Candle

This is one of the best places to grab a delicious vegan meal in the city. The staff are attentive and friendly, the decor is simple and elegant, and everything I’ve tried here thus far has been delectable. I’ll definitely be stopping by more regularly when I can.

Came here with a bunch of friends for lunch on a Sunday. The food was AMAZING. Even people who swear they couldn’t be vegan would change their mind if they could taste this food and they would not miss the meat at all! Our server was a beautiful blonde gal who looks like a model! We had the dumplings, huevos rancheros, mushroom salad and tomato soup. I also ordered the Ginger Tail mocktail. It was the very best most refreshing zero proof drink I ever had. I’ve had mocktails before that tasted nasty. Great coffee and date ice cream too. Yes! I recommend this place. UPDATE: I returned on a Saturday for lunch. Had the Candle burger and the Cucumber, mint “mojito” mocktail. Yummmm Update: Visited recently and had the delicious black bean burger and blurberry “pie”. The pie is actually a tarte with a few berries and a vegan custard served with date ice cream .It is very good, just not really a pie and although I LOVE Candle, it was pricey fir what it was.

This month we held our wedding brunch at Candle and were extremely impressed by Tatiana and her entire team. They were so professional, kind, organized, and wonderful from the start. All of this on top of designing and serving a stellar menu that elevated the entire event. We have dined at Candle several times before, but this menu (comprised of many of their brunch staples) was exceptionally delicious. We let them take the reins and do what they do best, fantastic vegan fine-dining, and we are so happy that we did. We are forever grateful to Candle, Tatiana, Jorge, and Angel. If you are considering a brunch, dinner, or event at Candle, don’t hesitate. You will be in excellent hands! 🙌

Nice place with 30 years of history, almost everything is made in-house, including ice-cream. Tried sweet potato (🤯) ice-cream with vegan cannoli dessert, it was really good!

Lovely vegan restaurant. The menu has many great items, daily specials, and on the weekends they have brunch service. The atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. Definitely check them out! Items pictured: candle croissant, soy vanilla latte, and mango tapioca pudding.

Went here for a dinner date and we didn’t realize that this was an only vegetarian/ vegan place. Being meat eaters we had no idea what to do but decided to stay and we are so happy we did!!!! The food was so tasty, filled with flavor. The bolognese was incredible I couldn’t tell there was no meat in the dish, it was perfect. The food was so good we ordered dessert and it was perfectly warm with vanilla ice cream on top. Highly recommend this even if you aren’t vegetarian, try it out!

Best vegan food in NYC, big portions, great service

went here for the second opening night, the food was so amazing and the atmosphere was perfect! I would consider this the best vegan restaurant I’ve ever been too, this was the first time I genuinely enjoyed ingredients like tofu and olives. The mock tails were also really delicious, I def recommend the passion fruit one! Everything we ordered was so tasteful, filling and just went together so well, no complaints at all.

Woah I was not expecting this to be SO good. You guys have to try the mushroom crepe. It's insane. It's gluten free too! It's made out of chickpea flour

I received a gift certificate from my dad for my birthday to Candle 79. I was excited to see Candle reopened as Candle, and today I called today to ask if they would honor my gift certificate from Candle 79 which I received from my father for my birthday. They said no. So Candle is not really the quality vegan restaurant related to the prior iterations and my family will not go. Definitely do not buy a gift certificate here...

*** 4.5 stars *** Delicious vegan spot that I would call the smart casual of restaurants. While it feels like a casual neighborhood spot that you could just walk into, it has a chic/hip vibe and you could still come here for a special occasion (the table next to us was celebrating a birthday). The prices align with that, being more than you'd expect to pay at a casual place, but less than at a fancy restaurant ($20-$30 for a main). I'm not vegan but everything on the menu looked delicious. Because I am a huge mushroom fan I landed on the mushroom crepe and was not disappointed! I was also quite full for the rest of the night, which is not always the case after dining at a vegan restaurant. It was very easy to get a reservation (probably wasn't necessary as the restaurant was 30% full on a Saturday night). Hopefully they get a lot of business via take out, otherwise I'm concerned that they'll be able to stay open (but they are took good not to!).

