Vegan-friendly
American
Beer/Wine
All Raw, Gourmet, Wine
Re-opened spring 2015 after brief closure. Upscale New York raw food restaurant; vegan except for honey. Features main entrees, starters, desserts, and teas. Dine inside or in the garden. Its One Lucky Duck Takeaway is around the corner from the restaurant. JULY 30, 2015 REPORTED SHUT AGAIN DUE TO EMPLOYEE STRIKE.
34 Reviews
First Review by kindlizard
MadP
Points +39
What an AMAZING Experience!!! - Edit
We came to NY JUST to go here and were not disappointed in the least. We had all sorts of juices and sakis, we had the worlds best stuffed mushrooms (cooked or otherwise...I don't even like mushrooms and I couldn't get enough), we had an amazing beet ravioli dish, and we had an incredible apple desert and a trifecta of perfect dark chocolate encased ice cream treats. A dipped ice cream cone, an ice cream sandwich, and a creamcicle!!
Read moreThe proprietor, Sarma, who wrote my favorite cook book (again, raw or otherwise) took a picture with us and chatted with us for a while. A very pretty, sweet and down to earth lady.
PLUS we sat right next to Alicia Keys, but we didn't even know it!!! The wonderful waitress, Adrian I believe, was like "Oh you guys can tell your friends you met Sarma and sat next to Alicia Keys!" We were like, what?! lol
AMAZING experience. INCREDIBLE food. If you live in NY and don't go eat here every day, you're crazy. Period.
Pros: Totally Raw Vegan, Excellent Decor & CHOCOLATE, Beautiful and Delicious Food
Cons: Expensive but WORTH it!!
Guest
Claude
Points +48
Not cheap, but worth the experience - Edit
Regardless of whether you eat raw or not, this is quite a dining experience. The food is tasty if not plentiful, wonderfully presented and rich. There's considerable choice, the service is excellent, atmosphere relaxed and staff friendly. There's also a take-away shop around the corner to the restaurant where there are tables for you to eat if you prefer the more informal atmosphere. It is quite pricey, too, but that's New York. Certainly worth trying and don't skip the desserts. Out of this world.
Read morePros: healthy cuisine, excellent food, nice atmosphere
Cons: Expensive, not great food-combining
Guest
robpaterson
Points +221
Interesting, But A Little Precious and Overpriced - Edit
If you're into raw food, you should try PFW at least once. It's very expensive, and you need to make reservations (or better yet, check their website, you can reserve online), particularly on a nice day or weekends.
Read moreThe menu isn't huge, but the dishes are quite exotic. It's lacto-vegetarian and they use honey, but they have a few vegan dishes. When we went, they ran out of two of the main courses, unfortunately the two we wanted. The portions are small: think trendy California, model-thin servings. If you want food you can sink your teeth into, this probably isn't the place for you.
Perhaps it was just chance, but all but one of the dishes we ordered were very mushroom-heavy. We love mushrooms, so that wasn't an issue, but it was a little strange that there were so few dishes with leaves and green produce; maybe it's a seasonal thing. They used shaved truffles in one of this dishes, which was wonderful. The nut cheese appetizer is excellent as well.
As we were leaving, the hostess was very apologetic about the long wait time to be seated and that they ran out of two of the main courses. She was very friendly, as were the other staff members, so that made up for the expense and small portions. All in all, we'd probably go back one more time, but probably only if we knew someone who really wanted to try it. It won't become a regular choice for us compared to Blossom, Candle 79 or the myriad of other vegan-friendly or vegan restaurants in NYC.
If you love raw food, check it out.
Pros: Fresh Ingredients, Interesting Dishes, Friendly Staff
Cons: Very Expensive, Tiny Portions, Long Wait to be Seated
Guest
lunamagae
Points +26
My first raw experience - Edit
My hubby heard about PFW on the radio and became curious about the place. Because of my vegan tendencies he decided to take me there for my birthday. Neither of us had ever gone to a raw food restaurant.
Read moreThe food was good but perhaps because I had such high expectations, I was expecting better. For me the best of the night was dessert - The Classic Sundae. The ice cream was great and the nuts complimented the ice cream perfectly.
Unfortunately, I only realized at the end that the dessert prices were even higher than the first courses. PFW is very expensive, and unlike many restaurants, there really are no options for those who do not want to indulge in an expensive meal. Everything is expensive. Actually... there isn't much of a selection at all.
Overall, I liked the experience but it was not good enough that the place became a favorite of mine.
Pros: Friendly staff, Good atmosphere, Great ice cream
Cons: expensive, small selection, tables somewhat close to each other
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2357
Don't skip if you're not into Raw - Edit
Raw vegan food is not something I seek out, but you HAVE TO EAT HERE just to try it once. It probably doesn't get any better than Pure. The stand out thing here is NOT the food, its the WATER!!! I kid you not. My whole group drank about a dozen glasses. I emailed Sarma and asked her what they use. Its a $6000+ Tensui Japanese Water filter. It makes the water go down like SILK. I kid you not. Just don't wait in line for the Empire State Building afterward...
Read moreThe food is VERY RICH and gets over powering. The place is fun and hip and don't miss it!
Pros: tensui water!
Cons: too much flavor!
Guest
DC Vegan
Points +345
My favorite place in New York - Edit
I am not a raw foodie, but my boyfriend and I will strive to visit Pure Food and Wine when we go to New York. I recommend getting the five-course tasting menu. It begins with a little amuse bouche, plus five small courses chosen by the chef. PFW makes delicious nut "cheeses," including a firm triangle of nut cheese as part of the amuse on our most recent visit. It appears one of their signature dishes is a delicious raw lasagna. My boyfriend was thrilled with his raw "taco." This time between the entree and dessert, we got a shot glass of a grape soda with a raw ice cream as a palate cleanser that was refreshing and delicious.
Read moreWe were there for about two-and-a-half hours, but it was time (and money) well spent, and I cannot recommend this restaurant strongly enough. If you have plans for the evening, this isn't the place, but if you just want a nice, long, luxurious dinner, Pure Food and Wine is the place.
Pros: Delicous food, Excellent service, Beautiful setting
Cons: Rather expensive
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1144
Very creative - Edit
First off, like someone else said, if cost is an issue, just don't go here. Know upfront that for one person to relax and enjoy the food, you will likely drop a bill here. The food was great, some of it unbelievable. However, I hate cilantro and both dishes I got were heavily accented with it. It really overpowered what were otherwise terrific dishes (they didn't mention it in the descriptions). Also, if you go, make a reservation!! We called for the hours and they didn't ask us for one. When we got there, 3 people at the desk asked us if we had one. We heard them say to others (not us) that if they wanted a table they needed to be gone by x o'clock. They actually let us stay for quite a while and we didn't feel rushed at all. The wine guy did stick his nose/face in a glass of wine, not only ours but everyone's. That is a peeve. But overall, despite the cost and touch of snobbery, it was excellent and would recommend it to those who can afford to go.
Read morePros: Creative tasty food, quality
Cons: bartender's face in glass, overkill cilantro, cost prohibitive/ [censored]
Guest
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