Serves meat, vegan options available. Old-world Italian restaurant established in 1908. Introduced an entirely vegan menu in 2010 that includes in-house-made seitan, vegan bruschetta, garlic bread, vegan cannolis, and more. Dedicates half of kitchen and utensils to vegan dishes. Open Mon-Sun 4:00pm-10:00pm.
-
302 E 12th St (at 2nd Ave, East Village, Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10003
-
Loading...
-
- Cash only
-
-
Last update on 10 Jan 2020 by Vegan_Jules
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
72 Reviews
First Review by nailina
christianselig
Points +2
It’s quite bland :( - Edit
First off, love how they’re inclusive and have a vegan menu. Point for that. Unfortunately the food itself is very bland, it almost tastes to me like (I’m sure it’s not though) that restaurant taste where they just microwave the food. Not much soul in it. Honestly if you’re in NYC and want good Italian vegan food go to Dough Zero down the street imo
Read moreGuest
polyglot
Points +49
Terrible food - Edit
This is an overpriced, dingy restaurant. I don’t mind paying for high-end food and experiences, but the food was low quality and poorly prepared. The gluten-free options are not clearly marked and the server wasn’t sure what they were. He said they could make the pasta dishes gluten-free.
Read moreI ordered the fettuccine Alfredo and got a huge bowl of dry, collapsing penne. I was confused when I saw no sauce, but upon further inspection, found a translucent gooey liquid on the bottom of the plate. It had no flavor at all. It took an insanely large amount of follow your heart Parmesan cheese and some pepper flakes (terrible quality) to make the dish better. The only thing on that plate that tasted good were the few pieces of parsley. The “sauce” was just flour and water. I hope it wasn’t wheat flour, as I can’t eat it. I did get a stomach ache from the food, so whatever it was, it made me sick.
The food from the regular menu was also bad, and served with warm beer.
Guest
MarthaGreally
Points +562
Big vegan menu and tasty mains - Edit
Johns is a very old school Italian restaurant which has a full vegan menu with loads of different options. The mains we had the aubergine parm which comes with tomato spaghetti and my husband had the seitan scallopini which also comes with the spaghetti. The portions are massive and it was very tasty. The pudding however was rubbish, it was supposed to a be a tiramisu and it very much wasn’t a proper one and also didn’t taste good anyway! The restaurant itself is really cool as it opened in the 1920’s (I think?!) and definitely worth visiting but the food isn’t as good as other fully vegan places. The red sauce was delicious though.
Read morePros: Good vegan options , Fantastic red sauce , Great environment
Guest
hannearts
Points +4204
Good value for money - Edit
Cute place with lovely atmosphere and great staff. We asked if the pasta was freshly homemade and were told that it was; however, neither my spaghetti nor my partner's linguini tasted fresh, which was a bummer. The sauce could also have done with a bit more depth.
Read moreThat said, the eggplant and seitan Parmigiano were both delicious and very cheesy (and we even got a vegan parmesan for the table). Portions were huge, so this was definitely great value for money. I thought the garlic bread was a bit average but my partner enjoyed it.
Pros: Vegan menu, Good value for money
Cons: Pasta did not taste fresh/homemade
Guest
unruly_traveller
Points +560
Don’t miss this Italian spot in NYC! - Edit
I finally made it to John’s and was not disappointed. Aside from the cozy atmosphere and great staff, the food blew me out of the water. It was hearty and filling and the vegan cheese stretched just right. My favorite thing that we ordered was the eggplant parm, but I imagine you couldn’t go wrong with anything else. #Veganuary
Read morePros: Cozy space, Delicious food , Quick service
Cons: Not all vegan
Guest
barbara.shaurette
Points +22
I wish the app would let me give this place a higher rating - Edit
My family and I love John’s. It’s true that it’s not strictly vegan, but they have a menu full of vegan specialties and everything on it is delicious. (If it’s your first visit, try the vegan ragu with pappardelle!) I never miss a chance to have dinner here when I’m visiting NYC. It’s an old-school vibe with a friendly waitstaff and cozy ambiance. I know it’s a cliche, but we really do feel like family when we’re there.
Read moreGuest
MoreCowbellChelle
Points +36
Bland American Italian - Edit
The service was excellent! I’ll start with the good. They have a large vegan menu but the food was bland. I ordered the garlic bread and eggplant parm. Yes, it had decent vegan cheese but the sauce was like something sweet and from a jar. There the plenty of Italian restaurants all over the city and this one was a disappointment. The portion was so big and unnecessary. My friend got the chicken parm and felt this was equally bland so it doesn’t seem like a scenario where it’s just the vegan section of the menu. Sorry John’s.
