Candle Cafe

Everything was good, no show-stoppers. Friendly staff, casual crowded-ish atmosphere. Good spot to eat after a visit to the Met.

We liked the spaghetti and wheat balls and the chocolate mouse pie, delicious.

went here to have lunch during NYC holiday, place was full crowded and by that somewhat noisy, but had a super nice staff by our experience and quality atmosphere, food was delicious by any standard but just some sandwich i had was not that special in comparison to other, cheaper places to eat at Manhattan! still would go over again and again to try all different stuff ( :

Came here for lunch. It was very busy and it felt like a rather long wait for the food. I ate the buffalo cauliflower which I really enjoyed as it was tasty, crispy, and not oily. Some might find the portion small but it was perfect for me. Next time I want to try the grilled cheese sandwich or Mac and cheese, both looked really good. The chocolate peanut butter pie was really tasty (and came comparatively quickly, as the lunch rush was over).

Great choice of vegan and gluten free dishes, which taste great. Service also superb. Juices made on the spot complete the fantastic experience.

Best meal I've ever had! You are guaranteed to find something amazing on this menu whether your vegan or not. It's an amazing blend of flavours without being too rich and filling. The Mexican chocolate cake is to die for!! My new favourite restaurant :)

So much great vegan food to choose from. Your hardest task of the day will be to narrow your options from the delights of the menu!

This place was incredible! My mom and I ate here when we came to NYC over spring break. My mom isn't vegan or vegetarian and she loved this place! We got the dumplings for an appetizer, they were yummy and the sauce was too. I got the tempeh BLT with sweet potato fries. It was AMAZING. My mom got the Mediterranean wrap and it was yummy too.

Candle Cafe is one of the original vegan spots to me in NYC. It certainly feels more "healthy vegan" than even any of the Blossom restaurants, but that's part of its charm. It can be hard to snag a table here, as it's maintained its popularity through time. A few weeks ago, my sister, mom and I met my aunt for lunch during the week. My aunt works nearby but hadn't been and was pleasantly surprised (she's not vegan or vegetarian)!

My mom, sister and I all got the lemon-ginseng ice tea (decaf and unsweetened). It is super good - we all are frequent ice tea drinkers and found theirs to be exceptional. So much flavor without added sweaters. It was very lemony but not tart. My mom and sister both had the avocado BLT, which I was going to order too, but my sister convinced me we couldn't have three of the same. Theirs was a very large portion and the sandwich was topped with lots of avocado and tempeh bacon. I got the Good Food Plate, which is a you-pick any four sides and two dressings. I got the sweet potato, daily bean - a pinto, caramelized onions and brussel sprouts. I got the carrot ginger and country gravy sauces at the recommendation of the waitress. All of the vegetables were sautéed perfectly, again with good portion sizes. I still felt the plate was a bit expensive at $20 for four veggies, but I will say I was full and satisfied until I had dinner about seven hours later, which is impressive.

I've had their desserts before too and they're also quite good. I'll say, my dad, a non-vegan/vegetarian will sometimes cringe when we mention going here, as he doesn't feel there's quite enough flavor or food to satisfy. I'd argue there's lots of options, but just a note to others who are mostly meat or fish eaters.

I enjoy Candle Cafe and will definitely be back on future trips to NYC.

Very friendly staff and cozy atmosphere, but the food is bland. The descriptions on the menu sound way more appetizing than the food actually is. The juice I had was great but both dishes I had were disappointing. I would be willing to try again with some different dishes though!

So many amazing choices that I ordered like a king!!!! Some things ordered two!!!!

Came for lunch, we were amongst the first to arrive. I had the cajun seitan which was very nice, my friend the lasagne which he said was very nice. But it wasn't $45 worth of lunch, which is what it came to with tax and tip. Waiter was standoffish, never checked up on us after taking our order, forgot the juice shots. For the money you pay, you'd expect better service, and better food.

The service here is amazing and the food is delicious. Was sad to hear they no longer serve the jackfruit tacos, but they still have the jackfruit nacho plate. The BLT was ok but I'd try something else next time. The pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon ice cream was out-of-this-world!

We had an amazing dinner at the Candle Cafe. I had the eggplant napoleon and my husband had the bbq seitan. Service was great too. Reminded us of Plant in Asheville NC. Great food!

A couple of hours after arriving in NYC I decided to have dinner at Candle Cafe with friends that are not vegetarian. The waiter Justin hosted us with a wide smile and an impressive menu (something rare at the city famous for grumpy service). So many delicious options, even for me that have a diet with gluten restrictions. We started the meal with raw Live Crystal Rolls and a fresh juice. I had the amazing Avocado Club Sandwich with side fries with vegan maionese and ketchup. My friend had the daily wrap that looks more like a burrito with mesclun salad. Even without any hungry we had to share the outrageously good chocolate mousse pie with a scoop of Candle's daily artisan coconut based sorbet (an explosion of flavor with a delightful texture): the best way to end a special feast.

Ordered the guacamole, dumpling, jackfruit taco & manicotti apps as well as the mashed potatoes. Also had the Pineapple Express cocktail. Everything was great & the service was great. The only negative thing was the vegetables that came with the manicotti were bitter making me think maybe they weren't thoroughly washed?

I enjoyed everything about this plant based establishment. From the craft cocktails to the rustic ambiance. For appetizers we had the seitan skewers and the stuffed artichokes. We then split the Cajun seitan sandwich. So delicious and filled us perfectly for a stroll thru Central Park!

This was one of the first vegetarian restaurants my husband and I visited when we were dating, and we continue to return for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions now that we are married. The food is lovingly prepared and is delicious. The grilled chimichurri skewers, seitan burger, paradise casserole and smoothies are not to be missed! We met one of the co-owners, Bart, on a January afternoon when he was making preparations for a huge snowfall predicted for the following day. He was so gracious to take time to speak with us, and we were happy to share how much we love his restaurant. We own the Candle Cafe Cookbook, though some of the proportions of ingredients are off and not scaled correctly for home versus restaurant cooking - better to eat in the actual restaurant. Too many vegetarian and vegan restaurants have disappeared from NYC; we are so happy Candle Cafe has stayed a constant fixture on the Upper East Side and continues to deliver excellent service, ambiance and vegan food. Definitely check them out.