Veggie restaurant offering a variety of contemporary cuisine and a full bar of drinks, wines, spirits, organic teas and coffees. Lunch and weekend brunch prices moderate, dinner more. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-3:00pm, Mon-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri 5:00pm-10:00pm, Sat 10:00am-10:00pm, Sun 10:00am-3:00pm.
Categories: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, American, International, Organic, Beer/Wine, Fusion
49 Reviews
First Review by PuppyGirl
Contributions +17
Love. Leaf! - Edit
95% vegan. LOVE this place! Spicy cauliflower tacos and crab cake sliders are my go-to plates, but so many more things, including vegan desserts. Yum.
Contributions +946
Good choice - Edit
A few GF options and some fresh ideas.
Enjoy.
Contributions +37
Culinary Beauty! - Edit
Creative dishes and cocktails! Intimate atmosphere.
Pros: locally sourced , artistic presentation
Cons: pricey
Contributions +55
Makes national top 10 veg lists - Edit
Leaf is renowned and absolutely worth the trip. They are part of a local collective with a farm and a few other restaurants...true farm to table. Good portions. Good environment, classy but not pretentious. Amazing seasonal menu with all kinds of cuisines and fusion. Great service.
Pros: Seasonal menu, Farm to Table, Upscale but not overpriced
Cons: Can be loud, Not a lot of space for large groups
Contributions +387
Amazing - Edit
We had the best dinning experience. Yes it's expensive, but it's totally worth it.
Contributions +52
BEAUTIFUL - Edit
•Tastes EXTREMELY fresh and carefully-crafted
•Atmosphere is very modern and sexy
•The "prixe fixe" is DEFINATELY the way to go for two people --> 3 courses for $28. You can do three starters, one entree and two starters, one entree one starter and one soup or salad, whatever you want! The serving sizes are VERY comfortable!
•FLAVORS ARE INCREDIBLE - YOU MUST GO!
Contributions +26
Classy and unique vegan food - Edit
This place was amazing! Mostly everything on their menu was vegan and they had a variety of meals to choose from, including Southern-Fried Trumpet Mushrooms w/mac n cheese and black eyed pea salad, Jackfruit Carnitas Enchiladas, Vegan Crab Cakes, Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos, Udon noodles, and much more. The food tasted fresh and was well-prepared with beautiful presentations. It was expensive, but worth the price for good atmosphere and creative vegan food.
Contributions +51
Yummy lunch, a bit expensive - Edit
I stopped in for a small lunch, and was happy with the variety of options on the menu that looked delicious. I sat at the bar to be served quickly, and was promptly served. I ate a very good avocado "tartare" appetizer, but needed a bit more to eat. I then ordered an AMAZING mushroom soup, Seriously, if I could have a constant supply of this soup I would be so happy. It was filling and hearty, with a lovely earthy mushroomy flavor and just the right amount of pepper. I will definitely eat here again the next time I am in Boulder. Only downside is it is a little to expensive to be a regular dining spot for my student budget.
Pros: Awesome food, Relaxing decor, Kind staff
Cons: Expensive
Contributions +181
Excellent lunch - Edit
I had the vegan crab cake with the quinoa and lentil chili; excellent lunch for the first snowstorm of the season. Great service too. Definitely will return when I am next in Boulder.
Pros: Food, Service
Contributions +242
Awesome happy hour! - Edit
I went here three times in two weeks for their awesome happy hour (3p-6p every day, and 8p-close Sunday-Thursday.)
I can't really speak to the rest of the (significantly more expensive) menu, but the happy hour is fantastic! Most things are between $3 and $6, and sharing four or five of them with a friend was more than enough food for both of us.
We especially loved the buffalo cauliflower tacos and the "crab" cake slider, but really, everything was delicious. Being able to add a side of fries, sweet potato, regular, or mixed, to the slider for $1 was a really nice touch.
They're very friendly, and wide open for seating in a beautiful space during happy hour. I'll definitely go back when I'm in town!
Pros: awesome happy hour, delicious food, all vegan!
Contributions +39
Awesome lunch! - Edit
We read previous reviews and ordered the recommended crab sandwich and jerk tempeh and both were worth the recommendations. The place had a nice vibe and servers were friendly. They were out of grapefruit for my fresh squeezed juice order but the minted lemonade was good and not too sweet.
