Vegan
American
Organic
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Fusion
Opened Oct 2010, an intimate organic wine bar and vegan bistro. Serving vegan tapas, organic wine and beer, full menus, and brunch on weekends. Seats up to 40 guests. Live classical Spanish guitar every first Friday evening of the month from 7:30pm. Founded by the owner of Blossom and Cafe Blossom in NYC. SHUT Oct 2015.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
1522 1st Ave (at Upper East Side, Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10021
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 08 Nov 2015 by Guest
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
32 Reviews
First Review by JohnnySensible
SLC
Points +113
A little hit or miss - Edit
I have to say I had great expectations coming here. I liked the space and the service quite a bit. The entrée, however, was very disappointing. I ordered the Seitan Schnitzel and I can honestly say I can throw that together myself in no time. Overall, and for me that is a deal breaker, it lacked taste (blueberry reduction had none worth mentioning) and spicing. For the main course I ordered the Pistachio & Pepper Dusted Tofu which was a different story altogether. Spectacular would be my choice of word for that dish. The lemon truffle emulsion was amazing and the perfect combination with the crepe. Here, too, there is a "but". The portion was tiny which I was quite peeved at considering the prices. The next day I tried Café Blossom and given the choice, I am sorry to say, I would definitely go there instead.
Read morePros: Lovely service, When it's good, it's GOOD
Cons: A pain to get to with public transp., Small portions for the price, Some dishes not as good as others
Guest
VegHeadNYC
Points +238
Beautiful Vegan Symphony - Edit
My husband and I visited V Note to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It had the perfect ambiance for such a special occasion. The food was truly outstanding; my husband kept raving about his meal to our server. For apps we highly recommend the black eyed pea cake and the cod cakes. For an entree try anything with seitan, and the tiramisu is an excellent dessert choice. Though the prices are high (this is the Upper East Side after all), the portions are large and the vegan fare is truly outstanding. The service is excellent. Definitely highly recommend-V Note hits all the right notes and receives a standing ovation!
Read morePros: Delicious Vegan Offerings, Beautiful Ambiance, Friendly Service
Cons: Price
Guest
DaniM
Points +2053
Outstanding - Edit
This one is high class vegan dining. They have very delicious outstanding meals on their menu and they taste very great.
Read moreGuest
evega214
Points +32
GO TO THERE - Edit
This place was FAN-TASTIC!
Read moreReally really good food here.
THE MOST AMAZING SALSA! It was so good that I ended up buying a bottle to take home!
Pros: Salsa, Empanada, Price
Cons: Waitress was a little out of it, Cash Only but no biggie
Guest
Dveg
Points +189
stuffed with delights! - Edit
Vegan breakfast served all day long?! You had me at French toast! We tried a few fresh juices (great!), appetizers (particularly loved the black eyed pea cake), pancakes and f.t. (Both topped with fresh fruit), "bacon cheeseburger" to satisfy a craving, and a tofu salmon with broccolini dish. Everything was delicious and the quality was extremely high. The desserts knocked it out of the park! Thanks V Note! We would love to come back!
Read moreGuest
vh089
Points +229
Under-mentioned in NYC vegan community - Edit
Probably due to its uptown location- away from the vegan hipsters of the LES and the boroughs- V Note is not often mentioned in the top vegan restaurants in NYC, but this restaurant is seriously awesome.
Read moreGreat for larger parties or couples, the food here is diverse enough that you can get a salad with tons of veggies and other vegan options not usually available or hearty dishes with meat alternatives. Definitely get appetizers. Also a pretty jazzy wine selection. Make a reservation on weekends- and try asking if the couch table is available, it can be fun to sit there.
