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Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, Nob HillMon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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The best vegan restaurant in San Francisco. It will cost you a lot of money, but it is worth it. I promise at least a food-gasm or two (or three or four) while eating here. The menu is constantly shifting, so just go with whatever strikes you in the moment.
I've hosted a group event here (21 people). There's a private room you can book in advance (more than two weeks notice). You'll get private wait staff and a fixed menu. The service is great, and so is the food. They dealt with it really professionally.
If you're in a more romantic mood, bring a lover and get a wine-pairing menu of some kind. This is a particular good option for Valentine's Day, when they are open later than normal and offer a special wine-pairing menu for everyone.
Also, do check out their wine list. It's very good, and not what you would normally find.
This restaurant is 100% vegan.
Set in a classic old hotel, Millennium feels "old school". You find high end and 'fancy' vegetarian food here. My fiance has been wanting to try this place for years, so we finally made reservations. We had a show to go to after wards and almost ran late, because like most fine dining restaurants, they take their time.
The food was very good. The flavors were pretty interesting as well, but it didn't have the wowness factor. We have eaten at a lot of other "fancy" restaurants which always have vegetarian items or a menu. I've been pretty impressed at a lot of those places.
I had the beets and hazelnuts, which were good. He had the squash, which was also good. I had the pumpkin curry, which had more asian flavors in it. It was on a thing sliced pumpkin too! He had the walnut type dish, which I can't really remember, but it was listed first on the menu. His was more interesting in terms of originality and taste.
We shared the bread pudding and pumpkin spice ice cream dessert. It was good, but we were not "wow'd".
I'd give this place 3.5 stars, but since I had higher expectations, and we didn't get the bread that ALL OF THE OTHER TABLES DID, I drop it down to 3.
As far as vegetarian restaurants go, this is probably the best the bay has to offer. It's elegant and puts a twist on veggies that I never thought possible.
I truly believe that if we had ordered different items, this rating might have been more like 4 stars, but the couple starters that we had were not what I would call perfection. The butternut squash salad was lacking in flavor and served uncooked in shaved pieces, which is just not my thing. The avocado and quinoa salad was again, not as flavorful as I would have liked... it was just blah. In fact, I think I only had a couple of bites of it.
The highlight was the beet salad with macadamia nuts. YUM I love me some beets! It was the perfect soft-to-crunch ratio. Our main entree, which I can't remember the exact name of (it's not on their website either), was good as well. It had a sweet coconut sauce that I couldn' t get enough of.
At the end of the day, this middle-of-the-road review could be chalked up to the fact that purely vegetarian meals just don't satisfy me the way that a good steak or lamb shank would. I'm not saying that I wouldn't come back because I definitely would, especially since it's right around the corner from my new apartment. And I would DEFINITELY come back for the cocktails. I had the Millennium Mule with dinner and that was one of the best cocktails I've had...well, ever!
As a habitual meat eater, I have to say that this place is great. You don't even feel like you are in a Vegetarian place. The service was great, food was great, and the price was surprisingly reasonable for what I expected based on the reviews.
Meat eaters do have a Vegetarian Choice, it's Millennium!
PS - I met Bronx Bobby here. Good times, great conversation. Thanks for the wonderful dinner Bobby. I like how he rolls, especially when he is attacking Taxi's.
Really 3.5 stars
Had the seasonal tasting menu with the wine pairing. Each dish featured different pumpkin and squash dishes. The first two courses were spectacular. The second two were so-so but still really good!
What knocked it down from 4 stars to 3 - they brought the check before we finished even half of our dessert. The dessert wine glasses were full and we were completely in the middle of conversation. Tacky. It was my husbands birthday (which I indicated during reservations on opentabel) but no candle in his pumpkin cake :(.
If you are comparing this place to greens . . . Green's takes it. But it is worth a try if you are staying downtown and just wanna walk from a hotel.
I really enjoyed my meal last night. The torte appetizer is excellent and the tempeh dish with sweet potatoes and the pumpkin curry were excellent. Also, they make great drinks and have a nice wine menu.
Yessir. It was all good. Professional service. Tasting menu was ok not great but the wine pairing that came with each course was outstanding. Well worth the money. It was my girlfriends 25th Bday and it was a good choice.
Millennium, lord knows you do not need another five stars on your lapel. So here you go anyway.
