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Pyramid Bistro
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
20 reviews for Pyramid Bistro
20 reviews in English
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Review from nini t.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/17/2010
Came back here for dinner last night. Service was excellent again, as well as the food. Started off by sharing an arugula and beet salad with the bf. I appreciated the crunchiness and sweetness of the candied nuts it came with. A little ground pepper added to the complexity of the taste.
I ordered the stir fry with brown rice, which was a nightly staple for my server. Loved the coconut flavor of the sauce with a hint of spiciness probably from the green chilies. It's a hearty dish with cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots. Sauteed spinach divides the stir fry from the rice, creating a pretty presentation. The bf had the wild mushroom risotto, which was creamy, but a little too rich for my taste. Nonetheless, it was delicious, especially with the drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
For dessert, we shared the chocolate pudding with whipped cream. It should have had caramel in it, which I didn't taste. Instead, I caught hints of coconut. It was a light and smooth finish to a delightful meal. I wish there were more veggie-centric restaurants out there! By the way, it's not entirely vegetarian. They offer some seafood, like shrimp, fish and calamari.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/14/2010
My boyfriend and I have walked by this place a handful of times as we're strolling around downtown… Read more »
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Review from Marty K.
New York, NY
8/28/2011
See my profile for the location of my blog where you can find the complete review including pics.
A view of Molly Gibbons Lodge where we stayed.
Lunch outside on the balcony. Much better than lunch on the streets of NY where everyone gawks at your plate as they pass by. So relaxing over the bookstore.
I tried the Pyramid Bistro my first night here but the restaurant was closed due to the Nutritarian Event hosting Dr. Fuhrman. It's his book being read by the chap in the photo above. I actually saw a crusted tempeh dish I was thinking about and a day later with that dish in mind sat down at the Pyramid. No tempeh dish. Oh well, craving greens in any format and fooling myself into thinking crispy kale is the same as raw kale I went with the kale chips.
I'm fast becoming a kale junkie.
The kale was really nice. Crispy with a nice cashew/nutritional yeasty/cheesy flavor. The ginger soy dip was refreshing, adding a nice bite and counterpoint to the cheese-ish flavor. The one problem with kale chips is that by the time you're at the bottom of the bowl there are tiny kale flakes mixed in with kale dust. Ah, the move was to incorporate the remaining soy dip with the remnants. Ah, that could have been a dish unto itself! Ah.
None of the salads or entrees struck a chord so I decided to make it a light lunch. I haven't had a light lunch since about 50 pounds ago so I thought it would also serve to ease me into my anti-gluttony campaign. I went with the Thai Curry Soup.
Ah, it looked so promising. Sadly, and I hate to say it, I wasn't a big fan of the taste. At all. It tasted like a "greensy" broth pretty much overpowering everything else. I had a few spoonfuls but then just called over Michael the waiter. It had what I was pretty sure were collards, (but hey, could have been some other kind of green), and not the bok choy. Michael said it was kale. Now I'm not sure why if he knew there was a substitution it he didn't mention it to me but I'm pretty sure it wasn't kale. No big deal. I love kale. Collards, to me, have to be sauteed in an oil with garlic and onions to begin to become edible. I do cook them from time to time but I looooove kale. Anyway, I sent the dish back.
Now just to be fair, I found out Chef Martin Olwald, who owns the place, was pretty much tied up with the Nutritarian Event. I started looking over the brochure and one of my heros, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, (http://www.drfuhrman.com), who advocates a pretty much vegan diet, was in Aspen also. Eeek. It was like $3000 to have lunch with him. I know it was a fundraiser for the http://nutritionalrese... but that's way out of my league. Ah, but $50 to attend the event, which was like a cook-off of some of the renowned local chefs doing vegan dishes. Hey, for $50 bucks I can be a sport. I'll blog about that another day because there's LOTs to say.
OK, back to lunch. Chef Martin wasn't there. I don't think he would have let that out of the kitchen.
Looks pretty good but the taste was less than expected.
