Bar Vegan Tapas and Cocktail Bar

This place is a must visit whether you’re vegan, vegan-curious, or a full blown carnivore. The food is just that good. And the drinks and drink selection are incredible considering that everything is certified vegan. One of the owners, Mary, is so attentive, kind, and makes such an amazing effort to make sure all of her customers are happy. My wife and I have been here several times now. This place is quickly becoming a favorite!

I would like to say, "Thank you BarVegan, Mary and Staff for making my daughters' "Sweet 16" an amazing experience!!" I knew from the first moment when I walked into your establishment that I would be celebrating my daughter's special day there. The ambiance, good energy and delicious offerings are unique to this area. Super trendy and welcoming to ALL! I see much success in your future!!

Exceptional cuisine, incredible flavors. Pretty empty on a Friday night, cannot believe more people aren’t scarfing down these delicacies. Both cocktails we had were meh, kinda seemed pre-mixed. But the food — yowza!

What an amazing experience ! Hands down the most flavorful vegan food that I've ever eaten! We ordered almost the whole menu, and specially loved the edemame potstickers and the pasta with vodka sauce was divine !!! The vibe and the music completely in sync with the ppl around , it's definitely a place you'd wanna frequent, regardless of being a vegan or not. 100% recommend!

I had a party here for about 100 people and it was a great experience. Mary and her team put out a terrific spread of food, the service was awesome, and the space was perfect. Everything worked, and I am super happy I chose it. Highly recommend!

Just a wonderful worry free (my wife and I are both vegetarian) tapas style dinner after visiting the nearby New York State Museum. Very smart and tasty choices to end a nice day in Albany.

A pretty place with tapas, drinks and even Poke Hawaiian health food. Dancing and lessons Friday nights. Three tvs.

Amazing food! Went there for my husband's birthday and we loved it. The ambience and cocktails are great too.

so yummy! love it here!

So so so cute. Spicy noodles were amazing. Drinks were great!! Bartender was so kind! Amazing ambiance.

I am not exaggerating when I say I have no complaints. The friendly staff to the drink selection and the amazing food. Absolutely wonderful

Great place , nice drinks , the food is good , I would totally come back , give this place a shot even if you are not vegan :D

The best!!! Went here twice this month. The food is so good! Go for the vegan Sushi!

My first time trying here the chili soup is sooo good and so is the pasta lovers I love it here 😌

Absolutely delicious, the entire experience was excellent!! We'll definitely be back.

What’s up with the name? Did a five year old choose it or someone who had their imagination removed? I assume English is not their first language.

Food was delicious! The ambiance was relaxing. Really enjoyed coming here

Some of the best vegan food we have eaten! Great location with fun atmosphere

All their tapas is so fresh and delicious - wonderful ambience

Pretty classy, good vegan options, downstairs is better

Very cool vibe. Very friendly staff. Great food!

A superb place. Delicious food and live music.

The best 13,000 spent

We had an amazing food. It truly is a vegan bar. Food was DELICIOUS. My son didn’t react at all next day which confirms food was truly vegan. We told the owner that I can’t have dairy or soy and he made sure to confirm it. He wasn’t sure about the dessert being soy free and he was so honest about it. I appreciated it so much. We will visit again and again. I just wish he opens up near Clifton park area.

Was the Event Manager for the Crawl With Us Halloween Bar Crawl. The management was very professional while remaining friendly. The bartenders were efficient and fun, not to mention friendly. Music was “off the hook” lots of dancing. I did not get any food, but I did go back into the kitchen and it was immaculate. You will not be disappointed! Give this hip spot a shot!! 😉

One of the rare vegan place that serve real food and not fake stuff. Unique and tasty food like vegan sushi. The dessert can be improved- like the fried chocolate ice-cream is loaded with peanut butter

Our bartender was a blast to speak to and had so many recommendations for us during our visit in Albany. Some of the beers were out on tap BUT still was accommodated by sampling different beers. Bang bang cauliflower is a must!