Contributions +335
great local food - Edit
Nice atmosphere and really good food. We were happy that most items were vegan. Prices were high but food was well-prepared.
Contributions +88
Delicious - Edit
Leaf Restaurant was attached to another restaurant. My friends were happy as they could order from a different menu! I had the tapa menu and had delicious sliders and a tofu dish.
It was lovely to have a huge choice of vegan dishes.
The restaurant itself was very nice and it filled up quickly.
Contributions +108
great place - Edit
Really just drove through Boulder but ate here twice!
Contributions +22
I never wanted to Leaf! - Edit
Leaf has a delicious and creative menu at a reasonable price. Excellent vegan, raw, and gluten-free options, all clearly labeled on the menu. The atmosphere is welcoming and the servers are very helpful and friendly. Leaf is bright, clean, modern, and the tall ceilings and green plants bring about a feeling of serenity. Try the "Sushi" Salad and seasonal shrubs- fruit sweetened vinegar based cocktails.
Contributions +2004
Pretty good lunch - Edit
Reviews seem mixed but we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here. My partner and I shared the buffalo cauliflower, 1/2 kale salad, the vegan crab cake sandwich, and the Jamaican jerk tempeh. Everything was tasty. The tempeh dish was almost too beautiful to dig into. The sandwich was surprisingly good as well. Hearty tempeh-wakame cakes on a warm, crusty baguette with a tangy tartar sauce and a side of freshly made sweet potato fries, what's not to like? Would have been even better if the fries were thicker-cut, but that's just me. To round out our meal, we also had a slice of carrot cake, which was absolutely scrumptious. Overall portions were just right, not too big nor too small. Prices were reasonable, except for the cauliflower dish where we paid $6.5 for five tiny pieces. That we felt was a bit stingy. Décor is nice and clean and has a pleasing natural theme. No idea how dinner service is, but our lunch was a solid 4.
Pros: good food, nice décor
Cons: overpriced small plates
Contributions +3927
Great food, great presentation, great service - Edit
We've eaten at Leaf twice on different visits to Boulder. Both times we've brought groups with mixed diets (omnivore, mostly-veg, and vegan) and all were very impressed. We've sampled almost every vegan item on the menu, including appetizers, soups, and desserts, and all were imaginative, flavorful, and well presented.
Leaf is lacto-ovo but very vegan-friendly. There are enough tempting vegan-as-is items on the menu (marked as such) that we didn't feel the need to special-order veganized versions of normally lacto/ovo dishes, but it was nice to see on the menu that they are willing to do so when possible. If there were more vegan dishes, we might eat here more often.
The menu offers a sensible balance of fresh, steamed, and not-too-oily fried food, as well as one completely raw dish (the Pad Thai salad, which is super-tasty). Most of the items we tried managed to be satisfying while also being light enough that even after feasting we felt full of energy (not heavy or sleepy). The Jerk Tempeh and the starter rolls were especially tasty, and the vegan chocolate peanut butter tart is absolutely heavenly!
This is a fine dining establishment, so it isn't cheap, but considering the quality of the food and service, we felt the prices were fair and we were happy to pay them. One in our party had food allergies and our server cheerfully checked with the chef about ingredients, just to be sure.
The atmosphere is pleasant, and the location is convenient. One potential drawback for those arriving by car: finding free parking in this popular area can take time. Thankfully, the meters are priced fairly reasonably.
Updated from previous review on Sunday August 22, 2010
Pros: Delicious and inventive cuisine, Helpful servers, Food not too heavy
Cons: Not 100% vegan, Expensive (though justifiably so), Parking can be a challenge
Contributions +25
Amazing Food and Atmosphere - Edit
My family and I had dinner at Leaf while visiting Colorado. Our food was delicious and our server was friendly. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and filled natural plants and lighting. The cuisine was fresh, colorful, and creative. Their ingredients are locally sourced, and they even serve vegan deserts. Well worth a visit if you are in Boulder.
Pros: Delicious food, Welcoming atmosphere, Locally sourced ingredients
Contributions +25
Expensive, but a nice treat - Edit
I come here sometimes when in the mood for more gourmet vegetarian food. I'm a frustrated vegetarian tired of the token vegetarian options in meat-serving restaurants that taste of afterthought and lack of understanding that vegans eat more than tofu and spinach, while a few leaves of lettuce (hold the meat but still charge $12 salad) is not an acceptable dinner option.
