Vegan
American
International
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Gluten-free
Vegan bistro in Chelsea serving American comfort foods like burgers, flatbread pizzas, lasagna, pastrami sandwiches, "steak" and fries. Est. 2021 by chef/owner of NYC's Beyond Sushi. Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm, Sun 11:30am-10:30pm.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
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199 8th Ave, New York City, New York, USA, 10011
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 18 Apr 2025 by CityRootsNYC
Update business info -
Added by CityRootsNYC on 07 Jan 2021
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169 Reviews
First Review by TrashPanda
ConnessThompson
Points +73
Yummy Upscale Vegan Comfort Food - Edit
Cozy, welcoming atmosphere with friendly staff and quick service. Wish I lived in the area, as there were so many items on the menu I wanted to try. Decided to order 2 starters (beet and avocado tartare & deep-fried pickles) and a soup (French onion) with the idea of doing multiple small items to maximize my taste experience. The portions turned out to be quite generous and I ended up stuffed! Definitely worth a visit.
Read moreCityRootsNYC
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your visit to Willow Vegan Bistro. It’s great to hear the cozy atmosphere, friendly team, and quick service made you feel right at home.
Read moreWe love your idea of ordering small plates to try more dishes, and we’re happy the portions left you satisfied! As a vegan restaurant in NYC, we’re all about flavorful comfort food with a touch of elegance.
If you’re looking to explore more vegan spots in NYC, don’t miss our sister locations—Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Le Basque, Sentir, and Anixi. Each one offers a unique plant-based experience we think you’ll love. Hope to see you again soon!
Guest
villain
Points +9271
Yum - Edit
I thoroughly enjoyed the truffle mac and cheese and the chef's cookie skillet! The cheese platter was great too. It's the same one at Coletta, but Willow gave it with dried apricot instead of fresh fig.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-05-04
CityRootsNYC
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you enjoyed the truffle mac and cheese and the chef's cookie skillet at Willow Vegan Bistro. As a vegan restaurant in NYC, we’re glad the cheese platter hit the spot too.
Read moreIf you're looking to try more plant-based dishes, check out our sister restaurants: Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Le Basque, and Sentir. We hope to see you again soon!
Guest
CelinaB13
Points +873
Finished every bite! - Edit
The presentation is stunning and the flavors were so on point! Highly recommend 👌 you can tell the right and care that is put into each recipe and dish
Read morePros: Presentation, Flavor, Ambience
CityRootsNYC
We appreciate your great review! Providing top-notch service and creating memorable moments for our guests is our top priority, and we're thrilled that we achieved that for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Sentir, and Le Basque. Have a nice day!
Read moreGuest
wbeswick
Points +242
Nice, Upscale Vegan - Edit
We had Valentine's dinner here in February and I loved the vegan cheese board -- it's absolutely amazing. I wish some of the dinner options had been a bit lighter with more veggies as the options were heavy. The dessert options looked incredible.
Read morePros: Nice Vegan Upscale , Great Service , Good Location
CityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Sentir, and Le Basque. Have a nice day!
Read moreGuest
trenityw
Points +1018
Pretty good - Edit
Food and mocktail were pretty good, nothing spectacular. Service was quick and friendly.
Read moreCityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Sentir, and Le Basque. Have a nice day!
Read moreGuest
nshack
Points +51
Delicious vegan comfort food - Edit
Love the gluten free options
Read morePros: Honey chipotle skewers, Salmon crudo, Great service
CityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Sentir, and Le Basque. Have a nice day!
Read moreGuest
mialvess_
Points +56
Double cheeseburger 10/10 - Edit
This is insane, the egg??? I can’t describe how happy I was when I got to eat this
Read morePros: Double cheeseburger , Crispy chicken sandwich
CityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Le Basque, and Sentir. Have a nice day!
Read moreGuest
hwing
Points +1887
Good food if you enjoy fake meat - Edit
Made a reservation about an hour in advance on a cold Saturday night. Nice ambience albeit a bit cramped. Kind, attentive, and patient waitstaff. The restaurant let me and my friend stay for 3 hours talking, long after we finished eating, which we greatly appreciated.
Read moreWe ordered the following:
- Truffle mac and cheese: Mediocre quality of vegan cheese with a kinda off-putting highly yellow coloring; the fake bacon tasted very smoky and overpowered the dish
- French onion soup: This was the best (and only) vegan French onion soup I’ve ever had and definitely the best dish of the night
- Fried chicken sandwich w/ side of fries: This was pretty delicious and a good texture for someone who isn’t a big fan of fake meat. The fries were very good!
