Nix
“We ordered a yogurt sauce with bread, cauliflower tempura (MUST HAVE) and tofu pockets.”
“Food – You MUST start with the Tandoor Bread + hummus/zaatar and avocado/mint/curry dips.”
“-Shiitake "cacio e pepe" with salsify & heirloom polenta: Savory, creamy, and rich.”
Nix
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Great food in noisy setting. This is among the best vegetarian restaurants in NYC. Creative, tasty cooking. Just bring the ear plugs.
First off have to say that the staff and service is perfection! Every time I looked right or left someone was checking on us and it was a full house. For starters had the tandori bread and dips and couldn't stop eating it! I wanted more! The flavors were original and perfect. The drinks were different not overly sweet and very strong. We ordered a few starters, a cucumber salad too sweet for my taste. It had an allspice tamarind sauce with a touch of honey and balsamic. I especially loved the egg salad! It was spicy, creamy, and crunchy all in one bite! Wish it had more on the plate it was so tasty. Popcorn colliflour cute taste on a buffalo wing and hot pockets are a weird mochi kind of texture almost like cotton ball and bread combined. Very different and a bit too specific for me. The potato fritter was interesting too. In addition, the mushroom polenta was so creamy and cheesy we loved it. I wish I had room for dessert but was too full.
KenScale: 8.5/10
What happens when a celebrated chef known for his vegetable dishes partners with a former editorial director of an influential lifestyle magazine? If you have heard that for the first time, you would expect something like a haven for yoga pants wearing, model-figure vegetarian diners out there. I've always been a fan of chef John Fraser, where I have witnessed how vegetable dishes are done right at his Dovetail and Narcissa restaurants. Chef Fraser has shown that vegetables don't have to be boring, and in fact a lot of creative ideas and techniques can come out from the kitchen. When he decided to open a new vegetarian restaurant Nix with former Conde Nast editorial director James Truman, I knew I had to check out this restaurant. On my recent weekend visit, chef Fraser has shown that he hasn't missed a step when it comes to playful yet thoughtful vegetarian cuisine.
If you think Nix is going to be all kale salad, you would be sorely disappointed. I was deeply impressed with the way the kitchen was putting together beautifully plated dishes that show that a vegetarian meal can be fun. Any meal at Nix must begin with tandoori bread with a dip or two. My dining companion and I absolutely enjoyed the dip of spiced eggplant that came with pine nuts as well as avocado accompanied by mint and curry. The unexpected mix of different ingredients proved to be quite successful. Baby carrots en papillote where the carrots along with cracked bulgur, almonds and spices were placed in a folded pouch was magnificent as well, with all the ingredients inside the pouch creating very balanced flavor and texture. The Yukon potato fry bread that everyone seems to be talking about these days was surprisingly pedestrian (to be fair, I think the whole concept of fry bread is this fancy idea that has yet to be executed perfectly as I have also witnessed at Covina), but there was a lot of excitement from my part the moment I saw cauliflower tempura with steamed buns and house pickles. Inspired by the Chinese steamed buns, I actually liked the cauliflower better in its crunchy texture by itself without somehow compromising it with the steamed buns. For someone who has become a regular consumer of cauliflower, I do think this dish should be on everyone's table. Who says vegetable dishes can't generate rich flavor? Shiitake "cacao e pepe" with green beans and creamy polenta was pure decadence that had all the richness of a pasta without overpowering your palate. Don't skip the dessert, either. Tandoor roasted pineapple was another show stopper at the restaurant where, combined with tamarind glaze, vegan whipped cream and macadamia, the dish became quite a delight to end the meal in a very satisfying fashion.
Getting a reservation can be pretty tricky at this hot spot that has been open for a couple of months now yet still going strong, so make sure to book in advance. I absolutely loved the clean décor of the dining space that makes you feel like you're eating at a bright cottage just next to the garden, full of energy without being rowdy. Nix has full bar with some creative, vegetable-inspired cocktail options that I highly encourage to complement your meal. Nix is another winner from chef Fraser and I would absolutely love to come back here to explore the depth of the vegetable feast that the kitchen is putting together.
Died and gone to vegetarian heaven. Don't let the label deter you, the food is so creative and delicious. None of my 5 dining companions or myself are vegetarian, but I don't think any of us missed the meat. Compared to other vegetarian restaurants in the city (and just in general), the food at Nix is EXCITING. Almost everything on their extensive menu is intriguing down to the cocktails (I ordered a Playa with fancy champagne foam). Our server was a bit slow, but he steered us in the right direction with great recommendations.
