Cafe Flora

Had our first visit to Café Flora yesterday. After some initial confusion (the greeter had disappeared for a few minutes), our brunch experience there was great. Started with a cherry almond hemp nog, which was a bit on the small side but delicious. Our main courses were a carrot & fennel scramble with roasted potatoes (good), raspberry French toast (very good), and blueberry pancakes with lemon curd (awesome). The scramble was also a bit on the small side, but the pancakes were good-sized. The prices are fairly high, as others have mentioned, but not outrageous. Overall we enjoyed the food and service, and I'm sure we'll be back.

Used to love this place for many years. Unfortunately, lately the food quality (especially breakfast) is not as good and some staff seem permanently grumpy and one feels as though your presence is an inconvenience. I went in earlier this week and waited over 5 min for someone to seat me while I listened to the staff talk about their families just behind the wall of kitchen behind the espresso bar, if anyone had stopped for a moment and looked out they would have seen they had a customer (and the restaurant only had a few tables filled at the time)...I finally just left as it didn't seem anyone was going to come out anytime soon and I had a limited time for lunch. Still lots of nice folks here, but a noticeable change after many years of great food and service. Hope the greatness this place once had will return!

The restaurant is in a nice building with lots of windows, plants, and a fountain. Unfortunately, the food doesn't live up to the setting. We had a seasonal tofu scramble and the forager scramble. Both tasted about the same except that one had more soy and the other had a few tiny slivers of mushroom and squash. Both had an abundance of salt, if you like salty foods. According to the receipt, our server was also a manager. There were only two other tables being served, and she seemed put out to have us there as well.

It also bothers me that they charge an extra dollar for tofu instead of eggs. Unless they are getting really cheap eggs, tofu isn't that much more costly to serve.

If you are in Madison Valley and need a place to sit down and eat, this does the trick. The food won't be inspired, but it is filling, and it is vegetarian or vegan, depending on your wishes.

The food was so tasty and fresh!! What impressed me most was how they embraced the season with their offerings. Very original and creative dishes!

I love the place, it has a lovely feeling to it and the indoor garden area is beautiful.

Food wise: I had the vegan quinoa cakes and they were really tasty and well prepared. My friend (omni) had the vegan version of the ravioli following my advise, but I have to say they were a little tasteless for my liking. The cashew cream wasnt that espectacular and the filling of the ravioli was a little bit poor. The quino cakes were far superior.

Now, hands down for the dessert. I had the vegan chocolate raw cake and it was amazing. So, so, creamy and delicious - the best part of the meal.

Definitely a nice spot for a date, family or friends meal.

I've been twice in several years, and each time the food flavors were pretty unusual to me, and I go to a lot of restaurants.

The interior is probably nice enough for a date.

A few weeks ago I had:
Grillled Flatbread 2.5/5
Oaxaca Tacos 2.5/5
Plum Pistachio Pizza 2.5/5
Zucchini Fritters (too salty) 2/5
Heirloom Melon & Shiso Salad 2.0-2.5/5 (but the frisee lettuce I gave 1.5)
—shortly before closing.

Updated from previous review on Saturday January 03, 2015

I've been pretty happy here. The food is good. I think it's a little better than Plum Bistro. The interior is lovely. It's a great date spot. I haven't had the service problems other reviewers have. I agree that they could be more vegan friendly. About half the menu is or can be made vegan. Unfortunately, not the Portobello Wellington.

We had dinner here two weeks ago .. unfortunately we live way out of the area, so unable to provide a lot of repeat business. Vegan options are available, along with a wider range of vegetarian dishes. The food, service, and layout is top notch. If we had not had lunch at araya's a block away the next day, it would be my top choice in Seattle, but still an excellent choice.

So when asked to have something garlic-free and vegan they bring out barely cooked unseasoned tofu. They seem lost, and still rude though you can tell at times some are forcing a trying to be nice thing. We won't be back, nor do I think hey want vegans there anyhow.

While it would be nice if there were more vegan options on the menu, the servers have consistently worked with me to come up with something that is both vegan and delicious. Last time I was there I had a lovely, fresh salad with seasonal greens and their summer polenta for my main course. I wasn't sure I was going to like the polenta, but it was delicious. We sat out in their beautiful garden in the sunshine and had wonderful service from a young lady that was such a sweetheart, we almost wanted to hug her when we left. Will definitely continue to come back here whenever we are in Seattle.
Updated from previous review on Friday July 25, 2014

I was pretty surprised at how difficult it was as a vegan to work with their menu. Most of the options are vegetarian, not vegan, and then the few that can be made vegan have a little star by them... so when I asked my server how certain ones were made vegan, it was usually just by leaving out a certain ingredient, without providing a substitution. After a lot of figuring out, my fiancé and I settled on a black bean burger and tomato vegetable soup (the only vegan soup they had...)
The food itself tasted good, and the interior design was absolutely gorgeous -possibly one of the prettiest restaurants I've been in. But honestly, with how poor/slow the service was, and how expensive the food was (for such limited options!) we won't be back. Maybe it's easier for vegetarians. (although I did read another review talking about how their cheese has rennet?)