Super easy to make reservations online - there were plenty of tables left on wednesday night having booked only a day in advance.
Golden Girl cocktail was more ambitious than a single taste experience: more like a journey with multiple places for the taste buds to stop and stargaze at powerful constellations of lavender and lemongrass against the palette , with an exciting lemon zest twinkling behind the scenes.
Perfect prelude to the forbidden black rice main - a Thai inspired ensemble that included red miso glazed tofu, delicate baby bok choi, crimini mushrooms, kaffir lime, basil, and macadamia nuts in a spicy coconut milk and red pepper sambal bath. Even the most delicate flavors of each vegetable had a voice, and were not eclipsed by the rich sauce.
After finishing off every last tasty morsel with a tawny port, I was in such a satisfied stupor that I walked away from the table without my shoulder bag! I was half way to Taylor street when our hostess, running breathless down the street, caught up to return what I had forgotten.
Love it. All of it. Already counting down the time until the next occasion I can use to justify a return :)
Millennium does not need my 5 star review amongst the rest of these but I had to say something as I really did have a great experience here. The service was attentive and friendly. The lobster mushroom risotto has been haunting my dreams (especially the little purse of creamed corn loveliness on top). The Chocolate Almond Midnight was the perfect size for one and the perfect way to end an awesome meal.
There aren't very many fancy schmancy places vegans can go to and I appreciate Eric Tucker and his crew. It's nice not having to piece together a meal of sides and salads.
Have dessert to boot made it even more special. Millennium, A++ with an extra +.
Wowzer.
I'm a lifelong vegetarian, and have heard oodles of great things about this place.
I FINALLY had a chance to go there this Thursday night... it's in an unassuming neighborhood of SF and I thought to myself 'what will this be like?'
Well let me tell you...
It was PHENOMENAL.
First of all, get KYLE as a waiter. He is AWESOME, he made some exceptions to our pre-fixed menu with wine paring since I don't eat chocolate (and the dessert was supposed to be something with chocolate). He was fun, humorous, and gave us a friends and family discount at the end (SUPER AWESOME!)
We had a 3 course meal and dessert with wine.. each course was lovely. It took around 2-3 hours to finish the meal since I was in just great company where we giggled and laughed until the restaurant closed down.
I loved it.
The bill came to be around 70 bucks/person before tip. Yeah a little pricey, but once in awhile spoil yourself.
I'm a vegetarian surrounded by carnivorous friends. I rarely go anywhere where I can order everything on the menu. I was *really* excited about Millenium. I was going to have choices! Yummy vegetarian choices! Yays!
I started with the Blue Agave drink. Its probably the only thing I had that night that wasn't terrible. Although, when the brought it they informed me that they were out of blueberries - so it was made with blackberries. I didn't really care. It was yummy. But some people *do* care about getting what they order.
I liked the lentil spread for the bread, but the bread itself was "off". The texture wasn't right. Vegan bread isn't that hard to make. I was surprised. My mom always said you could judge a good restaurant by the bread.
The appetizers were dissapointing. We shared a melon salad with candied cashews and fries with spicy maple ketsup. The salad was bland. The "candied" cashews that garnished it were charred and inedible. You would think a vegan restaurant would be able to make a decent salad. I mean, isn't that the basis of a vegan diet? I was disappointed The fries were ok. I liked the maple ketsup, but thought the fries themselves were a bit overcooked.
The entrees were also disappointing. My husband had a stuffed pepper of some sort. I had black rice cakes. The entrees weren't bad. But they weren't good either. I rarely leave food on my plate. I love food. I left Millenium with a non-empty plate. My husband did to.
As we neared the end of our dinner, we contemplated dessert. I was still hungry (since I hadn't really eaten that much of my very dissapointing meal). But the thought of "meh" desserts, which I can only assume are the same "quality" as the rest of the food made me cringe. Before Millenium, I could say "I can't remember the last time I went to a nice restaurant and didn't order dessert." Now I remember. It was at that crappy vegan restaurant, Millenium.
If I am going to spend that much for a vegetarian meal, I'll go to Green's. Green's is yummy. Greens is pretty. Green's makes me smile. I'm shocked that so many reviews said "even carnivorous friends would love it". I would say "even vegetarians thought it was overpriced crap". I guess the food was pretty...
Millennium is THE BEST restaurant in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would give it 10 STARS if I could. I don't care if you're a vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore. This place is magical, and the food is phenomenal.
