RAS Plant Based: A Taste of Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine in NYC

RAS Plant Based Introduce

If you're looking to explore the vibrant and flavorful world of plant-based dining in New York, you simply have to visit RAS Plant Based. Tucked away on Bleecker Street, this celebrated restaurant is a true gem, offering a delicious and authentic taste of Ethiopian cuisine. But this isn't just any restaurant; it's a testament to the creativity and heart of its founders, who have cultivated a space that is not only welcoming but also deeply flavorful and satisfying. With a menu that caters to both seasoned vegans and curious omnivores, RAS Plant Based provides an experience that is both unique and deeply rooted in tradition.

The culinary journey here goes far beyond a simple meal. It's an exploration of rich spices, comforting textures, and dishes that tell a story. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with an atmosphere that's both cozy and trendy, making it an ideal spot for a wide range of occasions. Whether you're planning an intimate date night, a relaxed dinner with a group of friends, or a solo dining experience, the ambiance is perfectly suited to make you feel right at home. It's a place where every dish is prepared with care and every guest is treated like family. The dedication to quality is apparent in every bite, from the perfectly spiced fries to the complex flavors of their signature platters. And for those who appreciate a good cup of coffee, you're in luck—this place is known for serving a great one.

What truly sets RAS Plant Based apart is its commitment to both community and cuisine. As a Black-owned and women-owned establishment, it brings a unique perspective and passion to the New York dining scene. This is a place that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, offering a safe and welcoming space for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community. The service is friendly, fast, and always ready to help you navigate the menu, making the dining experience seamless and enjoyable. The staff's willingness to answer questions and offer recommendations ensures that even those new to Ethiopian food will leave feeling satisfied and informed. This combination of exceptional food, warm service, and a vibrant atmosphere makes RAS Plant Based a must-visit destination for anyone in New York looking for a memorable meal.

Located at 170 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012, USA, RAS Plant Based is situated in a bustling part of the city, making it easily accessible for locals and visitors alike. The area is well-served by public transportation, and for those who choose to drive, paid street parking is available. The restaurant prides itself on its accessibility, featuring a wheelchair-accessible entrance, restroom, and seating, ensuring that everyone can enjoy their dining experience comfortably. The convenient location means you can easily stop by for a quick lunch, a leisurely dinner, or even for catering services for a special event.

The services offered at RAS Plant Based are designed to cater to a variety of needs and preferences. Whether you're in a hurry or looking to settle in for a long meal, they have you covered. Dining options include breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, along with catering services for events. This flexibility makes it a great choice for any time of day. You can choose to dine-in and enjoy the cozy atmosphere, grab a takeout order to enjoy at home, or have your meal delivered directly to you. Reservations are accepted and even recommended, especially for dinner, ensuring you can secure a table and avoid a wait during peak hours. The restaurant also has amenities like a restroom, and for those dining with children, it's known to be a good spot for kids, making it a perfect choice for a family outing.

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Services Offered:

Dine-in, takeout, and delivery service
Full menu options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner
Catering for events and gatherings
Reservations available and recommended for dinner
Table service for a comfortable dining experience

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Features and Highlights:

Black-owned and women-owned: A proud business that supports diversity and community.
Fast and friendly service: The staff is known for their warm hospitality and efficiency, ensuring a great experience.
Great coffee: A perfect spot for coffee lovers to get their fix, whether for a morning pick-me-up or after a meal.
Versatile dining options: From a casual lunch to a romantic date night, the atmosphere is suitable for any occasion.
Diverse menu: A wide range of offerings including comfort food, healthy options, organic dishes, and small plates.
Full bar: Offering a selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and hard liquor.
Welcoming and safe space: The restaurant is LGBTQ+ friendly and a known transgender safe space, welcoming everyone.

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Contact Information:

Address: 170 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012, USA

Phone: (917) 697-1056

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What makes RAS Plant Based worth choosing is its unwavering dedication to authentic, flavorful, and innovative vegan food. The menu is a delightful showcase of both traditional Ethiopian dishes and modern, plant-based twists. Take, for example, the Injera Nachos, a fan favorite that elevates a simple snack with spongy fried chips and a tangy, cheesy sauce. The Mercato Platter is another standout, offering a fantastic way to sample a variety of their most popular dishes, all perfectly seasoned and prepared. Beyond the classics, you can find unique creations like the Kitfo Burrito or a decadent Mac 'N Cheese that will satisfy any craving for comfort food. The portions are generous, and the prices are more than reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. It’s a place where every dish feels both familiar and exciting, with a depth of flavor that speaks to the passion behind its creation.