I was a fan years ago at the uptown location. Still delicious. Service and ambiance is still superb. So far I've enjoyed the mushroom crepe. Upon first bite, I was skeptical. Keep eating. It is a delight. The mac and cheese is solid. But the dessert. I had the carrot cake with pineapple dessert and B-A-B-Y it is deliciousness!!!! Whew!

I ordered on ClassPass. This place is definitely a cute sit down spot for a date or meal with friends. But you can order a few of the dishes from their menu to go on ClassPass. The food came out quickly and the ravioli was better than I expected. The spinach was prepared well and flavorfully drenched in the marinara sauce. The ravioli itself had chickpea or something inside which made the texture nice. All in all would recommend.

Some of the best Vegan food you can find anywhere and a lovely space and superb staff. What more could you ask!?

One of the OG vegan restaurants in NYC is back. Throughout most of my adult life, I'd hit up Candle Café on the UES (literally the only reason I'd willingly go to the UES) for progressive vegan food. And to Candle 79 for their lucullan cuisine and sophisticated surroundings on special occasions. My heart broke a little when I heard both of these venerable had closed. But, as their website promises, "with a new flame, Candle is back!" The menu is a little more simple, but never basic. They are the originators of making things like a humble market plate into a work of culinary art screaming with unexpected flavor when one might expect plainness, and a kale salad that is velvety and umami-rich rather than tough, chewy and unbearable to consume. The new Murray Hill location on third avenue is a sight to behold. Similar to the food, it's not flashy nor slick. I think of a throwback to the refined decor of the early aughts, before everyone was looking to outdo each other with their interior design. Classy without being boring. White exposed brick and natural wood accents, greenery peeking through here and there. The perfect place for lunch, however seeing as I stayed until almost dinnertime, it's practically glowing and cozy and lends itself to spirited dinners (speaking of spirits, until they get their license, you can BYOB). I ordered something that I don't typically order in a vegan restaurant, a burrito bowl. As I mentioned above, it a deceptively modest offering. It's literally the best burrito bowl I've ever had with sensationally flavored black beans (normally I would salt the hell out of black beans but they miraculously needed no salt), bright greens, chewy short grain brown rice and all smothered in exquisite guacamole and a very realistic non dairy sour cream. You may add another protein and I didn't hesitate to choose the grilled seitan, recalling the magic Candle always commanded with the often bland and chewy wheat meat. No regrets. My dining companion couldn't stop extolling the virtues of her mushroom crepe and it looked divine. I needed to get some work done solo and asked our kind waiter if I might stay for a bit and he was so nice about allowing me to do so. I had no desire to ever leave, as I worked on my laptop with an oat milk cappuccino. There are a lot of phenomenal vegan restaurants in Manhattan right now. Make sure you don't overlook Candle if you're looking for healthy, deliciously elevated comforting foods that you don't always see on menus these days.

***Great Service, Very Filling, Highly Recommend*** I have had food delivered here and have also ate at the restaurant. Both have been a very positive experience. I recommend a reservation because it does get packed. There is a good amount of seating and the ambience inside is very relaxing. The food is very delicious and filling; you won't be disappointed!

Whatever you do, do not order the seitan piccata -- slop city! Had this dish many times at their other UES location and I swear I don't remember ordering pea soup with dried out seitan floating in it.

Enjoyed warm, fantastic service from beautiful Tatiana. The wild mushroom crepe and spaghetti bolognese were delicious. Got matcha lattes (love that they weren't presweetened), a date bar and cookie to go, and blueberry cheesecake tart for dessert, which hit the spot and was sugar-free and guilt-free. The icing on the cake was the music playlist--some 80s favorites!

So Happy Candle is back! Had frequented all of their restaurants since I went vegan in 2009 Took my mom to the new candle for an early Mother's Day brunch. She's not vegan but always loved candle 79. The French Toast got her seal of approval. That is a hard one! I got the Cajun seitan Sammie. Forgot how amazing their seitan was. Best service too . My mom is .. not easy

Got takeout from this fancy vegan place a while back as I was in the mood for something healthier. Guy who gave the order was friendly and the music was low during lunch time. Their lunch menu like their dinner menu is expensive. I got the Wild Mushroom Salad with baby arugula, wild mushrooms, corn, zucchini, olives, pickled red onions, and a horseradish dressing. This was a $20 salad which is of course quite expensive. It was packaged nicely with the salad in one large container with a whole heaping of just about everything outside of the pickled onions unfortunately with the dressing on top and the mushrooms/zucchini packaged separately which was a nice touch. The dressing had a very strong flavor but helped with the arugula. I prefer a stronger pickle for the red onion but it was fine. The mushrooms were delicious and roasted perfectly. This would work as a light dinner which makes the price a bit more worth it. Would I get it again? Maybe. It's a bit out of my lunch comfort range and is an odd in-between dinner and lunch in terms of portions. I think they need some less expensive options if they want to stay open for lunch.