Soooooo, I traded that in for the Gazpacho. Now I have to tell you that as bad as the first soup was, this was so good that if I had two spoons I would have eaten it twice as fast. It was bright, crisp, had a nice bite from the garlic, the tomatoes weren't pureed to excess and left it with several nice chunky bits of tomato. Perfect.
I'm not sure the chia seeds added to the dish but that's what is on top.
A shot of the bookstore on the first floor. There's a sign on the front door saying no photos without permission, so I asked, got it, and can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want photos taken in a bookstore. Maybe the secret to the moonlanding is in one of those books. It's a very nice place.
Here are a few shots of the town and the slopes.
Main Street. The pics don't do the town justice. It does have a Rodeo Drive flavor a few blocks away. Some of the town is like a new-ish condo farm. Some of it has a bit of the old mining town flavor.
Main Street with Aspen Mountain.
Another direction, another mountain.
Out front of the Pyramid Bistro and Explore booksellers.
Walking trail. We went about a mile and a half down the trail. The following pics are of the trail and some of the residences along the trail. In my next life ...
An old steam engine.
There are a few streams that define, in my mind, "Cool Rocky Mountain Stream."
This one in particular.
I don't know if this is an empty trailer park or where they keep the band's busses. Each space has a hookup.
Interestingly enough, the Privaté family seems to live in all of these home.
Aspen is a really nice place to spend a few paid for days in the summer. I have never been here more than an hour and definitely would consider coming here just to chill out on a vacation.
And I look forward to one day eating at the Pyramid when Chef Martin does his thing. I would have given this a fourth star were it not for the Thai Curry. -
Review from Elbee M.
8/18/2011
If you are into goji berries, flaxseeds, the book 'The China Study', whole wheat pasta, or other trendy healthy things that are expensive at Whole Foods, you will like this "nutritarian" restaurant more.
The China Study book is proudly displayed on a mantel and you are free to take it down and read it while munching on some kale crunchies. -
Review from Jay S.
Jersey City, NJ
10/23/2010
I love the bookstore downstairs, we easily spent an hour and a hundred bucks there, but the restaurant.... Definitely worth a miss.
Despite the beautiful environment and light filled views, ultimately the food was crap and that's what you are paying for. I had the garden burger that was soft and pasty. The soup was so salty I thought my 2yr old had dumpted the salt shaker in it.
Finally the service staff could learn a lesson or two from their colleagues downstairs. The bookshop: friendly and attentive. The restaurants: slow and pretentious.
Sorry, I definitely won't go back to this one, which is a shame because it's now one of my all time favorite bookstores... -
Review from Rachel N.
7/12/2009
If you're judging on looks alone, this place is adorable. It's on the top floor of a Victorian--the bottom half is a bookstore--lots of light, very peaceful.
I was quite excited for the place after looking and the menu and reading reviews, but I have to say that for us, it was a hit and miss experience. We started with the Japanese pancakes w/ carrot ginger soup, and while the pancakes (grated veggies that had been pan fried--ie, a poor man's latke) were subpar, the soup was incredible. It was very flavorful without being overwhelming--it could have been my whole dinner.
For our main, we split the full sized miso grilled eggplant--I'm not sure where the miso was hiding (potentially in the flavorless broth in the bottom of the bowl), but it was not present in the dish. The dish was really a nice size heap of peas, shitakes, and daikon with 5 strips of nicely smoky eggplant laid on top, but since the veggies were fresh it didn't really fuss me. The dish was a great idea, but lacked a cohesive flavor. We also had a side of the soy braised tofu, which was salty, but light and smooth. My only complaint is that for $5, I wanted more than 3 strips of tofu. Tiny strips.
For dessert we tried the vegan chocolate mousse--excellent--and the vegan carrot cake--inedible. For those who think that this is because vegan desserts are weak, that is patently false. I've had some amazing vegan carrot cake in my time. This is not it. First off, the cake itself was soggy (not moist) and flavorless. Secondly, the used a lemon frosting that did not mesh well with the rest of the dish. I am a huge dessert eater, and I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.
All in all, I would say that the place is cute, but be warned that the food is either great or mediocre, depending on the dish. -
Review from David S.
