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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79 Reviews
First Review by nitekrawler527
JordynMary
Points +141
Worth every penny - Edit
I’ve been hesitant about coming here due to the very high prices, but for a special occasion we splurged and my oh my. Everything about this place was exceptional.. from the waitstaff being just so friendly and attentive but not overtly, to the food.. we got the patch since 90$/pp is a bit tooooo steep for the garden. The first course was this crispy fried Korean broccoli that was out of this world.. the Brussels sprout tacos were hands down the best Brussels I’ve ever had. Even the mushroom cauliflower chocolate although sounds weird was divine. You need to mention your vegan FYI. I mentioned it when I confirmed the reservation and the waiter already knew and had told the kitchen before we even opened our mouths when we sat down. And they remembered it was our anniversary (I had clicked it on open table) and gave us complimentary champagne. High class all around.
Read moreGuest
Chella
Points +189
It was an experience - Edit
This place was unbelievable! Our table consisted of a vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore. We decided on the 9 course Vegetable Garden since our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. Every dish was creative, well presented, and most importantly delicious. Doesn’t matter if you are veg or not, this place is outstanding!
Read morePros: Easy to accommodate vegans, Great service, Creative presentation
Guest
JJones315
Points +2331
Vegetarian Haute Cuisine - Edit
Excellent cusine in a fabulous space.
Read moreIf you are looking for a change from the ubiquitous veg/vegan “comfort food” establishments, this place is for you...this is a dining experience with a capital D. There is a small, but well-stocked bar, a dining bar facing the open kitchen, and traditional tables with plenty of space between them. You can even have a conversation with the other people at your table.
The food is innovative, artfully presented, and ultimately, satiating. Ultimately, because the pace of the multicourse dinners is certainly leisurely; however, your patience will be rewarded.
Every dish can be made vegan.
I am looking forward to trying the weekend brunch once it resumes after a summer break.
Pros: Excellent haute cusine style veg/vegan fare, Civilized dining experience, Accomodates special dietary needs
Guest
Worldvegkitchen
Points +1383
Stuff yourself brunch options - Edit
Chose the $30 set brunch menu and was not disappointed. Came with coffee, mimosa, a pastry, and entree. Had the tomato biscuit (so flaky!), the carrot coffee cake (not overly sweet), the California Cracker (avocado lovers dream), and the layered omelette (garlic, tomato galore). Fantastic experience, want to go back now for their dinner.
Read morePros: Great experience, Good food, but come hungry as it’s a lot
Guest
PabloofGramercy
Points +269
Great meal - Edit
The food is very creative and the presentation is fun and different. All of the ingredients were fresh and varied. In fact, the variety of ingredients and cooking methods is impressive. The meal itself (9 course) was a little uneven. Some dishes (broccoli, soup, spetzl, sponge cake) were absolutely delicious. Others were a little bland or relied too much on raw greens (i.e., too much salad). The staff could not be any nicer. They do both vegan and vegetarian meals, and they can accommodate one’s schedule (we had a show after dinner and they timed the courses to fit our schedule.) All in all, this place is a must.
Read moreGuest
veganrunning
Points +730
needs improvement - Edit
I ordered the Brussel sprouts Tacos. Nothing special as I felt like I could easily make this meal at home.
Read moreGuest
ashwinn
Points +802
World Class Veg*n food. - Edit
Aside from the use of Eggs, this place is spectacular. They substituted eggs as an ingredients for my meal (why not all?) and it was great.
Read moreI am dreaming about the broccoli and the desserts which were off the hook.
New location is more accommodating and the service was great.
Veg*n food can be world class, a great business, and service oriented. This place proves it and deserves 5 stars as the hallmark for what the rest of the veg*n world can aspire to.
Pros: creative food
Cons: prices can be steep, difficulty to secure a table , eggs
Guest
crturner25
Points +127
Exquisite food and Presentation - Edit
Dirt Candy just blew me away! I have never seen or eaten anything so beautiful. Everything is so delicate yet has such powerful flavors, in the best way possible. It is a beautiful interior with very friendly staff. The drinks are so unique and fresh. The small sharing courses make for a fun evening with friends or your partner to try lots of things! The desserts are a must have as well!
Read moreFor dinner my boyfriend and I ordered the surprise menu where the chef pairs and creates a number of courses from the menu especially for you! I highly recommend doing this, as you cannot go wrong with anything you order here!
For brunch I shared the red pepper fritters with my table and I ordered the zucchini blossom pancakes! They were incredible and just right. Highly recommend these!
Pros: Flavorful Food , Presentation , Great Service
Cons: Pricey
Guest
NikiMullin
Points +34
A brilliant experience - Edit
We ate here late last Saturday night, and it did not disappoint.