Read morePros: Large vegan menu , Great service , Good cocktails
Cons: Bland food , Tiny bathroom
Guest
ChloeCollins
Points +414
So many options - Edit
I love this place, they have a large vegan menu and they even have Follow Your Heart Parmesan shakers! I’ve tried quite a few dishes and my favorites are the chickn parmesan, the cannolis, and the caesar salad. The minestrone soup was not my favorite and I found the raviolis to be just okay! This is a nice upscale option and the service is always great.
Read morePros: Delicious, Lots of Options
Guest
kirsten94
Points +142
Incredible - Edit
The food was delicious, restaurant is really cool and staff were great. I had the vegan Caesar salad, meatballs and spaghetti, garlic bread and tiramisu and it was some of the best food we had on our trip.
Read morePros: Vegan meatballs
Guest
chels2ocean
Points +1343
Great food - Edit
I was actually impressed with the vegan menu at this place. I tried the eggplant parmigiana and it was excellent! They also bring a whole bottle of follow your heart parmesan and leave it at the table to use as much as you please which I thought was super cool! The vegan tiramisu did not look as I expected it to at all (it's like a mousse) but it was DELICIOUS. Came here with another vegan but this would be the perfect place if you have omnis that don't want to go somewhere all vegan.
Read moreGuest
WillLarche
Points +285
We had our wedding reception here - Edit
Was a dream. Just amazing. And so great for mixed vegan and nonvegan company.
Read moreGuest
TableTrotter
Points +72
Great atmosphere with full vegan menu - Edit
Picked the vegan tortellini - was good but not amazing in a sense. However would recommend if you have no vegan eaters with you!
Read morePros: Amazing place , Good service , Many options
Cons: Slightly pricey, Nothing crazy
Guest
lilygauthier
Points +421
amazing!! - Edit
this place was great!! 🍝 has a separate vegan menu, which is on the back of the regular menu & there are tons of vegan dishes to choose from. i went for the bruschetta to start, vegan eggplant parmigiana for main and the vegan cannoli for dessert. the bruschetta was so delicious & tasted so fresh, the tomatoes were so sweet 🍅! the vegan eggplant parmigiana was also a hit. i loved the tomato sauce, the vegan cheese was decent and the restaurant even has vegan parmesan cheese which you can sprinkle on your dish. the only thing i would say could be improved with the eggplant parmigiana is that the coating of the eggplant went quite soggy from the tomato sauce, but other than that it was lovely. the vegan cannoli was good! i have never tried a proper cannoli, so not sure what it's meant to taste like but the vegan version was yummy! the portion sizes are big here and we left feeling very full, but also very satisfied. would definitely come back ☺️
Read morePros: separate vegan menu, multiple vegan options, cosy & intimate atmosphere, friendly staff, vegan parmesan cheese
Cons: eggplant coating abit soggy
Guest
lh0p98
Points +570
Great authentic options - Edit
Great options. Their menu has a spiel about how everyone should be able to enjoy authentic Italian food, even vegans which I think is great. The food itself could be better but I only saw maybe one other omni Italian in NYC with this much choice, so you can’t knock it. Options for starters, mains and desserts and also oat creamer available for coffees. The waiter also brought me a container of vegan Parmesan for my pasta. Pictured is stuffed mushrooms, vegan Alfredo and vegan tiramisu.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-18
Guest
mollysveganeats
Points +52
Wonderful! - Edit
Great place to bring vegan and non-vegans 😊 I’ve been with multiple friends & family and everyone always loves their meal! Definitely recommend.
Read moreGuest
daijoubou
Points +113
Fancy, delicious, more traditional. - Edit
Their vegan options (there's a fair amount of choice) are tasty and you won't feel 'left behind' at all. This place is my go-to whenever I spend time in New York City!
Read morePrices are quite high, however I think it's worth it if you can afford a fancy dinner.
Updated from previous review on 2024-01-03
Guest
CoreyS
Points +561
Old-school Italian spot - Edit
I love the neighborhood local feel. Small little OLD spot that has a dedicated vegan menu plus vegan desserts. Feels like it would be in a Billy Joel song. #Veganuary
Read morePros: Vegan menu with lots of options, Old, non-tourist vibe, Good food
Cons: I have definitely had better Italian food
Guest
jmo646
Points +41
Disappointing - Edit
I really wanted to love this place. Great “old New York” atmosphere, and awesome traditional Italian vegan menu—including many dishes that are hard to find. Sadly, the food itself was fairly bland and disappointing.