Champaign, IL
6/14/2007 2 photos
Wow, this little restaurant is great! It's located on the second floor of the bookstore of the same name, and you'd never know it was there but for a small sign on the lawn outside. The main room is really small (no more than 5 or 6 tables), and really cozy: it's like walking into someone's dining room. And sure enough, Holly, the waitress who was working there when I went, was a total sweetheart and is gifted at making people feel at home. The restaurant also extends to the veranda next door, although it was closed when I went.
The food is vegetarian and organic... While I'm not always a fan of vegetarian food, my entree was absolutely delicious. I had a spicy red curry with tofu ($16), that came on bed of fresh spinach and brown rice. Nothing like the original Thai dish, but it was really tasty nonetheless. You should also give the homemade lemonade ($3) a try: it has a very distinctive taste (was it ginger? cinnamon?)... very yummy.
I was really full at the end of my meal so I passed on dessert, although the selection sounded really good.
It took a little of time to get my food, as the kitchen looked tiny and Holly was a little overwhelmed taking care of everyone by herself. The prices are also a little on the high end (although they also have salads and lighter dishes for cheaper). But the food was so delicious, the place so cute and the service so friendly that I really can't give it less than 5 stars.Listed in: My Aspen Vacation
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Review from Brad M.
Miami, FL
9/2/2011
A surprisingly great dinner. Nice dining room. Very tasty vegetarian food that I wish I could get locally. Attentive service. Only downside is that it is a three $$$ restaurant. But this is Aspen.
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Review from Craig D.
Denver, CO
7/8/2007 1 photo
Explore Booksellers and Bistro is the only ALL vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the Aspen/Snowmass area.
Bookstore and restaurant together?!? two of my favorite things in one attractive old Victorian house! You cant beat that.
The Bistro is located on the 2nd floor, and has two dining areas, one of which is a very cute sunroom. I dont think the place had more than 20 tables total.
We had the Almond encrusted tempeh (covered in a tasty mango and strawberry salsa) and the Tofu Philly sandwich. Both dishes were very good. For dessert we had the vegan carrot cake and very fresh banana bread. Both of which were quite good.
Now given that it is in Aspen, be prepared to spend quite a bit. Like almost every restaurant in Aspen it is pretty expensive. But if you are vegetarian or vegan you should give it a try. In fact if you are a meat eater, you should give it a try and see what amazing things can be done without meat.
Explore's only major problem is its limited menu.
4 1/2 stars -
Review from Debbie C.
Great Falls, VA
11/24/2010
Explore is a true vegetarian restaurant full of flavor and presentation. The restaurant has few tables, so get there early for a table and plan on browsing the book selection below. It's perfect for a girls lunch when you have big dinner plans. It's not for everyone, I admit, but I still find it to be a nice place for lunch when everything else is very predictable and pretentious in Aspen.
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Review from bear M.
Austin, TX
5/8/2009
There's just too much to say.
This is on the main "drag" of Aspen in this restored looking victorian house.
When you first walk in, the bookstore is amazingly cozy with GREAT selection. There's much variety. Because of this layout, it's as if you walk into different "rooms", each with it's own genre (and yes, up to date with politics, this city is liberal :).
The upstairs has more selection as well...which is also where you will find the entrance to the restaurant...
oh dear, please come hear if you're in town.
Everything on the menu is all vegan/vegetarian but even if you're not, this can't be missed.
I lived here for three years. The food is consistently amazing; ranging from average to expensive ($7.00-$16.00) but mind you the presentation and quality is great, along with the atmosphere.
Initially walking in is a small (7 tables?) dining area and to the right a "sunroom" type of area with lots of additional seating.
Windows surround you and obviously the scenery is gorgeous, especially during the winter. I guess the initial dining room is more of a "romantic" feel but honestly it's pleasant no matter how you look at it.
This spot is truly a gem, weather you come here alone or with a group, you'll treasure this experience like I did over the years! -
Review from Carin A.
Santa Ana, CA
2/23/2011
Just visited Pyramid Bistro while spending a few days in Aspen. Beautiful location, great atmosphere, but I was disappointed to find out that the restaurant isn't vegetarian. Definitely some strong vegetarian options were available, but there was also chicken, fish and sea food, which was especially surprising considering the fact that a copy of The China Study was on a bookshelf four feet behind me.
