Vegan
Mediterranean
Beer/Wine
Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and cocktails by Matthew Kenney, est. 2017. Reported closed, Oct 2020.
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44 W 17th St, New York City, New York, USA, 10011
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Last update on 22 Oct 2020 by boxelder
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Added by kmanchester306 on 11 Dec 2017
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37 Reviews
First Review by RodrigoMoralesStekel
steveveg
Points +2778
Great - Edit
We had a great dinner here. The staff recommended one meze and one vegetable per person. We were modest eaters and ended up with leftovers (which were great the second day too.) The highlights of our dinner were:
Read more- Truffle cheese crostini - wonderful, the usual serving is two pieces, but you can order one piece for each person
- Cauliflower
- Lemon merengue pie - unexpectedly hearty and delicious
The mushrooms and eggplant were also good. The Cast iron socca was heavy on the pancake, but that was what it was supposed to be.
A wonderful dinner and worth the visit.
Guest
slo0go
Points +2464
Interesting veg forward food - Edit
I don’t normally love the veg only places, but the Matthew Kenney restaurants really know how to prepare vegetables! The smoky eggplant is super smoky! The mushrooms were marinated in vinegar and were pretty good, not my favorite. The za’atar carrots were quite tasty. Highly recommend.
Read moreGuest
McMallory
Points +2762
Really great, if expensive - Edit
XYST is one of Kenney’s more expensive restaurants, but if you’re prepared for a tough bill, you won’t be disappointed by the food. Drinks are especially good.
Read moreGuest
FranciscoVazquez
Points +307
Vegan Lebanese! - Edit
The food is simply delicious.
Read moreThe service was great when I arrived (around 8 pm on a Monday) but it deteriorated as the place started to fill up. I believe other opinions have mentioned understaffing as a concern. Waiters were able to maintain a positive attitude the entire time, though.
Another concern is comfort: wooden chairs are OK for relatively short stays, but not so much for long ones.
For me, the combination of few waiters and uncomfortable chairs deserve a deduction of one star. Other people can weight these elements differently.
Bottom line, I recommend this place, but arrive early and leave in less than 40 minutes...
Pros: Many creative options, Cocktails are good
Cons: Waiters have too many tables , Chairs are uncomfortable
Guest
🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
Points +215
Solid brunch - Edit
A good variety of brunch options like Dukkah Avocado, socca, cheese plates, tofu sandos and falafel bowls. Also includes flavored lattes and a nice wine/cocktail selection.
Read moreGuest
root_awakening
Points +228
Cute spot, delicious food - Edit
Very cute little spot with a fireplace. Delicious food.
Read moreGuest
KMcC
Points +84
Incredibly Disappointing - Edit
I was very excited to try Xyst — the reviews were excellent and the menu looked amazing. However, my experience was incredibly disappointing. Both the nut-based cheese dishes were tasty, but our other three (carrots, hummus, eggplant) were mediocre to bad. Our server never inquired as to how our food was (despite the fact that we ate very little of it) and was clearly handling way too many tables. We decided to cut our losses and skip dessert so we asked for the check. We waited nearly 30 minutes for our server — or any employee — to return to claim it and I had to actually chase someone down in another part of the restaurant to pay it.
Read moreCons: Poor service, Loud
Guest
BorderlessBros
Points +785
Holy Hummus! - Edit
Mediterranean Inspired Cuisine and Cocktails by the Matthew Kenney Cuisine Team in NYC!
Read moreFood****
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!
Pros: Hummus is amazing, Incredible atmosphere
Cons: Pricey but worth it
Guest
food1ove
Points +161
Great vegan restaurant - Edit
I want with a group of people and tried almost every single dish and they were all amazing.
Read moreGuest
f00d
Points +84
Every dish = delish - Edit
We were 4 adults who ordered almost everything on the menu and they were all tasty
Read moreGuest
VeganOnVacation
Points +275
Great organic vegan food. Only not 5 stars bc they don’t have organic wine. - Edit
This is a really nice restaurant with a great organic menu and flavorful food. The only drawback is that their wine list doesn’t contain ANY organic / biodynamic wine.
Read morePros: Organic , Vegan , Great food
Cons: No organic / biodynamic wine
Guest
Ahirt14
Points +68
Little slice of vegan heaven! - Edit
I loved our meal this evening at XYST. We started with the cashew nuts Haloumi and smoked hummus and had the Scotto and Mushrooms as our mains. Everything is fresh, flavorful and beautifully prepared.
Read morePros: Totally vegan, Great atmosphere and small patio, Healthy options, lots of veggies
Guest
JudyMiglino
Points +15
Xyst - Edit
Great food and good service. Good atmosphere. Creative menu.
Read morePros: Vegan options
Guest
brennamcguire8
Points +20
Best brunch I’ve ever had - Edit
I’ve been here a few times for dinner but today I went for brunch. The waffle with chocolate ganache was one of the best brunch dishes I’ve ever had. And the mushroom toast was delightful as well.