The welcoming and intimate atmosphere further enhances the dining experience. The decor is thoughtfully curated, creating a cozy and comfortable space that feels like a home away from home. The combination of excellent food, warm and attentive service, and a genuinely inclusive environment makes RAS Plant Based a true standout in the New York dining scene. It’s a place where you can not only enjoy a delicious, healthy meal but also feel a part of a community. Whether you're a long-time vegan or simply curious about plant-based cuisine, RAS Plant Based offers a culinary experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression. It's more than just a restaurant—it’s a celebration of flavor, culture, and community.

RAS Plant Based Food & drink

Sides
Side Yater Kik $7.00
Side Avocado Salad $7.00
Side Gomen $7.00
Injera Chips $3.00
Side Missir $7.00
Side Brown Lentils $7.00
Side Shiro $7.00
Side Yatakilt $7.00
Spiced Fries $6.00
Side Key Sir $6.00
Side Mac N Cheese $11.00
Teff Injera (Gluten Free) $6.00
Side String Beans And Carrots $7.00
Rice $4.00
Turmeric rice.
Side Timatim Fitfit $7.00

Drinks
Bear's Fruit Kombucha $8.00
Made with real fruit and herbs.
Unfiltered Bruce Cost Ginger Ale $6.00
Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is delicious, sparkling and rich with whole ginger, long enjoyed for digestive comfort. (Brooklyn Crafted)

Classics
Fried Chick’n Sandwich $18.00
berbere spiced lion’s mane mushroom, lettuce, pickle, homemade sauce on a pretzel bun. Served with your choice of spiced fries or salad
Double Smashed Burger $18.00
Kitfo Burrito $18.00

Side
Ras Sauce $2.00
Potato Hash $8.00
Side Mac 'N Cheese $11.00
Injera Roll $1.20
Ethiopian Spiced Fries $10.00

Very Traditional
Ethiopian Scrambled Eggs $18.00
Mung bean protein | Sauteed Onion | Tomato | Jalapeno Served with 2 injera rolls, potato hash and cucumber salad.
Saucy Injera Firfir $22.00
Shredded injera (traditional flatbread) soaked with spicy Berbere sauce. Topped with Cashew Yogurt. *CONATINS CASHEWS* Served with two injera rolls, a side of potato hash and cucumber salad.

Classics With A Twist
French Toast & Fresh Berries $20.00
Brioche dipped in plant based ice cream, topped with mixed berries, powdered sugar and walnuts. Served with a side of maple syrup and cashew butter. *CONTAINS NUTS, SUNFLOWER & COCONUT OIL*
Breakfast Burrito $21.00
Kitfo Burrito $22.00
Pea protein crumble, black beans, brown turmeric rice, sliced avocado, lettuce ,mozzarella "cheese" and our homemade Ras sauce rolled into a flour tortilla. Served with a cucumber salad. *CONTAINS SOY AND COCONUT OIL

Starters
Butternut Squash Sambusa $10.00
Flaky Pastry Shell | Savory butternut squash filling
Cucumber Salad $13.00
Mashed Avocado $13.00
Avocado | tomato | Onion | Jalapeños | House Vinaigrette
Sambusa Trio (One Of All Three Sambusas) $15.00
Lentil Sambusa $10.00
Flaky Pastry Shell | Savory brown lentils filling
Mixed Vegetable Sambusa $10.00
Flaky Pastry Shell | Savory mixed vegetable filling
Azifa Lentil Dip $12.00
Pureed Green Lentil | Serrano | Tomato | Onion | Mustard powder | Wasabi
Injera Nachos $19.00

