Candle 79

The food was gorgeous and delicious, although all portions were rather small for the price paid. Everything is fresh and beautifully plated. The only quibble was with some of the service personnel, who seemed a bit snarky -- you'd see a facial expression or a sideways glance that was inappropriate, or a hear a comment that was slightly off-putting.

The food at Candle 79 is always amazing! The service is great and the staff is very friendly.

I had been wanting to try this restaurant for years. The ambience was very upper east side fussy and the food was just okay. I had hoped for more ingenuity. Oh well.

The best vegetarian fare I've ever experienced. The food is varied, creative and delicious. Our server was very knowledgeable, and friendly in a professional way. Non-vegetarian friends always love the food here and there are plenty of options for picky eaters.

Food was spectacular as always. My wife and I make a pilgrimage to Candle 79 when in NYC. Typically two times a year. Normally she makes the reservation but I did so since it was our 25th wedding anniversary and we were a group of four.

The reason for a low service rating was because of the lack of effort by the hostesses. They were not busy and so they were engrossed in conversation on our arrival. Feel free to have a conversation but make an effort to stop and welcome your guests with a smile and a positive comment. Maybe acknowledge your guests are at your restaurant for a special occasion. If we had not attended the restaurant before I would question if this was the norm. I did recognize the manager was in the restaurant but I didn’t have the opportunity to share our experience since we had guests in attendance. The good news is a little feedback and training and the problem is fixed.

It was just ok.
Food not cooked well and visually not appealing

Amazing food and service! Non-vegan guests were very happy.

I’m always on the search for organic, vegetarian/vegan food. This place was so amazing and delicious. I highly recommend this place. You won’t be disappointed!

It was a great experience. I enjoyed the service. It

Fuimos con mi novia a festejar su cumpleaños, habíamos pedido q tenga en cuenta esto y prepare una pequeña vela con algún postre de la carta.

No tenían vela de cumpleaños, y llegamos a la reserva a las 2140 lo q nos recibieron diciéndonos que la cocina cerraba en 10 minutos. Si van a realizar una reserva para 2130 sería conveniente q la cocina esté hasta las 22 mínimo.

La recepcionista q nos atendió inmediatamente agarró sus cosas y se retiro del lugar. No nos pareció muy cómoda la situación.

Excellent food and service. Can’t wait to go again.

très bonne cuisine, bon service, beau cadre

Terrible food and the presentation of the food is even more awful

Steven was very knowledgeable and attentive. Steven has served us on several occasions nad is certainly worth asking for!

Another fabulous vegan meal. I had the stuffed zucchini blossoms. Amazing!!

Have been here many times, but not recently. My girlfriend took me for my birthday. We shared an appetizer of cashew cream with salsa flatbread. For mains I had a chickpea cake with squash and greens in a curry sauce, she had a grilled tempeh, veggies, arugula, corn, sauted wild mushrooms in a crepe. For dessert peach cobbler, with cappuccino and herbal tea. Everything was terrific, food and service.

Excellent high-end vegan food in tasteful surroundings.

The chocolate peanut butter mousse ($15) was delicious.

The mixed drinks were pricey ($17 or $18) but unique and tasty.

My biggest complaint is that the Mushroom Crepe ($25) had a decidedly Asian preparation that was not disclosed on the menu. It tasted as if it were prepared in soy sauce. Had I known that, I never would have ordered it because I despise Asian food. Candle 79 should revise their menu to clarify that it's an Asian preparation. Since it's a crepe, I expected something more French or at least New American.

The hostess was very nice.

Love all the Candle restaurants. Nice to know you can have an excellent meal that’s healthy and good for the planet. You walk out with a happy stomach and a healthy conscience.

Delicious organic vegan food with a good selection of creative cocktails and craft beers.

We love this place, and the birthday candle in my wife’s dessert was a really great touch. Excellent work, team! Looking forward to our next visit.

best upscale vegetarian dining on the Upper East side. Has been forever...

I couldn’t believe how amazing the food was!! Can’t wait to come back and try more dishes!

IMO, the best pure vegan restaurant in NYC. The food is delicious, the menu offers many excellent choices and the food is healthy, which surprisingly is not the case in all vegan or vegetarian restaurants. I've been enjoying Candle 79 for years and have taken many a non-vegetarian there and heard nothing but positive comments. It's an expensive place but I've never had a bad experience there.

Best vegan food I've ever had. Delicious drinks and appetizers and entrées! I recommend it to anyone looking for good food and a great dining experience.