Delicious! Will definitely return. Perfect date spot

We were in town for a short visit, and we spent a pleasant couple of hours here. We ordered 3 small plates, and had drinks and listened to the music. Everything was terrific. Allie our server, and Mary the owner were very friendly and helpful, and the food was delish. Looking forward to a return visit.

Brought the whole family out here for a celebratory dinner and all of us were blown away by how good everything was! We ordered one of everything and had a hard time figuring out which was our favorite. Dumplings, sushi and spicy noodles really stood out as incredible and we left full and very happy! Wish we could've stayed around longer to come back

Bar Vegan knows how to keep it fresh and fast—my food came out quicker than I could finish scrolling the cocktail menu. The sweet potato sushi roll was a clever twist on comfort food, the bang bang cauliflower had just the right kick, and those golden triangles of crispy tofu with sweet chili sauce?! A plant-based paradise with no patience required—what’s not to love?

Had the best dinner at Bar Vegan tonight. Service was perfect, vibes were perfect, food was beautiful and delicious. We tried the sushi, bang bang cauliflower and the fried ice cream. My mom also had the chili (not pictured) and said it was perfectly spicy and tasty. Everything was 10/10. Sad to see it so slow on a Friday night. This place is an amazing spot for a date night.

Tonight was my 1st time eating here and it was Awesome! 😁👍🏼 The food was Delicious and filling, my drink was perfect and desert hit the spot! The music 🎶 was upbeat and service was super fast, I have Zero complaints and Highly recommend you check this spot out if your in the neighborhood or even if you have to drive a bit like I did, lol... Worth the drive for me and if I'm back in this area again, I will Definitely be coming back! Thank you for an awesome light dinner and hope to see you guys again!

A beautiful transformation from the previous bar. It's a welcoming space with lush greenery everywhere! A mini oasis. It's a limited menu with a variety of flavorful vegan sharable dishes. Our group loved the zucchini fries and sweet potato sushi roll. Staff was friendly and attentive, happy to talk about the drink/food menu. It's a great addition to lark st.

Stunning decor and great service! The food was some of the best vegan I've ever tasted, so unique with unforgettable flavors and textures, the bar vegan sushi roll exceeds the hype! This is the perfect place for a date or night out

Fun vegan food in (early on a weekday, when I went) a nice quiet bar. I think I was there well away from the rush, as it didn't seem like it would be self-seating, but it was. The food was fancier than you might expect, and really pretty good! The star of the show was the vegan fried ice cream, which I've never found in any other restaurant.

I got the stuffed avocado and the sushi roll, which was literally one of the best dishes I've ever experienced; the roasted sweet potato, combined with the other ingredients and then TEMPURA BATTERED.... omg! I need to figure out how they do that mad vegan wizardry! It's like something from another dimension!!

The food was really incredible... We had a variety from pork belly appetizers to escargot. A wonderful mixed greens house salad which was delightful. And of course the cremini mushroom over bucatelli pasta... Amazing... The owner came by to see if everything was ok. The whole experience was something I haven't experienced in a long time. Delicious food in an intimate atmosphere. It was alive and the place to be in downtown Albany... Just great energy... Worth the money too. The cooking to perfection was really nailed. It's those attention to details that matters as a wife of a chef. The food was made with really good ingredients, you could tell with every bite. The escargot was so tender and the po boys with the pork belly and cucumber were delicious too. I loved the combinations of flavors. Next time I think I will have to try that salmon. Let us not forget the moment I had the cremini mushroom reduction in a creamy delicious sauce and bucatelli pasta, oh my... I wanted more but I needed to stop and savor it. It isn't necessary to order the chicken on the side. The mushrooms are perfect all by themselves. As for drinks we had water. They kept that coming too. Just a really nice experience for my husband and myself. Thank you! We'll be back!

