Vegan deli and botanical bar established May 2021. Has an Italian-inspired menu, cocktails, zero-proof mixed drinks, wine, and beer. Deli offers fast-casual service and the botanical bar has table service. Deli also sells merchandise, wine, and has a vegan cheese shop with an array of artisanal vegan cheeses. Deli opens at 11:00am daily and bar opens at 4:00pm daily. Online ordering is available or deli items via he website. Casual and full-service catering inquiries can be placed via the form on the website. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-11:00pm, Fri 11:00am-12:00am, Sat 10:00am-12:00am, Sun 10:00am-11:00pm. Botanical Bar open 4:00pm - 11:00pm Wed-Thur & Sun, and 4:00pm - 12:00am Fri-Sat.
Vegan
American
Mediterranean
Juice bar
Delivery
Take-out
Catering
184 Reviews
First Review by MaraK
Chad_and_Emily
Points +2305
Yes Please - Edit
Wonderful vegan food in the middle of DC. We ate upstairs at the deli during lunch hours. The lower level opens for dinner. Excellent service.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-09-16
Guest
ViktóriaPerger
Points +140
Cozy place for eating out in Washington - Edit
Recommended place to visit when you are in Washington DC. The food we chose had a twist, a bit different from the taste we got used to. We really liked that there are side salads for each pasta meal.
Read moreWe sat at the bar, which is very cozy.
Updated from previous review on 2024-09-08
Pros: Fair prices, Cozy atmosphere, Special tastes
Cons: -
Guest
NickF
Points +39
Excellent food and a warm welcome - Edit
Had a fabulous meal here. Food excellent and top service
Read moreGuest
annies755
Points +662
You can’t go wrong! - Edit
Everything I’ve ever had here is delicious! Personal faves - the ricotta and herb focaccia, fries Italians, potato skins, fried artichoke sandwich and meatball sandwich. This place is a must try.
Read moreGuest
spacetag
Points +708
Very nice upscale vegan restaurant - Edit
I got the pulled jackfruit sandwich and the chicken Parm sandwich. Both were excellent. We also tried the cheese cake which was amazing. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to have a nice dinner in a relaxing atmosphere.
Read morePros: Cheesecake was delicious
Cons: Expensive
Guest
HailSeitanMN
Points +70
Simple, Delicious, and Ethical - Edit
I had a meatball sub and my partner had a chicken Caesar salad. The sub was nostalgically delicious with a nice meaty texture and parmesan crumbles. The chicken Caesar salad was exactly what she hoped for, and the chicken surpassed our expectations in its texture and taste for something made from chickpeas! The bakery items were the real highlight -- I had a slice of peanut butter chocolate cheesecake which was stellar. We could tell that the owners are ethically motivated vegans considering the literature available and the cruelty-free soap in the bathroom. Abby was working there and was very pleasant
Read morePros: Uncompromisingly delicious, Classic Americana made vegan, Ethically-oriented business
Guest
SuCasa
Points +201
Awesome vegan place - Edit
Have been coming here for lunch often and love everything I've tried. The meals, desserts, and deli cheeses are all delicious. And the atmosphere is cute inside and out. Plenty of outdoor seating when the weather is good.
Read moreGuest
kristoferaberg
Points +153
Best place in Washington DC this far - Edit
I've been in Washington DC a couple of days, and this has been my best restaurant visit this far. Great food, great staff and in general a great place.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-08-11
Noraly
I am planning to go in an hour lol. Could you clarify, does the deli have limited hours?
Read moreGuest
isabel.ormerod
Points +24
Amazing! - Edit
Although expensive, it’s a beautiful restaurant with kind and helpful staff who know the menu well. My family and I all wished we could try more.
Read morePros: Ambience , Staff, Diverse menu
Cons: Expensive
Guest
nmich
Points +1135
Wholesome comfort food - Edit
Tried a bunch of dishes here while visiting DC for the week. Overall good comfort food that’s on the wholesome side. Lots of variety!
Read moreThe potato skins were my fave, followed by the lasagna. The chick’n piccata was also great - very lemony :)
Was not a huge fan of the cannoli, the frittata, or the latte with strawberry in it.
Everything else was tasty.
Pros: Huge variety of food and drinks, Large space, They sell cheese including a platter
Guest
mike1366
Points +1273
Great Deli - Edit
Very nice for comfort food and unique artisanal vegan cheeses. A bit on the expensive side.
Read moreGuest
NickTustin
Points +921
Excellent - Edit
- cacio E Pepe - excellent 10/10
Read moreGuest
Amrossi
Points +41
Terrific Wedding Soup - Edit
Went in on a hot day. For a light treat, the Italian Wedding Soup was great. The ‘meatballs’ were plentiful and flavourful. The ‘cheese’ was good, too. Lots of veggies. This was a terrific lunch and the people who work there (and the owner) were very hospitable.
