Spring Cafe Aspen — Restaurant in New York

This may our new favorite restaurant in the NYC!! In a city that is increasingly vegan-friendly but that won’t stop assaulting us with deep-fried mushrooms and buffalo cauliflower, Spring Cafe Aspen sets themselves apart by serving up vegetable-forward dishes that are healthy, delicious, and generously portioned.

First, the health-conscious aspect. We came across them on a (very short) list of seed oil-free restaurants. Their website says they are free of “inflammatory oils.” Very little of their food is fried or highly processed. They use whole/sprouted grains in their wraps/bread, as well as having gluten-free options. It’s next to impossible to find restaurants in NYC or anywhere that accommodate a whole foods/plant-based diet, and even harder to find staff knowledgeable about the ingredients of their food. At Spring Cafe Aspen, the staff actually knows the ingredients of each dish and are very accommodating of questions and preferences, such as my wish to avoid coconut oil. If they don’t know the answer to a question, they have access to the ingredient lists for everything.

Next, the flavor of the food. Despite being low in oil and free of overly processed ingredients, their food is delicious! Our favorite item so far has been the cauliflower risotto (warm, comforting, creamy and rich; packed with vegetables and flavor). Our other favorite is the lentil meatballs and spaghetti (incredible meatballs, excellent sauce full of basil, and pasta you would have no idea is made with brown rice). We also enjoyed the superhero tofu burrito and the blueberry pancakes. The menu is full of great tidbits such as the epic cashew mac and cheese and the tempeh that is raw and locally sourced (Barry’s).

The portions - while other vegan/vegetarian restaurants in New York are serving up portions that get smaller every year, Spring Cafe Aspen actually provides generous portions that will nourish you without going overboard. (You won’t go home hungry after eating the cauliflower risotto!)

It’s also worth mentioning that the vibe of Spring Cafe Aspen is a little different from the typical hippie or hipster flair of many other vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the city. The vibe hovers somewhere between hot yoga studio and business school seminar. Also slightly confusing is the setup - they have all the makings of a sit-down restaurant right down to cloth napkins, but they do not truly have table service. You wait in line to order and then bring a number to your table. Makes it harder to enjoy a cup of coffee or spontaneous turmeric latte after lunch, but definitely not a dealbreaker. Lastly, we initially wondered why they didn’t take the plunge and turn fully vegan, but when we saw the gusto with which workout couples were demolishing egg white omelettes, we understood. Overall not a real issue for us since they make the food with such care that we aren’t really worried about any stray goat cheese getting into our food by mistake. And the attention to detail in their homemade condiments like vegan sour cream and even homemade nut milk rivals that of any vegan restaurant.

In conclusion, this is an epic brunch spot whipping up healthy food that manages to be both comforting and innovative; they have already become one of our...

I will be vulnerable with you, my dear reader. There are 2 versions of me:

Version 1: I can't for the life of me find a good coffee shop to work out of in NYC. Sometimes I just NEED to get out of my shoebox apartment and work somewhere else as the dark thoughts begin to encroach. I will step out and go to local coffee shops, but none seem to have wifi. How do you not have wifi in 2024?! … And the ones that do have wifi are so packed I either can't get a seat, or I do get a seat and am literally rubbing shoulders with two strangers, as they pack as many seats as they can in there.

Version 2: I love to get out of the house to go grab a coffee with a friend, sit and write or read a book, or just enjoy my me time and some good coffee. I will walk into my local coffee shop and get SO annoyed that someone has set up a full battle station working from their personal hotspot, taking up 4 seats in an already tiny coffee shop. They have 2 screens, mouse & mouse pad, headset, etc. They think they are like Brad Pitt in the Big Short when he makes that big trade from his laptop in the bar lol... Like dawg they don't have wifi in here for a reason, take the hint.

Enter Spring Cafe Aspen. The perfect balance of my contradictory moods. It scratches the itches of both my personalities, Johnny & Patricia. They should rename this place Goldilocks Cafe Aspen ahahaha.

When I need to get some work done, this is the only place I go to. There is an abundance of space & seating, beautiful white faux marble tables, great wifi, good coffee, big windows to allow light to flood in, a full food menu, bathrooms, etc. I'm LOCKED in when I'm in here. I've also been in here when I'm with friends after walking through Washington Sq Park to just grab a coffee or some drinks. I've never seen it packed to where I can't get a seat, and it is CLEAN. Spotless damn near. I always feel at peace in here. They nailed the feng shui. As I'm writing this I'm like damn maybe I should gatekeep this spot... but honestly who do I think I am lol this place not going to blow up over a yelp review ahahahaa.

Can you get better coffee? Yeah. Can you get better food? Dumb question c'mon lol you're better than that. Yes, it's NYC. Can you find a better place to focus and work? NOPE!

IG...

I was a second time customer of Spring Cafe Aspen and heard about the restaurant due to its seed oil free environment. What I eat is super important to me.

2 days ago I dinned at the W 4th street location. I ordered a Latte, the nachos, and the Chickpea Hummus. I realized that I had ordered too much food so I immediately asked my waiter to pack the chickpea hummus meal to go. He took it away and placed it in an enclosed to-go container and in a brown paper bag stapled shut. I ate the nachos and latte onsite and I saved the chickpea pita meal for dinner tonight.

That evening, as I took several bites into one half of the sandwich, I noticed a live white worm/maggot crawling along side the pita and actively “eating” the scraps of food. I immediately spit out the food, took pictures, threw the meal away, and called the restaurant mortified by what I saw. I spoke with Eric who said to email holly the manager with my complaint. By sharing my name, he was able to pull up my order in the system. I emailed my complaint to the manager named Holly sharing the below photos requesting a full refund, but never heard back. I’ve called twice but the manager never seems to be around. I will never eat here again due to the unsanitary food environment and poor customer service. It’s been 2 days and I never heard a response from the restaurant.

This has never happened to me before. I am very grossed out by what I saw, and could have ingested. I will never...