Read moreThe service was truly exceptional, our waiter (sorry, I wish I caught his name) was attentive, knowledgable and super efficient). Most dishes could be 'veganized' and his personal recommendations (the Korean Fried Broccoli and the Brussel Sprouts) were just amazing.
All of the dishes were fresh and really creative, small in size, so I'd recommend getting a few and sharing.
If you're vegan and/ or vegetarian and in New York (even if you're not even close), you have to visit this restaurant!
Pros: Exceptional service, Excellent food, Friendly staff
Cons: location, Restaurant sign (almost didn't come in!)
Guest
baruchadam
Points +422
Nice place - Edit
Creative cookery and fun place to eat. Friendly staff.
Read moreNot all the dishes came together as well as they could have, but these folks are not afraid to experiment. Kudos for that.
Guest
Nourished
Points +124
One of my all time favorite upscale veg spots - Edit
A delightful dining experience! Such an original and delicious menu!
Read moreGuest
VeggieGrrrl
Points +29
Loved it!!! - Edit
I am a vegetarian and my boyfriend is a carnivore chef. He was reluctant to go there because we have had bad experiences at all vegetarian restaurants before. We were both amazed by the food!
Read moreGuest
jackie.r.7289
Points +141
Creative food, if a bit lackluster - Edit
We went for brunch last time we visited NYC. It was honestly more of a 3.5 experience. I love the spaciousness and brightness of their new location, though I don't love the new spot. It's a bit deep into the Lower East Side. We were seated without a reservation - unheard of at the old, smaller Dirt Candy location in the East Village. Service was friendly and attentive. We thought brunch food prices were very reasonable, however, cocktails were borderline outrageously priced. A brunch drink shouldn't be the same price as food. We decided to forego cocktails and just split a few dishes. We ordered:
Read more- Zucchini Pancakes (for sweet) - These were about 7 or so silver dollar pancakes, dusted with powdered sugar. They were fun, but almost more snack-sized. They had good flavor and certainly no overwhelming zucchini scent. However, they felt a bit oiled/fried, which seems unnecessary with pancakes.
- The Greens Sandwich (for savory) - This was a very large sandwich, which is a plus, especially considering the size of the pancakes. It mostly tasted like salad on bread to me though. My fiancé liked it a lot though (he did layer on a fair bit of hot sauce though).
We were still a bit hungry (and were trying to stretch this meal for breakfast and lunch), so we ordered the carrot granola too.
- Carrot Granola - This was a thick labneh yogurt with carrot marmalade and super crunchy granola. Again, not a massive serving size, but the perfect thing to top us off. The marmalade had a good tang to it, though this, like a few other dishes at Dirt Candy, was almost too inventive, if that's a thing. Sometimes a chef can still be inventive without going soo far out of the box, and it seems like sometimes Dirt Candy is quite far out. Still, food is generally good.
We may go back next time we're in NYC, but considering there are so many other restaurants we love there, we wouldn't run back.
Guest
Jack+2
Points +44
Dirt Candy, plays beautifully with flavours ... - Edit
We had an exemplary experience! The staff was efficient, attentive, and informative. I love to know the details of the earthly delights that will be nourishing my body and soul. As a vegan lover of food; Dirt Candy filled that yearning for a devine dining experience. The medley of flavours danced and melded together, complimenting each other in delightful pairings. From start to finish; Dirt Candy provided a respite from the "at times" mundane experience of vegan dining.
Read moreGuest
MrBlacksmith
Points +11
Fantastic - and 96% on menu vegan - Edit
Party of 4, wife and 2 teenagers, picked 8 dishes and tried to pick top 3 after enjoying a great dinner. We came to a consensus that the eggplant was not well balanced (too heavy, too spicy/hot) but the rest was awesome! Not cheap, but rather have a memory for long and see it a a great memory on a vacation (spent a week in NYc) and it will most def be the best meal on this trip (one day left, might change ;). We will recommended this to our friends, and I will recommend it to you all too. Friendly staff and great drinks too :)
Read moreGuest
newsomz
Points +96
Creative vegetarian - Edit
I really loved our meal here. The menu changes based on season and we went in early summer. The food was very inventive and excellent. The dishes are all small and our waiter explained they are for sharing so you should get several dishes each. I was expecting this to be a fine dining experience so I wasn't surprised by the bill (large) or the portion sizes (small). Our wait staff were lovely and gave great suggestions. I'd definitely return if I was planning a special occasion dinner or night out.
