Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Western
Beer/Wine
Re-opened here in early-2015. Serves original and experimental dishes in a trendy, fine atmosphere. Open Tue-Sat 5:30pm-11:00pm.
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86 Allen St, New York City, New York, USA, 10002
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Last update on 08 Mar 2015 by Guest
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68 Reviews
First Review by nitekrawler527
js-toronto
Points +1192
Overhyped, overpriced - Edit
I wanted so badly to love this restaurant. It was on my list for years and was so excited to get a reservation on my recent trip to NYC. The meal started strong with an incredible amuse bouche, but everything after that went downhill. The eggplant dish was inedible. It was sour and poorly seasoned and had no redeeming quality other than presentation. My partner was honest that he couldn’t eat more than a bite of his, and they gave us each a glass of champagne that we didn’t want to apologize. We left hungry. The tomato donut with smoked feta (we had the vegan tasting menu) convinced us that they’re a vegetarian restaurant that doesn’t know how to cook vegan. They resorted to what tasted like excessive liquid smoke that ruined the dish. And the cocktails were so bad! Watery. Would never go back. This was an expensive meal that I will always remember for the wrong reasons.
Read morePros: Great amuse bouche, Attentive staff
Cons: Not very good food, Doesn’t do vegan well, Overpriced
Guest
suzlive
Points +312
Love it - Edit
I’ve been here a few times and love it! They have a set 5-course menu that they change every season and it is always delicious and so creative! They are vegetarian by default, but will make the menu vegan if you request it.
Read moreBe sure to make a reservation far in advance as they are usually booked up.
Guest
AngelaDwane
Points +149
Great experience - Edit
Tasting menu. Food was fabulous, service was excellent. Lovely for an evening out, great atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
Happy_Bart
Points +3298
Great food - Edit
Really enjoyed it - some really interesting and creative dishes in a nice, relaxing environment. I particularly liked the artichoke.
Read moreGuest
EmdotAlice
Points +4620
Creative and delicious - Edit
Highly recommend giving this place a try! Even though they are vegetarian, you can order everything vegan. Animal products are never the star of any dish but they do provide a substitute for whatever was used rather than just removing it. For example, the asparagus lasagna had pecorino shavings and they used a vegan pecorino for mine. This was also fun as a solo diner so don’t be afraid to come here on your own. I recommend sitting the chef station.
Read moreFrom the spring 2024 menu, the savory cucumber tart and savory fennel pastry were my favorites. The asparagus lasagna and Romanesco were also very good. I won’t comment on dessert since I don’t like sweets. Hopefully I’ll be back to try future seasons.
Guest
tarayoon
Points +1745
Worth every penny - Edit
I had been dying to try Dirt Candy for years after reading all of the rave reviews. I signed up for their email newsletters to learn about their new seasonal menus, and thought the 2023/2024 winter one looked amazing.
Read moreIf you're hellbent on a certain date and time, you HAVE to book a reservation the second they hit online. They book one month in advance, and reservations go live at midnight. I chose a time and date and by 12:02am half of the time slots were gone and I had to choose a different time slot.
It's a prix fixe menu that changes seasonally, and they give you little bonus dishes from the kitchen. My partner and I both still gush about the incredible food and delicious mocktails.
I can't stop telling people about this place. I love that they're gratuity free because they pay their staff actual wages and provide benefits. That alone speaks volumes of their quality as a restaurant.
Pros: Incredible food, Amazing staff, No gratuity
Guest
RavishingRavenous
Points +2409
Fantastic tasting menu for special occasions - Edit
My photos are from 2018, menu is ever changing. Our experience was fantastic. delicious and beautifully prepared meals, great wine pairing. You can see everything being prepared with an open kitchen in the center of the dining room. A bit pricy, but its worth the experience at least once! If price is a concern, for less money there are other fantastic vegan restaurants in NYC too! I would love to go back. Recommend booking far in advance.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-27
Pros: Open kitchen concept, Beautiful, delicious food, Accommodating to vegan
Cons: Can be pricey, but great for special occasions
Guest
vegoctopus
Points +16
Superb - Edit
Best vegan food I have ever had, bar none. Wine pairings are fantastic and absolutely worth the extra $55.
Read morePros: Vegan fine dining, Lovely wine pairings , Given the quality, great value
Guest
RuthieG
Points +66
Unfucking believable! - Edit
Amazing food, passionate staff, fantastic wine. Best dining experience of my life. Great value with wine add on.
