Avant Garden

The restaurant broke from expected patterns. The kitchen shows expertise through flavorful execution. Likewise, the staff shows consistent kindness. The environment has a natural friendliness. This spot meets what I expect from a restaurant.

Let me start by saying I’m not a vegan but my wife is a vegetarian so I booked this place for our first dinner as a married couple because of the reviews. We were excited to try it but the service completely ruined the night for us. First let’s start by saying the food that we got was good outside of one dish but we did send back, the risotto because it was grainy and felt under cooked. I ordered dessert first on our first date so I did that here as well… the staff seemed to have an issue with this request and did not deliver the dessert first so we canceled it and that seemed to upset them to where our server never came back to check on us. After the last course ( risotto) was sent back the server audibly sucked his teeth and sighed as if annoyed we had the audacity to not like something. I never leave bad reviews but this was just a terrible experience for us and completely ruined our first dinner as a married couple. Definitely will not be returning and will warn everyone to avoid this place at all costs!!! The scorched cauliflower was good though. P.S. they serve the plates one at a time so the table can share them which is a great idea but they should’ve brought fresh plates so that you could actually taste the difference in each plate and not have hodgepodge of flavors mixing together by the end of the meal. The tables are also so close your literally bumping elbows with the group next to you.

One of the most plant-forward and innovative menus in NYC I had been looking forward to trying Avant Garden for a while, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. We celebrated a birthday here and every dish we tried was bursting with unique, fresh flavors. From the mushroom toast to the avocado in the salad, the cauliflower entrée, and the molten lava cake — each plate was beautifully crafted and memorable. The celery root pasta was the only dish that didn’t quite work for me, but overall the experience was outstanding. Portions are generous, so I’d recommend starting small — contrary to the server’s suggestion. They also offer a great selection of drinks, including non-alcoholic wines, which was a thoughtful touch. The space is intimate with warm, cozy decor. It’s located on the first floor and can be a little tricky to find, but well worth it once you arrive. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates creative, plant-based cuisine.

Love this "new" location. Sat at the bar and it was moody and interesting. Of course the food was awesome. I will definitely be back. The dessert could have fed a family of five!!

The food here is consistently incredible! Michelin-quality dishes that are creative and so delicious! I've brought a number of non-vegans here and they are always blown away by the food. Best restaurant in NYC as far as I'm concerned!

Dined here last night to celebrate my sister's birthday. Our party of 3 all loved it and had a wonderfully memorable experience. The servers are true pros -- attentive and unobtrusive -- as well as deeply knowledgeable about the menu. My sister is allergic to soy, and one of our servers provided her with a special menu indicating which items were safe for her to eat (plenty of options!). We ordered the scorched cauliflower and roasted carrot (both with sauces containing soy on the side), hen of the woods, brussels, and almond cake for dessert. Every single dish was as delicious as it was beautiful to look at. To drink, we ordered the Avant Garden cocktail and the Amargo en Oaxaca, both of which were amazing. My sister ordered a glass of wine, which she enjoyed. The place has ideal ambiance: elevated and sophisticated but still comfortable, even cozy. The interior is bathed in warm reddish gold tones. Most of the other tables seemed to be couples, and it's not surprising; this is a very romantic spot. We look forward to many more visits!

This food experience tops everything that came before it. The staff offers useful help with friendliness. Their kitchen creates delicious meals using fresh components. Our experience at this place was exceptional! I recommend the food here - I'm pleased I found this place.

Updated review: We went a few more times to avant- garden and each time was even better than the last. The new place is gorgeous. The crispy rice avocado is my favorite dish. Go there! My husband and I went to Avant Garden to celebrate our anniversary. We announced the cause for celebration upon booking the table and received a special anniversary dinner menu. We chose 5 dishes (plus dessert) as recommended to us by the very attentive and helpful waiter. If I could squeeze in any more food I’d order more, since everything was so good. They made every single dish but the dessert gluten-free since I’m allergic and the food was perfect: vegetables in every form and texture, a mix of umami, sweet, tangy. A bit pan-Asian, some French influence, definitely Mediterranean. Delicious vegan wine, too. We can’t wait to go back and to try the group’s other restaurants and bar in the neighborhood!

Its a beautiful andcharming place decorated with tree branches and vines. Seating is cozy and dimly lit. We ordered Fig and artichoke toast, paella ans tamale. Toasts were delicious and the presentation was excellent. Paella was good but the trumpet was really tough and chewy. Tamale was the only thing we did not enjoy much. The presentation was beautiful but the flavours were not that great. Recommend to visit atleast once. Vegan places are mostly hit or miss and here everything was hit except the tamales.we also tries tha lava cake for dessert ans it was delicious.

Hands down, the best vegan restaurant in NYC by far. Better than Eleven Madison Park!! Food is consistently amazing. Drinks are unique, fun and delicious. I have dined in many vegan restaurants in NYC and Avant Garden is number 1. I am vegan and have gone there with non-vegans, all of whom love the food, drinks and overall atmosphere. Hurry up and go there.