Pros: diverse options, fun atmosphere, wine
Cons: more expensive
Guest
Lloyd
Points +139
Vegan Gourmet - Edit
V Note is one of my favorite restaurants. I've eaten here many times, most recently in January 2015. I like the balance - it's not just tofu (as are some vegan restaurants), but many protein options - tempeh, seitan, beans, etc. The South of the Border salad is excellent and quite large. Of the entrees, my favorites are Seitan Cordon Bleu and the Seitan Peppercorn Medallions. The lasagna is OK, but not as special as some of the other dishes. For people with nut allergies, they indicate dishes with nuts (why can't all restaurants do this?). They also have an excellent selection of vegan and organic beers/wines. Service has always been superb, and the decor is very pleasant. This is a great place for a special occasion.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Good selection of beer/wine, Decent prices (for upper east side)
Guest
tofumond
Points +100
Best. Restaurant. Ever. - Edit
Okay, I'm a bit pre-occupied here. It was our pre-proposal dinner and I already knew something was up, so it was very special to me.
Read moreWe had three courses, I had a lentil soup, a "Wiener Schnitzel" and potato salad, some quinoa and for dessert the best peanut butter chocolate ganache cake in the world. It was d-i-v-i-n-e. I'm so sad I won't make it there anymore again in my life, but the memory of this perfect little calorie bomb will stay forever.
The wine is also amazing.
So, if you visit New York City: GO HERE! It's not too big, but still very modern and lovely!
Pros: perfect dessert, lots of choices, nice wine
Cons: a bit small
Guest
AlexandMarie
Points +42
Very Nice - Edit
Great luncheon spot
Read morePros: Great Starters, Nice Selection, Pleasant Service
Guest
vegan_ryan
Points +3865
Mediocre food, totally not worth the price - Edit
I've had better food from a cart. That's my honest feeling about this fancy-pants restaurant.
Read moreIf I'm going to go out for a nice dinner and spend a lot of money, the food should be amazing. Here, that just wasn't the case.
I had the barbecue tempeh, and the tempeh wasn't good at all. The sides were better than the main course. The milkshake was better than the sides.
My girlfriend felt the same. Mediocre food, saved by the milkshake.
The saving quality was the friendly service.
Pros: All vegan
Cons: Overpriced for half-decent food
Guest
dkinjer
Points +309
Amazing food, a bad mishap - Edit
I came with high expectations, I was looking forward to some gourmet vegan dining after being in other cities with the more typical grain-and-veggie-stew fare, and I was not disappointed. I ordered the Pistachio & Pepper Dusted Tofu and it was scrumptious, the lemon truffle emulsion adding such a nice flavor. My spouse - how could he with so many exciting, different, menu items? - ordered the lasagna. It was good but he didn't seem as excited as I was. Well, that's what you get for ordering something that lots of places make. We had two amazing desserts: the cheesecake and the Tiramisu. Sooo good! I often skip dessert, because it has to be really special to go for it. Even vegan has calories (they do use sugar, and the tiramisu was made with coconut cream). These were worth every calorie. But the mishap - oh boy! The tables for two are close together. A woman at the table next to me knocked over her wine glass - it would be red wine - and it splashed all over me, staining my cream color cardigan, a salmon colored top, my pants, my spouse's shirt. What a mess! The waitress tried to find a laundry stick, but couldn't, so she brought me a bottle of sparkling water, which I did enjoy drinking the rest of after trying to use the non-absorbent cloth napkin and then some paper towels to clean my clothes, but there were too many stains and I didn't feel like being so wet, and it didn't work, anyway. So I gave up until I got home and worked very hard at getting most of the stains out, but I still have a stubborn spot on my cardigan. The waitress offered us a dessert on the house (which is why we had two instead of a shared dessert), but they should have offered some greater compensation for having my clothes almost ruined, and no guarantee that I wouldn't have a rather expensive loss. True, the restaurant isn't the one who knocked over the wine, but I still think that they should take some responsibility for their customers' clumsiness. I won't let it ruin my review of the food. The ambiance was also pleasant, with some live music part of the time.