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Menu options
Cons: Bland food
Guest
Poundie
Points +17585
Old-world elegance - Edit
This is a historic, century-old Italian restaurant, elegant (waiter served, silverware, cloth napkins, candlelight, etc.) yet not unreasonably priced. Though an omni restaurant, they offer many vegan items, prominently displayed. I admit I prefer the vegan food in the nearby all-vegan restaurants: the vegan dishes I tried here (seitan parmagiana, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, cannolo, cappuccino) I frankly found to be so-so at best.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-12-08
Pros: Huge portions, many vegan items, elegant, but not unreasonably priced
Cons: The vegan food I have had here is so-so
Guest
tinyveganmama
Points +104
Meh! - Edit
None of the food was actually tasty😒love that they’re trying but I thought it was terrible vs. what I cook at home!
Read morePros: Atmosphere
Cons: Tastes awful, I don’t think they’re vegan…
Guest
coldlittleheart
Points +62
So many vegan options - Edit
We went to John's of 12th Street after a friend recommended it, it was a meal out for my husband's birthday the day before flying back to the UK. We weren't disappointed. This restaurant has vegan options, yes, it has a whole vegan menu! They also have dedicated cookware and kitchen utensils for the vegan dishes which is above and beyond most omni restaurants. I had their Seitan Parmigiana w/ Vegan Cheese and it was simply delicious. Huge portions too, so if you plan a visit, make sure you go on an empty stomach. I wish I could have tried desserts but I couldn't even finish my mains.
Read morePros: Huge vegan menu and good prices, Dedicated kitchen utensils/cookware for vegan food, Quick service, authentic atmosphere
Cons: None
Guest
NayeliAbrego
Points +3087
A lovely night out - Edit
Perfect for a romantic date night! LOVE the vegan meatballs, and the fact that they're not trying to imitate meat. They're just so delicious. I also really loved the Seitan Parmesan. Such a cute atmosphere and an extremely friendly staff.
Read moreNote: I wasn't a huge fan of the cannoli... they were tasty enough, but didn't really taste like cannoli. If you're looking for a vegan version of authentic cannoli, I don't recommend 😅
Updated from previous review on 2022-12-09
Pros: Delicious Italian food, Very friendly staff, Romantic atmosphere (evening)
Guest
NWatlington
Points +733
John’s of 12th Street - Edit
Classic Italian restaurant offering many vegan options. Everything is clearly labeled. I didn’t feel scared of cross-contamination as the menu states that everything is cooked separately. The food was 8/10 and the cannoli was 11/10. Not sure if this is the best vegan italian in the city but in a nutshell, I’d go back.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-06-29
Guest
VeganCarson
Points +320
Fine but not amazing - Edit
Ragu and meatballs were amazing. Garlic bread, Alfredo sauce, and cannoli were underwhelming. Appreciate the whole vegan menu section, but it wasn’t a home run.
Read moreGuest
veganbtw3000
Points +28
Keep looking - Edit
I bet you can find better vegan italian food NYC.
Read moreThe alfredo was literally just coconut milk. Definitely don’t order this.
Portions for seitan parmigiana too small.
Sauce is so-so.
Decor needs an update.
Quiet restaurant.
Very good service.
Vegan caesar was not worth it.
FYH powdered cheese.
Updated from previous review on 2023-05-04
Guest
eligbutler
Points +103
Authentic Italian! So good!!! - Edit
I’ve come here twice and both times have enjoyed not only the delicious food, but the atmosphere and service as well! Both times I have gotten the vegan ravioli with red sauce and everytime it is so delicious. Great dessert menu as well. I love coming here with non-vegan friends and family because there’s something for everyone!
Read morePros: Whole separate vegan menu!!!, Great atmosphere
Guest
thetravelingvegan
Points +1210
Classic Italian fine dining with dedicated vegan menu - Edit
Classic Italian fine dining with dedicated vegan menu. You can get all the classics here eggplant Parmesan, veal Parmesan made from seitan pasta Alfredo. Vegan meatball doesn’t have impossible or beyond meat but made from whole food. The marinara sauce is spot on. I thought the Alfredo sauce was a little on the sweet side, and it’s made from coconut milk. The service is top-notch. Nice and noisy, cozy, fast paced and fun. The restaurant has a 100 year history. Very passionate and capable staff. Don’t miss it!
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 15546 times.