While there are other very good organic restaurants in NYC, these are just my personal favorites.
PURE FOOD AND WINE
Why I like it?
- Pure Food and Wine is the top raw food restaurant in NYC and serves really inventive cuisine. The food is unquestionably fantastic, especially the desserts.
- The menu changes often, which keeps things interesting.
- On a beautiful summer night, the gorgeous garden in the back has to be one of the best in the city.
- Upscale environment and very polished/professional wait staff.
SACRED CHOW
Why I like it?
- Sacred Chow consistently delivers excellent vegan food in the heart of Greenwich Village. I had the quinoa with walnuts the other day and it was mind-blowing.
- I truly believe that chef/owner Cliff Preefer is one of NYC’s most unrecognized culinary stars. If there is someone in this country who can make tofu better than Cliff, I have yet to meet this individual.
- Low-key environment yet sophisticated dishes. Unique and new specials appear all of the time.
GUSTORGANICS
Why I like it?
- GustOrganics is the city’s only certified organic restaurant, certified by NOFA-NY. When I go there, I have a very, very high degree of confidence that the food I am eating is organic.
- Menu has a wide selection, ranging from vegetarian to grass-fed meats. I can get whatever I’m in the mood for.
- The atmosphere is very appealing. Owner Alberto Gonzalez is from Argentina (home of my favorite musician, Gustavo Cerati), and lots of great Latin music is always being played. Also, I love the wood tables and the plants that grow on the walls.
SUN IN BLOOM
Why I like it?
- A truly undiscovered gem in Brooklyn, Sun in Bloom serves very light and delicious vegan food.
- The gluten-free, dairy-free apple pancakes are outrageously good and the Bella Divine might be the best salad I have had in NYC.
- The tables are very comfortable, the space gets a lot of bright light and there is a great selection of health-related books to read while you are waiting for your food. Currently, it is my favorite place to go for brunch.
CARAVAN OF DREAMS
Why I like it?
- Caravan of Dreams is another East Village organic institution that has been around for a few decades.
- The vegan fare, both cooked and raw, has yet to disappoint. Very extensive menu and great selection of superfoods that you can put in your smoothies.
- Live music, another huge passion of mine, is played here every single night. It ranges from jazz, classical, and folk to emerging singer-songwriters.
ANGELICA KITCHEN
Why I like it?
- The fact that Angelica Kitchen in the East Village has been around since 1976 and continues to draw big crowds speaks volumes about the place.
- The vegan food is really, really solid and never comes up short. You always know you’re going to get a very filling and satisfying meal.
- I particularly love their dragon bowls and wide array of sea vegetables.
THE GREEN TABLE
Why I like it?
- There is something about the energy in Chelsea Market, the building where The Green Table is located, that is very intoxicating. It probably has a lot to do with the Food Network being upstairs and the building being the home of the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) in the early 20th century. This building has a serious history of food.
- Spectacular farm-to-table food with a diverse selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The one word that comes to mind when I eat at The Green Table is fresh. Everything tastes so, so fresh.
- Because I can take my father here. He feels like he’s at a restaurant that he would normally go to (he’s not too into the whole organic food scene) and he can also get his vodka (albeit organic, not Grey Goose) on the rocks.
SOUEN
Why I like it?
- Souen serves organic macrobiotic food that is simple, clean and filling. Many times I want nothing more than organic brown rice and organic beans. There are not a lot of places where you can get this.
- The prices are affordable. Oftentimes, my meals are at or below $10. That is pretty rare for an organic restaurant in NYC.
- The service is friendly and very quick. Much of the wait staff is from Japan and everyone is super-nice. The food tends to come out within minutes. Maybe it is what I order but my food always seems to arrive at the table in five minutes or less.
ONE LUCKY DUCK
Why I like it?
- The question is: What don’t I like about this place? One Lucky Duck is the sister/take-out restaurant to Pure Food and Wine, and is also less formal and less expensive.