Read morePros: amazing food, fantastic desserts
Cons: don't sit near someone with red wine
Guest
rach
Points +144
Upscale dining, great setting , delicious food - Edit
A lovely experience - the decor and live music added to the experience. The food is great quality (as are Candle 79 and Candle Cafe West). I think I slightly preferred the food at Candle Cafe, however it was still delicious. It is a more upscale experience in a lovely setting. I would recommend this place.
Read morePros: Setting, Live music, Quality food
Cons: Food not quite as good as candle cafe
Guest
VeganLin
Points +94
Great Birthday Dinner - Edit
I treated myself to V-note for my birthday when I was visiting New York City last year. I had purchased a Groupon so I got to enjoy more delicious food at a great price. The waitress suggested the pumpkin and sweet potato gnocchi which I enjoyed, but was my least favorite part of the meal. I also had a wonderful salad. But the highlight of the meal was the seitan medallions in peppercorn sauce. Heavenly! I look forward to returning to try something else or maybe just order those seitan medallions again. It is a small intimate restaurant, but the noise level is rather high. It was fine until two women were seated next to me and engaged in an unusually loud conversation. It did detract from the meal. Luckily the food was good enough to overcome even those annoying women. I was so full that I did not try the desserts so I cannot comment on those.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Peppercorn medallions
Cons: Noisy, Close tables
Guest
JDH
Points +105
Great food - Edit
Went here last week. Absolutely delightful staff who were bright and attentive. It's a really extensive menu and I can highly recommend the mushroom phylo cigars. The chocolate ganache pudding was a real treat.
Read morePros: All vegan, Great staff, Reasonable prices
Guest
baruchadam
Points +406
pleasant vegan dining - Edit
Satisfying menu, nice atmosphere, almost romantic.
Read moreGuest
veganintheberkshires
Points +50
Love it! - Edit
Been here 4-5 times. The seitan dishes are wonderful. You are getting gourmet for non-gourmet prices. I like V-Note better than Candle 79! The only better vegan restaurant I have been to is in Charlotte, NC and it is called Fern. Fern blows everything else away still!
Read moreGuest
steveveg
Points +2187
Upscale vegan - Edit
We had dinner here the other night. The layout was unique, with two quarter round tables that made for an odd seating arrangement. With the relatively high noise level, the two person musical accompaniment made conversation even harder. The live music did not add to our dinner, although it by itself was fine and others may enjoy it more.
Read moreWe had the Seitan cordon bleu, which was excellent. The creamy 3 mushroom risotto's flavor was slightly off. The drunken fruit parfait was a little watery and bland. The peaches did not have much flavor. The tiramisu came in a parfait cup, and was less in quantity than I would expect, but it was delicious. Aside from these quibbles, dinner was very enjoyable.
The gluten free menu had plentiful entree choices, but only one dessert and one appetizer possible.
We enjoyed this interesting addition to New York's vegan restaurants. Having traveled elsewhere in the US, I know we are really spoiled with the eating possibilities here.
Pros: organic & vegan, gluten free menus available
Cons: noise level
Guest
vegansoul
Points +304
Trendy, delicious and humane - Edit
Completely vegan in uptown NY. Offers a fabulous Sunday Brunch, which we mistakenly thought started at 11 am -- it starts at noon. They graciously allowed us to wait inside - out of the rain - at 11:45 when we arrived. My beau had a vegan breakfast of tofu scramble, vegan sausages and french toast. I had tomato soup and grilled soy cheese. It all tasted heavenly and fueled us for our day of tourism in Manhattan.
Read morePros: Vegan, Wine bar, Delicious
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2363
Neat trendy vegans spot with great wine - Edit
We walked here from our hotel upon arriving in NYC. The atmosphere and decor are wonderful. It really feels like walking into a small speakeasy type restaurant on the streets of europe. Unfortunately, most of the dishes are cooked in earth balance. We were only able to eat steamed zucchini & kale & drink wine, but were happy to enjoy the place.
