineup, so 6 other people who arrived after us, had their meals first. When we complained to the manager, she took forever, to come out. She did offer to give us our meals for free in light of our inconvenience. Two seconds after that, she came to the other side of our table away from the other patrons and asked if we always complained at restaurants to get free meals, when we reassured her it was the first time, she asked if it was the first time in her restaurant, we once again reassured her it was the first time ever. Instead of diffusing the situation, she just made it worse!
Pros: * *
Cons: terrible tasteless food * expensive * rude staff |
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| "Nice, but mainly vegetarian, not vegan"
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My Rating |
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69 |
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Posted on: Thursday, July 09, 2009 |
Review: While in Seattle last Labor Day, our hosts brought us here for brunch as it's supposed to be the vegetarian restaurant in Seattle. It had a nice decor, but it really is a vegetarian place, not vegan. They had vegan options, but almost everything is vegetarian to begin with and then you have to ask to have the vegan version (if available at all). It just makes me nervous it could get messed up in the kitchen. We had cinnamon rolls, scrambles and a sandwich and they were quite good, so my rating is really based on the fact they are so egg and dairy oriented.
Pros: nice atmosphere * vegan options clearly marked *
Cons: heavy on the eggs and dairy * * |
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| "Awesome!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Thursday, March 19, 2009 |
Review: This is one of my favorite restaurants. You can get a vegan option for almost every dish. Sunday brunch is wonderful!!
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Great food!"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Friday, November 28, 2008 |
Review: I love the Vegan biscuits and gravy! Always changing up the menu... Lots of gluten free options... I never get the same thing twice (except biscuits and gravy) and I always walk out satisfied!! Great cookbook too!
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Vegetarians, order cautiously"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Saturday, August 09, 2008 |
Review: Cafe Flora bills itself as a vegetarian restaurant, but spotlights its use of cheese from Estrella Family Creamery - a creamery that, when questioned, brags that it *only * uses rennet from calves, as they find it "superior" to other meat-based rennets. Vegetable or enzyme rennet isn't even in the equation. It's not the Cafe Flora doesn't know this - inquiries are simply ignored. While many vegetarians eat cheese, I don't know of any that eat cheese with meat in it. I can only assume that Cafe Flora is equally careless about their wine list, and I'm left somewhat dubious about the vegetarian nature or the rest of the food.
In terms of the food, it's uneven. Sometimes it's fabulous and sometimes mediocre. I go when I can afford it in hopes of one of the fabulous times. Go early and get a booth - those cafeteria style tables that have you sitting elbow to elbow with your fellow customers is a drag.
Pros: sometimes great * airy, bright * good service
Cons: not truly vegetarian * expensive * many crowded bench-style tables |
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| "Nice Option"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Sunday, July 13, 2008 |
Review: We stopped in due to a long layover in the Seattle area and had a great meal in a relaxing atmosphere. The service was good and she knew the menu well. Wish were options were totally vegan but isn't that almost always the case?
Would go again.
Pros: Location * *
Cons: * * |
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| "always disappointing"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 |
Review: I go to Cafe Flora every year or two when someone invites me there for lunch. I don't know why - maybe it's because of the high prices and the inflated reputation - I always think it's going to be good. I'm always disappointed, and then I remember why I don't eat there more often.
For all the hype and the high prices, the food is uninspired and lacking in both flavor and texture. The soup I had was not well-seasoned and didn't taste particularly fresh; the salad dressing was bland. If the prices were more reasonable I would say it was adequate, but since there are so many outstanding vegan and vegetarian options in Seattle, I recommend saving your money and going to Araya's or Vegan Garden or Jhanjay to have a fresh, flavorful, vibrant meal for less money.
I have to confess, though, that the sweet potato fries with aioli were a bright spot in my meal. They were garlicky and addictive. But salty, fried, garlicky things always are, so this doesn't give Cafe Flora any real points in my book.
Pros: nice atmosphere * *
Cons: overpriced * bland * |
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| "Second Visit...Not Such a Hot Time"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Saturday, April 26, 2008 |
Review: Two years ago my husband took me to Cafe Flora during a visit to Seattle. I had such a great time that I was dying to go back. This past March we returned, but our visit fell very short of expectations.
We started our meal with the peculiar Fried Avocado. My theory in food science is that you can deep fry anything and it's good. Well, Cafe Flora disproved my theory. Perhaps I'm just not a fan of hot avocado or perhaps it is an acquired taste, but I cannot, as a dedicated foodie, recommend this dish to anyone. It lacked panche and it lacked taste.
My husband ordered the Oaxaca Tacos, featured in the cookbook. They were acceptable, but not terribly impressive. I'm not a cook and in all sincerity, I could have made the dish in my own kitchen. My entree was the Sage Polenta. As a vegetarian, polenta is a regular player in my diet. I expected the oyster mushrooms and fig balsamic reduction to be stellar, but in honesty I was left unfulfilled. The kale was was actually the best part of the dish, and I do intend on including it in some of my own recipes. However, one bright spot did not do much to brighted my meal.
Dessert was a shared lavendar creme brulee. Creme brulee is one of the standard menu items by which I judge a restuarant. Fortunately for Cafe Flora, it is not the only element to be critiqued. The bruleed sugar crust was almost thicker than the creme, which was soupy and warm. I was excited by the idea of the lavendar, but somewhere it failed to connect with me. Perhaps if the dessert was actually executed properly, the lavendar would have impressed. Alas, it did not.
