Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Pizza
Organic
Delivery
Take-out
Bakery
Catering
Fusion
Breakfast
Kosher
A bustling cafe and bakery founded since 1975. Features daily changing selection of hot foods and specials plus fresh breads and bakery goods, including vegan cakes and treats. Serves vegan pancakes every morning. The french toast is now vegan as well. Bus-your-own table style. Open Mon 8:30am-8:30pm, Wed-Sun 8:30am-8:30pm. Closed Tue.
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1000 Chapel St, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, 06511
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 23 Aug 2024 by ClairesCornerCopia
Update business info
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67 Reviews
First Review by Mary McCurry
csailor
Points +857
Delicious! - Edit
Really loved the abundance of options for vegans, and clear labeling. Everything tasted homemade and fresh. I really enjoyed everything I tried here, and would only love to see more options for vegan baked goods. Wish I lived nearby I would be here all the time.
Read moreClairesCornerCopia
Thank you so much for your visit and for taking the time to be so kind. Generally, we have tons of yummy homemade desserts, but because we were closed for July 4, we let too many desserts run out - someone came in and wiped us out before we had time to bake up more desserts. We hope you'll be back again. Happy Summer.
Read morePeace,
Claire and Team
Guest
olivie
Points +84
Great pasta and more - Edit
Many vegan options on the menu. Vegan eggplant parm was amazing with homemade marinara sauce. Only drawback: my dish (vegan meatballs) was cold, and the meatballs were okay. Still 5 stars because we went back and loved it!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-06-30
Guest
beckylong
Points +1742
So Flavorful & Filling! - Edit
We probably could have gotten just one of these entrees to split because they were so filling!! The symphony of flavors probably contributed to the fullness we felt - the food was really hearty!!!
Read moreGuest
veganqueenofqueensnyc
Points +1302
"NI" for Needs Improvement - Edit
Excellent customer service; lovely staff. Sufficient vegan options on the menu yield acceptable but mostly mediocre offerings. Best to be seated by a window, unless you aspire to experience claustrophobia while dining within a somewhat noisy environment.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-04
Pros: Plenty of Vegan options, Attentive and friendly staff, Excellent customer service
Cons: Food is generally medicore; sometimes bland, Noisy and crowded at times
Guest
mark m braunstein
Points +462
look out the window to take your mind off the food - Edit
Since 1975, Claire’s has remained an integral part of New Haven’s dining scene that almost always lacks an eat-in vegan restaurant. Kudos for its longevity. Ten years ago, in 2014, Claire’s dipped its toes into the 21st Century by increasing its proportion of vegan entrées, as well as offering vegan cheese as an alternative to all its cow cheese dishes. (Until then, you could substitute cow cheese only with blah tofu). The very informative online and wallboard menus instruct which otherwise non-vegan dishes can be made vegan. Took a while for Claire’s to get here, as until around 1999 Ms Claire offered tuna, but removed it from the menu upon opening her dead-meat restaurant next door. No loss to us when a few years ago it closed down. While a chef need not be veghead to creatively cook veggies, still it's disquieting that Ms Claire is a carnivore at heart.
Read moreMost other vegan reviewers understandably berate this place, but I rate it Fair rather than Terrible. You simply must choose wisely from among its extensive menu. On the plus side, you can view some of the standard entrees and most of the specials in a display case near the registers, and doing so is more edifying than the inscriptions on the wall boards. Yes, you sometimes can judge these books by their covers. For instance, one memorable daily special, a nut loaf with mashed potatoes, looked better than it sounds, and tasted better than it looked! Most entrées come with a cutesy small loaf of spongiform bread that is allegedly whole wheat but that looks exceedingly white. Tell the cashier who takes your order to skip the bread, as it is unfit to feed even to the birds.
The seating is cramped and uncomfortable, even after it expanded during pandemic pandemonium and added space between tables. The staff behind the counter works in even more cramped and stressful quarters, so be sympathetic to them. When you pay by credit card, there’s no option to add tips, so bring cash for the tip jar. They deserve it. Worse for them than for us who stay for only an hour, the noise level inside compares to a college dining hall, which might be heartening if that evokes memories of your youth. Just don’t meet here for a date. Try to claim a seat by a window where you can enjoy the view of the Yale and New Haven communities parading by, and can thereby take your mind off the sometimes bland, industrial-quality food, in which case you can actually enjoy not only sitting here, but also eating here.