Read moreGuest
VeggieDoctor
Points +124
AAAAAHHHMAZING - Edit
This restaurant was so SCRUMPTIOUS! The smoked hummus and the lemon meringue were so yummy. Also loved the mushrooms. Wish I could eat here every day!
Read moreGuest
phytophile
Points +1387
This is proof that vegan food is the best. - Edit
All sorts of wonderful flavors and ample portions.
Read morePros: Delicious
Guest
nataliabrcoelho
Points +81
My favorite vegan restaurant in NY - Edit
The menu is short, not so many options. But all I tried were great! The chocolate cake is something else! The hummus is the best I ever had. Super recommend!!
Read moreGuest
shelkath
Points +31
Creative, mouth-watering selections - Edit
This was a fabulous discovery the exceeded expectations. I’ll be back again and again.
Read morePros: Unique and flavorful dishes, Great atmosphere , Good portions
Cons: Brought the check too soon.
Guest
JJones315
Points +2331
Not quite there yet... - Edit
This member of the Matthew Kenney empire is good, but does not quite achieve the excellence of the others, such as Bar Verde. It does have the same skilled and accommodating kitchen and wait staff; still, there were real gaps in the timing of the drink and food arrivals at our table of 3. The indoor space is advertised as “snug and rustic”, though that actually means cramped and uncomfortable. Two hours spent sitting on hard, straight-backed, wooden benches is not an experience I would look forward to repeating. Perhaps the patio is more comfortable.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Nice bar and wine list, Attentive service
Cons: Uncomfortable seating
Guest
WoooOooo
Points +155
Creative menu and good ambience - Edit
They have really pulled off vegan fine dining. It's pricier than most vegan restaurants I've been to but I felt it was well worth it for the food quality and general ambience. You can expect to pay ~ $20 per mezze and I think three items would be a good amount for two people.
Read moreI think this would be a good place to take meat eaters too - the flavours will win everyone over!
Guest
TKprincetonNJ
Points +60
Changed a daily habit, so, yeah, life changing - Edit
I’ve been slow to vegan. But year over year since 2014 I’ve made small sustainable changes. The most stubborn and seemingly impossible habit to break has been cows milk in my coffee...until xyst. Creamy cashew milk, so simple and yet it eluded me.
Read moreThe restaurant experience was excellent, the food was perfectly executed, lovely space, charming staff. I will return.
Guest
ShenekaMS
Points +22
XYST - Edit
Delicious food, welcoming ambiance. This was my first time dining at a vegan restaurant. I loved every bite of food. a
Read moreGuest
Lalalaralyn
Points +94
Oh. My god. Yes. - Edit
Ohhhhh. My goddd. This place is close-your-eyes-with-the-first-bite good. Authentic, creative, healthy, delicious, and I'm pretty sure 98% of the menu is vegan. Amazing staff. Cozy decor (and a fireplace in the back!). Hands down my new favorite spot.
Read morePros: Delicious, Friendly staff, Healthy
Guest
PabloofGramercy
Points +269
A perfect gastro pub - Edit
Delicious food in a very pleasant environment
Read morePros: Well made, tasty, varied dishes, Superb staff, including kitchen staff, Warm and comfortable setting
Cons: Small portions
Guest
calabrla
Points +76
So So So Good!! - Edit
We came here for lunch and it was absolutely delicious! Yes, it’s a bit pricy, but it’s Manhattan! The atmosphere is super trendy and the staff was great. We highly recommend XYST!!
Read moreGuest
arunnair87
Points +31
Super Fancy! But... - Edit
In the movies they make fun of restaurants that are super fancy; you pay 30 dollars for a salad because it's the cheapest thing on the menu. The food comes out, and it's a single piece of lettuce.
Read moreThat's XYST in a nutshell. The food is nothing to write home about and is expensive (the portions are small.) The ambience is great so if that is something you enjoy then I think you will be happy. The service is top notch. For that reason, I would give this place a 3. But if you're strapped for cash, stay away. If you hate small portions, stay away.
Pros: Ambience is phenomenal , Service is wonderful
Cons: Super expensive , Portions small
Guest
PhyllisE
Points +691
XYST - Edit
Disappointing. Was very excited to dine here based on Pure Food and Wine, One of Matt Kenneys first restaurants. The halloumi was tasty but a papadums with it were exceedingly oily. My first dish was flavorless so I got another. The chickpea pancakes topped with a small salad were tasty but also very oily. And the chocolate cake dessert was all dried out and tasted like stale regular cake. All this for $60! The staff however was extremely pleasant.
Read morePros: All vegan, Lovely staff , Different, not Your same old stuff
Cons: Everything was just too oily, Too pricey for not wonderful, Yuck. Will not Be coming here again
Guest
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