Ahimsa
Restaurant, Coffee/Tea/Juice, Bar, Caterer
Hours
Mon
- 11:30am - 2:30pm
- 5:30pm - 10pm
Tue
- closed
Wed - Fri
- 11:30am - 2:30pm
- 5:30pm - 10pm
Sat - Sun
- 11am - 3pm
- 5:30pm - 10pm
Profile
Neighborhood
- Downtown
Smoke-free?
- Yes
Reservations?
- Accepted
Wheelchair Accessible?
- Yes
Accepts
$$$ - expensive
Raw Food, Eclectic (Varied)
Vegan & Raw just off the New Haven Green
Formerly Imagin Cafe, Ahimsa just opened its doors at the start of 2007. Ahisma's fine dining now offers something unique in the New Haven food landscape. As the only vegan restaurant in south-central Connecticut, it's a must visit for vegans and raw foodists. The environment is upscale and the two-course menu offers many interesting options.
Corner of Howe & Chapel
- (Mostly) Organic
- Brunch
- Buffet
- Delivery
- Happy Hour
- Kosher
- Large Group-Friendly
- Live Music
- Quiet
- Romantic
- Wireless (free)
Added by Joshua Warchol on Jun 30 06 (updated Jun 2 07)
Reviews
My boyfriend took me to this all vegetarian, organic foods restaurant that I like. We ordered a chef's menu with wine pairing. Wow! we had an absolutely perfect dining experience. Their choices of wines, sake and even an organic beer(!) complimented the six course meal that was presented artistically by our cute waitress. We were surprised to see few empty tables in a restaurant of this caliber. Healthy, organic food is a rarity in fine dining. May be they need to advertise more.
Exquisite food, atmosphere and service. Moderately priced. All Vegan. Many RAW options. THE BEST in Connecticut. Organic and Fair-trade ingredients with health, ethical and environmental considerations. Eclectic menu with great choices for every pallet. I love this place.
Tastiest vegan food I have eaten anywhere. The Eggplant Florentine was so... good it melted in my mouth. and I still salivate when I think about the amazing nut based raw ginger ice cream. Yum! I love the entire concept of Ahimsa, the food, the presentation, the ambiance, the philosophy. A must visit for all vegetarians, vegans and raw foodists. I got to talk to the owner who is 18 year old high school senior. The kid is genius. Can't wait to go back.
Ahimsa is great. This review is mostly to note that the parking lot on the other side of Howe from the restaurant is NOT open to patrons, it belongs to a nearby apartment building. We got towed ($88) :-(
But there IS parking for Ahimsa behind the restaurant. Look for a drive just before the cafe as you're driving up Chapel towards Howe.
I tried two of their ice-creams -- the almond and the saffron/pistachio -- and they were both delicious!! I also had the avocalado smoothie which was very good too. The raw avocado/mango wrap was yummy but not very filling. The place is a bit expensive, but the smoothie was very thick and full of ingredients that cost a lot of money, especially when they are organic. I would highly recommend the place: it's vegan (the only vegan place in New Haven!), delicious, and organic!
I would give it a higher rating if they had a few more options on the menu and if the portions were just a little bit bigger.
The staff are very nice, the food is okay, but the prices are outrageous. One juice runs $7, and the cheapest drink on the menu is $3.
The drink menu is creative and the two I tried (sweet lime soda and pomegranate spritzer) were tasty and refreshing. I ate the hummus wrap, which was really good. The hummus was some of the best I've ever had, and the wrap contained tahini, as well. The veggies were crisp and brightly colored. They let me sample some of their raw ice creams and I highly recommend the mint - and I've never like mint ice cream very much. The orange and anise are also great. Huge props to the staff - they are very friendly and accommodating. The food is not inexpensive, but for organic, vegan, and tasty, the prices are very reasonable.
As far as I know, this is the only vegan restaurant in New Haven. I'd like to see it take off, so EAT HERE!
My husband and I were visiting New England for a music festival. We were looking for a juice bar near New Haven and we discovered this hidden gem. We were pleasantly surprised to see extensive selection of raw food on their menu. We were in 7th heaven after trying their food. We had avocado basil raw soup, living pizza and soft taco for appetizer, Eggplant manicotti and lasagna for entree. We travel a lot since my husband is a musician and we eat at many raw food restaurants. Let me tel you, Ahimsa is among the best in the country. Very innovative food, busting with flavors and presented artistically. Since we were full, we packed up each one of their 5 raw desserts and some more food for the road. We loved it so much that we had to drive back from Massachusetts the next day to pick up some more... The owner was very kind and waited for us an extra hour since we got stuck in traffic. It is rare to find restaurant owners who are passionate about their food philosophy (vegan Family) and not in it just for money.