- BLT club w/ side salad: Fake bacon was too overpowering and artificial tasting to me (although my friend who’s also vegetarian/vegan enjoyed it a lot more than me). Side salad was salty yet underseasoned and lacked flavor
- Strawberry cheesecake: Much denser and firmer texture than expected and the cracker underneath was too tough to eat; tasted just okay, not too sweet
Would come back for select items on the menu, especially if I was in the mood for a really good French onion soup. Otherwise, I’d be fine not returning
CityRootsNYC
We appreciate your feedback and will take your comments into consideration. We hope you will come back so we can show you a better experience!
Read moreGuest
INTJ_mara
Points +756
Fairly good - Edit
I wasn’t too impressed the first time I went here. The second time was a bit better.
Read moreThe place is pretty cramped, tables are so close to each other you can get a bit claustrophobic XD. I highly recommend making reservations - it is usually either packed or about to get packed XD. Inattentive staff both times.
Food was pretty good. My non-vegan companion was impressed more than I was, since I need to be stricter with my diet now because of a health issue. The menu is very bread heavy, so if you need to stay away from bread for any reason, go elsewhere.
Overall I think this is a great place to bring a skeptical non-vegan to, I’m pretty sure most will be quite impressed by the Willow’s vegan versions of classic American bistro dishes.
Updated from previous review on 2023-12-19
RavishingRavenous
try anixi!
Read moreINTJ_mara
When I win the lottery, I will definitely try Anixi 💀
Read moreRavishingRavenous
its pretty comparable to willow in price https://www.anixinyc.com/menu/
Read moreCityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Coletta, Beyond Sushi, Sentir, Le Basque.
Read moreGuest
mitsel2782
Points +101
Great food and service - Edit
Wonderful vegan choices. Very flavorful. Nice ambiance. Terrific service #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-23
Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service
Cons: None
CityRootsNYC
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We strive to provide exceptional service and delicious food, so it's wonderful to know that we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again in the future at one of our sister locations, Anixi, Coletta, Beyond Sushi, Sentir, Le Basque.
Read moreGuest
shoetwo
Points +144
Delicious and delightful - Edit
Came here for lunch with a friend. Food was super delicious. The service was great. My dessert was the best ice cream I have ever eaten (and I have tried pretty much all vegan ice creams out there). Definitely recommend and will visit again next time I’m in New York.
Read moreGuest
Sarah.Robinson
Points +560
Worth it! - Edit
The waitstaff was extremely professional and friendly. The food was very filling and very delicious. Worth it for the price. Would definitely go back. We were too full to order dessert but we wished we could have LOL. The kiddo loved the fried pickle appetizer. And us adults shared the truffle mac and cheese app, the fried calamari app, and the fried chicken sandwich with fries. It was all super delicious!
Read morePros: All vegan , Filling portions , Great service
Guest
Leo27
Points +1486
Amazing - Edit
We went on sunday for lunch, it was wonderful! We had both the vegan steak with whiskey sauce and my friend as starter the fried pickles and I had the banana pudding for dessert. Very attentive quick and friendly service. Will definitely return!
Read morePros: Great large delicious menu
Cons: Prices
Guest
JJones315
Points +2325
Nice vegan dining spot - Edit
Willow is basically a vegan bistro. I had the BLT with fries, a side of broccolini and green salad. Everything was excellently prepared. My companion had one of the non-meat “steaks” which I tasted. It had convincing mouth-feel but in no way tasted like beef, so my advice is pick an option that has a flavorful sauce.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Excellent quality, Relaxed, but civilized, dining experience
Guest
ChloeCollins
Points +414
Great Options - Edit
My experience at willow was overall great. I got the truffle mac, grilled steak filet, and some drinks. I love the grilled steak and the mac was very good. The cocktails were too strong for me but they were gorgeous. It’s also a cute vibe.
Read morePros: Cute vibe, Good options
Cons: Pricey
Guest
RebeccaSullivan
Points +5185
Great Menu - Edit
Great menu with lots of options. Just like at Anixi, the cokes were flat and almost had a watered down flavor. Not sure what’s going on with the drinks at these places but not worth $3 each if that’s the way their Coke always comes. They were, however, in beautiful glasses with a dried fruit decoration. We had the calamari and truffle Mac n cheese appetizers. Calamari could have used a bit more flavor but the accompanying sauces added to that. The truffle Mac and cheese was delicious. I don’t love truffle but it was a nice, subtle truffle flavor and I really enjoyed the dish. For dinner we got a fried chicken sandwich and the French dip. Sandwich was crispy with a nice texture and a lot of different flavors. The French dip was good and the Au jus added a great savory flavor to an otherwise sweeter entree. The fries could have used more salt but I did really enjoy them. Overall a good meal and a nice looking menu. Would return and try some other options.