Start with a tandoor bread or two, with dips (favorites were labneh and red pepper&walnut). I highly recommend the (deservedly hyped) Yukon potato fry bread – as far as fried foods go, this was one of the most amazing textures! Fluffy but substantial, decorated with some savory cream and radishes. Reminds me of a Chinese crueller but better. The cauliflower tempura (glazed in general tsaos sauce) were a crowd favorite and pretty substantial; tuck them into 1 of 4 perfect steamed buns, add pickles and a dollop of sauce. Tastes like comfort.
Now we had to balance that out with the ribbons of jicama, very refreshing. The avocado a la plancha was surprisingly good-charred avocado is a preparation I've never had before; although tomato water sounds like an ode to whole foods, it pairs well with the creaminess of the avocado. The pea green dumplings are tasty, loved the variety of mushrooms it came with. The shiitake cacio e Pepe was also yummy, but I wish they hadn't called it that since it didn't translate imo (not peppery enough). For a healthyish dessert, we had the grilled pineapple which had clouds of creamy foam on top. A simple finish to the meal.
So Nix, thank you for celebrating plants in creative and delicious ways with no meat substitutes in sight. I can't wait to go back.
This place was amaaazing! It is legitimately vegetarian heaven. The food is so great. For our app we got the tandoor bread with hummus which was phenomenal. I want to go back and try all the other dips because everything looked so good. The tandoor bread was warm and flavorful, and such a perfect bread to dip. The hummus was rich and tasty and went perfectly with the tandoor bread. My only mistake here was only getting one dip! For the main dishes was got the cauliflower tempura with steamed buns dish and the shittake "cacio e pepe" which was essentially a mushroom polenta. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly glazed with a delicious sauce and served with 4 small white sticky buns. The cauliflower was perfectly crunchy and addictive. But the shittake cacio e pepe was out of this world. I was obsessed. Never in my life have i loved mushroom more than I did while eating this dish. Ambiance and decor was also great, perfect for date night!! I cannot wait to go back and eat everything on the menu!
I'd give it a 5 if it weren't for 2 things. 1-how absurdly expensive the food is. 2- the portions are small (kind of like tapas) but not many of the items on the vegan menu go well together, so you end up with an imperfect mix of tastes. I had some dips as an appetizer, the tofu skin dish, and the cauliflower buns. All were incredibly delicious! I also enjoyed my gin cocktails. The aesthetic was clean and modern and I liked the little touches such as the paper flowers at each table. It gets very busy very fast, so try to make a reservation if you can. Ihave one request for the restaurant and that's that they consider either scrapping or moving the rug under the table near the back, because I saw 4 waiters stumble over it.
Complimentary sparkling water and constant checking service. Except, sometimes it's kinda of annoying to be asked if we are done with the plate all the time!
The food is well played, and the decor is super beautiful and cozy. We got egg salad, which is egg with crispy fried something. Pretty tasty.
We also got the popular fried bread, which is highly recommended per Yelp. However, it's just basically fried bread for $15! It's not healthy and too oily. The cauliflower tempura is good! It's just like those pork buns, but instead cauliflower with sweetness and sourness.
Because our food is kinda of too heavy and greasy, we decide to go for real green salad instead of dessert. The lettuce plate is small, and doesn't worth $13 because it's so simple and plain.
On my way out, I notice other ppl' dessert seem so good! Maybe I'll try next time. Anyway, I like this place for its environment and probably artfully designed vegetarian food, definitely not healthy choice.
I felt really cool eating here. It's loud, it's dark, the servers are all wearing some kind of weird pinafore apron, and there are many delicious vegetables. The things I had, in order from my favorite to least favorite:
-Tandoor bread: YES. Order at least one for your dip and then another to mop up your delicious sauces from other dishes.
– Persian cucumbers: Probs the best cucumbers I've had in life.
– Roasted pineapple dessert: mmm caramelized fruity goodness. Not sure why it comes with the huge knife, considering that it's already sliced.
-Tofu skin pockets: kind of a weird texture, and the least- sweet sweet potato-containing dish I have had in recent memory, but definitely satisfied my desire for something meaty
-Avocado, mint, curry: kind of forgetable tbh
-Shiitake cacio e pepe: I really wanted to like this, but it was all the things I don't like about mushrooms– funky, rubbery, smoky, blah.
Might have just been the insufferable wall street bros next to me or the fact that their taps were broken and I didn't get to try the very delicious sounding cider they had, but I wasn't as crazy about this place as my sometimes vegetarian dining companion was. Some really great dishes, but others were not that great. Might got back if I go back to NYC sometime soon.