Read morePros: great food, friendly staff
Cons: expensive
Guest
RocketGomez
Points +381
tiny portions, massive bill - Edit
A party of four dined here. The dishes all beautiful to look at, but taste-wise, were hit and miss. More misses than hits. The radish appetizer was bland and the broccoli hotdog was a stalk of broccoli in a stale bun. The cauliflower dish was also weak. The hush puppies and broccoli balls were very tasty. The portions were unbelievably small, given their expense. There is an additional mandatory 20% fee, but it is not a gratuity. This makes me wonder what it is for. Our tab, for four diners, was over $300. We all agreed we were still very hungry and needed to get pizza after we left the restaurant. My partner and I are both vegan, the other couple are omnivores. I inadvertently gave my omnivore friends a poor introduction to veganism by taking them here.
Read morePros: beautiful presentation
Cons: small portions, extremely expensive (even for NYC), mysterious 20% fee
Guest
Hjveg
Points +28
exciting vegan food - Edit
I was able to go to the original location and had a wonderful experience. We asked for help with ordering and received amazing dishes full of flavor. The chef is able to pull off something exciting, which can be rare at vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Service was great and the chef was lovely. We went back the next day to buy her cookbook after my brain was hurting trying to figure out how she made broccoli taste like a hot dog.
Read moreThe new location is much bigger and the food is still an interesting mix of flavors and textures. As a group we shared the cauliflower tacos and it was our favorite. Dirt Candy is a magical treat.
Pros: food, drinks, service
Cons: can be hard to get a table
Guest
VegHeadNYC
Points +238
Don't Believe the Hype - Edit
My husband and I ate at the original Dirt Candy before they moved into their larger space on Allen Street. Reservations were hard to come by, and we had waited months to secure one. We had really high expectations once we arrived, with their dishes focused on a single food, and unfortunately Dirt Candy did not live up to the hype. My husband (who is vegan) did very much enjoy his Cucumber (coconut poached tofu, shiso galangal sauce, salsify & hearts of palm), and they were able to make the Popcorn Pudding dessert vegan. However, the apps and entrees were small and the taste was nothing extraordinary - I did not like the Cauliflower dish at all. Prices are expensive, and service was rushed to have quick turnover in the tables. Maybe things have changed at the new location, though we were unimpressed with the original Dirt Candy.
Read morePros: Desserts
Cons: Expensive, Mediocre Food
Guest
tauberl
Points +472
Inventive but not the restaurant highlight of the trip - Edit
I was really excited to go here given all the hype and how incredibly difficult it was to get a reservation! We ordered a lot of things: the Korean broccoli and jalapeño hush puppy appetizers/"snacks", the curry fries, the carrot entree and eggplant entree. Everything was really beautiful and inventive, but other than the two "snacks", I wasn't blown away by the tastes- maybe it's just a bit too fancy (eg the eggplant "mousse" did nothing for me) for my tastes :-). They also didn't seem super savvy to the whole vegan thing- maybe we just had a newer waiter, but there were a few times he brought something to the table and seems unsure whether it was vegan- once with the complimentary bread and butter, which was fine since we hadn't actually ordered that, but then again with the maple butter with the jalapeño hush puppies (which I had specifically ordered vegan). So, everyone was very nice and the idea is interesting, and I'm very happy for them that they're so busy- but I won't necessarily be rushing back myself.
Read moreGuest
Mr Jefferson
Points +65
A restaurant on the rise - Edit
For its size, this is a place full of surprises, not least because we mistook the owner for a waitress. All in all the the food was fantastic and we had a thoroughly enjoyable night. As a rule of thumb, I judge a restaurant on whether I walk away with a copy of the cookbook. On this occasion I bought 3!
Read moreDirt Candy is destined for greater things if they can find a premises more suitable to meet the demand.
Lasting memories are the rosemary candy floss.
Pros: Friendly owner, Innovative food
Cons: Very tight fit, Mushroom pate perhaps too rich for me
Guest
steveveg
Points +2748
Original and creative - Edit
Dirt Candy serves highly creative dishes. Each item is themed on a plant and is totally original. We had each of the four entrees: parsnip, beans, broccoli and corn, and two of the appetizers: mushroom and cabbage. The mushroom was exceptional, especially the mousse. Dessert for us were an incredible Ice Cream Nanaimo Bar (with sweet pea, mint and chocolate) and the Popcorn Pudding - very charmingly sweet. The food was intensely flavored, and uniquely done. The only drawback was that I found, to my taste, some items overly salted. All items (except the tiramisu) could be made vegan. There were a number of gluten free choices as well. Service was excellent. The space was comfortable.