I came right when they opened back up and was disappointed. The mac and cheese definitely doesn't taste like mac and cheese and it was good but just nothing like what I expected. The best item was the fries, which were unique and delicious. The taco was good but not mind blowing. Overall, it was good but there's much better vegan food in nyc.

I recently got the Cajun Seitan Sandwich delivered for dinner and it was great. I got French Fries with it too, Also very good.

Ate a late brunch here and we really enjoyed it. Such a diverse menu, the food was so flavorful and the ingredients seemed quality. I got the Za'atar roasted cauliflower and loved it -- it was perfectly cooked. We also got chimichurri skewers as an appetizer which were also great! I was surprised how quiet it was, although it is probably more popular in the evening. This place deserves more traffic!

A treat or a place for everyday or a special occasion for your favorite vegan and your vegan favorites.

Phenomenal new vegan restaurant! Super elegant and cozy, with great service. We came for lunch, and one entree portion was satisfying but not stuffing. Prices were a little on the higher side but the food was so good, I would say it was well worth it. The za'atar cauliflower was roasted to tender perfection with a savory herby flavor, accented with the acidic roasted tomato and creamy sauce. The bolognese seitan mock meat tasted a little bready, but in a good savory way. The sauce was delicious and pasta cooked Al dente. All in all would definitely recommend!

Incredible vegan food in none other than Murray Hill. As someone who is leaning more into vegetarian options when dining out, this place is perfect for me. The menu is filled with amazing options. The must try's that I'd recommend would be the mezze plate which my friend and I split as well as the kale salad with a protein - I added tempeh. Really soul nourishing and filling. You can tell the food is high quality and made well. Everything is flavored so well and unlike anything I've had in the city. Also worth mentioning, but try their mocktails!

So happy Candle is back! I really look forward to eating here every time I visit NYC, so when I heard they just opened back up I was ecstatic. The decor is chic yet unpretentious, warm and comfortable. Staff was incredibly friendly and the service was on point. I had to tell our waitress (and anyone who reads this for that matter) that the Seitan Piccata is legit my favorite dish. Period. Full stop. Mic drop.

Great food with great service. We found this place accidentally and were pleasantly surprised. Definitely recommend.

Excellent food and very friendly service. The hibiscus tea and seitan dumplings were especially tasty.

I used to go to Candle Cafe and their sister restaurant, Candle 79, all of the time between 2000 and 2010. I recently decided to go again and found out that those places closed, but some of the staff (and maybe an owner or two?) opened a new spot called Candle on Third Ave. between 27th and 28th Streets. I went on Friday night and was thrilled to see that the essence of those two fantastic places is alive and kicking. This vegan place has an eclectic menu that will satisfy taste buds from all walks of life. I'm not a vegan, but totally enjoyed the seitan piccata and chickpea cake. The waitress was friendly and attentive, and the chef even came over and chatted with us for a while. We reminisced about the old places. Do yourself a favor and check out Candle. You won't regret it.

The food and service was amazing. This is definitely a place I'll visit again. The flavors of the food were dynamic, and the ambience is super cool.

The food was all delicious. The drinks were all really flavorful and fun. We liked the atmosphere and the service was great. We went for brunch and it did not disappoint. Can't wait to go back to try more vegan food!

candle was a pleasant surprise. i missed candle 79 and was pleasantly surprised to find that they reopened here. the food was very tasty , the decor quite minimalistic if i remember correctly, and the service was great.

When the other Candles closed due to a gas leak and the sale of a building , I was sad, as they were my favorite vegan restaurants. When the former chef opened a new Candle, I was thrilled. The menu at the new Candle is like a greatest hits with the most popular dishes from the old Candles. Out of habit, I order the same dishes over and over (seitan piccata, market plate, bolognese and seitan chimichurris), but I always have food envy when I try other peoples' dishes.