Great food and also a pretty good bourbon selection! Mary (the owner) is super attentive and also enjoys talking about bourbon and giving suggestions. I always have a great time at this bar. You can also take the stairs up and go to The Loft (owned by Mary’s brother) which has a really good selection of whiskey and bourbon.

Hesitated to go here at first because I’m not vegan but boy oh boy was I surprised. Beautiful interior and great food. Recommend the coffee liqueur cocktail and vegan sushi.

First time at Bar Vegan. Awesome staff and excellent food. The espresso martini was delicious. Definitely would come back.

How great to not have to worry about every ingredient! Amazing food!! Everything was wonderful!

Chow Check

Bar Vegan knows how to keep it fresh and fast—my food came out quicker than I could finish scrolling the cocktail menu. The sweet potato sushi roll was a clever twist on comfort food, the bang bang cauliflower had just the right kick, and those golden triangles of crispy tofu with sweet chili sauce?! A plant-based paradise with no patience required—what’s not to love?

Stephanie Warga

Had the best dinner at Bar Vegan tonight. Service was perfect, vibes were perfect, food was beautiful and delicious. We tried the sushi, bang bang cauliflower and the fried ice cream. My mom also had the chili (not pictured) and said it was perfectly spicy and tasty. Everything was 10/10. Sad to see it so slow on a Friday night. This place is an amazing spot for a date night.

Benjamin Mois

Tonight was my 1st time eating here and it was Awesome! 😁👍🏼 The food was Delicious and filling, my drink was perfect and desert hit the spot! The music 🎶 was upbeat and service was super fast, I have Zero complaints and Highly recommend you check this spot out if your in the neighborhood or even if you have to drive a bit like I did, lol... Worth the drive for me and if I'm back in this area again, I will Definitely be coming back! Thank you for an awesome light dinner and hope to see you guys again!

Susan Rice

A beautiful transformation from the previous bar. It's a welcoming space with lush greenery everywhere! A mini oasis. It's a limited menu with a variety of flavorful vegan sharable dishes. Our group loved the zucchini fries and sweet potato sushi roll. Staff was friendly and attentive, happy to talk about the drink/food menu. It's a great addition to lark st.

Olivia Pang

Stunning decor and great service! The food was some of the best vegan I've ever tasted, so unique with unforgettable flavors and textures, the bar vegan sushi roll exceeds the hype! This is the perfect place for a date or night out

Lake Kubilius

Fun vegan food in (early on a weekday, when I went) a nice quiet bar. I think I was there well away from the rush, as it didn't seem like it would be self-seating, but it was. The food was fancier than you might expect, and really pretty good! The star of the show was the vegan fried ice cream, which I've never found in any other restaurant.

Christie Waldmann

The food was really incredible... We had a variety from pork belly appetizers to escargot. A wonderful mixed greens house salad which was delightful. And of course the cremini mushroom over bucatelli pasta... Amazing... The owner came by to see if everything was ok. The whole experience was something I haven't experienced in a long time. Delicious food in an intimate atmosphere. It was alive and the place to be in downtown Albany... Just great energy... Worth the money too. The cooking to perfection was really nailed. It's those attention to details that matters as a wife of a chef. The food was made with really good ingredients, you could tell with every bite. The escargot was so tender and the po boys with the pork belly and cucumber were delicious too. I loved the combinations of flavors. Next time I think I will have to try that salmon. Let us not forget the moment I had the cremini mushroom reduction in a creamy delicious sauce and bucatelli pasta, oh my... I wanted more but I needed to stop and savor it. It isn't necessary to order the chicken on the side. The mushrooms are perfect all by themselves. As for drinks we had water. They kept that coming too. Just a really nice experience for my husband and myself. Thank you! We'll be back!

Matthew

I got the stuffed avocado and the sushi roll, which was literally one of the best dishes I've ever experienced; the roasted sweet potato, combined with the other ingredients and then TEMPURA BATTERED.... omg! I need to figure out how they do that mad vegan wizardry! It's like something from another dimension!!

