XYST

I'm not a vegan but still very much loved all the food and drinks at this place. The flavor of all the menu items was amazing. Service was very friendly. I ended up trying multiple menu items because we were a group of 12 people and was not disappointed. The dessert here good and had 4 different options. Drinks had wine, beer, mixed drinks and hard cider. The tahini mini sandwiches with truffles on top was one of my favorite things.

The food and atmosphere were both 10/10! Delicious food, layers of flavors, plenty of textures and it felt like a vacation in your mouth. The place is cute, and not too loud. The service was relatively inattentive, didn’t make recommendations or up sell and did t seem as excited as we were to be there. The service was actually very bad and didn’t align w how good the food is. Worth the food though!

Interesting spot, with some really good but overpriced dishes - I really enjoyed the hummus and the beets/lettuce dishes. The avocado and the carrot appetizers weren’t as good, and the mains were pretty average. The dessert was good, but a bit hard. All in all, definitely worth trying but it is quite expensive!

Great vegetarian place. The food was really good. We ordered three dishes for two ppl. The smoked hummus was very good and a very generous portion. We asked for extra bread and celery for dipping. The kale Caesar was ok. The tempeh, which is fermented soybean was a bit salty, but it adds protein. The grilled eggplant was good. The bread that came with it was fantastic. Soft and crunchy. Staff are very friendly. Would definitely come back again.

XYST has been on my list of places to try for a while now because of their all-vegan menu and the creative, non-typical dishes offered. I came here with a friend who is not vegan and very much an omnivore and we both thoroughly enjoyed the food. Our server was super helpful and friendly, and helped me identify the 4 items that I should NOT get because they contained gluten since I informed him that I am gluten-free. All the other items were either inherently gluten-free or they could substitute papadum instead of pita bread to make them gluten-free. We ended up deciding to share the Cast Iron Socca, Grilled Eggplant, and Green Pea and Fava Falafel. Even though we overheard our server tell another table that it's recommended to order two dishes per person when sharing, we felt that the three dishes we ordered was perfect. We were completely satisfied not stuffed and didn't have any leftovers. And the food was delicious! A nice variety of colors and textures and flavors. I could probably eat several plates of the Grilled Eggplant ... because I LOVE anything featuring eggplant. I would gladly get these items again, if it weren't for the fact that so many of the other items also sounded amazing. Definitely coming back!

Such a great experience all around that I’ll make sure to come back in the future. This place is family style so you share all your dishes but it’s absolutely filling. I came here with about 4 people and we shared a few dishes and some drinks. The waitress was helpful with what to order and everything came out in a timely fashion.

Food was ok but not great. Overall dishes were very photogenic, but that special. The tofu was pretty boring, the chickpea patties was avarage, and so on, yet the prices were of an high end restaurant. Service was great - fast and polite.

Really enjoyed the food here. The cauliflower was especially great. Would’ve gave it a five star if the beet hummus were less salty. The blood orange cheese cake was really light and tasty. Will definitely return!

Pricy but worthy. We cleaned every plate that came out. Our waitress was very nice and took great care to make sure the dishes didn't contain the ingredient i'm allergic to. Rustic-romantic atmosphere feels very different from the other Matthew Kenney restaurants in East Village that have become my go-tos. Make this your stable date night spot.

Mediterranean Inspired Cuisine and Cocktails by the Matthew Kenney Cuisine Team in NYC! Food**** Quite possibly the best hummus I’ve ever tasted. The smoked hummus comes with a green harrissa, sumac and pita bread—everything from the texture to the temperature to the taste of the hummus was perfect. Next, we had the cashew halloumi w/ Za’tar cracker, paprika, black olives and radish—good not great. The cheese was the best part about it. Then, we got the green pea and fava falafel, which was very good. It was good but nothing extra spectacular and I’ve definitely had better falafel, but it was unique and that’s what made it stand out. If you’re a fan of falafel you’ll definitely want to try this at least! Service**** The service was prompt—right as we sat down. The waitress offered suggestions and spoke about some other items on the menu that we were curious about. On top of that service came with a smile : Atmosphere**** Set in a rustic, chic space with a patio and a fireplace. It definitely felt cozy with the dim lighting and adequately spaced seating. Price$$$ Pricey but you get what you pay for and it’s worth it!