Sanctuary Bistro — Restaurant in Charlotte

Sanctuary is an upscale entirely vegan and gluten free eatery. If you are either vegan or GF, check it out. If you have friends visiting from out of town who have either of those restrictions, check it out. For dinner, you can make reservations, which I strongly recommend. For brunch, no reservations are accepted.

Brunch: Expect to wait. Our party of two waited 45 minutes to get seated, and they quoted us to wait 30 minutes. Larger parties waited even longer. The food was very good, and freshly made. Interesting offerings. My friend is both GF and dairy free and was overwhelmed with yummy sounding choices. She went with a savory waffle, which she liked. It had mushrooms in it, and was served with sweet maple syrup, an odd combo that somehow worked. I got the seasonal soup and a beet salad. Both were yummy and I would get again. The beets were perfectly cooked.

Cons: The inside felt crowded. We were unlucky to be right next to the door, so when it regularly opened, we got blasted by cold air. The table next to us was so close, I could practically eat off of their plates.

Dinner: Largely due to our table location, our experience was a lot better the second time. The "cheese" plate was simple in presentation but packed a lot of flavor. Would get that a million times again. The GF homemade bread was crazy good in texture, the three types of "cheese" were different enough from from other and all yummy. For an entree, I ordered the crepe. The menu did not mention it was deconstructed, so that surprised me. Beet juice ran down my fingers and dripped everywhere, but maybe I'm just messy. The food tasted good. My friend got the ravioli, and it was not a ravioli is a traditional sense. It was two rounds of pasta with cheesy stuff in the middle, but it wasn't closed, so kind of like an odd cheese sandwich. In a white sauce. Kind of. She enjoyed the flavors, so that's what counts.

We shared a chocolate parfait, and it was rich and chocolatey. Will get that again.

Overall, I will go back. Some of the presentation is a bit clunky, but the flavors are great, the quality is there and the...

We chose Sanctuary Bistro for a birthday dinner. As newly vegans we were excited for the menu and the plant-based philosophy of the restaurant. The restaurant is beautifully styled. I particularly loved the industrial light fixtures and inlaid wood tables and bar. The setting is intimate as they are reservation only for dinner ($15 per person deposit placed at time of reservation). I liked the atmosphere, but it was to intimate for my partner. He felt you could hear everyone's conversations and vice versa. Which, is true, it just didn't bother me like it did him, so keep that in mind. We ordered the charcuterie for an appetizer. Prior to it's arrival we were brought a delightful amuse- bouche; a small slice of toasted baguette with a delicious maple pecan spread of some kind. It tasted like Thanksgiving! I need to see if they sell that spread, because that would make the perfect holiday appetizer. The charcuterie came next. I was very pleased with the 2 'cheeses', the bread, and the pickled onions. The vegan 'sausage'(black bean patties I believe) wasn't my favorite, but wasn't bad, I did like the mustard sauce it was in. My partner enjoyed the olives. He was not a huge fan of the rest as I was. We don't always agree. But one thing we did agree on was that we were underwhelmed with the main courses and dessert. We ordered the BVQ Minion, the polenta & lions mane, & the peach cheesecake. The vegetables were underseasoned and very plain. I had been impressed thus far, so I was disappointed to not be able to care that enthusiasm throughout. I would not return for a main course or entree, but I really enjoyed the amuse-bouche, charcuterie, decor, & atmosphere so I will most likely...

My wife and I are not vegan. We were a bit skeptical about trying this restaurant. However, we were blown away by our experience here.

The restaurant is small. There's no getting around having a small space. However, they've done an excellent job of using the space they have to feel warm and inviting. It's a great space for a date. Just remember, reservations are highly recommended. They have a couple of clean and private restrooms. They share a large parking lot with other businesses and the parking is free.

The service was awesome. Jennifer, (who I now realize is part owner) was really nice and attentive. She made us feel welcomed, explained the menu and the specials, and she timed all of our dishes perfectly so we could enjoy them in courses. She was very patient with us while deciding what to try and also gave great suggestions.

The food was amazing!! We shared their charcuterie board, oyster mushrooms, and the lions mane mushroom dish with potatoes. We did not feel like we compromised on flavors and/or tastes by having any of these dishes. They were all flavorful and filling. We will absolutely be back to try more of their dishes.

They have seasonal menus as well as drinks. So if there is something on the menu you really want to try, don't procrastinate.

Price. The pricing feels appropriate for the amount of food we received. It felt like a very fair exchange. Our meal was around $60 before tipping.

They also offer prepped meals that you can order and take home to reheat. I thought that was a...