Read morePros: Everything!, Great and creative food , Passionate and knowledgeable staff
Cons: Hard to find available times befor 10
Guest
katefall48
Points +298
Love it - Edit
We've been here several times and the prix fixe menu is always inventive and delicious. My non-vegan friends really liked everything on the vegetarian menu and I liked everything on the vegan menu. We'll be back.
Read moreGuest
MichelleDeee
Points +39
Nothing short of perfect - Edit
$105 per person (tip included, they pride themselves on livable wages for their staff), 5 set courses and 2-3 experimental courses. $55 per person wine pairing optional. Every meal was phenomenal, including dishes I was apprehensive about being a slightly picky eater. The wine pairing was divine and the sommelier who brought over the pairings was lovely. The wines are specifically selected from female owned/operated vineyards.
Read moreEvery course, including the experimental additions, left me speechless. The experience could not have been any more enjoyable. We had the winter tasting menu for 2024. The onion and squash course were my favorite. The courses look small but I went on a fully empty stomach and felt stuffed before the cabbage course came out.
12/10 ratings across the board. Will absolutely be back.
Guest
gabs1205
Points +210
My favorite restaurant in NYC - Edit
All dishes were super creative and delicious! Anything with dairy can be made vegan. My favorite were the surprise dishes. The tasting menu for autumn featured vegetables that I love also.
Read moreGuest
Ricky123
Points +1034
Best meal of my life... so far. - Edit
I was sceptical with a tasting menu as I can be a fussy eater. However, I enjoyed every bite (even the beetroot dish). How they design and deliver each dish is incredible. Our server was friendly and the chefs who came out to introduce their dish were enthusiastic. I thoroughly enjoyed the ambience and would be a regular if I lived in New York.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-09-05
Pros: Great tasting, Atmosphere
Guest
slo0go
Points +2069
Wonderful experience! - Edit
The pre fixe was amazing! We got to try so many dishes. Very vegetable focused. Presentation was beautiful. Very filling! Perfect special occasion spot.
Read moreGuest
rosella_v
Points +1299
amazing time, amazing meal - Edit
the experience was fantastic. Comfy yet elegant, the staff was very attentive and knowledgable. The dishes were creative and delicious. A special place to dine.
Read moreGuest
Tamy
Points +3368
Exceptional in every way - Edit
Absolutely amazing dining experience. I have been back a couple of times now and every single visit has been a delight of the senses and the palate. Dirt Candy makes every single course fun, surprising, and delicious. This is by far my favorite vegan tasting experience and one I will aim to repeat every time I find myself in NYC. If you could only ever try one vegan high end restaurant, this would be a great choice. I cannot say enough good things about how special this place is.
Read morePros: Fun, unique dishes, Delicious food, Great service
Cons: Not open on Sundays
Guest
agentfword
Points +190
A parade of creative and intricate dishes - Edit
One prix-fixe menu, no tipping, no decisions to be made except drinks (which you can handle, I believe in you) - just sit down and let the wizards of Dirt Candy unfold beautiful discoveries before you. I was so enthralled by my first meal here that I only took one dim and basically useless photo, and I'm not sorry! Seven brilliant courses (this is the winter 2022/2023 menu, vegetarian version): my scrawled notes from the next morning say "beet broth and beet eclair, roasted celery with micro celery, collard pate and squash fest, gnocchi, onion pizza, the flower thing with labneh and horseradish, potato dessert." Such creative and delicious food, served in a serene and friendly atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
Walktell
Points +963
Elegant vegan pre-fixe - Edit
While I've always had yummy creative meals at Dirt Candy going back to the tiny original spot, I had never tried the $95 seasonal pre-fixe and had an opportunity to do this with non-vegan work friends for the Fall menu and we all enjoyed all the courses, some more than others. The big hits for me were the artichokes & sunchokes starter, the 2nd course of mushroom mousse crêpe cake with mushroom tea and the 5th course of whipped grits, caramel apples, mustard greens sorbet and the gift dishes as well were such yummy treats. Everything was beautifully plated, like little pieces of art, we all went in hungry and left stuffed so it is more than enough food. The service was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere is hip without trying to hard. I recommend a trip to the wash room at some point to hear the soothing sounds of nature and bird calls just for a moment of zen. Definitely will go back to try other seasonal menus.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-12-11
Pros: Everything is vegan or can be made vegan , Creative and unique vegan food, Great service good vibes
Cons: $17 cocktails add up fast!
