Vegan
American
Organic
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Fusion
Gourmet
Long-established restaurant and wine bar originally on 580 Geary St in San Francisco and relocated to Oakland in summer 2015. Upscale dining without a formal dress code. Open Tue-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm. Hours reported to be irregular - call ahead. Last seating at 9pm.
183 Reviews
First Review by Vegan Mom
gr8vegan
Points +2357
Major disappointment and lied to... oil bomb - Edit
We went here thinking we'd be at home as Oil Free Vegans since the owners are long time McDougallers. We explained that we didn't eat oil and wanted what Dr. McDougall would order. The waitress went back and talked to the chef and we were brought out a salad, which I believe was oil free, but also a plate of oil soaked mushrooms and veggies... we poured our water on them and bubbles of oil floated to the surface. We told the waitress and she said "I had a really long conversation with him about it" we expected our entrees would be ok, but both came out an oily mess. It seemed that the chef in fact did try to reduce the oil, but again we simply pour water and watch the oil glisten across the surface... The waitress told us they were tomato juices... what can you do, I can't sit there and get insulted. We paid the $100 and left. At least the wine and cocktails are good. I'm really upset since it was my bday and all I got was a melon salad. Even on the owner's website it says you can get oil free options there... We didn't even order just asked our waitress what the chef could do oil free and choose between the two plates they offered. This is not a healthy restaurant. We've been eating around the world oil free as you can see from my endless reviews, it just sucks since we've actually met the owners on a McDougall trip to Costa Rica and are in town to go to a McDougall weekend that we couldn't even get fed at their restaurant. I hesitate to even write this review but just want others to know that a healthy meal can not be had here. The food is fantastic if you haven't clued into the dietary problems with consuming free oils. They manager asked us if there was a problem since she noticed we didn't eat our food and we just said, we're oil free vegans and it was great, but not what we wanted... Oh well, should have ordered like I do in the rest of the world "I'm allergic to oil my nose will bleed all over the table if you put any in my food" just didn't expect to need those extremes at this of all places...
Read morePros: cocktails
Cons: oily mess, mushrooms overkill
eric
Hey, sorry to hear about your experience, that sucks! -especially on your b-day!
Read morebtw- Happy Belated B-day :-)
sfliberal
Are you sure you went to the same Millennium? I never encountered oily food. Millennium is a treasure for the Vegan community. We need more restaurants like this if we expect others to convert. Try the harvest specials when they come around. They are incredible.
Read moreGuest
Delve
Points +302
If you like SALT and spending lots of cash... - Edit
Salt and lots o' cash go hand in hand at this restaurant. I've eaten here a handful of times and have been thoroughly disappointed every time. I visited so often because there is so much incredible hype surrounding this restaurant. I'm a strict vegan and have been for nearly a decade. I learned after becoming a vegan that my palate changed. It became more sensitive to flavors such as salt which is a very common and more unoticeable flavor in a lacto vegetarian diet due to eating salty cheeses frequently. So, when I eat in a restaurant with salt laden small portioned expensive food I wonder to myself 'is this chef vegan' and making up for what s/he may think is a flavor lacking in vegan foods by adding liberal amounts of salt? Or is this a salt addicted vegan who needs to be rehabilitated with fresh herbs and spices? I had a theory for 3 years that the chef here must not be vegan. Turns out I was/am right about that. Not only is he not vegan..he isn't even a full blown vegetarian. That to me explains the lack of flavor dimension and overly salted food. I have many non-vegan non-vegetarian chef friends who don't resort to salt..so I know it can be done! The food is presented beautifully, but in such a way that one may feel intimidated to criticize. How can one criticize a place that has such hype and outrageously high costs? Their menu tends to change so I can mention the dishes I recall having: the lobster mushroom with pureed potatoes, and several of their seasonal dishes involving fennel, mushrooms, tomatoes. Each one came out looking very appetizing, but the flavors fell salty flat. One more thing to add: I had a friend who took a cooking class there with Chef Tucker and she mentioned as they were cooking a soup he came over and tasted the one she was working on and commented that it wasn't flavorful enough and needed something more. His ultimate advice to her? It was to add more salt.
