75
American
Fast food
Take-out

Stall 35 inside the market. Sells vegan cheeses and dairy-free foods, plus made-to-order sandwiches, pastries & coffee. For takeaway. Open Mon-Sat 11:00am-7:00pm, Sun 11:00am-6:00pm.


Venue map for Riverdel
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36 Reviews

First Review by ManhattanTransfer

Prajna

Points +4004

Vegan
27 Jul 2023

Heaven!!!!!!!! Omgosh!!

Amazing. This place is incredible! They have about forty types of cheeses on any given day! They are not only beautiful, but also delicious!!!!
I’m leaving nyc today, and was just there for the first time. If I had gone before I would’ve come back every single day!!

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·X·

Points +15054

Vegan
03 Jul 2023

Riverdel

My only question is: Why didn't I visit this place any sooner????????

THIS IS THE MOST VEGAN CHEESE I'VE SEEN IN A DISPLAY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!

Dear God...the options available here are so amazing. I absolutely loved all the soft cheeses I purchased from here (except the rosemary one, but that's personal preference). Not to mention, all the truffle cheeses (my favorite flavor) were 100% delicious.

They don't do samples here...but if they did, they probably would have gotten me to buy even more. I appreciate the lack of samples for the sake of my waistline! 😂

Updated from previous review on 2023-07-03

adalea

Points +868

Vegan
02 Jun 2023

Very fancy

Gourmet vegan cheese place. Pretty expensive but delicious. Would only come from time to time because it’s pricey.

Pros: all vegan

DawnRice

Points +1042

Vegan
28 Mar 2023

Say Cheese!

Such an amazing find! Riverdel had an extensive selection of vegan cheeses and numerous other vegan products. I ordered the five cheese plate with crackers & jam and added some meat slices and olives. Every bite was delicious. The friendly and extremely helpful young lady that was working there made some excellent suggestions and I tried the truffle brie, fig, cracked pepper & dill, a cheddar, and an herb cheese.

The cheeses are from vendors throughout the US. They also had packaged vegan items and fresh desserts, which were very tempting. I also tried the Kombucha and it was unique and tasty.

Pros: Amazing selection, Great service, Great for a snack or a meal

Kerrymichigan

Points +80

Vegan
18 Feb 2023

Vegan cheese and meats

This was wonderful place to visit on our trip to NYC! Bought small wedges of cheese and enjoyed visiting Essex market.

woodlewis

Points +441

Vegan
19 Jan 2023

Gorgeous, wide variety

It is stunning to see the creativity and beauty of these cheeses! Really nice selection of crackers and other tasty treats to go with the cheese. Small selection of lovely sweets like cannoli!

Ramy94

Points +105

Vegan
11 Jan 2023

More cheeses than I thought possible

I've been here twice and tried a multitude of cheeses. They've all been delicious. I always get a flight so I can try 5 different cheeses at once, but I'm planning to start buying blocks soon. I especially love the havarti dill and olive oil feta.

Pros: So many cheeses, Great/rare pantry products for purchase, Excellent service

Cons: Expensive

VeganFamilyTravels

Points +1576

Vegan
06 Jan 2023

Great selection of cheese

We travelled from England and this was the first place we went to as we were so excited about a vegan cheese store. As the founder and admin of Vegan Cheese Lovers Club and have made and sold lots of vegan cheese, we always love chatting, tasting and seeing vegan cheese. Whilst the amount of cheese and variety was impressive, the service was underwhelming. We asked for opinions, gave examples of what we liked and was just shown to some bits that had been packaged up earlier. The server was not keen to talk or passionate about the product. We had to go off the labels but had no clue on the product base and limited idea of it's softness or firmness. The three we chose were nice but softened really quickly so were spreadable rather than sliceable. The garlic one was our favourite. For the price I would expect better service. #Veganuary

Pros: Lots of vegan cheese, Selection of associated products

Cons: Lack of customer service, Expensive

Izzy234

Points +1222

Vegan
30 Nov 2022

Unreal!!!

A fully vegan cheese deli with loads of different artisanal cheeses... this place is heaven for vegan foodies!

The guy working behind the counter was really nice and made some fantastic selections for me based on my preferences. Everything was SO GOOD!

You MUST go here if you're in NYC.

