Lacto
Ovo
American
Juice bar
Delivery
Caribbean
Breakfast
Costa Rican
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Large eclectic menudishesa large selection of dishes suitable for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free. Breakfast all day. Casual space with Wi-Fi access and is dog-friendly. Open Mon-Tue 8:00am-2:30pm, Thu-Sun 8:00am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-8:30pm. Closed Wed.


Venue map for Bella Vida Cafe
© OpenStreetMap contributors

38 Reviews

First Review by NicoleF

Vegan_Bri

Points +76

Vegan
29 Jun 2018

Great Lunch Spot!

Stopped here with some omni friends and was pleasantly surprised by the vegan BLAT. Fairly priced, simple, and delicious!

Pros: Vegan Options, Decent Price, Outdoor Seating

angeluna

Points +32

Vegan
16 Jul 2024

It was okay

Got a vegan sandwich, wasn’t the best, bread wasn’t great, kinda just veggies on some bread. They have other options though but expensive.

Pros: The options

Cons: The Veggie Sandwich

melyssaaa

Points +24

Vegan
14 Jun 2024

Don’t go here if you’re vegan

There aren’t a ton of vegan-friendly spots in Cape May so I was glad to see Bella Vida had a few dedicated options and decent reviews on here. I don’t know if something changed with their kitchen recently but everything was so disappointing. The side of “fakin bacon” that came with the vegan breakfast plate was just two hunks of plain unseasoned barely cooked tempeh. There was more nearly-raw tempeh in the vegan scramble which we had to pick out. Nothing was seasoned and the vegetables were clearly frozen. It felt like vegan food by a person who’d never met a vegan in their life. It was also incredibly expensive for what it was. It’s a shame the food was so bad because the ambiance on the back patio was lovely. FWIW the non-vegan food we saw being delivered to other tables looked fine.

Pros: Friendly staff and good service , Very cute patio

Cons: Bland, unseasoned food , Raw tempeh!

PurplePeach

Points +68

Vegan
13 Jan 2024

Nice Menu Choices

They have a nice Vegan selection. It’s a great place to go when you have a mixture of people with different diets. Cutest back courtyard to eat in during good weather. We always get a great meal here. #Veganuary

Pros: Food is delish, Diverse menu for groups, Cutest outside eatery area

Kalbasala

Points +478

Vegetarian
31 Aug 2023

Great vibe, good food

This is the only restaurant in the cape may area that didn’t disappoint me. The outdoor seating in the back is lovely, such a natural vibe. Indoor seating looked good too. Nice staff. Decent menu options. I has a Reuben veganized, the downside was that the sauerkraut made it leaky/messy. They told me the coleslaw isn’t vegan so I got a side of chips. Next time I will try one of the bowls. Fries and homefries are normal, as expected.

Updated from previous review on 2023-08-31

Pros: Nice staff, Great backyard outdoor seating, Toys outside

Cons: Upcharge for vegan meat substition

Stephxecutioner

Points +238

Vegan
26 Jul 2023

Yummy food, good portions, confusingly religious

Went to Cape May with the family and settled on Bella Vida since my parents eat meat. Felt like decent options but the menu is a bit confusing, so be sure to double check your order will be vegan. Everything that came out was good and large portions, so one is enough to share or save for the next day. I got the spring rolls which were good but a bit greasy (6 is 3 regular sized cut in half). I also got the veggie medley with angel hair pasta, vegan chicken and pesto sauce for my entree. It was very nice and filling.

The downside that I wasn’t expecting is that there is Christian propaganda covering just about every inch of the place. As an openly queer pagan, I also received multiple judgmental stares while trying to eat from staff and customers. For this reason, I wouldn’t be interested in returning and spending money.

Pros: Good quality, A few vegan options

Cons: The overwhelming Christian vibe and decor

ScottHutton

21 Nov 2023

Thank you, so helpful as a gay couple trying to enjoy dining out!

jbdastous

Points +42

Vegan
06 Jun 2023

Many vegan and vegetarian options

Variety of vegan and vegetarian options with a plant based sandwiches section on the menu.

Pros: Vegan and vegetarian friendly, Affordable

Cons: Portions could be a little bigger.

kefox1995

Points +1089

Vegan
01 Jun 2023

EXCELLENT BREAKFAST

Excellent vegan breakfast. I ordered the vegan breakfast sampler. The pancakes were one of a kind - super delicious. Sausage and tempeh was yummy. Came with veggies (broccoli and asparagus). There were many options to choose from and an equally large choosing for lunch and dinner.

Pros: Pancakes!!! , Indoor and outdoor seating , Super cute diner feel

LHamilton

Points +43

Vegan
14 Apr 2023

Fabulous Vegan Options!

Not only were there many vegan options, but the food tastes amazing!

Pros: Not just “salads” for vegan options, Vegan food that tastes amazing

Cons: Can’t think of anything

Tmoss682

Points +2959

Vegan
22 Mar 2023

Vegan Options

I am so thankful for the vegan options provided. It can be difficult to eat vegan in a beach town. Bella Vida offers much more past the token beyond burger or avocado toast. The have options for breakfast (Mancakes filled with vegan meat), lunch, and dinner (multiple pasta and sandwich options).

Pros: Location

Sharon&Dirk

Points +91

Vegan
25 Nov 2022

Excellent pancakes!

Good vegan breakfast! The pancakes can all be made vegan and they were excellent. The full breakfast included broccoli and asparagus.

Jilldo

Points +39

Vegan
16 Oct 2022

Good Breakfast

I had takeout for breakfast and it was good. I like places like this with my family because they have vegan and omnivore options for them. I had the vegan breakfast with pancakes, tempeh bacon, tempeh scramble, broccoli, and sausage. It was delicious! More vegan options would be great too but I do like that they have healthy vegan options on the menu! I would definitely go back and try and eat inside next time!