Read moreCons: too much hype, salty food, overpriced food
Guest
stokedonspokes
Points +81
best vegan resturaunt ever? possibly - Edit
creative seasonal dishes. amazing and very creative cocktails. i took my carnivorous dad when he was in town visiting there and he enjoyed every bit. everytime i go i get the spinach salad because its so amazing and changes every few weeks. i am looking forward to eating here when i get back from south america and bringing some wine i got down here to eat with a spinach salad. yeah, its "exspensive" but its high end dining. you only pay a little less to eat complete crap at herbivore so folks should just get over it.
Read morePros: excellent food, creative food, great staff
Guest
Shockingfish
Points +118
The best - Edit
I love this place - one of the best eating expreiances that I have ever had! If you are in the area (or within a 100 mile radius) go and try the food.
Read morePros: Great food, Great staff, Just great
Cons: book to avoid disapointment, if busy service can be slow
Guest
jennamichelle1
Points +337
Best vegan restaurant by far... - Edit
I took a group of non-vegan friends here and they were very wary. I have to admit we were very intimidated by the menu. We didn't recognize a lot of the ingredients and had to ask the waiter to recommend dishes for us. He took us through everything, and even brought us an extra dish to try when our meals arrived. The food did not have tofu or faux meats, it was all fresh and delicious and stood on it's own. My non-vegan friends were amazed at how good everything was, and we passed our dishes around sharing all of our meals and trying to decide which was the best. We also tried some of their signature alcoholic drinks. The sunrise tequila was very fresh and worth a try. The desserts were delicious, but very rich. We had trouble finishing everything at the end and had to take some home. It was the best vegan dining experience I've ever had. I wish more vegan restaurants cooked vegan food the way they do it at Millenium and that it was closer to home. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We were all very impressed. We were there for a long time between courses so I wouldn't go if you're in a rush, but we didn't mind and had a very nice time.
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly staff
Guest
craigmc
Points +41648
dissapointing - Edit
had a pretty bad time here. had been to greens a couple of night before, and had great expectations, which maybe didn't help.
Read morethe food was okay, but overpriced. the service was terrible, starting from arriving early and trying to get a drink at the bar, and trying, crap........and didn't get better.
Cons: service, price
Guest
dinakourda
Points +98
Excellent Service - Edit
So, I've never been a big fan of Millennium just because I'm not fond of fungus of any kind and they seem to just love it. Too many mushrooms, radish, hot spices, and garlic for me - if you love those things - you'll love Millennium. The service is excellent - probably the best in SF. Their desserts are the best and the only two things I could have off of the prix fixe menu were the beet salad and the crepe which were both delicious! Also, it's totally expensive, and I wouldn't complain because the service was so excellent and the desserts are the best I've ever had, but the menu is very limiting for me. Did I mention the desserts??????
Read morePros: Excellent Service, Clean, Yummy
Cons: Limited Menu, Parking, Price
Guest
raven
Points +24
Wow - Edit
We ordered the Chef's Taster Menu and enjoyed a 2.5 hour feast. Everything was wonderful except it would have been nice if the grape leaves with the Dolmas could have been soft and edible. Not being soft and easy to eat, the server could have told us that . . .
Read moreThe desserts were heavenly.
Pros: Amazing flavors, Beautiful presentations, Unusual food combinations
Guest
pupa
Points +128
This is IT! - Edit
Yes! i've been dying to dine at this joint forever, and my very high expectations were met! i am so happy that the place is so busy and people are willing to experience vegan cuisine at this level! great ambiance, reminds me of a classic French bistro, with worm colors and clean setting! The staff is very professional and friendly! we have a baby girl and they accommodated us tremendously! Everybody, from the host to the busser showed great deal of care, not to mention the runners explaining in details every single dish! i work in a Michelin Star restaurant and our runners don't do such a great job!
