Vegan
American
International
Organic
Delivery
Catering
Fusion
NYC vegan cafe. Offers farm-to-table dining, daily specials, and uses Daiya vegan cheese. Serves brunch on weekends until 4:30pm. Reported closed December 2020.
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1307 3rd Ave (at 75th St, Upper East Side, Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10021
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Last update on 22 Dec 2020 by cwl666
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111 Reviews
First Review by Poundie
kennyp353
Points +1622
Acceptable, but not much more - Edit
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.
Read morePros: decent food
Cons: disinterested service, poor value, poor service
Guest
MandaBee
Points +48
Great service and cheesecake! - Edit
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!
Read moreGuest
hamish193
Points +45
Wonderful dinner! - Edit
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!
Read moreGuest
danielacaporali
Points +33
An experience beyond great food - Edit
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.
Read moreGuest
trombleyal
Points +58
yum! - Edit
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?
Read morePros: awesomeness
Cons: bitter veggies
Guest
VeganLeaks
Points +155
AMAZING! - Edit
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!
Read moreGuest
VegHeadNYC
Points +238
Highly Recommend this UES Vegan Institution - Edit
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.
Read moreGuest
Noufaux
Points +348
Three words...YUM YUM YUM - Edit
Has to be the best food I've ever found.
Read moreWe had these grilled tofu skewers for a starters and texture was amazing!
My boyfriend had a Portabello steak and I had a light fried chicken with seasonal veg, mashed potato and gravy. The presentation was fantastic, takes vegan food to another level.
We had some of their juices which were perfect, the waiter called Jackson was extremely friendly, even though they were busy he still had time to chat to us.
As we were full we took more drinks and some desserts back to our hotel. Had a carrot cake, pumpkin pie cheesecake and my favourite out of the three, peanut butter and chocolate pie, it's like a torte and melts in your mouth.
They even have some cookbooks, I bought the "Vegan Holiday Cooking" book, can't wait to try the recipes myself and there's some cocktails in there too!
Overall a great experience and I recommend it to everyone, was really worth the 17 blocks walk from our station at the time.
Pros: Reasonably priced , Delicious food and drinks, Fast and friendly service
Cons: Tables are really close together which might make , Nowhere to put bags or shopping anywhere.
Candle Cafe
Adele, thank you so much for stopping by and joining us for what sounds like an amazing meal! We'd love to see how your recipes from our "Vegan Holiday Cooking" cookbook turn out. We hope to see you again soon here at Candle Cafe!
Read moreGuest
Oscar M
Points +199
Loved it! - Edit
This gorgeous cafe has to be one of my favourite vegan places in NYC. I am more of a Lower East Side kind of guy but Candle Cafe is chic without being pretentious. I love the concept of "organic vegan food fresh from farm to table" and compassion for animals among many other things I support plus fantastic food. The crystal rolls, the cajun seitan sandwich and the smoked tempeh & grilled vegetables sandwich were all excellent. The watermelon limonades went great with our lunch and we left completely satisfied although we had to skip dessert because portions were really filling. I got a copy of their cookbook so I can try to make this amazing food back at home in Madrid!
Read morePros: Excellent food, Gossip Girl like atmosphere
Cons: There isn't one in Madrid
Guest
AlexandraC.MacArthur
Points +42
Good but overrated - Edit
I enjoyed my meal at Candle Cafe, but I wasn't blown away. I'm a bit critical of it, not so much because of the establishment itself, but how ignorant New Yorkers who've not eaten vegan food in other places rave about it. I think that Sprig and Vine, in New Hope PA, is a better version of this restaurant.
Read moreThat being said the atmosphere and service are wonderful. Part of the reason I may not be as crazy about the food is that they don't have as many gluten free options compared to the other options on the menu (though they do have a GF menu). That's an issue for me because I'm allergic to most night shades meaning that I can usually only eat half of most menus (gluten free or otherwise) anyway. But the menu for today looks good so I guess I'll give it another try.
Updated from previous review on Monday August 18, 2014
Guest
corinal
Points +1623
Definitely go there! - Edit
We had so many things on the menu and they were all good, but our particular favorites are the chocolate mousse pie (SO creamy!!!), the ginger-miso stir fry, and the Indian plate (each flavor was very distinct). The staff are so friendly, greeting you as you enter and exit, and they accommodated our groups during busy lunches even when we were on a time limit.
Read morePros: Awesome food, Amazing desserts, Really friendly staff
Guest
dkinjer
Points +309
Enjoyed very much - Edit
We went to two gourmet vegan restaurants in NYC - V-note and this one. This was less fancy as far as the decor, no tablecloths (maybe because it was in the afternoon?) etc., but the food was also very good, though I thought my GRILLED PORTOBELLO STEAK was a bit too salty. Or maybe it was the capers on it. But the sauce was great, the asparagus excellent, and overall I enjoyed the creativity of the dish. My spouse had the CAJUN SEITAN SANDWICH and enjoyed it a lot. We also had tea for me, coffee for him and shared Chocolate Mousse pie, which was super. It was rich, but the chocolate was bitter chocolate and we loved it. Service was good.
Read morePros: Great food , Great dessert, good service
Cons: could use a little spiffing up the decor
Guest
bwolmarans
Points +90
Great But Expensive - Edit
You get what you pay for. Oddly enough couldn't agree more with previous reviewer who stated Cajun seitan wasn't spicy enough .. Still I love this place its so warm and social and has a buzz.
Read morePros: Bacon
Cons: Cajun
Guest
JanTheniceoneHirsch
Points +19
Great Choice - Edit
I love the Candle Cafe. The menu has a great selection, and the food is well prepared. The staff is mostly helpful, and friendly. When it is crowded, it is a little noisy, but worth braving the noise.