I had the coconut crusted tofu with curry and ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE. It's literally OMG-MELT-IN-MOUTH HEAVENLY AWESOMELY DELICIOUS!!!!! It inspired me to make the dish myself, but theirs is still better. I don't know how the chefs do it. They're seriously talented and has created the most upscale vegan restaurant that I've visited yet.
Anyways, try their drinks and/or desserts. They're AMAZING.... I tried one of their cocktails and desserts, and absolutely loved them!! YUM...
Be sure to make a reservation before you come. The place is obviously popular among the locals as well as tourists (like me), and get PACKED. We had to eat at their bar which was fine, but if you're coming for birthday or anniversary or special occasions (which I definitely recommend coming here for!!!), you'd better make that call!! You won't regret!!!!!!!!
I wish I could take this back with moi!!!!! Oh why oh why don't you open more restaurants in the Southern California?!?!?!!?!
If you're looking for a restaurant that meat-lovers will not only forget about meat but fall in love with vegan food, Millennium is it. (I'm not vegan -- I eat animals if they're treated humanely... new sfgate article on baby chicks http://www.sfgate.com/...)
Yesterday I took my spouse's parents here. They love meat and butter and are not at all enthused about going to a vegetarian place (I didn't tell them it's umm... vegan). My father-in-law told me he doesn't want to go back to Gratitude again. My mother-in-law is an excellent cook -- for coconut milk she scrapes fresh coconuts and never uses canned ones. Having never been to Millenium before, I was stressed that they wouldn't like the food.
All this changed after they took the first bite of the appetizers. They were going "Wow this is really really good!". Every bite was extraordinary. And my mother-in-law went so far as to say "I'm going to bring my sister and your uncle here -- they eat too much meat!"
I asked our helpful waitress for recommendations and they were all excellent: sesame cornbread encrusted oyster mushrooms, semolina flatbread... (the menu is different every day), in fact nobody can decide on a favorite dish because every single dish is perfect and completely different.
The entrees were substantial enough for a meal but the food was so good that we wanted to try appetizers and desserts. We had the chocolate cake and tiramisu which are amazing and have intense and satisfying flavors. We can come here just for the dessert (and I normally skip dessert). The best part is that even though my father-in-law has high cholesterol he can indulge here (vegan food is cholesterol-free). On Wed-Sun there's a 3-course prix fixe menu which is great if you want appetizer and dessert.
Millenium is also very helpful with dietary restrictions, e.g. no salt for my spouse (blood pressure) and no pepper/chile for me (throat issue). All the dishes can be created with no salt. All the dishes have pepper so I had a dish made from sides which I was very happy with.
Millenium was an exciting dining experience for all of us... No wonder it's crowded even on a Mon night. I'm bringing everyone I know here! Eric Tucker is a genius...
(There's a variety of parking options including valet... I found street parking right across the restaurant.)
As part of my two month vegan challenge, we went here one night for dinner.
There's two kinds of vegan restaurants - the "holy crap I hate meat and nothing on this menu will even resemble meat" kind and then the "holy crap lets see just how much we can make this taste like a steak" kind.
I prefer the latter. Millenium is the former. They have weird stuff on their menu, and really, you have to develop a test for it to really like it - or I guess be a card carrying member of this restaurant's target audience. It was OK, but a little too weird for me.
Yes, this place is hell-a expensive.
Yes, it's a vegetarian restaurant.
Yes, it's smack dab in the ghetto.
All these factors make the 5 star rating oh so sweet.
Went here for a little birthday dinner on a Monday night. There's a classic Tenderloin shakedown on the way to the restaurant. Had to dodge a crack deal on the way in. Reservations were easy via http://OpenTable.com. The staff is on point from the minute you hit the front door. The Butternut Soup, Tomato Carpaccio and Papusas were all off the hook! I don't usually get full from Vegetarian meals, but I was completely satisfied after this one.
If you've got a Vegetarian in your life, bring them here.
I was so jet-lagged that I was stuttering and saying "What?" every other second. I did make a reservation, so I went, but if it weren't for that I would've stayed in my hotel room and ate some stale quesadilla via room service instead.