Pros: Healthy Options, Both Vegan & Omnivore Options

Cons: Not A Lot Of Choices

viclaw

Points +78

Vegan
28 Sep 2022

Great vegan options on Cape May

Vegan pancakes were delicious.

Wanted to go for dinner but only serving on certain days,

Pros: lovely setting, delicious vegan pancakes, friendly service

Cons: did not have any tempeh for breakfast scramble

chihuahua_hat

Points +315

Vegan
22 Jul 2022

GF aunt loves it

My family loves this place especially my GF aunt. It's also an easy place in Cape May to order vegan. So I end up eating here a fair amount. Yet I can't remember a single amazing dish I've ever had here. It's fine but nothing special.

VSnail

Points +391

Vegan
11 Apr 2022

Just Double Check

This is a fun place to eat with omnivores. It's diner-style inside and has a lovely outside space as well. Someone spent quite a bit of effort coming up with vegan options on the menu. I especially like the "Vegan Breakfast" and the vegan BLT.
We have had a few times when our order gets mixed up or a non-vegan item gets on the plate, such as dairy butter on vegan pancakes. Just double check with the waiter when you get your order to confirm that it is vegan.

Pros: Vegan Breakfast Options, Friendly Staff

butterfly123

Points +33

Vegan
20 Feb 2022

This a great place, the vegan options are delicious. Definitely going back!

I love their sandwiches, everything was good!

Pros: Nice and clean place , Great vegan food

MadalynBeck

Points +17

Vegetarian
26 Sep 2021

Best food we had

Everything was amazing and the chef was so accommodating!

Pros: All food was amazing , Cheap meal, Staff was lovely

Cons: Time it closes

iAmJay

Points +42

Vegan
16 Aug 2021

Charming place

The quinoa bowl is satisfactory and could use some work. Too soupy… veggies were over cooked and vegan sausage were two frozen patties.

Cons: Priced a bit high for what is served.

ckirk

Points +67

Vegetarian
06 Jun 2021

Great experience

great dining experience. Was pleased with the variety of vegan options available, staff are more than happy to discuss options.

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Daiya NY cheesecake available as dessert

Cons: Somewhat pricy

mccocchiara

Points +30

Vegan
24 May 2021

Wonderful gem in West Cape May

This spot should be on your go-to list while visiting Cape May. You won't be disappointed. We ate outside for our Sunday lunch in the shade. We must have just missed the brunch/lunch crowd. I had a vegan Reuben sandwich with grilled mushrooms, onions, sauerkraut, and vegan cheese with vegan Russian dressing. Excellent and finger licking good. I had a small side salad instead of fries, chips, or coleslaw. The server was clear the fries get fried in the same oil as some of the meat options and was able to make the change for me to a small salad. My partner had the blackened tuna salad that came perfectly medium rare but wasn't blackened the way he had expected. His salad included avocado, goat cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The sauce on the side for him was tasty too, he said.

Pros: Attentive and informed wait staff, Fresh and hot food, Reasonably priced

ThatVeganGirl13

Points +62

Vegan
19 Apr 2021

Love this place!

I visit Bella Vida multiple times whenever I’m in Cape May. The tempeh BLT is amazing!

Dag0010

Points +232

Vegan
20 Aug 2020

Must go to!

Lots of vegan choices to choose from. Nice size portions and food was delicious. Will definitely be returning

Sides_As_Mains

Points +32

Vegan
19 Jul 2020

So many vegan options !

Would give 5 stars if it was possible! This is the spot for breakfast lunch or dinner if you’re looking for vegan options in Cape May. They are also super accommodating and customize things just the way you’d like them. I like to add avocado to pretty much everything, and love that it’s available all the time!

Pros: Lots of vegan breakfast options , Some delicious Costa Rican themed dishes , Family owned, feels like you’re home!

gfals3

Points +64

Vegan
13 Oct 2019

So yummy!

We had the veggie tempeh scramble (my husband had his made in a whole wheat wrap 👌🏼) We also had one vegan “man-cake”- a pancake with vegan sausage in it. All the food was delicious. I loved the veggie scramble.

Pros: Vegan options, Good service , Byob

Cons: Not a ton of vegan options

PerfectlyImperfectVeg

Points +322

Vegan
22 Mar 2019

So good! Get Jen the server, she’s awesome at accommodating vegans.

Came on Friday in March at 4 pm and it was delish! Big place. Different rooms, which made us feel we were the only ones there! Great food, good portions, prices weren’t bad!

PeterNM

Points +184

Vegan
03 Sep 2018

“Okay” breakfast

Went for early AM breakfast. One of us had the tempeh scramble, which was pretty good, especially with the salsa lizano. The other of us had the vegan flapjacks, and they had a weird sour aftertaste. Maybe it was because they were trying to imitate buttermilk, but it was not good. Potatoes were unseasoned, and barely done. Ketchup was generic HFCS crap. “Vegan” feels like an afterthought at this restaurant. Overall, the food wasn’t very good.

Pros: Costa Rican coffee was excellent! , Salsa Lizano!!, Good service.

Cons: Vegan pancakes were nasty., Potatoes were boring.

voivoed

Points +375

Vegan
27 Aug 2018

Great food

We’ve been coming here for years when we come to Cape May. They have a lot of vegan options and the food is really good. There’s a “plant based” section on their menu, and some other options spread out through the menu (like the tempeh scramble and pancakes in the breakfast section, or the option to use vegan cheese for the quesadillas). One thing: the tempeh scramble SIDE is super bland, order the regular tempeh scramble dish instead, it’s delicious.

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Friendly staff, Good coffee




This page has been viewed 7462 times.