Serves meat, vegan options available. Old-world Italian restaurant established in 1908. Introduced an entirely vegan menu in 2010 that includes in-house-made seitan, vegan bruschetta, garlic bread, vegan cannolis, and more. Dedicates half of kitchen and utensils to vegan dishes. Open Mon-Sun 4:00pm-10:00pm.
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302 E 12th St (at 2nd Ave, East Village, Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10003
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- Cash only
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Last update on 10 Jan 2020 by Vegan_Jules
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66 Reviews
First Review by nailina
SamAnthony
Points +1701
Five Star Italian American Food! - Edit
Wow! This place has been on my list for years but I usually go to all vegan places (there are so many in NYC, after all!), so i hadn't made it yet. Boy have I been missing out!
Read moreThere is an entirely separate vegan menu (on the back of the regular menu that everyone is given) and everything sounded amazing. I was having a hard time choosing and our lovely waiter gave me some recommendations. I got the seitan scallopini with marsala wine sauce and it was bomb! My mom (not vegan) got the vegan ragu and parpardelle (sp?) and was super impressed. We also shared a vegan Cesar salad and vegan mango sorbet (housemade!)
It was all incredible and a lot of food. I ended up taking home leftovers from both our mains and my partner polished them off, saying how impressed be was. Which is saying something as he grew up with Italian American food!
The setting was more upscale but still down to earth if that makes sense? There were plenty of ppl there on special occasion type dinners and others that had just stumbled in, like my mom and I.
Definitely recommend getting a reservation though as we only managed to get a non-reserved table cuz it was early (5:30 pm on a Friday). Everyone else coming in after us had a reservation!
It's on the pricier side (mains were $20-28), but i feel like for the quality, homemade-ness, portions, and atmosphere, as well as location, the prices were more than fair. Not a place I can afford regularly but will absolutely be back for a special occasion.
Pros: Separate vegan menu, Everything is homemade , Nice setting
Cons: Pricey
Guest
MEW
Points +398
100+yr old Italian restaurant in NYC with a vegan menu - Edit
Vegan menu: We had the ravioli, the eggplant parm, Caesar salad, garlic bread, and tiramisu. Everything was exceptionally tasty.
Read moreNote: substitute the sautéed escarole instead of the pasta that comes with your order
Updated from previous review on 2021-06-26
Pros: Excellent vegan menu, Staff and ownership, The food!
Guest
talakoala
Points +894
Solid - Edit
Solid Italian American cuisine with tons of vegan options.
Read moreGuest
LauraHSisson
Points +36
Solid Italian food - Edit
You can’t rate non vegan restaurants 5 stars, but this place had 5 star worthy vegan ravioli and tiramisu
Read moreGuest
jayluhx
Points +1462
Good food! - Edit
Probably not the best restaurant around, but they have some solid vegan choices. Great to go with non vegans
Read moreGuest
LynnCVoss
Points +226
Would Be 5 Star if Allowed - Edit
Delicious authentic Italian food. What I love about John’s is they have a separate vegan menu so I don’t have to negotiate vegan options. The menu is diverse and the food is delicious. Enjoy.
Read morePros: Separate vegan menu , So delicious , Atmosphere
Cons: none.
Guest
ThatsVegayzing
Points +771
Best Vegan Italian Food Ever - Edit
John’s of 12th Street
Read moreA cozy and charming Italian restaurant serving red-sauce specialties in the East Village since 1908. Traditional old school classics and vegan versions.
Food*****
This is one of the few restaurants we have rated 5 stars. The food was absolutely delectable and we could not even tell we were eating vegan versions of these Italian classics. The portions were hefty—we split the Seitan alla Rosa and the Bruschetta. The Seitan alla Rosa was so flavorful and the bruschetta was one of the best we’ve ever had. The vegan tiramisu was so delicious it was hard to take a break while eating it.
Service*****
Prompt and friendly service with a smile. We were given the table of our choice and we were approached by the waiter right away. We never had to wait. We split a dish and they were nice enough to put it on two plates!