Pros: extensive menu in reality not just on paper, increased proportion of vegan entrees, the view out the windows
Cons: sometimes bland industrial-quality food, noisy and uncomfortable interior, finding parking sometimes futile except on Sundays
Guest
jow
Points +195
Yummy, a vegan gem in New Haven - Edit
Such a great find, so happy and full of great healthy food
Read morePros: Soooooo many vegan options , Very lovely staff, Clean and welcoming setting
Guest
ShaneAustinHall
Points +571
Claire loves vegans - Edit
Great spot right by Yale with great vegan dishes and treats. From breakfast foods, wraps, salads, veggie burgers, and desserts. I got their vegan Caesar with chipotle tofu. It was delicious and plentiful. Ready to go back!
Read morePros: Great vegan selection , Gluten-free options , Location
Cons: Parking can be a bit challenging
Guest
paigelikesfood
Points +161
Delicious, convenient, adorable - Edit
Extensive menu, great service, cute aesthetic inside, and nice classical music playing constantly on the radio lol. Ordered a soup sandwich combo with a falafel sandwich that I do wish had a better falafel-salad-pita ratio, but the tahini dressing was to die for and the soup was fantastic. I also ordered an oat milk latte but it took a while, and when I told the barista she apologized and gave me a free dessert.
Read moreVery reasonable prices imo. Soup, sandwich, and a large coffee all for around $18 is pretty good. Have to add points for the great location as well, super close to a fav concert venue of mine. Will definitely be back soon, excited to try more of the menu!
Guest
happydillard
Points +697
Really Good - Edit
Most of the food was delicious, so we ate here for both dinner and breakfast. My family and I tried the Vegan Lemon Coconut Blueberry Loaf, Vegan Lithuanian Coffee Cupcake, Tofu Avocado Salad, Soy BLT Salad, Vegan Breakfast Sandwich, and Vegan French Toast. I would recommend!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-29
Guest
Herbievore310
Points +261
CAKE SHAKES! - Edit
They let me pick a slice of vegan cake and put it in the blender with some vegan ice cream and it was a gift made by the vegan gods! Almost everything can be made vegan and it’s so delicious and good ole fashion comfort food. A favorite place to go on my birthday!
Read moreGuest
faskom
Points +160
Very good food - Edit
If it was all vegan l would give 5 stars, but there are tons of vegan options and everything l had tasted very nice.
Read moreGuest
gpotter110
Points +28
Great vegetarian and vegan options - Edit
The food is good, great spins on classically non-vegan dishes like pancakes, French toast, or BLTs. The food is sometimes a bit rich for my tastes, but still quite good for vegan/vegetarian food.
Read moreGuest
E1yza
Points +226
i don’t recommend it - Edit
As a lifetime local of New Haven, I never recommend this place to anyone vegan. There are much better places to eat.
Read moreYou can eat the same type of food, much better taste + quality elsewhere for half the price.
The food is basic. Only good for smoothies and occasional baked goods (sometimes dry). Staff is wonderful.
Updated from previous review on 2023-04-19
Pros: Great to have vegan options, Friendly staff
Cons: Expensive, Food is not good
Guest
RW13
Points +55
Great place with lots of veg options. - Edit
Glad to hear they reopened. Lots of veg and vegan options, plus excellent desserts. Can be rather busy at times.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-02-19
nogodsjustwriters
Hi! We checked. All socials are still up to date, open on Google, Grubhub, etc., so looks like it's still open. I have hidden your review for now, so as not to confuse other people wanting to visit the restaurant. Thanks! Martin, Team Cow.
Read moreRW13
I went by and it was closed recently, but It looks like they just reopened, I’ll edit my comments.
Read moreGuest
BettySlutsky
Points +827
Time consuming, but an experience worth having - Edit
The staff are phenomenal- we came as a party of four and they were very coordinated! I was surprised how patient and friendly they were while getting slammed with complicated orders from a Sunday brunch crowd.
Read moreI didn’t love the food. I got a burrito that ended up feeling more like fake cheese than vegetables. The cookies and whoopie pie were kinda hard and crusty, and when I asked for the pumpkin lassi to be vegan, they didn’t substitute the honey for anything else, so I was basically drinking unsweetened pumpkin through a straw. It was a really cute place, though, and I would give it another shot if I was in town again.
Pros: Fabulous staff, Adorable place, Vibes
Cons: Counter service , Crowded, Suboptimal food
Guest
figeon
Points +81
Good, but not the greatest options for vegans - Edit
I made the mistake of getting a pizza, specifying that I would like it made vegan. What I received was just an extremely oily tortilla with marinara sauce and store-bought vegan cheddar. If you're vegan, I would suggest getting the options that are already vegan to begin with like falafel or curry. On the plus side, they have some really good desserts, many of which are vegan.