I always think that dining on a Monday shows a restaurant's true colors. For Cafe Flora, the colors were limp and pale. The service, though thorough and profession, was impersonal - dare I say icy? The food was not worth waiting...DREAMING...about for years. It was a sad day in my life, indeed.
Now that I've said this about my last visit to Cafe Flora, I STILL love this place completely. My first visit years ago was so spectacular that it leaves a solid impression. I STILL remember the portabella Wellington, bite for bite. I still rave about it to every vegetarian and not vegetarian I know that visits or lives in the Seattle area. I will not throw away my Cafe Flora cookbook and I completely intend to visit again when I hit the Pacific Northwest this fall.
Pros: Great vegetarian options! * Fulfills the palate of meat eater * Generally friendly
Cons: bad creme brulee * * |
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| "Upscale & Trendy Feel"
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My Rating |
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11 |
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Posted on: Thursday, March 20, 2008 |
Review: This is a nice place to go with your carnivore friends. The food is tasty, portions are good, and the atmosphere is hopping. It doesn't have that typical vegan-feel. The food is decent, but nothing to brag about. Just good food, decent selection and can be a bit pricey.
Pros: atmosphere * upscale feel *
Cons: prices * waits * |
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| "I had a wonderful birthday dinner"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 |
Review: I'm a fairly new vegan and this was to be my first vegan/vegitarian dining/restaurant experience. The atmosphere was very nice, service was great..I thought our waitress was just wonderful...and the food was so good. We had an appetizer, dinner and desert and both my husband and I loved our meals. The only bummer was that my 3 year old little boy decided he didn't want to stay w/ his grandparents while we went out so he tagged along as well. He liked his mac-n-cheese. Party pooper.
Pros: good food * friendly staff * nice atmosphere
Cons: none * * |
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| "A LOVELY PLACE FOR LOVELY PEOPLE"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Saturday, October 20, 2007 |
Review: It is great to have a place like this in Seattle. Unfortunately I only get over here on special occasions. The food is fresh and tasty. Great atmosphere.
Pros: Menu * atmosphere * Dessert
Cons: No cons * No cons * No cons |
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| "Good food, a little pricey."
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 |
Review: Count on Cafe Flora for delicious food, ranging from heavy and "meaty," like the portabella wellington, to light and flavorful like the croquettes on lentils and a cabbage salad. They've done away with their pre fixe dinner on weeknights. It used to provide a salad, dinner, and dessert for $25. Now, it's upwards of $40 or more to go out and have 3 courses. If you are in the mood for gourmet food, though, it's worth the price.
Pros: tasty food * variety of choices * atmosphere
Cons: price * possible wait time * no reservations allowed |
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| "Great special ocasion restaurant!"
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 |
Review: It's a really nice upscale restaurant. Sure the prices are a little higher, but they really are worth it. The gourmet food that you find here is right on par with 5 star resturants. You can't go wrong with any entree and make sure that you do try the desert as well.
Pros: excellent food * friendly staff * romantic atmosphere
Cons: a little pricey * * |
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| "Nice, but expensive!!"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Thursday, July 12, 2007 |
Review: This was our second time to Cafe Flora - Both times were for a family vacation. The first time we came for breakfast, and that was a more successful outing. This second time around, in 2007, we were struggling to find food to feed all of us for under $45 (2 adults, 2 kids, 1 baby). When I saw the kids' menu, I was dismayed to see that their kids' meals were all typical restaurant kids' entrees with no vegetables. This is a vegetarian restaurant! I know places like Denny's and Chili's, etc. have a hard time understanding that kids need veggies too, but this is sad, when a veggie restaurant doesn't. For example, a no-brainer is to serve instead of just macaroni and cheese, perhaps macaroni and broccoli! (cut up small)...I finally ordered the Portabello Wellington for $17 and my husband got the Oaxaca Tacos. Mine was simple (and this is supposed to be $17?) but it was tasty, I had to admit. My husband's tacos were good too. My son ordered a quesadilla appetizer which was good and my daughter had falled asleep. I also appreciated the toys they had for kids, but they looked slightly dirty and chewed up. Please clean up those toys every day! Really nice thought though, to have those available for kids. Overall nice, but make sure you have lots of cash before coming!
Pros: food was good * nice looking place *
Cons: very expensive * uncreative kids' menu * no veggies on kids' menu |
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• So look at this persons profile, she doesn't live here and says all the restaurants are horrible... This is not a creditable person.... response by SeattleVegan
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| "Delicious and sublime!"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Friday, April 20, 2007 |
Review: I loved the food at Cafe Flora! Everything I had was delicious, especially the Risotto Asparagus cakes with a yummy carrot sauce, and the delicious vegan chocolate cake. The food is beautifully served, the service was excellent and timely, and the decor is very tasteful. Nice location too! The prices are a little high, it's true, but the food is well worth it. Great for special occasions and romantic dinners.
Pros: Tasty food * Vegan selections * Location
Cons: * * |
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| "Good food, great atmosphere"
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My Rating |
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13 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 |
Review: Good food (not the best in Seattle) but nice atmosphere. I go rarely for special occasions. I think brunch is better than lunch/dinner.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Once is enough"
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My Rating |
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13 |
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Posted on: Thursday, July 13, 2006 |
Review: Few vegan options, moderately-sized portions, yummy desserts. Fancy prices. Good wine list. Having been 3 times, I need never go again (unless they seriously expand/change their menu). Good service.
Pros: pretty atrium * good service * nice atmosphere
Cons: pricey * few vegan options * |
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