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Vegan
American
Beer/Wine
Take-out
European
Fusion
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Contemporary vegan cuisine and drinks in a upscale atmosphere, est. since 2010. Location is near Redline Davis Square. Offers gluten-free and nut-free menus as well, and brunch is served on weekends. Example of dishes: tofu benedict, waffles with strawberries, ravioli, pasta bolognaise, tofu scramble, mac n cheese, and choco banana crepe. Day prices are moderate, dinner more expensive. Reserve ahead to ensure seating. Reported closed August 2023.
102 Reviews
First Review by andrea
veganamanda
Points +251
OK - Edit
I visited for my birthday with a few friends. I was excited as this is the only upscale vegan restaurant in the Boston area. The place was nice enough, and the waiter was even nice enough to bring over a free dessert with a candle for me.
Read moreWhat I was bummed about was the food. It just wasn't that great, no one really enjoyed their meal.
Pros: Upscale
Cons: Food
Guest
gardeningone
Points +307
really great, fine food - Edit
Excellent, upscale food and drink. Nice atmosphere, attentive service, owner present as host. Food was all sensitively seasoned, the wilted spinach salad really stood out. Good basic menu options, customized for individual needs. Craft beers, vegan wine options, hard liquor--all seemed good. The desserts were vegan and super yummy. A bit pricey, but all top quality. May be the best vegan place in Boston.
Read morePros: creative menu, excellent quality food, great service
Cons: slightly pricey
Guest
Mary56
Points +16
Wish I'd come sooner! - Edit
I received a couple of gift cards to True Bistro over a year ago and finally made the drive to Somerville to give it a try. LOVED IT! The atmosphere is upscale, the wait staff was friendly and attentive, most importantly the food was fabulous. My husband and I shared the Baked Apple Salad and Wilted Spinach salad, both fabulous. I had the house-made fettuccini w/arugula pesto and he had the Vietnamese crepe. To be honest, neither of us particularly liked the crepe (I'm not a big mushroom fan) but everything else was just great. Don't miss the Death by Chocolate cake for dessert, which I enjoyed with a nice red wine. We went in shortly before 6 on a Saturday and were immediately seated. Had we been 45 minutes later we would have had to wait a bit. They do take reservations, but all were taken when we called, so we took our chances and it worked out. Also, be warned that True Bistro is on the expensive side. Between us we had 2 salads, 2 "large plate" entrees, 2 desserts, 1 coffee, and 3 glasses of wine and the bill was about $130 including tip. This will be our "special occasion" place (at least when it's my pick, I'm vegan, my husband it not ). Enjoy!
Read morePros: Upscale, Excellent Food, Great service
Cons: Expensive, Not near home (45 minutes for us)
Guest
VeggiTiny
Points +92
Wonderful! - Edit
Great ambiance with amazing food and good music!
Read moreThe food was very artistic and extremely tasty! Every bite gave as a sense of enjoyment.
Thank you!!
Guest
TumeriaVLanglois
Points +28
My Favorite - Edit
LOVE True Bistro. It is upscale yet casual. The service is amazing. You literally feel like royalty when dinning there, yet feel comfortable and relaxed. You never feel rushed. The food is amazing! I highly recommend the Wilted Spinach Salad and Death By Chocolate for desert! I have tried almost all the entries and have loved everyone of them. My favorite, however, is the Vietnamese Crepe. 100% vegan. We go for celebrations and special occasions.
Read morePros: Wonderful atmosphere, great service, Best food in the Boston area
Cons: pricey
Guest
veggieriga
Points +660
The best restaurant in Boston - Edit
I'm so glad Boston has such a wonderful vegan restaurant. The food is delicious. The owner and staff are very kind. It's only a shame there weren't enough customers at lunch so they can't be open for lunch anymore.
Read moreGuest
futurefossils
Points +349
The Best Vegan Dinner Options Around - Edit
I was a very happy vegan after my visit to True Bistro. The only complaint was that the portions are rather small for their price, but then again I kind of eat a lot so it might just be me. Their cheesecakes are amazing.
Read moreGuest
slithers
Points +719
Best in Boston - Edit
Now that Peace o' Pie has closed, I have no internal conflict about declaring True hands-down the best vegan restaurant in Boston. I've been here dozens of times, often with my non-vegan girlfriend and we both enjoy it, especially brunch.
Read moreThe atmosphere is very nice here, like an upscale restaurant with candles at night and fresh flowers, with white/gray/black decor and (white-washed) brick walls featuring local artists' work. The food is relatively fancy, small portions with nice presentation/color. For dinner, I favor the phyllo purse and house-made pasta (currently fettucini) and strawberry rhubarb cobbler for dessert (though all their desserts I've tried were great). For brunch, I favor the tofu scramble with onions, peppers and seitan sausage (though I also like the waffles, crepes and coffee cake). For sides, I often get their salads or excellent french-fries.
One thing that sets this place apart from the other vegan restaurants in Boston is their extensive drink menu (they serve alcohol!), with vegan-verified wines, so if you like to drink with dinner (or brunch), this is your best bet.