Guest
Izzy234
Points +1640
Good, but possibly overhyped? - Edit
I'm really glad I finally got to try this restaurant after hearing so much about it! That said, I didn't love all the dishes and I wonder if maybe this season's menu is not the best.
Read moreI liked the "artichokes and sunchokes" dish, but it didn't look as impressive in person as it did on the restaurant's social media. The mushroom crepe cake was lovely and all the little "gift" dishes were fantastic - maybe even better than the dishes on the official menu.
That said, the kale spaghetti dish was just not very good - the pasta was mushy, the sauce was flavorless, and the vegan cheese just disappeared into the dish without leaving much of a cheesy flavor behind. The Thai-style stuffed pepper dish was a strange flavor combination that didn't really work for me.
I liked the dessert and my cocktail was fantastic.
The service was very friendly (even a bit over-friendly at times; being called "dear" was weird) but sometimes there were long waits between the courses - not something I'd expect from a restaurant of this caliber.
Overall, I had a good time but I was a bit underwhelmed.
Pros: Interesting and creative dishes , Great cocktails
Cons: Not all vegan , Some dishes weren't great , The staff can be a bit overbearing
Guest
jay.callores
Points +4821
Delightful, whimsical, fun meal - Edit
I’ve reached a milestone in my restaurant reviews and wanted to commemorate it by writing about the most exciting meal I’ve had in the year I’ve been in NYC.
Read moreDirt Candy is a whimsical culinary experience that places vegetables front and center. Each course of the tasting menu is creatively built around one particular vegetable.
- Onion: scallion pancake bagels with smoked onion “lox” and leeks & whipped cream cheese
- Cauliflower: pickled rainbow cauliflower on casper kale topped with pecorino romano
- Celery: Chinese celery butterfly pasta in a galangal and green tomato broth
- Fennel: roasted stuff fennel with apricots and tiny carrots
- Asparagus (dessert): asparagus mouse with root beer crumble
The prix fixe menu also came with an amuse bouche, an intermezzo, and cookies at the end.
The meal started off on such a wonderful high which was sustained with each successive course. There was a playfulness with each dish that made us curious how the next vegetable would be interpreted. Our time at Dirt Candy was one of exploration full of the type of joy that only comes from discovery.
Guest
UrbaneElaine
Points +151
Seasonal Dream Menu! - Edit
Menu changes every season. Inventive, delicious & fun!
Read moreGuest
ednastlouis
Points +25
Phenomenal - Edit
The best vegan food experience in NYC, maybe of all time. Just absolutely incredible, delicious, creative vegan food. Well worth the price.
Read morePros: Entire menu is vegetarian and can be made vegan
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Marcia
Points +69
Favorite meal on my recent NYC trip - Edit
I was so excited to visit! Experienced the summer tasting menu (a recent change that they added two additional courses not on menu!). Every plate was delicious, creative, and beautifully displayed. I was so full by the time the eggplant (image attached) was served. For the final course, Cucumber as dessert? It works.
Read moreI recommend adding the wine pairings. They are thoughtful, well described and very appropriate.
Service was outstanding of course.
I highly recommend and will definitely return on my next visit to the city.
Guest
Sjjk12
Points +1105
Great sandwiches - Edit
Ample quantity. Great club sandwiches & moderately priced !
Read moreGuest
PaulinaLlamas
Points +206
Amazing. Worth every penny! - Edit
We had the fall tasting menu and everything was mind blowing. I couldn’t pick a favorite dish, the place is nice and the staff super attentive.
Read moreGuest
Kikleton
Points +124
Simply Outstanding! - Edit
They have a very delicious and filling set menu that changes on a regular basis. The menu items sound so simple but the flavors are unique and complex. They also have an Oatly soft serve🍦ice cream machine! Really friendly people and great service.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-12-28
Guest
MerryKringles
Points +344
Special night - Edit
Came here with a friend for a nice evening, was not disappointed. What i like is that tips are included- no messing around at the end of the night.
Read moreService was great, and it was easy to have a vegan option.
Pros: Easy to veganise, Changing menu, Great staff
Guest
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