Kinda Not
Kitfo Burrito $22.00
Pea protein crumble, black beans, brown turmeric rice, sliced avocado, lettuce ,mozzarella "cheese" and our homemade Ras sauce rolled into a flour tortilla. Served with a cucumber salad. *CONTAINS SOY AND COCONUT OIL
French Toast & Fresh Berries $20.00
Brioche dipped in plant based ice cream, topped with mixed berries, powdered sugar and walnuts. Served with a side of maple syrup and cashew butter. *CONTAINS NUTS, SUNFLOWER & COCONUT OIL*
Breakfast Burrito $25.00
Lentil Burger $22.00
Black lentil burger made with flaxseed & herbs. Topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms, American "cheese," lettuce, tomato and our homemade Ras sauce. Served with spiced fries. *CONTAINS COCONUT OIL; RAS SAUCE HAS SOY)*
Mac 'N Cheese $25.00
Made with mozzarella and cheddar "cheese," coconut milk, Ethiopian cardamom and Berbere sauce. Topped with injera crumble. *CONTAINS COCONUT OIL AND GLUTEN.*

The Ras Breakfast Combo
Ras Breakfast $21.00
A combination of our ethiopian egg scramble and our saucy injera firfir. served with salad, potato hash and two rolls of sourdough injera (contains wheat).

Mains
Mama's Tofu $18.00
Slow simmered Tofu, Tomatoes and Jalapeños cooked in an abundance of good for you spices
Ras Kitfo $0.00
Protein Pea crumble | Spice infused grape seed oil | Mitmita
Ras Tibs $19.00
Sautéed Seitan | Tomato | Jalapeños | Zesty Berbere Sauce *Contains GLUTEN & SOY
Mushroom Tibs $18.00
Tender Button "Shrooms | Tomatoes | Jalapeños

Traditional Ethiopian Breakfast
Saucy Injera Firfir $18.00
Shredded injera (traditional flatbread) soaked with spicy Berbere sauce. Topped with Cashew Yogurt. *CONATINS CASHEWS* Served with two injera rolls, a side of potato hash and cucumber salad.
Ethiopian Scrambled Eggs $18.00
Mung bean protein | Sauteed Onion | Tomato | Jalapeno Served with 2 injera rolls, potato hash and cucumber salad.

Platters
Mercato $22.00
Named after a spice market in Ethiopia : complex and savory for the more daring palate - String beans and carrots - Cabbage, carrots and bell pepper - Shiro - Missir - Gomen (NO SUBSTITUTION).
Piassa $22.00
Named after Ethiopia's old town : a taste some of the country's flavorful, milder classics. Yater Kik, Missir Alicha, Zucchini, Alicha Shiro, Ksir Alicha (NO SUBSTITUTION).

Bowls
Langano Bowl $18.00
ALL BOWLS HAVE A BROWN TURMERIC RICE BASE, A DRIZZLE OF HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE AND INJERA CRUMBLE/CILANTRO TOPPING Named after Ethiopia's premier location for sandy lakes and picturesque views RAS TIBS Sautéed Seitan | Zesty Berbere Sauce FASOLIA String Beans | Carrot | Caramelized Onion ZUCCHINI Crunchy Zucchini | Carrots | Celery | Parsley YATAKILT Cabbage | Carrot | Bell Pepper MASHED AVOCADO Avocado | Onion | Tomato | Serrano | House dressing | Cilantro
Kazanchis Bowl $18.00
ALL BOWLS HAVE A BROWN TURMERIC RICE BASE, A DRIZZLE OF HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE AND INJERA CRUMBLE/CILANTRO TOPPING Named after the part of Addis Ababa that doesn't sleep DIFFIN MISSIR Brown Lentils | Onions | Garlic | Fenugreek KEY SIR Savory Beetroot | Carrot ALICHA SHIRO Creamy Chickpea | Holy Basil FASOLIA String Bean | Carrot | Caramelized Onion AVOCADO SALAD Avocado | Onion | Tomato | Japapeno House dressing
Bole Bowl $18.00
ALL BOWLS HAVE A BROWN TURMERIC RICE BASE, A DRIZZLE OF HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE AND INJERA CRUMBLE/CILANTRO TOPPING Consists of: -Sauteed soy protein crumble -ground chick peas with garlic, ginger and holy basil -stir fried cabbage, carrot & bell pepper -avocado salad with lime vinaigrette
Shashamane Bowl $19.00
ALL BOWLS HAVE A BROWN TURMERIC RICE BASE, A DRIZZLE OF HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE AND INJERA CRUMBLE/CILANTRO TOPPING Consists of: -String bean, carrot and caramalized onions -Collard greens -Cabbage, carrot and bell pepper stir fry -Yellow split pea stew -Stir fried beets and carrots -Avocado/beet salad