We walked in and we were greeted with a cute girl who confirmed our reservation. People were lounging around on the couch, sipping wines and chatting. I immediately loved the chill atmosphere. After a short wait, we were seated immediately and our precious server who looked like she walked out of a Lululemon yoga commercial presented us with the menus. My mom and I split Sesame cornmeal crusted oyster mushrooms and French fingerling potato roulade because the hippie couple sitting next to us was nearly having orgasm from their dishes.
Even though I've been a herbivore for a long time, my parents still think vegan food = missing out on life's pleasures. But seriously. I was barely awake and I still polished off my plate like I've never seen a proper vegan food before. The cornmeal crusted oyster mushrooms kinda tasted like fried chicken, only in a fresh and hearty way. My mom was instantly hooked as well. I took out Chocolate almond midnight cake and it was the thickest, richest chocolate cake I've ever tasted. You're kind of a big deal, Millennium. I'm thinking that I might want to live in SF just because of you. And this is coming from a girl who thinks NYC is the center of the universe.
I guess, I started this review 5 months ago, which shows how much I feel the need to Yelp. Anyhow...
This is a must try restaurant. It is one of the best meals I've eaten. A phenomal mixture of flavors for all foodies: herbivore, carnivore or otherwise, these chefs know how to prepare a dazzling meal. Each bite was delicious and expertly prepared with a beautiful presentation. Crisp ambiance and helpful staff adds to the appeal.
Everytime I am in the San Francisco area I make it a point to go to this restaurant. The place is amazing. It is beautifully decorated and makes you feel like you are definitely someplace else. I like places that make me feel special. The staff are friendly and informative and they are not snooty at all - even though some people may originally think the place looks pretentious - it really isn't..
The food is amazing. Last time I was there it was the fall menu and oh my gosh it was good. Even things I avoid like ginger, balsamic vinegar, and stuff along those lines were used right and made things really tasty. It was lovely!
It is on the pricey side - but in this case - you really get what you pay for. : - )
Everyone I have ever known that has gone here absolutely loved this place. One of my friends actually returned to NYC with their cookbook.
I woudl love it if they were open for more hours. If memory serves me they are only open for dinner. Brunch and lunch would be nice - especially for those that could be considered tourists. : - )
Hands down this is one of the best veg reataurants I have been to - and I have been to them all over the world! Definitely check this place out!!!
All dishes are vegan: Forbidden black rice cake amazing! Fantastic! The pupusa was fabulous! The lobster risotto so good! The golden girl has too many flavors to enjoy. The desserts were muy disappointing. The flan was awful, the chocolate almond midnight was too chocolatey (the cocoa beans on top were too much), the sweet endings plate was just okay. The the peanut butter fudge brownie was okay.
You read about the food. So why did I give it 5 stars? Because I can't wait to go back! The menu is ever changing, so perhaps next time there will be better desserts. The restaurant is beautiful and really classy, with great service! And everything is dairy-free!! Whee!
P.S. Parking is a bitch. And watch out, it's close to the Tenderloin.
It is expensive, and it requires a reservation, but the food is special and it's vegan on top of it. It would be tempting to eat here every day.
The special events are worth checking out, such as the farmers dinners, mushroom nights, the wine-pairing dinners, and so forth.
The desserts are great too.
The one daunting thing is the cookbook; the complexity of the recipes makes you realize just how much goes into the food here.
I was in such awe at the food here, at had been hearing for so long about how amazing and delicious the vegan food was here and finally for my boyfirends 25th we came here for dinner! We ended up getting a few appetizers and of them all I ended up loving the black bean torte which was really nice (I later ordered it as my entree)! I then ended up having half of the black pepper pastry dish with cherry in it ( i am going blank on the official restaurant name of it) however this dish was amazing!! The cake fee is 4 a person which isnt bad and they waive that if you buy a dessert, however it wasnt until after i ordered my cake from maggie mudds did I find out that they actually make birthday cakes for $35 fro 4-6 people (not bad at all). So next time a birthday is celebrated i will defiently get that!! They also have a chefs menu sunday through wednesday that is 39 per a person and around the beginning of every month they convert a carnivore night which is 25% off or something like that! And for vegetarian restaurants this is defiently one of the best that I have had!!