Read morewe had the tasting menu, and it was great that they actually bring you two different dishes for each course! never seen this before unless you are VIP and we were not! this gives you a chance to taste variety of food, which was great because my wife can be picky! I loved every dish, i won't go in details but it was obvious that Mr. Tucker poured his soul in his creations. Great balance and wide complexity! Nice progression nothing heavy but clean elegant flavors! I ordered the wine pairing but was a bit disappointed, so i switched to a bottle, they understood and accommodated me about that too! their wine list is nice, maybe needs a bit work but i respect the fact that they offer only environmentally conscious producers which is great! Very reasonably priced!
To anyone that reads this review and appreciates food for more that a nutrition necessity, go to the Millennium! especially if you are not vegan, because this is the food of the NEXT MILLENNIUM, and one should at least give respect to people with vision!
Pros: excellent food, great staff, more than excellent food!
Cons: not cheap but worth it!
Guest
XspeedyX
Points +122
What is there left to say! - Edit
This is great. Staff is amazing, the drinks are to die for and if you end up at the bar, don't be bummed... the atmosphere there is super!
Read moreGuest
condekedar
Points +9987
Great atmosphere, decent food - Edit
Millennium's location, ambience and service are all top-notch. This is arguably the ritziest veg*n restaurant in the US, no doubt. However, I went there twice and was not completely impressed by some of the food. The appetizers were uniformly excellent, especially the savory, creamy gnocchi; the desserts were out-of-this-world, either the blueberry tartlette or the chocolate-almond midnight. They have a separate pastry chef, for god's sake! But the main courses I tried---the blackened tempeh and the roulade---were a bit flat. They were tasty, and would be acceptable at any other restaurant, but not at a place like this, which charges $23 a dish.
Read moreI would definitely recommend Millennium for drinks, desserts and appetizers; it's a great place to take a date. Maybe I picked the wrong main courses, and their menu does change frequently, so I'll keep trying new dishes whenever I'm in town. But in terms of overall delectable, unusual and spectacular vegan food, my favorite remains Horizons in Philadelphia.
Pros: Atmosphere, Desserts, Service
Cons: Expensive, Passable main courses
Guest
hellokitty
Points +31
My Favorite Veg Restaurant - Edit
Millennium is my "treat me" place - it's expensive but soooooo worth the money for that special occasion. The food, service and presentation is to die for! My first time I did the menu sampler option - there was way more than enough food for me and my guest, in fact we brought some home because we couldn't finish.
Read moreThe only part of the meal that didn't thrill me was desert, I thought it was OK but could have been better.
Pros: Excellant Food, Beautiful Ambiance, Wonderful Waitstaff
Cons: Expensive, Deserts just 'OK', Location could be better
Guest
jamber79
Points +376
Very nice! - Edit
Loved this restaurant, very trendy and nice atmosphere. Nice and helpful staff (our waiter was VERY nice until desert time when he started to seem less interested in being a great waiter for some reason). The food was great, but of course the prices were too high. Good for a nice night out once in a while. Good drinks at the bar too!
Read morePros: atmosphere, food, drinks
Cons: price, slightly limited menu
Guest
Petesternz
Points +1447
Close to Vegan perfection - Edit
Finally made it to Millennium this past week after hearing a lot about it. The wait was justified! It was a real vegan dining experience, unlike any I've had before. First-rate food, service and atmosphere. The key, of course, was the delicious and inspiring food. Really interesting creations that were mouthwateringly good. Loved the desserts, especially. Don't miss this place!!
Read morePros: Great atmosphere, desserts, service
Cons: Pricey
Guest
Hallie
Points +74
delicious - Edit
Most of the food here is pretty delicious. The complimentary bread with dip (I suspect they are supposed to resemble caviar and pate, made with beans) are a very tasty way to be greeted. The menu changes, but both times I went they had black bean torte and mocha midnight cake, which I would go just for those two items alone, and be full and satisfied. The black bean torte is a genius combination of flavors I would never expect to be so outrageously good together, but it is! The mocha midnight cake (not exact name, but close enough) is to die for! It's mocha cake with white chocolate cream and dark chocolate flakes accompanied by dark chocolate and raspberry sauces drizzled over. Orgasm for your mouth. I forget which wine I had there (it was the cheapest organic vegan one), but it was the best wine I've ever had... and the most expensive (I'm a college student).