Read moreGuest
HectorVaca
Points +30
Amazing. . . - Edit
I just got into DC and thought I would check this place out. I was excited to find a vegan restaurant within 5 min walk from my hotel.
Read moreThe bucatini and meatballs was super tasty. I think they were my favorite vegan meatballs I have ever had. If you go on a Sunday, the bucatini is $11 off the regular $28 price. Other than that, if you are on a budget, this may not be the place for you. But, it is nice to treat yourself to tasty food like this, every once in a while.
I really liked the super chill atmosphere.
My only gripe is that when I got back to my hotel and was ready to tear into my tiramisu, I was super disappointed. What they call tiramisu is just yellow cake with cream on top. It didn't even taste like tiramisu.
Updated from previous review on 2024-07-29
Guest
KalikaG
Points +100
Amazing Find!! Celebrated our 20 year anniversary here. Great choice!! - Edit
Everything we had was incredible. The cauliflower wings were wonderful, just the right amount of spicy. Paired with the blue cheese it was delicious!! We also had the potato skins, they did not disappoint, it was the main draw for us and they was everything we hoped they would be. Crunchy cheesy deliciousness! My husband had the meatballs and enjoyed them also. We had the peanut butter cheesecake and oreo cheesecake for dessert and they were large decadent pieces! I definitely recommend this restaurant. We ate downstairs in the bar area which has a more formal feel vs a cafe feel.
Read morePros: Potato Skins, Cauliflower Wings, Cheesecake
Cons: Pricey
Guest
samboae
Points +209
Food amazing, desserts need major improvement! - Edit
I'm sooo torn on my review because the dinner was absolutely remarkable, but the desserts were EXTREMELY disappointing😭
Read moreAtmosphere:
My friend and I had a reservation to sit outside, and the server was very kind and helpful. I wish there had been a fan of some sort outside because it was definitely humid with the recent rain. I got to meet the owners and their pup, Lentil, which was a treat since I had my dog with me as well! The mosquitoes were tearing us up, so I wish they had bug spray readily available, as we were offered some only after we had finished our meal.
Food:
I had the non-alcoholic Sundrop and it was great. My friend had originally ordered the Aperol Spritz-ish, but we both thought it tasted very odd and not refreshing at all. Our server was fantastic and let her switch out for another drink. She got the Queen of the Meadow and it was really great!
For dinner, we shared the calamari, chicken piccata, and lasagna. The chicken piccata was totally addicting, and my absolute favorite! The lasagna and calamari were also delicious. I will say, for the price, you would think the portions would be a bit bigger.
For dessert, I went up to the deli and got a few things. I got two macarons (one vanilla, one fruit), a cannoli, tiramisu, and carrot cake. After trying all of them, I'm super disappointed in both the quality and taste.
Of the macarons, the fruit flavored one was definitely the best of all of the desserts I tried. However, the white macaron had both the taste and texture of a Smartie - it was not good at all.
The cannoli was okay - the only taste it really had was just of sugar, no vanilla bean or anything like that to make it feel like an authentic cannoli.
The tiramisu was extremely disheartening, and the one I make at home is much more flavorful. For starters, it's made with a regular plain cake instead of lady fingers. The cake has no flavor, and hadn't been soaked in espresso as is a typical tiramisu. The "cream" on top simply tasted like cool whip, with a pinch of cocoa and espresso dusting. There was just no love or richness to it, just underwhelming cream😕
Finally, the carrot cake was a huge letdown. The cake itself was very dry and lacked distinguishable flavor. Carrot cake is typically a medley of spices and flavors. I was disappointed to see that the cake didn't have a rich cream cheese frosting. Instead, it had that typical cheap icing that you find on grocery store cakes.
Guest
inkybrown
Points +350
Botanical Bar - Edit
I've been to DC Vegan a few times, but finally made it to the fancier menu at Botanical Bar downstairs. The chick'n piccata was good, but the vegan cheese board ($50) was well overpriced. Still, I'd go back but order something different!
Read moreGuest
capypig
Points +315
Yummy desserts - Edit
We stopped by here in the afternoon for desserts. There are so many options! They had macarons, four types of cheesecake, cupcakes, and pudding. Everything is vegan! We tried the raspberry cheesecake and a vanilla cupcake and they were amazing😋 It was like $15 though, so a little pricy.
Read morePros: Vegan desserts, Good location
Guest
KimFiona
Points +44
Soooooo good - Edit
Sandwiches, Bowl, calamari, salad, fries is so good. Very good vegan food. So so recommend. Macarons also good.