Read morePros: Great Food, Knowledgeable Staff, Good Environmental Practices
Cons: Expensive, Noisy Sometimes
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1095
solid place in NYC - Edit
Great food, staff, menu. Go there, be happy.
Read morethe frozen food of theirs is nasty, not in my faves. bad try.
Pros: food, staff
Cons: frozen fare
kindlizard
This place is so consistent. We go here more than any other place in the city. Seemingly whenever we can go here because they are so consistent and the food always rocks. One of the top 3 in the country, easily.
Read moreGuest
Barney Big Ears
Points +358
fine - Edit
Staff was friendly. The menu, including daily specials, seemed pretty typical for this type of restaurant - which isn't really a plus or minus in my mind.
Read morePros: Nice staff
Guest
MichaelBeasley
Points +37
Good restaurant - Edit
I ate at the bar after arriving in town on a late flight. The people were friendly and helpful. The menu looked great, and although the Cajun seitan sandwich was good, it needed salt and could have been spicier. Nonetheless, I would try more from their menu (and ended up going to Candle Cafe West later in my trip)
Read moreGuest
Soul2Soul Educare
Points +1090
Quaint but Crowded - Edit
Here's a cafe where they have tried to pack in as many tables as they can - so you are literally elbow to elbow with the next guest. At least the restaurant was warm and cozy though. It does have a great menu though and I would have loved to have lunch or dinner because I saw other people's food and it looked and smelled delicious. I went there for coffee and cake and I wasn't disappointed. The desserts were all really good, I had the chocolate peanut butter cake, my husband had the chocolate mousse cake and my friend had the brownie dessert - we also had cappuccinos made with almond milk which were very good. The service was great. It was slightly expensive though. I would definitely recommend this place.
Read morePros: Extensive Menu
Cons: Crowded and Noisy
Guest
ParlaDharma
Points +38
Candle Cafe - Edit
One of my favorites in Manhattan. I've only been to the one on the Upper East Side. I love the selection of sandwiches an burgers - and they are reasonably priced for the area.
Read moreGuest
baruchadam
Points +398
delicious - Edit
If you can put up with the crowded atmosphere, you're in for a real vegetarian treat.
Read morePros: great menu, good service
Cons: crowded/small space
Guest
steveveg
Points +2186
Always nice - Edit
We occasionally eat at Candle Cafe, and have always found it pleasant, the food delectable and the service friendly and attentive. This time we had the Beluga lentil wrap entree special, the BBQ seitan sandwich and the pan-seared seitan au poivre. The seitan au poivre was probably my favorite of the three. We also had the special blueberry bundt cake (with soy ice cream) for dessert - great. An enjoyable visit as usual.
Read morePros: vegan, reliably good, good service
Guest
Mellifluoust
Points +778
Cozy vegan spot - Edit
Candle Cafe is akin to Cafe Blossom in that it is the more moderately priced sibling to an upscale vegan restaurant. Unfortunately, Candle Cafe was still at the upper limit of my budget. The food here is interesting and varied. I ordered a jerk tofu dish with quinoa and plantains - yummy and unusual. For dessert, we shared a slice of berry pie and a rich chocolate moose tart.
Read moreGuest
YuliyaGuliya8
Points +55
An amazing meal - Edit
This place is rather small but has great ambiance. The waiters were so friendly and accommodating, it was a pleasure to dine there. The food was delicious. We had chipotle grilled tempeh and some sort of delicious mashed potatoes with walnut crusted seitan. So good, mmmm. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
Read morePros: Ambiance, Location, Food
Cons: A bit small
Guest
changoamable
Points +77
Cajun Seitan Sandwich and juice. - Edit
Really good, big, delicious sandwich!
Read moreThe quality of the seitan was unpredictable, but it seems they worked it out. Phone folks uneven, too - could be super nice or just nasty.
$16 sandwich and they charge you $2 extra for a tiny container of extra sauce - is there any way to explain that as more than greedy?
Juices are good.
Lots of the main courses are mediocre and way overpriced.
Pros: Cajun Seitan Sandwich, Green Goddess juice
kindlizard
they make their own seitan, as do I, and I can tell you it is an inexact science. I'll save you the process details, but their seitan is the best, and if yours was not as good, try something else, perhaps. Their menu is extensive and sure to please anyone!
Read moreGuest
njezior
Points +56
Wonderful food & experience - Edit
On a trip to New Jersey, we went into the city to visit Candle Cafe and it did not disappoint! The porcini crusted seitan was awesome, as we're the chimchurri seitan appetizer and the carrot cake for dessert. Being from DC, we have limited options for vegan fare, so this was definitely a fantastic treat.
Read morePros: Nice staff, Awesome food
Cons: Little bit noisy
Guest
angelaxvx
Points +163
What a dissapointment - Edit
I finally convinced my mom to go to an all vegan restaurant and I wish I had chose a different restaurant. The fries came out cold and mushy almost as if they warm them up in the microwave and lacked flavor big time. I also got one of their "shakes" but it was somewhat icee instead. My mom ordered the mac n cheese and it tasted awful. It was almost as if they just took some noodles and warmed some Daiya cheese on top.
Read moreCons: Bland food, Cold fries, Poor services
Guest
elles_belles
Points +1301
Great food - Edit
I love the canjun seitan sandwich. It is the most amazing sandwich in recent memory. Get and you'll be good for the rest of the day.
Read moreI've also tried the seitan appetizer. It is good but different than the one served at Candle 79.
Guest
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