Billur Aksoy

Great food and also a pretty good bourbon selection! Mary (the owner) is super attentive and also enjoys talking about bourbon and giving suggestions. I always have a great time at this bar. You can also take the stairs up and go to The Loft (owned by Mary’s brother) which has a really good selection of whiskey and bourbon.

Bernadene

Hesitated to go here at first because I’m not vegan but boy oh boy was I surprised. Beautiful interior and great food. Recommend the coffee liqueur cocktail and vegan sushi.

Murene Spraker

First time at Bar Vegan. Awesome staff and excellent food. The espresso martini was delicious. Definitely would come back.

Donna Gomez

How great to not have to worry about every ingredient! Amazing food!! Everything was wonderful!

So nice to have a bar/restaurant where I can order anything on the menu without having to check that it’s vegan. So happy this place exists. The sushi rolls are *chefs kiss* and the stuffed avocado I’m OBSESSED. But honestly everything I’ve had here is delicious, those are just my favorites

Absolutely love this place! The pasta w vodka sauce was such a sleeper On the menu (thanks Courtney for the suggestion!) turned out to be our favorite dish, it was a hit :) so awesome to have a cute Bar/vibe but w Vegan food, love it!

Destiny Pezzolla

So nice to have a bar/restaurant where I can order anything on the menu without having to check that it’s vegan. So happy this place exists. The sushi rolls are *chefs kiss* and the stuffed avocado I’m OBSESSED. But honestly everything I’ve had here is delicious, those are just my favorites

Alessandra

Absolutely love this place! The pasta w vodka sauce was such a sleeper On the menu (thanks Courtney for the suggestion!) turned out to be our favorite dish, it was a hit :) so awesome to have a cute Bar/vibe but w Vegan food, love it!

KP

We had an amazing food. It truly is a vegan bar. Food was DELICIOUS. My son didn’t react at all next day which confirms food was truly vegan. We told the owner that I can’t have dairy or soy and he made sure to confirm it. He wasn’t sure about the dessert being soy free and he was so honest about it. I appreciated it so much. We will visit again and again. I just wish he opens up near Clifton park area.

This place has great ambiance and is a perfect spot for a date night. Love being able to order anything on the menu without reading over ingredients or asking questions. If you're looking to go out and impress, definitely a nice option. If you're just looking for similar vegan food at less cost, definitely check out some other places within a few blocks. Will be coming back though!

This time I had the Golden Tofu triangles, which were OK, some were cold, some were hot ... , and the one mocktail that was available, it was actually tasty but they could expand a bit on the selection.

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. It was not crowded at all, we were able to choose our table off in a quiet corner. The plates are small, we ordered 5 things for 2 people. The food was good, only problem was 11 dollars for the golden triangles. Seems like a bit pricey for just some tofu with a little sauce. Zoodle salad and vodka rigatoni were our favorites. We also got the fried ice cream which was delicious. The service was good, my only issue is that while we were eating our dessert someone came in and was asking all the guests and employees for money and if we would buy him food. Although I understand people being hungry and down on their luck so to speak, it is very off putting while you are eating inside a nice restaurant. Not to mention the guy smelled terrible. The server let it happen and didn't ask him to leave. It made the experience significantly less enjoyable.

Emily Kerekes

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. It was not crowded at all, we were able to choose our table off in a quiet corner. The plates are small, we ordered 5 things for 2 people. The food was good, only problem was 11 dollars for the golden triangles. Seems like a bit pricey for just some tofu with a little sauce. Zoodle salad and vodka rigatoni were our favorites. We also got the fried ice cream which was delicious. The service was good, my only issue is that while we were eating our dessert someone came in and was asking all the guests and employees for money and if we would buy him food. Although I understand people being hungry and down on their luck so to speak, it is very off putting while you are eating inside a nice restaurant. Not to mention the guy smelled terrible. The server let it happen and didn't ask him to leave. It made the experience significantly less enjoyable.