Read moreGuest
jeffsheldon
Points +1344
Great meal but you have to get dessert and some cheese to go - Edit
During our recent trip to the nation's capital, we had the pleasure of dining at DC Vegan, a charming vegan restaurant that left us thoroughly impressed. From the moment we stepped inside, we were warmly greeted at the counter. The staff member, upon learning it was our first visit, enthusiastically recommended some of their popular dishes.
Read moreOur culinary adventure began with the **King Trumpet Calamari**—lightly fried mushroom rings served with cashew parmesan and marinara. As a mushroom lover, I found these to be an incredible starter, perfectly crispy and bursting with flavor.
For our main courses, we tried two sandwiches. The **Chick'n Cutlet Club** was the standout favorite, featuring a crispy chick'n cutlet, veggie bacon, pesto aioli, romaine, and tomato. The combination was delightful, each bite offering a satisfying crunch. Our second choice, the **Chick'n Parm**, consisted of a crispy chick'n cutlet, almond ricotta, house marinara, arugula, and Parmesan. While it was good, it didn't quite measure up to the exceptional Chick'n Cutlet Club.
Dessert was the highlight of our meal, with a vast selection to choose from. We opted for the **Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake** and the **Carrot Cake**, taking them to go since we were already full. Both desserts were delectable and provided generous portions that we happily shared later.
Before leaving, we couldn't resist picking up some of DC Vegan's vegan cheeses. The **Smokey Cheddar** was particularly outstanding and quickly became a favorite.
**Summary:**
- **Service:** 5 stars. Friendly and helpful staff made us feel welcome.
- **Atmosphere:** 4 stars. Great setting, though the steep stairs might be challenging for some.
- **Food:** 4 stars. Excellent flavors, especially the Chick'n Cutlet Club and King Trumpet Calamari.
- **Dessert:** 5 stars. Delicious and generously portioned.
- **Value:** 4 stars. Worth the visit for both the quality and variety offered.
If you're passing through DC, DC Vegan is definitely a must-visit spot for delicious vegan cuisine.
Pros: Great Service, Cheeses. You have to get these, Desserts
Cons: Stairs might be an issue for some
Guest
argofilms@gmail.com
Points +24
25 Stars!! Fantastic in every way! - Edit
The food, the ambience, the management, the drinks - everything was so excellent, I ate there twice during a quick trip to DC! This restaurant is a gem. The food was out of this world!! ♥♥♥♥♥
Read morePros: All vegan, Great menu, Wonderful atmosphere
Guest
Urdasato
Points +698
Nice vibe and food - Edit
There is deli and restaurant seating and we ate at the deli seating because we didn’t have a reservation at the restaurant and they were full. The deli seating was actually very spacious and comfortable.
Read moreWe loved the vibe, decor, service and food. We ordered the king trumpet calamari, breakfast bowl, frittata, mushroom truffle omelette, blueberry bar and chocolate dipped cannoli. Everything was delicious though we felt the main dish’s portion was rather small for the price. So, overall, it was a 4.5 experience if we could give that.
Guest
AlvinBon
Points +7865
SuperKate - Edit
Food was beautiful, the whole staff was very nice, but Kate was the best! She is very attentive and friendly, so makes you feel comfortable and cheers you up, especially when outside is cold...you need warm people.
Read moreI had cauliflower wings, meetballs, cannoli, and tiramisù to go. All amazing!!
Totally recommended!!
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-16
Pros: Friendly staff, Delicious food, Good variety on the menu
Cons: Non compostable/biodegradable package for takeaway
Guest
Goinesvegansoon
Points +37
Great vibe, delicious food! - Edit
First time coming here and I tried the calamari, lasagna, and focaccia. Everything was tasty and the portions were large. Worth another visit to try more things on the menu.
Read moreGuest
JulianaCasati
Points +3538
High-end experience - Edit
This place is beautiful and the staff is so nice. The whole experience feels quite sophisticated as soon as you walk through the door - including the prices, unfortunately. I had the chick'n piccata, which was good, but nothing too special. For dessert, I couldn't decide between all the incredible options on display, so I had to order two: a cannoli and a macaroon. Both were quite tasty, but not amazing. To be honest, I was expecting a bit more from the food, but I probably didn't make the best choices of dishes. I would definitely come again to try other items, as the whole experience was really lovely.
Read moreGuest
mansaJayyy
Points +55
Great food and service - Edit
The staff was very friendly! I really enjoyed the chocolate cake and the Chesapeake fritter
Read morePros: Great food, Friendly staff
Cons: Pricey
Guest
vegantravelerfinds
Points +539
Great fries - Edit
I would recommend their downstairs if you’re looking for more of a bar vibe. The food was great - I would go back to try more!
Read moreGuest
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