Read moreGuest
iheartplants
Points +210
my fav for veg-based treats - Edit
the tastiest pastries and breakfast options, coziest atmosphere, most welcoming staff!! i heart claire’s! would recommend lithuanian coffee cupcake, whoopie pies, and mini loaf. pancakes deserve an honorable mention.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-10-17
Guest
aldendirks
Points +86
Mediocre - Edit
We got the fried oyster mushroom tacos, curry, and soy bacon lettuce tomato sandwich. The fried mushrooms were just deep fried which means they weren’t fully cooked and were tough. They were not tender enough to allow for a clean taco bite to be had without pulling out all the filling. Also the shell was dry. The curry tasted strongly of curry powder, which is kind of a nice expectation for a diner curry. It was fine but not spectacular. It was supposed to have pineapple and cashews but I only encountered a single one of each. The tempeh sandwich was my favorite.
Read morePros: Extensive menu
Cons: Imperfect execution
Guest
SusanSmith
Points +426
Old-school veggie place - Edit
This reminds me a of a 1970s hippie place: lots of raw spinach and sunflower seeds and you get a mini loaf of bread with a lot of the meals. Speaking of that bread: oh my, so good. Tons of choices - good thing the line was long or else I never could have made up my mind in time. Super friendly staff and reasonably priced, good food.
Read moreGuest
manya747
Points +22
Reliably great quality and variety - Edit
We have been going to Claire's for over 30 years. The food is always fresh and tasty, a large variety of regular options and daily specials. Serious desserts. The atmosphere is casual college, as is the help. You wait in line to order, passing the food behind the counter and getting an idea of what's on the menu for that day. You bus your own table. Many organic ingredients.
Read morePros: Food is always fresh and good., Healthy ingredients., Upbeat atmosphere.
Cons: You might not want to wait in line to order., You might not want to bus your own table., Can take a while from start to finish.
Guest
thomas0011
Points +132
Delicious vegan treats - Edit
We had really nice vegan desserts and cappuccino with oat milk. A great place to be
Read moreGuest
iloveveganicecream
Points +943
Cinnamon rolls!!!! - Edit
I emailed in advance to ask if they would make cinnamon rolls on a specific day, and they did, and they were delicious.
Read moreGuest
RichardCrans
Points +11
Delicious food! - Edit
The food is great and Claire is truly committed to the community.
Read morePros: Great veg and vegan, Casual, Desserts
Cons: Sometimes a line but worth it
Guest
Hilld
Points +135
Not Good for Vegans - Edit
The menu is 100% vegetarian, which is great for vegetarians, but they have made very little effort to include vegan items (other than baked goods). As others have noted, if you order something vegan, you have to customize and even then, you’ll likely be served real dairy products.
Read morePros: No meat on the menu, Good vegan baked goods
Cons: Lack of vegan friendly entrees, Slow service
Guest
bmidy
Points +165
Great meeting spot - Edit
Claire's has quite a few options if you're not feeling like cooking at home or want to eat out with a non vegan friend because they just have so many options. I'm a huge fan of the California Quesadilla and the Eggplant Veracruz. Their sweets are pretty good, too. I never have problems eating and working there on my laptop for a few hours, but they aren't my first choice just for vegan food.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-01-03
Pros: So many options, Great for bringing a friend or a date, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Price
Guest
TofuMelody
Points +22
Not ideal for vegans - Edit
I really liked this place at first, but twice now they have not actually subbed real cheese with vegan cheese despite me putting it in the notes and clicking on the "add vegan cheese" option. I know this because I'm allergic to dairy and had a reaction. It's such a bummer because there are hardly any vegan options in New Haven. If you're a vegan, I would only eat here in person and verify with someone knowledgeable that your food was prepared vegan (don't order delivery since it's harder to verify with someone that way). At this point I don't understand why vegetarian restaurants don't just go fully vegan...
Read moreGuest
ColleenVanTassell
Points +18
It’s been ok for decades. Just ok. - Edit
While it’s comforting that Claire’s has been around for years while other businesses have been pushed out by Yale, Claire’s food is just so uninspired. I’ve hoped it’d get better since 1993. It hasn’t.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-09-29
Pros: Outdoor dining
Cons: Impossible to park
Guest
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