Read morePros: creative and original, highly flavorful, excellent service
Cons: some items overly salted
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3591
A MUST visit for any foodie!! - Edit
I'm really surprised that this place is not more popular on here, because it was hands down the best vegetarian/vegan food I've had in NYC so far. And I'm making this statement based on my previous visits to the other renowned vegan restaurants, including Blossom, Candle 79, Pure Food and Wine, Kajitsu, etc. From what I've read, the chef (Amanda Cohen) is not vegetarian herself, but she has enough guts to creative such innovative vegetarian food using no meat ingredients whatsoever, and it works out beautifully! No fake meat, no seitan, no vegan cheese, just vegetables.
Read moreEvery dish we had was an excellent interplay of flavors and textures, nothing like what we've ever experienced before. Every bite really made our taste buds sing. The menu was small; some items had dairy/eggs, but we were told first thing after being seated that all items could be made vegan. The two of us started with the highly raved about jalapeño hush puppies, then shared two appetizers, two entrees, and finished with two desserts. We were totally, completely blown away by the food - the flavors, the textures, the presentation everything!! If I have to nitpick, I did find the popcorn pudding too sweet. They could have toned it down a bit and it would still be delicious.
Much like the menu, the restaurant itself was also tiny. There were probably only six or seven tables with a capacity of 20, tops. It was quite cramped, so be prepared to sit elbow to elbow. But then again, it's all about the food and it was absolutely worth it. Openings are hard to come by - you most likely won't be able to get a table without making a reservation well in advance, much less walk-ins. I simply can't wait for my next visit to NYC so I can come back again!
Pros: innovative menu, excellent food, vegan options
Cons: cramped setting, hard to get a table
Guest
shirley1
Points +340
great vegan food - Edit
we recently visited New York and went to Dirt Candy for dinner.Amanda Cohen is an innovative and very tasty chef.I was with my family of meat eaters and they said that they would visit Dirt Candy again on another visit to New York.
Read moreThe waitress came to our table and asked how many vegans there were at the table, because they can make everything vegan or vegetarian.
We all had something different .the onion soup was delicious my family had the vegetarian version with cheese, but my meal was totally vegan . I had the salad with the candied grapefruit pops-I had never eaten anything like it before.It was so different and tasty I was tempted to ask for more. My family shared the jalapeno hush puppies and they said the maple butter was amazing.
Golden Beet Papardelle yogurt, pistachios and honey 18.00
Crispy Tofu With Green Ragout kaffir lime beurre blanc 17.00
Asparagus Paella artichokes, morels, saffron tomato broth 16.00
Stone Ground Grits pickled shitakes and a tempura poached egg 18.00
Everything On The Menu Can Be Made Vegan On Req
everything was tasty and amazing .
Pros: tasty, different, cosy
Guest
nitekrawler527
Points +24
So, so, so good. - Edit
I had put off checking out this restaurant b/c I didn't see anything I would want to eat on the menu and then one day I decided to try it and was amazed at how good and gourmet Amanda Cohen's food is. Without a doubt, the food at dc is the refined and innovative in the city, among the best in the country, surpassed by only Millenium. The restaurant itself is small, and each dish is carefully prepared for the diner. The service is incredible. The food is out of this world. A melody of flavors, each complimenting each other... the food was both complex and comforting. I had the greek salad which is basically chopped up tasty olives, ripe tomatos, and cucumbers with a delish creamy lemon dressing and topped with fried mushrooms; the parpadelle, which were tender and topped with the freshest, sweetest beets and creamy sauce, a nice glass of cava, and this incredible ice cream sandwich desert with choocolate cookie, sweat pea (a really refeshing green taste==not unlike sencha with agave), chocolate and mint ice cream. The mint was unlike anything I ever had. Tart, fresh, a true mint. As I was eating I spied other people's food: the onion soup (which is probably good if you like onion soup, the mousse, a complex dish of vegan pate, sauteed mushrooms, bread, and chopped peaches; the tofu, expertly grilled and perfectly firm on top of a collection of green vegatables, the paella, a wonderful collection of mediterrean vegetables shaped into a cake-like mold... Unfortunately, I didn't see the grits or the other salad. The beignet, corn fritters with a kick, looked awesome, though. Can't wait to go back for more. I've been a vegan in NY since 1995, and seriously, this is the most elegant and interesting (but not fussy) vegan fine dining option there is in the city. (And I have been to Blossom and Candle 79---Dirt Candy more hip, more interesting, a better experience, and much better value). Look forward to going back and hope Amanda keeps experimenting with different foods---we can use some new direction for vegan food in the city!
Read morePros: excellent service, innovative, tasty, and gourmet, good value
Cons: only open for dinner, 5 days a week, small, need a reservation
Guest
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