I think the restaurant could make a much more powerful statement by making their menu entirely vegetarian (or even vegan), especially considering they are one of the only "vegetarian" options in town. -
Review from Luca C.
Italy, TX
1/8/2008
As in the incipit of that famous book from the eighties, "You're not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this" (100 points if you guess book and author).
I mean, I'm the "prime rib" type, so a vegetarian bistro isn't exactly my top choice when dining out. Still, in the mood for acquiring bonus points from my spouse, I ended up at the Explore, and - surprise surprise - I even suggested to go back a second time.
I never thought vegetarian could be so tasty, and this tempeh thing, wow, it's almost meaty-licious!
Great desserts (including an unforgettable carrot cake), wines by the glass, affordable prices (relative to Aspen, of course) and a beautiful ambiance both in the cozy fireplace room and in the sunroom.
Being on the second floor of the best (only?) bookstore in town of course adds charm to the place. -
Review from Erik P.
Plainville, CT
10/26/2009
A must if your veg! It is an oasis in the middle of all the steak houses you'll find in Aspen. I think the most delicious vegan meal I've ever had was here. It was seitan picatta with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans.
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Review from Robert H.
Pacific Palisades, CA
6/6/2011
What a great addition to the Aspen dining scene! A creative, quality, restaurant with very fresh, mostly vegetarian/vegan dishes (wild salmon was on the menu too when I was there).
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Review from jay w.
Menlo Park, CA
7/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
One of the best places in Aspen! It has really tasty vegetarian fare (I'm an omnivore) with some fish. The prices are moderate and it's in a great bookstore, but has its own sequestered space that is really elegant. If you're in the mood for something more upscale than bar food, but still on a moderate budget, this is the place.
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Review from Eleanor W.
Los Angeles, CA
8/25/2009
Great place to take people who are just visiting Aspen. Don't let the pretentious looking menue fool you, the food is absolutely stunning. Try the bread pudding! Nice atmosphere, friendly service, and right above a book store. One of my favorite restaurants in Aspen.
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Review from Mike P.
North Richland Hills, TX
7/22/2010
This is a nice place to have a lunch. The vegan broccoli soup of the day was excellent. The wait was a little long for the food, but it was well worth it.! The dining area is small, so the only downfall was listening to a local couple complaining about every aspect of their meal. This is not a fancy five star restaurant, but for the price it is an excellent option!
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Review from Matthew E.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2009
I felt at home here, except the cooking was even better, and vegetarian, and I wasn't doing the serving or cleaning up. Ok.. so it wasn't like home, except for the care that went into the food and the service. The unusual bruschetta with eggplant is superb - a foodie's delight not to be missed. I have explored Explore's tostadas, stir fry and strudel as well, and they did not disappoint. Explore Explore if you're in Aspen.
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Review from Kate P.
Philadelphia, PA
9/14/2009
Fabulous brunch! Truth be told, we were headed to a restaurant down the street, but the line was too long. We came upon Explore and WOW are we glad we did!
Make your way upstairs after checking out the wonderful bookstore and you'll be in for a treat! The restaurant decor (just renovated from what I understand) is beautiful, serene, comfortable and warm with a hint of sophistication. We were there on the day they began serving brunch. We ordered pancakes and French toast. Both came out with a chilled fruit compote that was out of this world. The pancakes were light and fluffy and the French toast was rich, buttery and perfect. The real syrup they served was delish, but the the pancakes and French toast could have been enjoyed without any accoutrement at all. Add a cup of English Breakfast Tea with honey and it made for a lovely brunch.
If you're in Aspen, this little gem off the beaten path with a great atmosphere and friendly service is DEFINITELY worth a try - especially for Sunday brunch. -
Review from Piglet A.
Denver, CO
9/6/2010
Great place for vegan and vegetarian food. The menu is creative and the food is great. Prices are fair for the type of food. The restaurant and patio are both beautiful. The service has been outstanding both times we've eaten here. The staff are very warm and welcoming. We brought our baby both times and everybody seemed happy to see him.