Love this restaurant. Amazing vegetarian gourmet

This is my 4th time dining at Candle 79. The spectacular quality of the food and service has been consistent. For this particular visit, we were in a rush as we were trying to get to a show. The waiter was very gracious, and made sure that we got our dishes in a timely manner and were able to be out when we needed to. It's a terrific place whether you're vegan or non-vegan. Everyone should give it a try.

Delicious food, beautifully presented, impeccably served by courteous, efficient, friendly staff.

Drinks arrived with no straws so when ordering drinks please ask for straws

Amazing food! I'm a bit sorry that they've taken off the Impossible Burger--or any dinner sandwich options, actually. The other slightly off note was the onion rings--not as crispy as before, and a bit greasy. But the new cauliflower appetizer is extraordinary, and very big! The Sancerre was delicious, and the desserts were wonderful, too.

we have been going to C79 for years. Tried some new items on menu - starter spicy cauliflower, entree eggplant and blueberry pie(?) dessert - all exceptionally tasty. Had vodka-based cocktail which was excellent (if a bit strong!). A great meal!

French toast was devine! Not for everyone, but if you’re so inclined, you’ll enjoy

It was our second time eating here. It was absolutely delicious. I had spaghetti and veggie meatballs and my husband had the seitan special. We had strawberry rhubarb vegan ice cream for dessert. We had the artichoke and asparagus appetizer.

My wife and I were welcomed with genuine warmth as we entered CANDLE 79. We enjoyed a very original cocktail made with organic and fair trade vodka at their Eco Bar . We were soon seated in a comfortable booth. The lighting and noise level were low and right for a romantic night out. The service staff were both attentive and light-hearted. The food? I am not a vegetarian. My wife is. we enjoyed both the starters and the main courses. Clean plate club. I own a sustainable seafood restaurant in Key West. I truly admire and respect the creativity of the CANDLE 79 kitchen. If you've ever wondered if vegetarian food can be fabulous, come here and you'll find out. It is fabulous. This was our second visit. It won't be our last.

Wonderful food. Server Andrew was great. Had the beyond burger.

My only complaint about this place is it has 2 bathrooms, not enough to service a restaurant of this volume. They also need to be cleaned more often.

Great food, not just great vegan.

My wife and I planned a week-long visit to New York for her birthday. As part of our planning, we looked at many vegan restaurants and settled on Candle 79 as the place where we would have a nice dinner on her birthday. Everything seemed fine at first, but when the waiter came back to the table a while after taking our drink and appetizer order because he had forgotten what I'd ordered to drink, it all started going downhill. He did bring me my drink and then a short time later, our entrees were brought out. I asked then if that meant we wouldn't be getting our appetizer. He apologized that he'd forgotten it and said he could put it in now. I told him it wasn't necessary, because we already had our entrees and didn't want our appetizer after the fact. We ate our meals and had moved on from the forgotten appetizer (though, a table near us had received the same appetizer we'd ordered, so we were forced to see another couple enjoy the food we so looked forward to. The food was good, but the service was not. We finished our entrees and awaited the dessert menu. Instead, the waiter and the manager showed up at our table with our appetizer — which we'd already told them we didn't want anymore. The manager seemed to shame us for not wanting the app they brought us AFTER our meal. Since it was a special meal for my wife's birthday, she did not appreciate being made to feel bad about it. At that point, we were done. He brought us the dessert menu ... I informed him we just wanted our check so we could leave. Again, we were shamed for not wanting dessert. While waiting for the check, the waiter brought out a scoop if ice cream with a candle in it (because I'd mentioned her birthday when I made the res). My wife was already visibly upset, and this did not help. She just wanted to leave but they insisted on shaming her. Finally, she got up and left while I waited for the check. What was supposed to be a special dinner turned into a fiasco that upset my wife on her birthday.

Love this place! Candle 79 has the best vegan food in the city. Non-vegans are quite happy here as well!

The hostess was a bit rude. We asked to move tables and she gave us quite an attitude

For all vegans, definitely worth visiting. I enjoyed the spaghetti and wheatballs. I have wanted spaghetti with meatball (since becoming a non-meat eater) for a long time, so it was refreshing to have it with the wheatballs. Worth going to!

Our first time at a true referenced Vegan Restaurant. The food was great and the experience wonderful, starting with our very knowledgeable wait person. He explained the preparations of the dishes, and gave us great guidance into choosing the dishes we enjoyed. We had the Avocado Salad, The Ravioli, and the Chocolate dessert. All excellent!