Atmosphere*****
Cute, cozy, and charming. There’s a front and back area. The lighting was dim and the ambiance was peaceful.
Price$$$
On the pricier side but the portions are big and it’s definitely with every penny!
Pros: Several vegan options, Large portions, Cozy and charming atmosphere
Cons: Not fully vegan
Guest
TorsiDawn
Points +1193
Super awesome ! - Edit
Loved it here! The owner was so excited to talk about his vegan menu and the food was phenomenal !
Read moreGuest
MrzJerzi
Points +32
Amazing date night!!! - Edit
My husband surprised me with a trip to NYC and made reservations here for dinner. The seitan scaloppini with Marsala wine mushroom sauce and their meatballs are amazing. I will recommend to any vegan and carni couple/friends looking for a place to drink and eat well.
Read morePros: Vegan Menu, Vegan Desserts, Friendly and knowledgeable staff
Cons: Tight seating , Loud, Wait time
Guest
gsteiner
Points +380
Great for vegans - Edit
They have a separate vegan kitchen, and the food is terrific. We come here often. Be sure to make a reservation. They are no longer cash only.
Read moreGuest
Vegan_Jules
Points +90
Worth making a trip for - Edit
We stumbled across John's by accident, having intended to use only vegan or vegetarian restaurants while in NY. However, the ambiance and business we could sense from outside lured us in, and we weren't disappointed. We enjoyed the pasta with broccoli rabe and vegan margarita, followed by cannoli.
Read moreHappy to say my pasta was entirely gluten free (I'm coeliac and have been "glutened" several times this trip) and really tasty. Pizza looked excellent, my husband would have liked a bit more cheese maybe. We were given Follow Your Heart parmesan to add at the table.
What impressed us most was the care and attention of the staff, and the friendliness. We'd love to go back.
Pros: Separate vegan menu/area of kitchen, Really good food, Friendly and attentive staff
Cons: Only that it also serves meat
Guest
leopardsl
Points +411
We order vegan Seitan from here all the time and love it. - Edit
The side of greens was a bit oily and wasn’t needed. It already comes with a whole side of pasta that’s huge.
Read morePros: Entire vegan menu
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
McMallory
Points +2218
Old school but good - Edit
This place is solid. It’s not doing anything new, but it’s doing old red-sauce-joint standbys in a strong vegan approximation. The wine is excellent.
Read moreGuest
fxp
Points +817
Ok vegan Italian food - Edit
The food was ok in my opinion, pretty greasy and not that flavorful. Also, many Italian dishes are also vegan to start with.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options for classic Italian dishes
Cons: Greasy and overcooked
Guest
dianarbol
Points +100
Bland - Edit
Neither the vegans nor the carnists in our party enjoyed their meal: everyone agreed that the food was bland and not very good. I had a thin and watery vegan fettuccine alfredo made with soy milk, coconut milk, and cauliflower (and seemingly nothing else, as there was no "alfredo-y" flavor to it). The vegan garlic bread was fine but nothing special. It's obvious that the vegan menu only exists as an afterthought and there wasn't a lot of thought put into the recipes.
Read moreGuest
vegan_ryan
Points +3869
Amazing! - Edit
Really, really great food, great desserts, exceptional service.
Read moreNeeded a nice place to eat with some non-vegans, and this didn't let us down.
Pros: Vegan desserts
Cons: Serves meat
Guest
ieatkillerbees
Points +72
Good old school red sauce joint - Edit
John's is a cute and cozy space with a full vegan menu efficient includes desserts. Three food is good, not astounding, but it absolutely has that old school Italian restaurant vibe and flavors.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Vegan dessert menu
Guest
lucieclairee
Points +79
Amazing food! - Edit
Would give 5 stars if I could. The vegan menu is large and the food was so delicious. I had the mushroom sauce pasta which was HUGE! The restaurant has great vibes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had decent Italian food! They also have vegan Parmesan which I practically used all of cause it was so good! The staff were lovely and there was free bread!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Huge portions, Delicious food
Guest
TRothbell
Points +34
So good! - Edit
This place is really good. It's an old-school traditional Italian restaurant with a lot of history. They have a fully vegan menu in addition to their regular menu. The garlic bread and seitan parmesan are delicious and so are the tiramisu and cannolis. They give you huge portions too as you would expect from a restaurant like this. I love eating here! I would give it 5 stars if I were able to, but this is not allowed on Happy Cow because this restaurant serves meat.
