Quintessence
“A piece of pecan pie dressed up with a doll up of coconut pudding was the perfect dessert pairing.”
“Loved the Caesar Salad, tostada, portobello burger on coconut chia bread, and the Fofu.”
“Chia seed pudding: High energy chia seeds, are soaked and served in vanilla cashew milk, topped with walnuts, vanilla cream and fresh seasonal berries.”
Quintessence
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Went here last week for my bf's birthday and it was SO FANTASTIC. We were really looking forward to it (especially him – he's mainly raw vegan) and it exceeded our expectations in every way.
I didn't realize it would be so small and cozy but we were seated right away by the lovely waitress and she gave us plenty of time to decide what we wanted and gave us great recommendations. She was very friendly and helpful and was just the right amount of attentive but not overbearing.
Most things are served in 'small plates' tapas style, which is really fun to try a bunch of different things, but may throw people off if they are expecting dinner plate sized portions (hopefully people don't come here looking for this as they will be disappointed). Most memorable was the enchilada (so crunchy and the sauce was amazing) and the pesto tostada, but everything we had (and we tried a lot) was amazing. And of course as it's raw, we left feeling satisfied but not bloated and sleepy like normal after a restaurant meal.
The only drawback is that it was quite pricey, but for specialty food in a great atmosphere, it was definitely worth it. I wish I could afford to come here more often!
This is my absolute favorite raw food place in NYC they make incredible food and drinks. I was raving about it to my skeptical brothers and family (when there is no meat involved it's not considered food to them) and they did admit the food was sensational! I mean the combination of flavors would melt any hearts, it opens up so many possibilities and what once was seen as bland (vegetables) can now be seen as a truly wondrous staple that has been misunderstood for far too long. This is a very small place but well worth the while to get there and be adventurous… The mini pizettes are delicious!!! Everything I tried made me feel like I undervalued vegetables for far too long, it opened my eyes and gave me new hope and excitement for raw foods… Whenever I am back in NY I'll be sure to revisit this mouth watering little restaurant
I always want to like raw food more than I end up liking it. To be fair, I went here a few years ago with my sister (whose vegan) when we had a Groupon, so maybe it's changed since then. We had such a poor tasting meal, we literally had to walk down the block and grab more food after the fact to feel satisfied. At vegan restaurants, I usually finish the whole plate of food, since it's not so large; I simply couldn't do it here. I even went with a safe option in terms of ordering, having the pesto pizzette. The flavors just didn't work well together, and I guess I myself am more of a cooked pizza girl.
If anything, the one star is for the ambience. It's a very cute (and tiny, so be prepared to wait) spot, that's well-decorated. Needless to say, we likely won't be back.
Quintessence comes to me as a higher more expensive end vegan raw place to eat. With this East Village vegan place, I found the dining experience as whole to be A-OK.
FOOD: I got the savory crepe while my friend got the bibimbap. I would have to say that the bibimbap is definitely the way to go here at this place compared to the savory crepe. I guess I'm not used to eating raw all the time, but I thought the crepe would be one thing that should not be raw or at least have a not raw option. The bibimbap on the other hand mimicked that of a standard Korean restaurant. I think the quinoa base was a good modification to the dish. Overall though, the portions are very small compared to the price that you pay.
SERVICE: I thought the server did her best, but it was tough for her since she had to be a server and a waitress. Albeit, this place is small, the service suffered a little bit due to there only being one person in the front of the restaurant.
Although I am not vegan, I do appreciate eating vegetarian/vegan a lot because of its sustainability and health benefits. Maybe Quintessence and I aren't right for each other, but I wasn't so crazy for vegan this time around here.
Please, please, please give Quintessence a go. The food is absolutely delicious and the restaurant is cozy.
I recommend the Enchilada (small plate) and the All American Burger with BBQ sauce (w/ sprouted kamut bread). The burger tastes just as good as a non-raw/vegan burger and the bread is out of this world. Don't be fooled by the photo. It's hearty and absolutely amazing.
The small plates are actually pretty small so I recommend ordering two-three plates.
Very interesting place that I decided to try with my boyfriend who's been trying to eat super healthy. We tried the Mediterranean nachos, the quinoa and the all American burger. I have to say my favorite was the quinoa and his favorite was the Mediterranean nachos. I think the guacamole on top was amazing and fresh but the orange sauce didn't go well with me. The quinoa was very tasteful, I loved the mushrooms. The burger was definitely an interesting one but was ok. Price was average for a raw food and vegan restaurant. I loved the ambience, the vibe was good and music was great.
This is my new neighborhood go-to ever since I've been more strict on eating clean. They have a wide variety of inexpensive small and large plates. When I'm hungry and want something to tie me over until the next meal, I stop in for a $5 quinoa bowl. The best ones are the mushroom and curry cauliflower bowls. The staff is very friendly and the ambience gives off a nice peaceful zen feel.
This is the triumvirate: prices are highway robbery for the portions, with so-so service to boot. I'll preface this review by admitting that I am a fairweather vegetarian with the occasional hankering for steak and with no interest in going raw. I like the idea of eating cherry tomatoes and baby carrots for a good part of the day, but it's only because I want to clear up space for the dinner buffet.
Anyway, it was a disaster.
2 spicy forfu rolls, 2 enchiladas, 1 vegan bibimbap, 1 small soup, and 1 banana creme pie was $80 with tip. What pigs, you might think, but the portions were for ant-people. Each forfu roll was the size of two medium-sized bites. The enchilada was neither lengthy nor girthy. I understand that, had I waited around 30 minutes, I would enjoy a feeling of pleasant satiation (or at the very least, that familiar sensation one experiences after consuming tons and tons of fiber), but I confess to turning beet-red at paying so much for food I could have bought at the local organic store for half the price. The best thing about the whole meal was the sauce that came with the vegan bibimbap. The SAUCE. Condiments should never be the best thing ever.
The service was off too. There was only one girl running the whole rodeo, and she had an especially flat affect that made it hard to discern whether she thought I was ordering all the wrong things or just didn't care if the soup tasted like boiled vegetables, with nary a sprig or a sprinkle of salt in sight. She also added two $8.50 chia drinks to the check when chia seeds love to embed themselves in the crevices of my teeth. Nope.
The banana creme pie was amazing. It was also $10, without ice cream.