Rave reviews and obsessive vegan friends brought me here. I'm glad we came here as my last meal in SF. The place is very nice even though its under a hotel. Though location wise is very ghetto. We totally dressed up for the event. I feel like I should have worn my bow tie though... that is type of fancy I love. We had reservation and still had to wait another 15 minutes. Okay, no big deal, I'm gonna go over to the bartender and order a drink! The cocktail here is the highlight. I love LOVE the drinks! I got the Lemon Dew... and it was explosively good. My friend got this warm pumpking cocktail... that was probably the best! All about $12 each, who cares, its totally worth it. I rather pay $12 for an amazing drink than $6 for a crappy drink. BTW, did I also mention the bartender is super cute. I kind of wanted to flirt with him which I never do, but he was busy and I am not single... so... yeah... eye candy.
We kind of pigged out too at the dinner table. We ordered like three appetizers. Mind you I was already feeling buzzed after one cocktail and then one glass of pinot noir (oregon wine, $36). The marinated olives was quite good with the bread. The spread (possibly hummus?) that comes with the complimentary bread was also delicious, though I had better in Portland. The spiced cauliflower and nuts... that was the best appetizer on the table, and I ordered it! I was pretty proud when everyone wolfed it down... I took like two bites... my greedy friends were crazy vegans.
My entree was two rolls of eggplant thinly cut rolled with herb tofu pate topped with grain and vegetables. It was just okay. I feel like it wasn't as adventurous as I thought it was going to be. My friend who got the chard roulade, that was way better. It was marinated chard and nuts baked in a roll of filo dough. Simmered with this sweet and savory sauce. I seriously wish I had gotten that. The other dishes were good but they were kind of anti-climatic.
The dessert was decent, though the cheese cake being vegan is amazing. Other than that, the chocolate mousse was too boring, tasted like chocolate melted with sugar. The sorbet was just okay too. The flavor was boring for being vanilla. Maybe something more risky like jack fruit or avocado? something more adventurous? Perhaps?
Seven of us total of $400. That was probably the second most expensive meal I've ever had in my life. You could probably feed a village... but it was millennium. So... let me feel special and vain for that night. I don't know if I'll come back again for the food, but the drinks definitely. I love the cocktail!
If I were gay, and into gettin a little crazy, I think Millenium would be like the hottest face shot ever. Or explosion in my mouth. Warm and gooey. All I could keep thinking while we ate here was what I'm eating is probably better than sex in the mouth.
Dress up. Take your time with the food. Suck up the ambiance and put a dent in your wallet. Totally fuckin worth it.
Best. Meal. I've. Had. In. SF.
Took my roommate here for her 21st birthday, and oh, did we have a swell evening! It started off on a high note when I hesitantly inquired as to whether we could share the chef's five course tasting menu with wine pairings (because hello, I love my roommate but this place is damn expensive). The chef actually said YES (thank you so, SO much), even though I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to do that.
What proceeded was quite possibly the most satisfying food tasting experience of my life. We were both so incredibly full after the five courses, dessert tray, wine, and complimentary birthday champagne (!) that we couldn't imagine having our own separate portions! (Again, I think they might have made a few special exceptions and given us two servings for the price of one, but either way, it was a LOT of food). The black bean torte, our hands-down favorite, was to die for. We also really enjoyed the tempeh dish, and the entire dessert tray was devoured rather quickly. Before we left, one of the servers (who wasn't at our table, but came over anyway) stopped and chatted with us for 20 minutes or so, and came back to drop off a to-go box of extra desserts. So sweet!
All in all, our service was incredible, the ambiance was gorgeous, the light jazz music was perfect, the food was amazing, and I actually enjoyed my food coma. We've been back since for the Frugal Foodie menu, but only on special occasions.
Millennium: I love you.
Among the best vegan fare we've had.
Went here last night with some friends.
The August seasonal 4 course chef's menu sounded great ($46/pp), and it had to be ordered by the entire table. The waitress really had great things to say about it, especially with the lobster mushrooms being in season for a limited time.
Our courses:
1. white bean cumin gazpacho: amazing -- complex flavors with some spiciness in the back of your palate. Lightly drizzled chili oil with some greens that had a lemony taste with some sliced almonds.
Wonderful fig on the side.
2. lobster mushroom on some toasted grain: the lobster mushroom (first time I've tried it) was amazingly savory -- umami to the nth degree.
3. Some sort of cumin vegan bean cake, lightly browned with an amazing tower of sides. Really phenomenal complex flavors with a mild spiciness. The Gewurtztraminer we brought really played on the spiciness here... the wine changed completely with this entree.