Side
Ethiopian Spiced Fries $8.00
Ras Sauce $2.00
Potato Hash $7.00
Injera Roll $1.00
Side Mac 'N Cheese $11.00

RAS Plant Based Details

From the business
Identifies as Black-owned
Identifies as women-owned

Service options
Delivery
Takeout
Dine-in

Highlights
Fast service
Great coffee

Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Coffee
Comfort food
Happy hour drinks
Happy hour food
Hard liquor
Healthy options
Organic dishes
Private dining room
Small plates
Vegan options
Vegetarian options
Wine

Dining options
Breakfast
Brunch
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Dessert
Seating
Table service

Amenities
Restroom

Atmosphere
Casual
Cozy
Trendy

Crowd
Family-friendly
Groups
LGBTQ+ friendly
Locals
Transgender safespace

Planning
Dinner reservations recommended
Accepts reservations

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
Credit cards

Children
Good for kids

Parking
Paid street parking

RAS Plant Based Photos

RAS Plant Based Location

RAS Plant Based

New York New York County New York Bleecker Street

170 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012, USA

RAS Plant Based Reviews

An average rating of ★4.8 from 185 user reviews.

ethiopian foodplatterinjerasambusanachosbrunchlentilfrench toastmocktailscultural

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

This is a great vegan Ethiopian spot.Ambiance: I really liked the decor here. It feels very Brooklyn. The seating arrangement is comfortable. You can bring a big or small group and it makes for an enjoyable experience. You could also have date night here as they have some really nice corner tables that feel intimate.Food: the food felt very authentic and seemed to match the flavor palate of Ethiopian food. Some of the food can be on the spicy side but I love spicy food so I really enjoyed it. The portions are good sized and as much as you want to order everything on the menu it’s just not possible unless you have a bit group. My favorite dish was the nachos. I loved the spongy fried chips with all the nachos ingredients. The chips are also thick so they can hold more. The tangy flavor went really well with the nacho cheese and beans. The bowls are also really amazing. All the seasonings were on point.Price: we got big portions so I feel the prices of the dishes were reasonable.Service: they were all very friendly and helped answer our questions if we were unfamiliar with something. Food came out quickly and on time.Insta: @TheShahLALand
April 26 · Forum Shah
Had a fantastic meal at RAS. I ordered the Azifa lentil dip, Mercato platter, and Kitfo, every dish was flavorful and well-prepared. They even gave us sambusa on the house, which was a lovely surprise. The service was incredibly warm and welcoming. So impressed with the entire experience and I’ll definitely be coming back!
April 07 · raj nakrani
We had gone to their Brooklyn location multiple times but this Manhattan location was even better. The space is huge, food is amazing, service is great. We got to meet the owner, Romeo who was so kind and chatted with us. We got the platter and the bole bowl. There are crisps in the bole bowl which are incredible!!! Really recommend dining here.
April 17 · Eunice Kim
Absolutely love RAS Plant Based and so glad to see them doing well having a second location (the Brooklyn one is awesome too apparently offering the traditional Ethiopian dishes while the Bleeker one explores with more Americanized items). Everything is refined sugar free (they use agave or dates as sweetener including desserts!). The lions mane mushroom sandwich and the cauliflower wings were super good! Friendly and efficient service
February 22 · Mandy Kuo
Came to RAS for the first time a few weeks ago! This is a plant based restaurant and I was really impressed with how awesome the food was!Food: For my main dish, I got Mama's Tofu. It comes with a side of rice and definitely has a good spice kick to it! I was a really big fan of this dish. It was light but still a pretty good portion size. I will say though, when I came I was not the hungriest and was able to finish my entire entrée. If you are super hungry, you may want to order two dishes.Dessert: For dessert, we tried three of the slices of cake, the coconut, banana chocolate, and tiramisu. They were all good but my favorite was definitely the coconut one. It's a must-try if you go!Service: The service could be slow at times but it was mostly good! Getting seating was a bit of an issue but it worked out in the end.Atmosphere: Super duper cool interior. Very nicely decorated. They still had their Christmas decor up when I went and it made it feel very cozy!
February 04 · Natasha Havanur