Vegetarian friendly dinner in Manhattan for 20

June 18, 2015 3:27 PM

My office is looking for a restaurant where we can have a celebration, and we're having a hard time finding a good option. 15-20 people, next Friday night, vegetarian friendly. West side of Manhattan preferred but not mandatory.

We wouldn't mind limited large group menus / pre fixe if the food is good. Small plates or family style also welcome. Does not need to be fancy. Entrees mostly under $25 would be ideal. We'd want to be able to stay for awhile and drink and talk and not feel rushed.

Any ideas welcome, thanks all!

posted by milkweed to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

I would highly recommend looking at Indian, probably easiest to find a place in curry hill, or along 6th st. I've done big dinners at the Royal bangladesh restaurant for up to thirty in their big outside tent.

food isn't spectacular, but it's cheap, has vegetarian options, and is BYOB.

Oh and I recently found out that Open table is a great resource for finding venues for private parties. you can specify what you need, in your pricerange and date, and available restaurants will reach out to you. (I expect it works better for higher end stuff, but could work out for you)
posted by larthegreat at 3:45 PM on June 18, 2015

I love Buddha Bodai in Chinatown, which is all veggie (including great dim sum). I have seen big parties in there before, and the space is overall pretty big, so I bet they'd work with you.
posted by ferret branca at 4:15 PM on June 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

Cookshop @ 20th st & 10th ave is delicious. Entrees are around the $25 mark except for some of the meats: http://cookshopny.com/menus/
posted by paul_smatatoes at 5:54 PM on June 18, 2015

Indian may seem like an obvious choice, but it's often not great if you don't like spicy food. The spice mixtures and sauces are often pre-prepared, so you can't really get the dal or other food non-spicy if you prefer it that way. Can't comment on the individual restaurant recommended above, though.

My go-to for vegetarian fun restaurants is often sushi or Japanese restaurants. If the menu has age tofu, edamame, and vegetarian spring rolls, it's usually going to be possible to get a filling but healthy and not completely carbohydrate-dominated meal, even for vegans.
posted by amtho at 6:56 PM on June 18, 2015

Best answer: Candle Cafe. You can't make a reservation for 20 online, so try calling them.
posted by John Cohen at 7:06 PM on June 18, 2015 [4 favorites]

West side of manhattan where exactly? that's some big territory. i've never eaten here but have always been curious. i just walked by the one on 9th Ave. and 21st today and thought 'oh yeah, that place'. they rated a Zagat review so that's something. it looks really good.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 9:18 PM on June 18, 2015

My family did a birthday celebration at Medi on 54th and 9th earlier this year, with a 60/40 meater/vegetarian split. They have a downstairs room that can easily handle 20-25 people.

It may be a little more expensive than what you're looking for. Their website is a little screwy, but a quick look at the source code revealed the dinner menu here.
posted by thecaddy at 6:56 AM on June 19, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks, all. I think we're going to go with Candle Cafe West, but all useful answers.
posted by milkweed at 10:29 AM on June 19, 2015

If you want ethnic that is not Indian but is good for vegetarians, very family style, and definitely cheap, I recommend Ethiopian cuisine. In case Candle doesn't work out, you have a number of choices all over various parts of the West Side.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 7:58 PM on June 19, 2015