4. Fig and berry galette with basil ice cream: the basil ice cream was a bit of a shock on the first taste, but really nice on subsequent bites. The galette was vegan -- great taste knowing that it was made without butter... amazing.
Our friends had the wine pairing at 20$. We also brought a bottle of Arista Gewurtztraminer which went very well with all courses (corkage of 18$).
The menu changes very often at this vegan restaurant to take advantage of all of our fresh SF bay area ingredients. The menu online doesn't necesssarily reflect what's on the menu today.
The environment is nice inside, not too upscale and fine for casual dining. Service was excellent!
Lots of parking garages nearby... just expect the usual San Francisco 15-20 bucks for the evening... The restaurant is located in the SF Hotel California, but restaurant parking is not allowed in the hotel valet from what i could tell.
I'm often still hungry after high end vegan/vegetarian meals -- usually I'm looking for a mission burrito or a Naan n Curry to calm the beast within after one of these meals.... NOT the case here. I was absolutely full and satisfied.
Parking at the large Mason -O'Farrell lot was an easy walk and only 15 bucks.
A little disappointed since the reviews claim otherwise.
Chose the 4 course prix fixe with the wine pairing. The wine pairings were very disappointing. We didn't even finish the wines except the Riesling in the beginning which did not go well with our soup.
I would say overall the ambience is nice but I don't think I'd come back.
Lovin' the vegan options of wonderful San Fran as I do, I'd feel somewhat incomplete without chiming in on SFs king of fine vegan dining here at Millennium.
Yes, it is the king, don't even pretend like it's not, or that makes you a liar.
While the decor could be shined up a tad, it's still got the aura of an upper class establishment and a menu to match that simply isn't rivaled by any other completely vegan places in the city. This is the heavy hitter of vegan only food where you want to really experience some culinary flex. Ambiance wise it's nice, dim and can be "romantic" but still has a feel of noise and bustle as the tables aren't all that far apart. If you want a little more intimacy I recommend asking for a booth if they'll do it for you.
The chef(s) work vegan voodoo with the best ingredients to be found in the local markets. The menu changes all the time, obviously with what's available, but there are generally a few staple dishes to be found like a curry or a roulade. If you want to step it up a notch they always have a multi-course meal available so you can really see what they have to offer, and up from that you can toss the wine pairings in too, although your bill at this point is going to start to get rather heavy.
And how could a fancy pants restaurant be complete with out a huge menu of specialty cocktails? It couldn't, that's what I say, and thankfully Millennium is always whipping up new boozed out beverages to keep me on my toes (or tipping over, either way). Of course they have the traditional cocktails done with their own twist, but there's often different fruit and flower inspirations that are definitely worth a shot.
I've been here maybe 10 times and I'm always happy, you just really got to keep an eye on your running bill or it will punch you in the face at the end of the evening. Get a cocktail while you're waiting, appetizer or two, two meals, wine during, amazing desserts... yea, you can see how it can get out of hand, I've dropped $150+ for two people here a few times.
If you don't have that much room to fit all that in like myself, I'd drop the dessert. They're freaking delicious, but in my opinion they're just too rich. I think I caught diabetes just from reading the dessert section last time, I still need to get that checked out.
Wow, sorry for the length of this guys, there's just much to be said about a premier vegan spot like this. And guys, this place has "impress your newly vegan girlfriend" written all over it, so go already, just be sure to bring the big bucks!
Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a strict vegetarian who has relatively simple tastes. My husband (who is also vegetarian) and I treated ourselves to dinner here and found the place to be unimpressive. We have discovered that restaurants often feel as if they have to compensate for vegetarian fare by adding too much flavor or over-salting. Millenium has unfortunately fallen for this trap. We found all of our dishes to be too savory, too sauced, too... everything. None of it was disgusting, but after a bite or two of each dish we felt saturated.
Millennium is amazing! It may be pricey, but it is absolute worth it if you happen to be in the area.
The potato frittes were perfect and came with a cheesy-mustardy sauce- the name of which I can't remember. The spinach and tofu salad was delicious, quite possibly the best salad I've ever had. The dressing was very flavorful, and the tofu was cooked to the best texture, consistency, and taste I've had in my four years of vegan eating. Next was the black bean torte, which seems to be a customer favorite, and with good reason. As an entree, we had the blackberry-glazed tempeh, which was also amazing.