Read moreThe prices are kind of high, but worth it, and you actually get a decent sized portion.
A friend an I went there hungry before and just ordered the black bean torte and midnight cake, and shared the complimentary bean spread/dip that they give you, and we walked out full for about $20 each. The appetizer and dessert plates are small, but they somehow filled us up anyway. The dinner plates are a decent size.
Oh and I LOVE the atmosphere.
Pros: delious food, great atmosphere
Cons: expensive, borders the Tenderloin area
Guest
AnonymousTasteTester
Points +48
On again, off again - Edit
I've been to Millennium on 3 occasions, first at their old location and now their new.
Read moreThe first time we went, the food was just okay -- nothing to write home about.
The 2nd time we went (new location) the food was so good, I LITERALLY started to cry. That's never happened to me before, but it was just amazingly flavorful and moutwateringly delicious.
The 3rd time we went the waiter was horrendous and after repeating to him about 5 or 6 times that I could not have cilantro in anything, every dish came with it and I had to send it back each and every time. I hate to waste food, but I seriously cannot stand even a speck of it in anything. He kept apologizing, but would STILL mess up the order with the next course. Crazy. (As a joke, I put a piece of cilantro on my dessert when he came over to fill my water. LOL)
The desserts are truly delectable. Props to the dessert maker!
I'll give them another chance, of course, since it's just a beautiful restaurant and a wonderful night out when you want to have a dressy night out. But it IS a hefty sum of money and should be reserved for special occasions.
Pros: Gorgeous place, Great desserts, Sometimes the food is amazing
Cons: Sometimes the food sucks, Service can be fabulous AND crappy, Very expensive
Guest
atandt
Points +141
high-end vegan dining - Edit
ahh, the fabled Millennium. it was a treat to come here not once but twice for dinner. very much like Fressen back home in Toronto, only more grand. creative gourmet dishes which never fail to either delight or confuse. really tasty desserts.
Read morePros: classy
Cons: pricey, highfalutin' fare
Guest
The Veggie Cook
Points +1201
Nice Place - Edit
Very upscale kind of place suitable for a special occasion. But okay also for everyday people. Good service. Decent Food. Great ambiance. Pricey but not terrible for this kind of dining and in San Francisco.
Read moreGuest
baruchadam
Points +426
High end dining - Edit
A high end, high priced dining experience that you'll need reservations to eat at. An interesting menu with well designed taste sensations. Millennium and The Greens are probably the best SanF vege restaurants...don't miss either of them.
Read moreGuest
Deano
Points +123
I wasn't asking for a solution to world poverty - Edit
Here's the one about the gourmet (and very expensive) vegan restaurant that was stumped by the arrival of..... a vegan.
Read moreIt claims to have the most extensive organic wine list in the world. They tell you if it's made using "biodynamic production techniques" but not if it's veggie or vegan. Our waitress went to find out if they had any vegan wine and then forgot to take our order for 20 minutes.
And despite making a few phone calls it took them two hours to discover if they had any vegan beer. I was trying to show off the best in meat-free dining to a meat-eating friend. Oops.
On the plus side, the food is all vegan and it's very good. But don't go if you're expecting a lot of food to be staring up at you off those large, posh plates. It's pretty but there's precious little of it.
Sadly, I thought Millennium was lacking in character and slightly up its own backside.
Pros: Impressive food, Somewhere for a special occasion
Cons: Lack of vegan beer/wine, Cost, Atmosphere
Guest
Vegan Mom
Points +88
Tasty food and pleasant surroundings - Edit
On special occasions, my husband and I enjoy going to the Millennium. Before they expanded, it was pretty small, to the point of being cramped inside. The last couple times we've gone, we've enjoyed the expansion and new decor. They have wonderful food, even better desserts, and it's a vegan restaurant where we dress up, slow down, and enjoy. It's pretty pricy, so we haven't taken the family, ut it's a nice place to go for a romantic evening. The food is great from appetizer to dessert.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, fancy, desserts!!!
Cons: very expensive
Guest
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