I can't really comment for vegetarians, who have way more options than vegans on the menu. Maybe it is because there are so many better vegan restaurants that Cafe Flora is not trying hard enough with vegan options?
Most vegan options are actually vegetarian selections that can be veganized. I don't like that, it makes me wonder how often they screw up.
Anyway, went there, struggled to find anything exciting as a vegan and will not plan to go back because of the other options in Seattle.

I went here for my birthday- I had their vegan Caesar salad and bloody mary. It is a vegetarian restaurant- some items are vegan or can be veganized, but a lot of the choices seem to be vegetarian. I really like the interior. I think it would be a good place to go with family and non-veg friends.

This was my first vegetarian stop during a recent trip to Seattle and it did not disappoint for a second. It's an attempt at top drawer veggie cuisine in a very cute, quaint, artsy decor. Unfortunately, we didn't get to sit in the beautiful sun room dining area.

We had a wonderful server and bypassed the interesting assortment of starters and ordered our food. My wife's Portobello Wellington was much enjoyed and cooked excellently. The vegetables, as I recall, were a delight.

Personally, my Lobster Mushroom Polenta was phenomenal. This dish is a testament to the near-perfection attained by the cook staff. I adored it.

We saw the desert tray when we walked in and made sure to save room for the delicious-looking white cake. In fact, the coconut layer cake was outstanding and a wonderful, sizable way to end our meal.

All in all, I left with nothing to complain about. Service was prompt, decor was great, servings were appropriate, food was delicious and good times were had. The only thing that hurt (a little) was the price tag. Overpriced? Maybe. But I'll take a hit from time to time in order to take in special places like Cafe Flora.

First time at cafe flora. I was there for brunch on a sunday afternoon. The dining area is bright, plenty of windows, nicely decorated with wall art and plants, though probably could use more textiles to help absorb some of the loud noise that can't be avoided with large amounts of people in a closed space. They have a greenhouse-like dining area as well, which looked bright and cozy, though I did not sit in that area.
I only saw the brunch menu, so I can't comment much on the dinner menu. I ended up ordering the Rancho Colorado scramble, which was supposedly spice, but I tasted none of the spice. I had real eggs, but they offer the tofu option as a vegan alternative. Potatoes were tasty, though overall, the dish was nothing out of the ordinary.
I'd say this place is a bit overpriced, but worth the trip based on the available food options, dining atmosphere and good service.

The food was great, even my father who hates anything labeled as vegan or vegetarian liked it. We sat in the greenhouse-like seating area, and it was very beautiful and peaceful. Although it's on the pricey side, so I don't frequent this place much, it's worth a try.

I enjoyed sitting out on the patio and there seemed to be a lot of interesting food choices on the menu. We ordered a fairly wide variety of vegan offerings (apps, mains and desserts). There were certain offerings that were better than others and overall I would say the food was pretty good (but not great). If I lived in the neighborhood I'd probably eat here again but if I had to drive out of my way there is other better vegan fare in Seattle.

This restaurant is really great, perhaps one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've ever experienced. The dishes were creative, tasty, and well prepared. There was a wide selection of different types of food. The decor and service was also very good.

It is a bit expensive, so prepare for that.

The food and atmosphere were average. The price was above. Seriously doubt I'll go back in light of all the other local options. After hearing good accolades, I can only guess they are living on their laurels.

Really good food, but kind of expensive and really small portions,

Cafe Flora was our intro to the Seattle veg scene during an almost week-long visit and it set the tone for the week in a positive way. Service was good and the food was great. Because of the unique items on the menu, we were tempted to return, but just didn't find the time with so many other veg restaurants to try.

Thanks to KL for emailing me during my trip with this recommendation, as it was a good experience. First off, the restaurant is super cute and the employees are very friendly. By the end of my trip I was pretty seitaned, mock meat, and mock cheesed out so Cafe Flora was a great place go to. I ordered the large vegan ceasar salad and my bf decided to try their fries with the vegan aioli. I actually loved the salad - it came with croutons, fried capers, and lemon. The vegan aioli that came with the fries was very good as well, we both loved it. My favorite part of the meal was the dressing on my salad, and the best part is, the waiter gave me the recipe for it so that I can make it at home (without me even asking for it)! 4 cows for the food/atmosphere and +1 for giving me the recipe for the dressing.