Here dishes are well thought out and satisfying. Also, you know that they won't by mistake put gelatin in your salad dressing, fry your food in the same oil as chicken, or otherwise contaminate your food with meat. I really appreciate having a more upscale vegetarian restaurant nearby.
Pros: Gourmet food, Good value, Peace of mind
Cons: Atmosphere
Contributions +28
Decent Food - Edit
I've just visited and stopped by this restaurant. I got the vegan biscuits and gravy. The gravy wasn't anything impressive, but I enjoyed everything else. Really nice atmosphere I'm sure to stop by again if I'm back in Boulder again.
Pros: Nice atmosphere, Decent Food, No delay in service
Cons: Gravy on the Biscuits, Room temperature water, Place can get crowded
Contributions +50
Overpriced and Lacking flavor - Edit
I recently went to Leaf and I was excited to try it based on the positive reviews. We came during the Happy Hour special so we could sample multiple items. I had the Poppers, Burger Slider with Sweet Potatoe Fries, Raw Kale Salad and a Peach crip for desert. The Poppers and salad were okay but nothing to rave about. The slider had potential but there was way more bun than "burger" so it's flavor was overwhelmed by the bread. The crips was just nasty. It was dry and flavorless even though I had a scoop of ice cream on it. There was virtually no peach flavor to it; just lots of very dry oats. The price for my samples was rather high especially the dreadful crisp which I wouldn't have ordered if I'd known they would charge me $8.50 for a small bowl with one dollop of ice cream on it. The wait staff was very nice but the food was poor; I don't see how they could be so highly rated.
Pros: Friendly Staff
Cons: Poor Food - Lacks Flavor, Seriously overpriced, Dumb site won't let me give it 1 Star!
Contributions +466
wonderful food and atmosphere! - Edit
This was at the top of my list for Boulder eating and it completely lived up to my expectations- I had the beet pierogis, which were flavorful and topped with a delicious sour cream, and the "crab cake" sandwich, which was served on a warm baguette and was just perfectly flavored. The restaurant itself was lovely, calm and airy and with lots of natural light, and the wait staff was very nice. The portions were actually larger than I expected too! My only regret is that I was only able to eat here once- I will definitely be back if I'm in the Boulder area!
Pros: delicious food, creative menu, beautiful space
Contributions +62
perfect spot for date - Edit
Loved the selection of vegan food. Beautifully presented, amazingly flavorful with unique options and service was exceptional. Will definitely be back.
Contributions +364
DELICIOUS - Edit
My boyfriend (non-veg) and I absolutely loved this place. The food was delicious, gourmet, and tasty. I ordered the egg croissant with the fake sausage and it was probably the best egg dish I have ever eaten. My boyfriend couldn't stop mmmming! Also great atmosphere.
Pros: Delicious food, Friendly staff
Cons: Bit pricey
Contributions +136
Well-presented food, nice setting, a little pricey - Edit
This is a good restaurant for a vegan date-night! The restaurant has a pleasant ambience, classy decor, good wine list and (usually) friendly & courteous staff. The chef can be heavy-on-the-salt sometimes so if you like to taste the ingredients, ask them to go easy on the salt! The portions are smaller/well presented so you are paying more for less. However, there are enough good vegan options to keep your taste buds tickled and you WILL have room for dessert. Just hope that someone else is picking up the check!
Pros: Truly vegan options, great ambience, lovely wine list
Cons: expensive, can be too salty
Contributions +179
Lots of options, but kind of pricey - Edit
We go here when we want a nicer vegan meal. We've been a few times and always enjoy it. The stuffed tofu is really good.
Contributions +244
Nice casual place to grab a bite - Edit
I spent an afternoon in Boulder and wanted to try Leaf. I thought the restaurant was cute. The service was pretty good. I enjoyed my food. I have a few other places in Boulder I want to try, so that said I am not chomping at the bit to come here again. I am not saying it wasn't good, but there was nothing so compelling drawing me back again until I have tried some of the other places reviewed on Happy Cow.
Pros: Outdoor seating, Good food
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