Read morePros: Traditional food, Historic restaurant, Huge portions
Cons: Can get loud if there is a big group there, Can be cold if sitting across from the wall AC, A bit of a walk from the subway
Guest
BriggitteJ
Points +3002
Love the old world ambiance - Edit
We came here with non-vegans and everyone left happy. The food is solid, home style Italian cooking. I loved that they have a separate vegan menu on the back with ample dessert options including all the classics. Food comes with a shaker of vegan Parm for your meal which is a nice touch.
Read moreYou definitely want to make reservations for dinner because they will turn you away.
Guest
xmrfigx
Points +933
Great food and interesting history - Edit
I was very excited to add this to my list to visit while in New York. The history of this restaurant is very interesting down to the candles that have burning since being lit to celebrate the end of prohibition. All this and the food was really good too!
Read moreThe ambiance here is very old world Italian with much of the lighting coming from candlelight. The smell that hits you when you walk in is from the aforementioned candles. It hits you upon entering but the smells of the food over take it soon after taking your seat.
They have a completely separate veganenu because "they want everyone to be able to enjoy their food" and it is much appreciated. We got garlic bread, chik'un parm, pasta with marinara and a pizza and then all shared a cannoli. Everything had rich authentic flavor and we all enjoyed it! The cheese used on the park was "Daiya-esque" (not confirmed) which my wife is not a fan of, but scraping it off solved the problem for her.
I definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in the area and a read on its history if you have the time.
Pros: Separate vegan menu, Ambiance, History
Guest
LeonardoPrado
Points +27
Really awesome place - Edit
Nice ambient, really gentle people and really good food. I would really recommend !!!
Read morePros: Nice Vegan Menu
Guest
LeanderMG
Points +18
Very Vegan friendly old school Italian - Edit
How refreshing to be able to eat in an authentic old fashioned NYC italian, and to have a vegan diet fully catered for - starters, pizza, pasta, mains, desserts. The seitan parmiagiane is outstanding and the staff were all awesome.
Read morePros: extensive vegan options
Guest
kdotbakes
Points +377
Awesome Italian Food - Edit
I went to John’s because I was travelling with a non-vegan. They have vegan menu on the back of their regular menu so you don’t have to ask for their vegan options. Their garlic bread is amazing. I had the stuffed ravioli with the vegan Alfredo sauce. The sauce was a little sweet, but I still liked it. They also have a wide variety of vegan desserts. Johns is a great place to go if you are travelling with people with a variety of diets. The service is really great too.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Reasonably priced
Guest
KobeBlonner-Sullivan
Points +179
maybe good for non vegans? - Edit
Terrible vegan food!!! Felt like I had to eat it because it was so pricey
Read moreCons: $$$, taste
Guest
Marie-PierCyr
Points +89
Wonderful vegan italian menu - Edit
Me and my friend (non-vegan) had a perfect experience in this restaurant, they have a separate menu for vegan options, with a lot of options. Ravioli was amazing! :) We have appreciate a lot our evening in this restaurant. The owner is really sympathic and welcoming. It's simple it's the best italian food that I've eating!! 😀
Read moreGuest
kmanchester306
Points +837
Perfect (vegan) Italian meal - Edit
I think it's really cool that John's of 12th has an entire vegan menu! Yes, an entire menu, not just a couple of options. They offer many amazing, traditional Italian dishes, like Seitan Scallopini and Vegan Ragu. Love that they also remember the little things, like vegan parm for the table, vegan garlic bread, and most importantly - vegan desserts!! Great place, love the old school decor.
Read moreGuest
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