A con is their limited menu, which doesn't change very often. Compared to say Red Lentil, which is lacto-ovo vegetarian, they both have about the same number of vegan options. However, the choices they have are good and I have some hope that they'll change things up more in the future (now that they're fairly well established).
As with almost every vegan place I've been to (except a few in California), they're on the small side and since they're popular, it can get crowded and you may have to wait on occasion, but for a party of 2, I've seldom had to wait more than 10 minutes (and usually not at all). Friday and Saturday nights are their most crowded time, you should expect some waiting then.
Pros: delicious (& fancy) food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere
Cons: limited menu, may have to wait during peak times
Guest
Cperago
Points +53
1 True Bistro is a wonderful experience - Edit
We have been vegan about 2 years and found True Bistro on Happy Cow (Thanks!) and tried it out while visiting Seudo Shoe's in the same town (vegan shoes). We have now been their twice in two months and we live 2 hours away.
Read moreTrue Bistro is a small restaurant with a European feel. The bistro has an ecclectic menu with entrees ranging from asian style curry's to Italian style sweet potato ravioli. The food is high end and the presentation is wonderful the prices are very reasonable (~$17 per entree). They have an extensive bar with a good Wine and drinks selection as well.
Don't leave without getting desert, you won't be disappointed.
It's one of the best restaurants (vegan or otherwise) I have eaten at so far and is on par with Candle 79 in NYC.
Pros: Excellent food, Professional Staff, Ambiance
Guest
asciimo
Points +59
A Little, East Coast Millennium - Edit
Cloth napkins and table cloths. New silverware with each course. An appetizer, two entries, two glasses of wine and two ginger beers for under $80. All of that *and* the food is pretty good! (It's not Millennium good, but it's closer than anything else I've had in the Boston area.)
Read moreHighlights were the cornmeal encrusted oyster mushrooms with horseradish tartar sauce; blackened seitan with melted collards and grits.
Pros: Cozy, Big bang for buck, Awesome seitan
Guest
MelissaLosos
Points +53
True Bistro very busy - Edit
A lot of soy products, nothing RAW
Read moreadorable interior, nice wait staff
35 min wait to get in on a Monday evening
lovely presentation of the food, and tasty, just no vegan raw selections : (
Pros: friendly staff, good food, cute place
Cons: wait to get in, no vegan/raw choices
Guest
Joelle81
Points +31
Amazing food. - Edit
A great place to splurge a little on some very fine dining.
Read moreGuest
saveur
Points +1168
Worthwhile visit - Edit
When you want nicer vegan fare, this is the place to go. It isn't as good as Candle 79 in NYC but still worthwhile.
Read moreMenu selections: black bean and plantain torte was very nice but small portion. The seitan piccata was too chewy for me (Candle 79 does a much better job on their piccata) but the greens and potato mash were nice. The phyllo purse was a true sight for the eyes - gorgeous presentation and it had nice flavour. because there are no juices or smoothies on their menu (hopefully that isn't a marker of why it is considered upscale, grrr), I had room for dessert. Death by Chocolate was a creamy mocha-enhanced chocolate tofu mousse cake. Nice and not overtly sweet. The Napoleon was recommended but we were let down since it was more of a deconstructed Napoleon.
Recommended.
Guest
markc7
Points +99
Terrific - Edit
Worth the wait, and worth the price. When you're in the mood to splurge a bit, True Bistro is the place to go.
Read morePros: fantastic food
Cons: minimal seating, expensive
Guest
TeaAddictedGeek
Points +63
An upscale vegan place worth visiting! - Edit
I've been here for brunch, lunch, and dinner. I've had their wines, desserts, and appetizers. Their food is amazing, and if my budget were a bit looser I'd go there more often. Brunch and lunch is about $10-15 on average, dinner at least $17-25. Not cheap but you get what you pay for: a vegan gourmet foodie and wine lover's dream. VERY happy to live so close to this restaurant!
Read morePros: wine pairings, variety, quality
Cons: pricy
Guest
jackienatale
Points +40
Awesome! - Edit
I have been here a number of times now, brunch, lunch, and dinner. All great meals. Been with vegans and non vegans and they have all (except one) enjoyed their food as well. I love the brunch menu, love the desserts...nothing bad to say! and i just realized i could order take out for lunch from there!
Read moreGuest
Newton Ville
Points +24
Delightful - Edit
Since our family became 100% vegan 3 years ago, we've hunted for vegan restaurants our kids would enjoy. Current family favorites include Green Elephant in Portland Maine and Ethos in Orlando. But until we discovered True Bistro this weekend, we thought there was nothing comparable in the Boston area.
Read moreSunday morning we went to True Bistro for brunch. Service and staff and terrific; everyone loved their food and everyone left stuffed. The kids had: waffle with fruit compote and maple syrup, waffle with fresh fruit and whipped cream, crepe with banana and chocolate hazel nut sauce, cheeseburger with mushrooms, and portobello mushroom panini. The parents had tofu benedict and a tofu scramble with chevre and herbs and a bowl of fresh fruit. Don't miss the desserts - the coffee cake and cinnamon roll were outstanding (we had to get ours to enjoy later, after we'd had time to digest!)