Food here is good, but maybe if you open at 4:30 then say that on the door, google, you know, everywhere you advertise the time? I’m not sure how else we would know or why you are confused when people are waiting to come in at 4 when it says 4 on the door? 🫠🤔

Great ambience and great cocktails. The food is not bad but simply overpriced for what it is. The small quantities would not be a problem but it simply didn't taste that great for the cost.

Drinks and food were good, just hard to justify paying the same or more here for vegetables as meat/chicken etc at surrounding dining options. When they are charging as much or more for sweet potato and cauliflower as other restaurants are for fish and chicken it seems pretty unfair to actual vegetarians and vegans/taking advantage of them I dont have any dietary restrictions so this was a one and done for me personally, would only rarely return if a date desired

This was my first time trying this place, the food was good but what make my experience bad was the service, the waitress had a tone that sounded kind of rude, and was extremely rush even tho I was the only one in the restaurant (felt like I was in a fast food lol) I’m vegan and support vegan restaurants but this left me with no energy to come back. I saw they have bachata classes on fridays :)

Daniela Salazar

This was my first time trying this place, the food was good but what make my experience bad was the service, the waitress had a tone that sounded kind of rude, and was extremely rush even tho I was the only one in the restaurant (felt like I was in a fast food lol) I’m vegan and support vegan restaurants but this left me with no energy to come back. I saw they have bachata classes on fridays :)

Remarkably disappointing. Front-of-house staff member seemed to find customers an annoying imposition. Appetizer, Edamame Pot Stickers, was pretty good, but not good enough for me to ever go back, given the miserable staff. For dinner, I walked down the block to the Dove & Deer, which offers a Vegan Lo Mein dinner. Much more positive experience there.

Really was looking forward to trying this place out especially after looking at the food options. Unfortunately the hours they post aren’t up to date they seem to only be open on weekends with no food service. Definitely a disappointment wish they would change the hours they advertise instead of wasting people’s time.

Saw a event starting out of this pub yesterday (pub crawl) for St. Patrick's day. What a joke. A rip off was told 20.00 for wrist band and it got u half off drinks for 5 different bars. First bar said it's not 50 %off its just a few drink specials we have. Which was the vegan bar

Very excited for this new place as I am a foodie and create contact and review new restaurants I went and sat at the bar it was just stared at I don't know if it's because of my race or because I wasn't dressed up but I did not like that I sat for about 10 minutes without being seen just stared at the women behind the bar weren't too busy because they were laughing and joking at the other end I want to give this place a try but that definitely rubbed me the wrong way

Did not get to try because they were inexplicably closed. We had a reservation for 6PM and showed up to find the doors locked and the restaurant empty. Very unprofessional, we will not be returning.

WARNING DO NOT EAT HERE GO ANYWHERE ELSE I hated this it was so bad The food was bad and so was the service There was no inclusivity it was only vegan this is unhealthier and worse for the planet than a normal diet

I cant comment on the food as I wasnt able to try it... I entered and was ignored, so I left, verified it was opened & returned. This time I waited at the bar as the two servers just stared at me. One began shouting someone's name, yet still no acknowledgement of my presence - nor basic customer service, like a greeting. There was one other customer with a child, who had been served. The two servers were talking amongst themselves, while one seemed to be filling an order. They stared me down, yet neither said hi. I called upon exiting for the second time. Whomever answered - a female voice - was neither surprised nor apologetic. No attempt to make amends and, despite stating I just stepped out, she didnt invite me back in. Was She the name they were heralding that refused to come out? Did she SEE me & not wish to serve me? I'll never know and this place wont see my money. #shame

Was really excited to try the place out, was driving through the area and the pictures looked beautiful. Loved the atmosphere, was like a little oasis. The drinks we had ordered reminded me of my college bar and we’re not particularly good. We ordered the sweet potato sushi and the zucchini sticks. I found not 1, not 2, but 3 hairs rolled into the sushi. I work in the restaurant industry and typically overlook a hair here or there but this was just too much on one plate not to mention it wasn’t all that good anyway. Will give it another shot if I’m in the area just because I understand it’s a hard business right now but it sure did put a sore taste in my mouth. Great bourbon selection though!