Pros: TONS OF VEGAN CHEESE!!!, Convenient location - near lots of vegan places , Friendly service

Cons: Nowhere to sit

Yuna_X

Points +597

Vegan
04 Nov 2022

Wish it had sandwiches

I saw a really yummy looking sandwich on happy cow but when I got there they didn't have any and it didn't seem like they made them anymore. I got a cheese sampler and it was pretty good but kind of a meh experience to eat it from a to-go container. I was hoping to get something substantial but had to settle for a snack. Cheese was good but if I were a local I'd just buy the cheeses instead of the sampler and eat it at home with my own crackers and fruit!

Pros: Yummy cheese and huge variety

Cons: No meal options like sandwiches

NickTustin

Points +380

Vegan
20 Jul 2022

Would like to try again

Love that this place exists, would definitely like to try more, but we tried the cheese balls sampler and they were just okay. One variety was clearly very stale, we couldn't finish.

IwaWella

Points +1231

Mostly Veg
25 May 2022

Incredible

A vegan cheese shop such a niche place and yet it’s one of my favorite places to buy food in New York City

paypar

Points +748

Vegan
23 Apr 2022

Cheeze heaven

Died and gone to vegan cheese heaven! I did the three tastings and it was so hard to choose but the person behind the counter helped me by asking what my likes were and sharing their own experiences.

Pros: All vegan, Not just cheese!

Cons: No place to sit and enjoy, Hard to choose

mazinha

Points +274

Vegan
27 Mar 2022

Blue Cheese!!!

I’ve been looking for a vegan blue cheese for over 5 years.. the search is finally over! I looked for one everywhere in California and could only get the spirulina ones that look blue but taste like cashews, even decided to make my own (with very little success). Billy Blue is the real deal with the perfect creamy texture and pungent flavor.

We also got cheeses from rebel and they were also delicious. Finally feel like I don’t need to compromise by deciding to not hurt cows. Happy vegan!

Pros: Lots of options , All 3 we tried were delicious , Helpful staff

Cons: None

GFGoldenLady

Points +1652

Vegan
13 Feb 2022

Amazing vegan cheese!

I was totally blown away by the section of cheeses available and the staff were quite knowledgeable as well.

Left with a few pieces of cut off cheeses when ch in my opinion is a great way to sample!

Pros: All vegan , Artisan cheeses , Superb selection

Cons: Blue cheeses are made with spirulina for effect

GF Cookie Monster

Points +471

Vegan
14 Jan 2022

Finally! An all-vegan cheese store

Fresh vegan cheeses cut while you watch. Plus pre-packaged cheeses and other vegan specialty grocery items. The made to order sandwiches are very affordable. The cheeses, on the other hand, are really expensive, but the quality is outstanding. Most of the cheeses themselves are gluten-free. And there is a gluten-free bread option for the sandwiches.

Riverdel is on the Lower East Side, INSIDE the Essex Market. Most of the vendors in the market are not all vegan, but many have some vegan options. If you're visiting NYC, this is right next to the awesome Tenement Museum.

Pros: Gluten-free options, Affordable sandwiches, High quality, artisanal vegan cheeses

Cons: Expensive (but worth it)

drquayle

Points +705

Vegan
30 Aug 2021

Solid

Vegan cheeses generally upset my stomach. The cheese here doesn't, though – it tastes and feels more natural to me than store bought options. Also just really fun spot to visit.

Updated from previous review on 2021-02-12

Pros: All vegan, Nice alternative to store bought vegan cheese

Cons: Not a huge fan of vegan cheeses, personally

LisaSpykers

Points +5767

Vegan
22 Aug 2021

Delicious but really pricey

I bought 3 cheese wedges: picante, a blue cheese, and a sharp cheddar. The taste is a step up from other cheese wheels I've tried but the price is mind-blowing ($11) for the teeny wedge you get. I'm glad I got to try this place, but it isn't a place I can afford to frequent. Note that the cheeses can't be left out of the fridge too long or they become a soft mess.

Pros: Lots of variety

Cons: Very expensive

mramericano

Points +175

Vegan
20 Aug 2021

RIVERDEL!