Absolutely delicious! The lentil soup hit the spot on a perfect fall night. Caesar salad was fantastic and I never thought I could have piccata again as a vegan. The carrot cake topped off the evening for an incredible blend of ambience and great service. Thank you Candle, we will be back!

So thrilling that this remarkable restaurant has been resurrected. If you've been missing Candle 79 and Candle Café, rejoice. Using the preliminary menu at https://candlecafe.nyc/menu, I've placed pickup orders via phone or through the website link. Each item has been mind-blowingly delicious. The soft, flaky brunch croissant is brimming with so much goodness; how do they stuff all of those amazing flavors in there?! The kale salad, polenta fries, Za'atar cauliflower, and the dense, creamy chocolate peanut butter dessert are also my absolute favorites!! Okay, I can't choose. There is a vast variety of delicious dishes to choose from and the staff seems friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

Not strictly vegan myself, but I dabble in it often enough to recognize a nice vegan place when I see one. And Candle, I admit, is a *very* good one! From ambiance, nice and cozy, to friendly and prompt, though not rushed(!) service. Well made drinks and excellent food. Vanilla strawberry icecream a must, pair it with peach cobbler and you won't be disappointed.

Stylish and deliciously plant based! Excellent food and drinks with top notch service. Instagram-able plates that steal the show from apps to dessert. Definitely recommend to vegans or anyone looking for good vibes and even better food!

So wonderful that candle opened up - the food is delicious and the service is great. Highly recommend the Saffron rice, seitan picatta and the chocolate peanut dessert was such a wonderful treat!

So glad Candle is back! Just the best vegan there is. Everything is so flavorful and fresh. The polenta fries are a must-have and the seitan skewers are perfect. Meat-lovers will be converted.

So happy Candle is back! The food is incredible, and classic dishes are as great as ever. We will return when we're in the city!

Stopped on for lunch with a friend. First time here. The atmosphere is fresh and inviting. Ginger and mint mocktails had a nice kick! Burrito bowl and taco selection were nicely presented and delicious! Service with a smile. We will be back.

Candle is back - yes!! Delighted to welcome back this pioneer of vegan food in a new location. We have had Candle Cafe, Candle 79, and Candle West. All gone. And now, some of the original staff is back at Candle. The food is excellent, and I recommend Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower, the classic Market Platter, and Wild Mishroom Crepe. Go eat your plants at Candle.

Candle has successfully created a haven for vegan gastronomy, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with plant-based ingredients. The restaurant's commitment to replicating meat-like flavors while staying true to vegan principles is both admirable and satisfying. For anyone looking to embark on a culinary adventure that challenges perceptions of vegan cuisine, Candle restaurant will not disappoint--its thoughtfully curated menu, inviting ambiance, and exceptional service make it a standout choice for vegans and non-vegans alike. Amazing!

Candle is easily one of the best restaurants in the city. Exquisite, creative food and the nicest, most professional staff. I love everything they serve.

Flavorful, colorful, and creative meal options! Due to ethical and environmental concerns, I am incorporating more vegan meals into my diet. Candle is a brilliant vegan restaurant that I highly recommend!

THEY'RE BACK!!! The highest quality of vegan food you could ever get. So much thought and effort is put into every dish. Jorge and his staff truly care for their customers and go above and beyond with accommodations to make every guest feel safe and welcome. Even if you aren't vegan, you'll love your experience here!

Love and miss the candle café. This is an offshoot of it. Good food expensive but not as good as the candle, Café.

Very good food and service. But the loud music is too much. It's hard not to be annoyed when you're trying to get the last piece of tempeh on your fork when All The Single Ladies is blasting overhead. Turn it down a bit, Candle. Otherwise, yummy.

Delicious, healthy vegan food of the highest quality! Keeping the tradition alive from Candle 79, Candle West and Candle Cafe! Thank you Candle!

We loved Candle 79 and were disappointed when it closed. We like the new " Candle " dry much. New restaurant is more light-filled, more casual compared to Candle 79. While the menu is more limited, several old favorites are on the menu and the food was still as amazing. They did not yet have their liquor license when we visited but the mocktails were very tasty. The service was attentive and friendly.

Amazing food and great vibe. I ate the bolognese and it was so very well prepared. Definitely recommend to vegans and non vegans alike. There is so much to be had here and while it's all vegan it's a can't miss for the city.