Stopped by last Thursday around 9 p.m. to a closed and dark restaurant (sign on door, website, and google all say open until midnight). Nothing mentioned on social media about closing early. To be honest, the only thing they seem to ever post about is their dance night events, confusing me to a point of wondering if they still have food available. I really want to love this place. The sushi roll is one of the best vegan items to eat locally. I do wish they had some seasonal fare to shake up their menu a bit more too but the food is very good. Will update review next time I'm able to swing by when they are open.

Visited Bar Vegan Loft on Lark Street last night with a group, and the experience was disappointing. The space filled very quickly around 10 p.m., and it appeared that capacity was significantly exceeded—the posted fire marshal capacity is 57, and the environment felt unsafe as a result. A large influx of very young-appearing patrons added to the concern. Service started off fine but quickly became hostile. Our group was refused service because we were wearing green wristbands indicating we were part of a celebration. Later, we were told staff claimed our group was being rowdy and dancing on tables, which was not accurate. We were calm, respectful, and simply enjoying ourselves. At one point, I stood patiently at the bar waiting to be served and was intentionally skipped over by a bartender who made eye contact with me, rolled her eyes, served others around me, and then walked away. It was clear this was deliberate. We ultimately left because we did not feel safe due to overcrowding and the overall lack of professionalism and hospitality. Unfortunately, this experience fell far below expectations, and I won’t be returning.

I belong to a professional woman’s group and a member just described her experience as a woman of color and how she was treated while at this restaurant. I would never come to this restaurant and I’m sure many other reviews are on the way because of it. We stand together and we stand united. From what I understand there’s a lot of underage drinking going on with nobody asking for ID which is completely unacceptable

Visited this place for the first time with high hopes. Unfortunately it was a disappointment. Bartender at “bar vegan” was very rude and unwelcoming. We asked where to sit and the bartender directed us to the second floor. Ended up sitting upstairs which had a different menu (we came for the vegan appetizers offered downstairs). The waitress upstairs at “the loft” was very nice and helpful. We ended up going back downstairs to get drinks at the bar and still ended up receiving very poor customer service…

stacey

I belong to a professional woman’s group and a member just described her experience as a woman of color and how she was treated while at this restaurant. I would never come to this restaurant and I’m sure many other reviews are on the way because of it. We stand together and we stand united. From what I understand there’s a lot of underage drinking going on with nobody asking for ID which is completely unacceptable

Takara Wiles

Visited Bar Vegan Loft on Lark Street last night with a group, and the experience was disappointing. The space filled very quickly around 10 p.m., and it appeared that capacity was significantly exceeded—the posted fire marshal capacity is 57, and the environment felt unsafe as a result. A large influx of very young-appearing patrons added to the concern. Service started off fine but quickly became hostile. Our group was refused service because we were wearing green wristbands indicating we were part of a celebration. Later, we were told staff claimed our group was being rowdy and dancing on tables, which was not accurate. We were calm, respectful, and simply enjoying ourselves. At one point, I stood patiently at the bar waiting to be served and was intentionally skipped over by a bartender who made eye contact with me, rolled her eyes, served others around me, and then walked away. It was clear this was deliberate. We ultimately left because we did not feel safe due to overcrowding and the overall lack of professionalism and hospitality. Unfortunately, this experience fell far below expectations, and I won’t be returning.

Felicia Short

Visited this place for the first time with high hopes. Unfortunately it was a disappointment. Bartender at “bar vegan” was very rude and unwelcoming. We asked where to sit and the bartender directed us to the second floor. Ended up sitting upstairs which had a different menu (we came for the vegan appetizers offered downstairs). The waitress upstairs at “the loft” was very nice and helpful. We ended up going back downstairs to get drinks at the bar and still ended up receiving very poor customer service…