Read moreGuest
iLotje87
Points +520
Fantastic! - Edit
Our last diner in NYC and it was the best! We had the salmon crudo and it was amazing! We also had the onionrings for a starter and for seconds we chose the fried chicken sandwich and the double smashburger. The burger also had a vegan sunny side up egg on it, from what I can remember it became close to the “real deal”. Very nice and lovey staff that served us.
Read moreI really recommend this restaurant.
Guest
AnitaDollar
Points +5675
Probably one of my top 3 vegan restaurants in the world - Edit
Nice to sit, amazing staff, and food that really impresses both long-time vegans and omnivores! This place is doing a great job in making veganism accessible and fun, I have tried the burger and steak and am shocked by how good they are!
Read moreGuest
anaellel
Points +688
Very good - Edit
Very good food. We especially loved the burgers !
Read moreGuest
ecalderon
Points +525
Willow is all around outstanding - Edit
From the attention , decor , ambience, food , drinks and desserts. I frequently dine here without hesitation. You can see by all the reviews. Tried the 2 new dishes on the menu … black pepper BBQ brisket 39.00 and Honey Chipotle Skewers GF 28.
Read morePros: Variation on menu , Drinks are creative and tasty
Cons: A little chilly .. so bring your sweaters ladies , Pricey but worth every lick 👅
Guest
suzlive
Points +569
Great vegan cheese platter - Edit
Had a great dinner here! I really loved the vegan cheese board (which I’m usually quite picky about) and the Chunk steak! They also had a good cocktail menu.
Read moreEasy to get a reservation and the server was very attentive.
Guest
RyanNordle
Points +68
Just Fine - Edit
The starters come in large portions, which would be really very good, if they were flavorful. We tried the onion rings and fried pickles, both were very bland as were the dipping sauces that came with them. BBQ burger wasn't that bad, the bacon and cheddar were both flavorful, but it came with steak fries that were almost entirely unseasoned (again, on the plus side, the portions were generous, so really I don't think there's a need for appetizers unless you're here with a large group). My partner got the chicken francese, again, very bland. It's great to have more upscale vegan restaurants, so I can appreciate Willow for what it's trying to be, but ultimately you get hefty portions, hefty prices, and light flavors.
Read morePros: Portions
Cons: Prices, Unseasoned food
Guest
makcurtis
Points +1121
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Edit
The cheese board was fantastic. I loved the caper berries and the “chèvre”. I ordered the chicken francese, and it was phenomenal. Everything was expertly cooked and seasoned!
Read morePros: Good wines
Guest
TrilliumTerrific
Points +55
Delicious but not great for GF diners - Edit
Food was delicious, except for the GF burger bun, which was inedible (hard as a rock). As a GF Vegan, I was disappointed that the only GF entree offerings were the burgers...which is pretty much what I end up ordering at every non vegan restaurant. The burger itself was yummy, and the "chicken" entree my daughter ordered was fantastic! I find it disappointing that a restaurant charges $3 extra for a GF bun that should have been thrown in the garbage last week.
Read morePros: Food was delicious , Atmosphere was relaxing and laid back , Service was great
Cons: Need more Gluten Free options , Shouldn't charge $3 for a GF bun
Guest
suikunkun
Points +803
Nom nom burger nom - Edit
Came here in a hurry between things, but was very impressed. I got a BBQ burger and the homemade passionfruit grapefruit soda. Nice pair. The 'bacon' was very tasty as was the barbecue sauce. Big serving of fries. Overall very enjoyable and I'd like to return!
Read moreGuest
tfish
Points +3687
Very good food, cramped atmosphere - Edit
Obviously this could get 5 stars elsewhere, but the higher-end vegan cuisine in the city is a tough pool to swim in. Everything was very impressive but nothing truly blew me away like at many other vegan spots in NYC that cost the same or less.
Read moreGuest
mvdl1990
Points +83
Best vegan steak I've ever had! - Edit
As a vegan in an unknown city (I was on a holiday) I followed recommendations to go to Willow. In all honesty, I was skeptical when I read the extremely positive reviews about the steak. But, yes, they were so right! It blew my mind. Been vegetarian for 7 years, recently turned vegan, and in all those years, I never had a steak this good. It was a true pleassure to eat here. Nice staff and ambiance too.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-16
Pros: Food! So good!, Friendly staff, Nice ambiance
Guest
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