As a vegan, you often hear non-vegans talk about their malformed, negative impressions of vegan food. How tofu is flavorless, or spongy, or whatever else, or how tempeh - if they've heard of it - is 'weird,' et cetera. If I lived near San Francisco and could afford to take all of my non-vegan acquaintances to Millennium, I would, as it would absolutely dispel all of these myths. Everything looks, feels, and tastes wonderful. I defy any non-vegan to show me a restaurant of theirs better than Millennium, because I've yet to see one.
But I digress. I haven't even mentioned the lengthy cocktail menu with tempting, unique options that make me wish I were finally twenty-one, or the dark chocolate cheesecake we had for dessert, served with a scoop of the best caramel ice cream I've ever had.
Millennium makes me want to abandon all moral code and find a career path that could afford this kind of dining on a regular basis. Well, maybe not, but it sure makes that option look appealing! In summation, I absolutely love this restaurant, and would urge absolutely anyone in the area to break the bank just for one night to taste the amazing-deliciousness that is Millennium.
After much hype and anticipation, I finally ate at Millennium for a friend's birthday dinner. They were visiting from out of town and while my vote was for exploring Berkley's Gourmet Ghetto, we ended up here for a veggie dinner.
The chef's choice dinner was good but just not that impressive. The standout dish was the zucchini blossoms (note local and seasonal) stuffed with a white bean puree, rolled in cornmeal and pan-fried. Delicious. My barbecued tempeh for the main dish was okay but (a.) it was teeny tiny and (b.) was barbecued tempeh strips that were a little dry. Meh. I really got if for the mac n cheese it came with anyway. However, the mac n cheese was standard fare and while tasty, it lacked the thick, creamy goodness of my favorite mac n cheese experiences (most likely because it's vegan or something).
Other highlights were the thick peasant loaf served with a hummus-like spread and the yummy desserts. My friend got the strawberry ice cream sandwich special and it looked delicious. I had the chocolate almond torte and it was delectable. Our server also brought us a complimentary sampling of the house-made sorbets to share.
The staff was very friendly and the food was good. I definitely recommend this place if you have a veggie contingent of friends looking to celebrate an occasion. Although after eating at Greens a couple nights later, my recommendation for what you're going to spend at Millennium would be to head to Fort Mason.
I came here for Millenium's annual chile dinner, with six (count 'em, SIX) courses featuring a wide variety of sweet and spicy chile peppers. We spent a good two hours at the table as each new course was brought out...really more of a "food journey" than a "meal." It was all truly amazing, but as usual the dessert -- Mulato chile chocolate ganache cake with smoked caramel cream and Mexican hot chocolate ice cream -- was the big winner. I also was totally in love with the "hot sauces of doom," especially the chef's special, a delicious Scotch Bonnet sauce that left me lightheaded. It's pricey at $60 a head, but seriously, I ate so much that I was totally full the next day as well. I'm definitely saving up so I can go again next year!
Came here with a foodie friend on a splurge meal one night in SF. I chose it because there isn't anything like this in Boston (except Upstairs on the Square, but that's a whole different animal - much more of a production). We went all out and got the 6 (7?) course chef's tasting menu! I was so excited, and even more so when the waitress said she'd give each of us different dishes for each course so we could try even more! Yahoo!
The food was great, there were some things that were out of this world (crusted mushrooms, smoked tofu, and the desserts were just ridiculously good - vegan!?! - but some of the best I've ever had). Fresh ingredients and herbs, inventive combinations, just all around impressive fare. Aside from the strange table next to us, the place was amazing...
...but again, people, with the service! Unenthusiastic waitress, coupled with insanely slow courses (after an hour, we had only had 2 courses - we had to ask our server to just bring things out as soon as possible so we weren't there until midnight!) - put a bit of a damper on the experience. And an experience it SHOULD be, not just a meal - not when we're dropping $100 each on food and drinks.
The food is the star here, though, so I would definitely recommend trying it - and I hope I get the chance to come back. I don't think the service factor is a deal-breaker, but if Millenneum wants to stand out and have staying power, it needs to improve.
Yum Yum Yum!
I had the spinach salad, Tempeh, and Chocolate around midnight....All were scrumptious!!
SO had the Roulade and it was a bit ho hum but still edible
The staff was really accommodating (they boxed up our desert when we were late for our play)
I wasn't a fan of the netting on the lights, not sure if they were going for a nautical theme or what.