I've been to Cafe Flora a grand total of two times so far, once for dinner, the other for brunch. First off, it's a nice setting--very bright and airy. Loved the sun room with the little fountain in the center.

They have quite an interesting menu, with adequate vegan options/versions available, and an amount of food proportional to the price (I think). My Black Bean Burger was YUM, yam fries were a bit soggy for my liking, but good nonetheless. I love the fried avocado appetizers, too. I think I had some sort of tofu scramble for brunch, but ohhhh was it good.

Service ran the gamut of quite slow, average, to OVERLY attentive. This could be due (at least on one visit) to the amount of business, or it could be typical of this establishment. Who knows! At any rate, our servers were always polite & solicitous when on task.

Prices could be considered a tad on the expensive side, BUT I can also see that as relative to what you're ordering and/or accustomed to spending.

Anyway, nice little sit-down restaurant. I would love to go back when next in the Seattle area.

I love the food. And They have the best soy cappuccino in Seattle!

It's been sometime since I have been to Cafe Flora (out of towner)
The food is still good, not great, but above average.
The angry red head to seated us (Tossing the menus on the table and walking away before we were even seated) left a bitte taste.
Another couple left after she did the same to them.
The wait person was pleasant but not at all attentive.
Clearly they did not meet their mission statement as printed on the menu.

I've been making recipes from the cookbook for a couple of months now. They have some great vegan recipes. I figured I would go to the actual restaurant and see if they live up to all of the hype. I started with an appetizer of coconut crusted tofu with a sweet chile dipping sauce. It was a little bland, but good nonetheless. For an entree, I had the chantrelle pizza which was excellent. My friend had the artichoke croquettes which I would highly recommend. Top notch even if it weren't a vegan dish. For dessert, I had the carrot cake... very good. My friend had a brownie with ice cream that rivaled its dairy counterpart. The atmosphere is upscale casual. The service is personable and proficient. The prices may be high for some, but as a recent vegan convert that previously enjoyed high-end restaurants; I find its passion for vegetarian cuisine refreshing.

I was trying to give Cafe Flora more chances from downfalls in past with things like putting honey in "vegan" dishes/desserts without telling us but after our experience on Valentine's Day, we won't be going back. Here's what happened: I made the reservations a month in advance, they said I could specify a table and I had to choose from the menu, exactly what we wanted ahead of time because they were going to make dinners by the numbers ordered and you could not mix and match veggie, vegan and vegan, gluten free options, you had to pick either one or the other. So, we ordered one vegan and one vegan, gluten free with a table next to the fountain. I thought, how nice. I chose the vegan, gluten free option specifically so I could get the type of dessert (a vanilla custard type dish) they offered with that meal and because I am eating a vegan, gluten free diet.

OK, month later...we get there and wait nearly 20 minutes to be seated (when we have reservations) and we don't get the table we reserved, instead we get a table by the window. We were like, ok...and gave them the benefit of the doubt since they were busy etc. etc. Then they gave us the menus and the courses were not in the order that was on the website, the salads were now after the entree's. The waitress said when we sit down that we can pick what we want (which we thought was kind of weird since we were told we had to chose ahead of time), we say what we had ordered. For dessert, the waitress says we can chose what we want again so I say and she comes back and says oh, that's only for our vegan, gluten free guests. I inform her that I am one of those guests as I ordered a month in advance. Oops, they are all out of that dessert (because they've been letting people order whatever they want for dessert, and they only pre-made enough for the vegan, gluten free people who ordered ahead of time--it's not like we had late reservations, and they are already out?!). Then she says, oh but we have another dessert, white cake that she thinks is gluten free...she goes to check and comes back, sorry, that's not even vegan! I do not eat anything but vegan. We end up with two vegan, chocolate cakes, that aren't gluten free...and a less then heartfelt apology. Sheesh! Needless to say, it was a less than pleasant experience on what was supposed to be a very nice, romantic, Valentine's Day dinner. We made the best of it but we won't be back. The lowest rating option for a veggie place is 2 cows.

I eat at Cafe Flora a few times a year and I'm happy to bring out-of-town guests here. First off, the cocktails are very good, as are the wines by-the-glass. The food is creative and delicious. I've grown quite tired of vegan/vegetarian restaurants that feature tofu in every other dish. Everything is very nicely seasoned, there are plenty of vegan options, and the flavors are fresh and well-combined. This is not an inexpensive restaurant but I think it's worth the price. By the way, I use the Cafe Flora cookbook and it is excellent BUT the dishes entail a lot of prep work.

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.

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!

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.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. You can get a vegan option for almost every dish. Sunday brunch is wonderful!!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Good food (not the best in Seattle) but nice atmosphere. I go rarely for special occasions. I think brunch is better than lunch/dinner.

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.