This is the place for vegan cheese! What an impressive selection of cheeses - they specialize in having whole wheels of cheese cut and weighed to order - very much in a traditional cheesemonger style. They also have some good prepackaged cheese options along with vegan meets, sauces, unique jams, tofus, and baked goods. They have a couple of sandwich options too.

Updated from previous review on 2021-08-20

Pros: Cheese!!!, Helpful, friendly staff

Cons: Inexpensive

jrfishe1

Points +347

Vegan
28 Jul 2021

Great service and great cheese

We had such a great experience here; Clauditte was exceptionally patient with all our questions and have us great information and advice about the cheeses. We bought 7 samples and then bought a pound of our favorites (the house picante, Reine sharp cheddar, Rind lapsang, and Conscious Creamery maverick). They are in stall 35 on the ground floor (the one where you enter).

wanderinggabs

Points +174

Herbivore
06 Jul 2021

All the Cheeze

Amazing selection of vegan cheese for every occasion, helpful staff. They also have a good selection of packaged cheeses, “meats” and sauces/ dips.

Updated from previous review on 2020-11-19


Updated from previous review on 2021-05-08

yasmin1818

Points +852

Vegan
29 Apr 2021

Who doesn’t love vegan cheese

Amazing vegan cheese shop! 🧀

szczupak

Points +82

Vegan
22 Feb 2021

Good cheese, wide range of other vegan products

I came to Riverdel in person once, and the people there were very friendly and gave recommendations on cheeses to try. Also, my spouse's employer organized a cheese tasting as a holiday activity and ordered a Christmas box for him, full of great products as well. I particularly enjoyed the Camblue and cranberry blue cheese made by Rind.

Pros: Many options for vegan cheese, artisan products, Nice staff

Cons: A bit expensive like all artisan vegan products

gabandtonic

Points +2390

Vegan
16 Dec 2020

The original vegan cheese monger..

Riverdel is simply the best, what else is there to say? I was heartbroken when their prospect heights location shut down. They are the go-to vegan spot in NYC for cheese. Their cheeses can't be compared to anything else. The selection is incredible. I definitely spend an insane amount of money here and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Everyone who works there is beyond lovely. All of their cooking classes benefit a farm sanctuary. They are just the epitome of vegan awesomeness. If you are in NYC this is a must!

Pros: Everything, Riverdel is the best

JJones315

Points +1808

Herbivore
06 Jan 2020

Vegan outpost in Essex Market

Let me state upfront that, because of health reasons, I rarely eat vegan cheese. That said, Riverdel also has baked goods and groceries. At this first trip I had a truly delicious slice of pumpkin bread (which they kindly heated up for me) and I bought a bottle of vegan fish sauce (who knew?!). The service was appropriate, though not speedy by any means. I’ll be back next time I’m at ExMk.

Pros: 100% vegan, Nice selection of vegan food stuffs, Great location

martint

Points +7137

Vegan
01 Dec 2019

Not worth the hype

The cheeses are verty impressive, no doubt. Unfortunatelly I couldn't get any so I ordered the "signature McDel" which decepcioned me a lot. A very small sandwich with bland slice of tomato, some lettuce and tofu, nothing more. If this is the "signature" meal, I do not want to get to know others... Totally below expectations

Pros: A lot of variety of cheeses

Cons: Expensive, Flavourless sandwich

kmanchester306

Points +826

Vegan
10 Nov 2019

Rude staff

Finally had a chance to visit Riverdel's Manhattan location today, and wow, wish I never did! I thought the staff at the Brooklyn location was unwelcoming, until I came to the Essex Market space.

My husband and I were in line to order. The women behind the counter were chatting up some guy (I'm guessing they knew) in front of us in line, asking him to try whatever chips he was snacking on and pretty much ignoring everyone else. They then proceed to skip over us in line and ask the man behind us what he would like to order. Once they were done chatting with their friend and serving the people behind us, they finally decided to wait on us. We were planning on purchasing Impossible burger and multiple cheeses, but after that experience, we decided to only purchase a small serving of Impossible burger (we've been looking to try Impossible at home!) and not buy anything else.

Riverdel: please train your employees on customer service. We ended up walking the three short blocks to the other vegan shop and spending $50 on their products because they're friendly and serve people in line appropriately. So disappointing. I want to continue supporting this business, but the service is just not friendly enough for me to do so anymore.




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