- The salads are AMAZING, the raw desserts rock and their selection of pressed juices is underrated.
- Very intimate, casual and relaxed environment. The three small tables, all close together, make it conducive to having conversations with other customers.
I have made some real friendships at One Lucky Duck, and it’s the best organic restaurant in NYC to go eat alone and meet other people.
Synchronicity..I stumbled upon you site yesterday via the NYT article. And this afternoon was pondering my “Fav 5″ lists for organic dining options. So perfect timing! I have yet to try Souen or Sun in Bloom. HAND DOWNS, love PureFoodWine. And was very happy to see that Green Table made your list. I feel it’s a hidden gem in the Chelsea Market.
Have you heard of Just Food? http://www.justfood.org/.. I do cooking demo’s at markets with the goal to introduce/encourage local and organic.
Enjoyed perusing your blog…
-J
I looooove Pure too!
It’s my first stop whenever I visit from Paris.
And I finally tried Angelika this time – GREAT.
Hope you know how lucky you are to have such great places around!!
http://lafleurdeparis.blogspot.com/2011/01/11-things-i-love-about-new-york-in-2011.html
Great round-up — thanks! Pure is the only one I’ve been to so far; I definitely have some exploring to do. I’ve been meaning to get to Souen one of these days, my acupuncturist is always raving about it.
Hi Judy,
What great timing!!!! I was at Sun in Bloom again this weekend — the food is so light and delicious. It is filling but not heavy at all. And, I agree with you about The Green Table. It’s a gem.
justfood.org: yes, I have heard of it. It appears they are doing some good work.
Thanks for writing.
Live well,
Max
Hi Rebecca,
Agreed! Pure is phenomenal and Angelika’s never disappoints. It is so consistent.
Believe me, I am very, very, very appreciative to live in NYC, where there are tons of great organic restaurants. I have lived in other big cities where we did not have this luxury and that is one of the reasons I live here, because I know I can eat well.
Also, thanks for the link to your great blog! I am going to check out the raw bakery.
Live well,
Max
Hi Nancy,
Lucky you! You have plenty of new places to explore and check out.
I like Souen a lot! I think you’ll enjoy it too! Let me know what you think once you go there.
Live well,
Max
It was nice to read about a few places I never heard of. However, I was surprised to read that you did not include the organice village in Queens. It is also a gem, and very reasonably priced. I have only eaten here a few times, but liked it each time.
The web site is organicvillagenyc . com
Hi Melissa,
I rarely, rarely get out to Queens and no one in the organic and/or raw food world has ever mentioned to Organic Village to me. I checked out the website and it looks fantastic. I am definitely going to give it a try.
Thanks for letting me know!!
Live well,
Max
Hi Max,
Interesting to discover your blog. (Facebook told me about you, as we have a bunch of FB friends in common.) I’ve been a journalist for decades and a raw vegan for two decades. My online magazine combines my love of the two. I wish I had more time to devote to blogging daily, as you seem to do. (I guess it helps to have once been an investment banker–much better for eventual creative freedom than being a starving artist like me. I lived in Manhattan for 27 years before moving to Florida.)
Wondering why you didn’t mention my favorite NYC raw restaurant, Quintessence. I do love PFAW, but their ingredients aren’t as pure as that of Q, and Q has been mega-creative for many, many years, and is the longest-lived raw restaurant in the city. I miss it a lot. Wish they had a branch in south palm Beach County, where we desperately need some raw vegan restaurants.
I’m also a raw recipe book author, among other things.
Judy (in Boynton Beach)
Hi Judy,
Thanks for writing. Here is why, something that I found out about recently.
http://gothamist.com/2005/09/01/suspected_subway_pleasurer_arrested.php
http://nymag.com/news/features/16576/
There is a new raw food restaurant that just opened last week in the East Village that I will covering very, very soon. Stay tuned!
Live well,
Max