Read morePros: atmosphere, wine
Cons: oil in rice/quinoa
Guest
ann.marie77
Points +85
yummy seitan medallions! - Edit
They have a nice wine list, lots of seitan on the menu (my favorite meat alternative) and a delicious "chicken" ceasar salad. Some of the items on the menu are a little bit inventive for my taste--the msuchroom and tempeh "cigars" come with pomagranate seeds on top (not a flavor that is appealing to me.) The ambiance is a little dark, but the food and service are excellent.
Read morePros: Great menu , Great wine list, Friendly staff
Cons: Dark walls, Some tables a little close together, The dessert menu could be improved upon
Guest
your_ad_here
Points +82
Delicious sammiches! - Edit
I went to V-Note for lunch and had the southern seitan sammich and it was amazing. I still dream about it. My (non-vegan) boyfriend had the curried unchicken salad which he thoroughly enjoyed. I actually wound up liking V-Note way more than Blossom.
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere
Cons: little pricey
Guest
andreacarioca
Points +58
I would eat there every week. - Edit
I am totally addicted to the Caesar Salad there, it is the best I've ever had! I like the place/decoration very much, but I am not the only one: in the past few months the restaurant has been getting very busy, and reservation is strongly suggested. Their dishes are well elaborated and very very tasty! It is not cheap, but it is worth every penny.
Read moreIf you have space in your tummy, do order dessert - they are awesome!
Guest
estefinparis
Points +858
Delicious brunch - Edit
V Note has great service and serves the best scrambled tofu. Delicious vegan brunch that left us satisfied and full of energy. Definitely recommended.
Read moreGuest
Michael X. James
Points +946
Nice, romantic place - Edit
A bunch of great wines and treats to choose from. It's a tad expensive so it's not the type of place I'll be going to every time I'm in NYC but for that special occasion you'll be hard-pressed to find a better place.
Read moreGuest
Jess McNeill
Points +62
Yum yum yum! - Edit
Visited for lunch with my vegan friend and we really enjoyed our meal! I got the tempeh with the avocado salad and she got the thai tofu. We both thought ours was the best! The price was reasonable and the atmosphere was chill. The server was helpful and attentive but not annoying. We will def return if we are in the area!
Read morePros: variety, healthy options, cozy
Guest
Poundie
Points +13540
Excellent food, classy (and pricey) place - Edit
The food here is excellent, no doubt about it, and the service is pretty good too. It is a bit pricey, but great for a special night out.
Read morePros: delicious food
Cons: pricey
Guest
andrea
Points +558
High Note - Edit
What Jenna M? Only 4 stars? V-Note is 5 stars all the way. I am actually not the hugest Blossom group fan, but V Note kicked ass. My husband ate here a few months ago and really liked it, so we came with an omni friend. They both ended up ordering exactly the same thing--the sweet potato gnocchi and Seitan Scallopini. Our bloodmouth buddy said the gnocchi were good, but slightly chewy. I don't think chewy gnocchi is a bad thing, but still, he ended up cleaning his plate. They both loved the seitan. I had a taste and it was incredibly good, on par with Candle 79 seitan (which I do not think is the case at Blossom).
Read moreI had the eggplant parm as an appetizer. It was absolutely sublime, I mean one of the best things I've eaten in any veg restaurant. I got a dinner sized soy chicken curry salad. It was really delicious. The soy chicken was so good, that had I been in a non-veg restaurant I would have been worried it was real. We all got shakes for dessert and loved them, but I will say the one I had the previous night at Cafe Blossom (I'm posting a review of that meal too) was a little thicker and had the bonus of a ribbon of chocolate sauce.
The service was awesome, friendly yet professional. I don't know why people come to nice restaurants and complain about prices. Unless it's outrageous or the food is bad, come on. $19 in NY is hardly a high price tag. We could not have had a better experience.
Guest
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 18450 times.