Of all the entrees, only the cheeseburger was disappointing; not bad, just ordinary. Also we're not fans of Daiya cheese - we use Vegan Gourmet at home. The chevre in the tofu scramble is housemade from cashews and is excellent.
All in all a delightful experience. We'll definitely be back to experience the lunch and dinner menus,
Pros: tasty, kid-friendly foods, good service
Cons: Better options for cheese than Daiya
Guest
misstree
Points +21
Wonderful surprise - Edit
My husband and I were visiting the Boston area and found True Bistro on HappyCow. We called and were so impressed by the owners warm invitation that we gave it a try. We were so glad we did - the food and wine pairings were absolutely amazing. The positive vibe and enthusiasm of the owner Mike and his staff made for a wonderful ambience. We couldn't have asked for a better place for a date. We highly recommend anyone that is anywhere near the Somerville area check it out.
Read morePros: Fantastic food and wine pairings, Great price on entrees and wine, Wonderful ambience
Cons: None
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3843
Really, really good - Edit
Finally an upscale vegan restaurant in Boston area! Some people compare it to Blossom in NYC and Millennium in San Francisco; while I haven't been to the latter, I found True Bistro superior to the overrated and overpriced Blossom.
Read moreMy partner and I got here early on a Saturday evening at around 5:30 since we had to go see a show after and apparently they don't take reservations for parties of less than six people. After about an hour the place was already full, but they do have a bar table with stools where you can wait or even dine there if you don't mind.
For the meal, first we got a bowl of soup du jour to share, which was a cream of artichoke soup topped with croutons and fresh chives. The flavor was subtle but not bland, and not overly salted like many restaurant soups are, very tasty when dipped with the accompanied french bread. Then we moved on to appetizers: the black bean and plantain torte and the ravioli. The tortes were pretty creative and went really well with the salsa and sour cream. The ravioli were smothered in this thick creamy sauce, so good I would have licked the plate clean if it would be considered a decent table manner.
For entrees we got the phyllo purse and the sweet potato roulade. The purse had such beautiful presentation and wonderful flavors, the mole with the pepita-arugula bed was just fantastic, definitely the highlight of our meal. The roulade was also delicious with the porcini gravy, which was very rich and full of the yumminess of mushrooms and herbs.
For dessert we got the death-by-chocolate cake, which was highly recommended by our server. It was flourless and actually more like a thick creamy chocolate mousse cake. It wasn't very sweet and the tofu was strong enough to be discernible, so I asked one of the servers if it was tofu-based and she confirmed. I wouldn't recommend anyone that doesn't like the taste of tofu in desserts to order this one; but we don't mind at all and for sure enjoyed it.
The whole meal cost about $65 sans tip/drinks, which I found very reasonable given the quality of food and portion size. Service was prompt and attentive, decor immaculate, simple yet elegant. Every dish we had was delectable, the flavors were delicate and well-balanced in that you can really taste the different vegetables, herbs, and spices. This is vegan cuisine at its finest.
Pros: amazing food, reasonable prices
Guest
stantoro
Points +46
Excellent Brunch - Edit
Went to True Bistro for Sunday brunch in its third week of operation. Really excellent - my gf had tofu benedict (lovely light saffrony sauce, on delicious biscuits), and I had a tofu scramble with house-made chevre and herbs. Yummy. Good Bloody Marys, very friendly service, the place was doing a good business. We'll be back for dinner!
Read moreGuest
andrea
Points +728
Great Addition to Boston Veg Scene - Edit
Finally a vegan restaurant in (near) Boston for more of a fine dining experience. The owners were determined to open a place like that, including a liquor license. The interior is very simple: done in black and white with pale gray walls. We were at a soft opening, so things were still rough around the edges. We had the parsnip cream soup, which was very good; and a mesclun salad with Marcona almonds (Love them!) and a perfectly applied lemon-caper dressing. We knew several people who were there at the same time. The arugula salad with pomogranate looked beautiful and got a great review.
Read moreWe ordered seitan/veg burgers. They didn't have it yet, but will be using Iggy's bread which will support these slightly messy burgers really well. Mine was caramelized onion and ranch dressing. My husband had avocado and Daiya cheese. Both were delicious. The fries were not up to par, lacking the real crunch and saltiness of a great fry.
Friends gave big thumbs up to their choices: mushroom tacos, sausage and pesto gemelli pasta, the quiche and a couple of other sandwiches.
We look forward to going back for dinner where there are some far more sophisticated options. The chef once worked at Millenium, so it's pretty promising! Again, I don't want to dwell on some service problems as it was a very crowded special event. Hopefully those will be all worked out as True opens normally. I hope we can upgrade to 5 cows soon.
Pros: Food, Very promising!, Vegan owned
Cons: Bit of a walk to the T
Guest
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