I was also not a fan of our waiters body odor, but hippy's sometimes smell right (full disclosure-I am a hippy, but do not smell bad, well most of the time)
If I were rich, I would eat here everyday. But Im poor and can only eat when someone rich takes me, like my manager.
I love, love, love Millennium. My partner (vegetarian) does not like fancy, expensive places so much, so we don't go here very often. I'd eat here more frequently if he was into it more because I've enjoyed every single meal I've ever had here. Love the desserts, too. 26+ yrs ago when I first became vegan, I could have only dreamt of a restaurant such as this - so for people like me, it's pretty awesome to be able to enjoy a meal in a 100% vegan restaurant like this.
Came here with a large group to celebrate a birthday over dinner.
The food was good, it was all vegetarian, and the selection was extensive. To be honest with you, though, no vegetarian/Vegan entree is worth $25 bucks. Sorry, I just don't get down like that. You want to sell me some rabbit filets, or a buffalo steak, OK. But no matter how artfully you prepare that asparagus, it isn't worth more than $20.
That being said, the drink menu is great, with a wide selection of beers and cocktails. The ambiance is nice, and the staff is all very courteous and attentive.
Our meal here last night was interesting. Some of the dishes we tried were fantastic, while others were just okay.
The whole concept is really great and while I found it interesting that they advertise their menu to be vegetarian, all of the food is actually vegan- which is fine with me. It's too often that vegetarian food is laden with cheese and or other kinds of dairy.
We started with bread and spread- which was really good, and went with the frites with curry ketchup and flatbread as apps. The frites were great, and the flatbread was pretty tasty topped with some kind of vegan cheese and mushrooms.
The strawberry macadamia nut salad was pretty lackluster, though the couscous cakes were delicious and very unexpected! Large couscous cakes (two of them) mixed with spinach were accompanied by vegetables and a curry sauce of sorts. Different but very tasty.
We ended up splitting the banana cheesecake that came with thai iced tea ice cream. Again, all vegan. While the cheesecake tasted more like banana bread, the ice cream alongside it really worked and the pairing, though unexpected, was pretty decent.
The feel of the restaurant was more 'NYC steakhouse' than anything else and didn't seem to fit the menu or the idea of the restaurant at all.
Would I bring a vegetarian here for dinner again? Sure.
Would I go out of my way to dine here again while in SF? Not sure.
Classy high-end vegan dining is pretty tough to come by. This place definitely works if that's what you're in search of.
a little pricey, but i love healthy food + gourmet... you get what you pay for...
homemade ginger soda rocks. My only down side as with many veggie places is they serve too many mushrooms - - darn it's the only veggie i can't eat (mold allergy). They are Very flexible and accomodating here though more than most places so you can usually swap things out. Desserts are wonderful.
Yee Haw! Another fantastic meal at Millennium last night for their Southern Comfort Event & as a VA girl, born & raised, expectations were high & Millennium certainly delivered
5-Course Prix Fixe menu w/ shout-outs to all kinds of Southern regions
Southern Tex-Mex (Enchiladas); Southern England (Sheppard's Pie) & the "traditional" South (Chicken Fried Steak)......all vegan of course!
Sis & I got the Chicken Fried Steak (aka Seitan) & it was absolutely amazing - I had flashbacks to the Steak Biscuits we used to get from BoJangles when I was in high school....before I wizened up & went veggie but daaamn, they were gewd & this version was just as yumm-provoking
Best part, they had vegan Jello Shots - served in Dixie Cups.... just as they should be! WOOHOO! Enjoyed *many* the shot in high school & these were the perfect ending to a trip down nostalgia lane (PS The "Body Shot" pic of your host was classic!)
Only thing missing from this comfort fest was Grits - they were a staple of our Southern existence but didn't make an appearance last night - but that's easily forgiven w/ their Strawberry-Pepper-Infused-Vodka cocktail. I totally have to go back just for this
Pepper-Infused-Vodka, Strawberry Puree, Ginger, Agave, Prosecco & other delish ingredients for an AMAZING drinkypoo
Staff & patrons alike were dressed up in their finest Southern attire & a grand time was had by all - THANKS Millennium for another great evening!
Super late in writing this update - shame on me......but I *had* to share the great experiences I… Read more »
Food was very flavorful, but the presentation was very poor and the food was VERY OVERPRICED for what it was.
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