Sutra

Last night, Sutra served one of the most exquisite meals I have ever had the privilege of enjoying. I am a carnivore, but Sutra has long been one of my favorite meal experiences ever. Fresh, local ingredients are put together and served with love and honor by an unbelievably creative team of gastronomic masterminds. The magical combination of textures, fragrances, and flavors create a truly sumptuous meal. The non-​alcoholic pairing is phenomenal. Thank you for sharing your gifts with the community!

We went here with high expectations based on all of the rave reviews. Most off the good was very delicious however the digestion was uncomfortable at best. All 4 of us had awful after-​experiences with our tummies by the time we made it home. I think the owners need more experiences with pairing foods in terms of good digestion. I would probably try it again to make sure our one experience wasn’t a fluke, but I remain suspicious after sitting on the toilet most of the night following my meal at this establishment.

Amazing! Absolutely the best vegan dinner I’ve had. I am going to be terribly sad when they leave Seattle. Good service too!

Eating at Sutra for us was a bit like having dinner inside a Portlandia episode, a surreal combination of earnest dinner theatre and excellent food. Lets start with most important part: the food. It was excellent. Worthy of 4 or 5 stars. Flavors were imaginative, plating was excellent, portions were well designed and the set menu is great. They take vegan cooking very seriously.
The drinks: We had the wine pairing with the food, and that was also good, but a bit over the top — one too many glasses, or glasses perhaps too large; you began to wonder whether a taxi was going to be provided as the last pairing just so folks can get home safely. If you are going with two, I would do no more than one wine pairing. Do the other one as non-​alcoholic, that looks really good.
Ambiance: when we arrived at 7 for the seating, we were led around back to what can only be described as overflow seating — it’s the living room of a separate house — and it felt a bit like the house was lived in all day, and then cleaned out quickly before dinner. The tables were card tables with tablecloths (I am totally good with that for casual food, but the bill for two people was over 160, so it did not exactly match the meal). The walls were white with big, unframed paintings on them that looked as if they came from a recent art class, and I was left with the impression that there was very little thought put into the décor at all. I think our experience would have been better if we had been able to eat in the actual restaurant, rather than the «Seattle Underground» overflow art class section. It is telling that their website does not mention thIs section.
All in all, a totally interesting mixed bag. These folks are dishing out excellent local, low carbon food. For the best time, be ready to embrace the whole experience, from the funky somewhat haphazard atmosphere to the filtered water, which was advertised as «led free, chlorine free, and covered», to the blessing of the food, all of which is delivered with the same calm, earnest grace that you might expect from a community that combines farm, food, yoga and spirituality.

What a wonderful dinner experience. Tasty, highly nuanced food and excellent service. A great meal and a great evening.

Sutra Vegetarian Cuisine — A «must do» event
The Sutra Vegetarian Cuisine is in the Wallingford district of North Seattle, just above Fremont. We arrived early, about 6:15 pm. Aaron was cleaning the glass windows in front, but invited us in to be seated. Colin was already cooking behind the bar and Amber checked us off the guest list. Aaron shared some history of how the two couples started the restaurant, suggested we add the «wine pairing» to our menu (which we did), then brought us each a glass of Italian white sparkling Prosecco wine.
A bell sounded and Colin addressed the guests. He welcomed us, described each of the four-​course entrees he was preparing, offered a non-​denominational table grace, acknowledging the fertile land and the farmers who made this vegan meal possible. It was a very nice tribute. Then, the feast began.
Cashew Cheese-​Roasted Cauliflower-​Stuffed Celery Root Cannelloni with a Saffron-​Apricot-​Bulgarian Chile Sauce finished with Smoked-​French Green
Leek-​Parsnip-​Tarragon-​Fresh Carrot Juice Soup served aside Grilled Arugula Rappini with a Balsamic Reduction & Truffle Oil and Fennel Slow Braised in Imbue (local bittersweet vermouth)
Ginger-​Apricot Crème Caramel served with a Pecan-​Cacao Cookie We paired this with a Chinato d’Erbetti vermouth.
Sherrie and I are not vegetarians. Our first «vegan» meal was 3 years ago in Toulouse, France. Remembering how we enjoyed that experience, we wanted to give «Sutra» a try… hoping for something similiar. IT WAS EVEN BETTER!
Thank you!

If nothing else, Sutra was quite an experience! The meal started with a gong and expression of gratitude to foragers, Mother Earth, the Four Elements, etc. Being a transplant to Seattle, I felt like I was living out a scene from Portlandia. Maybe if I had read more ahead of time, I could have prepared myself and been slightly more mature. Maybe.
The food was overall good, although I couldn’t recognize the majority of it. (I need to brush up on my obscure vegetables, clearly!) I initially thought the price seemed high, but you get a lot of food and it did seem justified.
Would I go back? No, probably not by choice. But do I regret seeing this before retreating back to the Midwest? No way!

I was beyond incredibly pleased with my experience here. It was a pre-​fixe vegan menu with 5 delicious courses. My fiancée got the wine pairing which he said was an excellent decision! Dinner was set at $ 50 per person and the wine pairing was $ 27 (non-​alcoholic version for $ 13). The portions were very generous, the food was incredibly fresh and chef crafted, and the staff passionate and friendly. We will be back!

I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant for herbivores and omnivores! You should call ahead for reservations and make sure the number in your party is accurate as it is a fixed menu that is served to your party.
We were seated in the art gallery which is located in a house behind the actual restaurant. The décor is cute and eclectic.
They seem to change the menu regularly and it offered a unique combination of dishes. They also offer wine pairings or non-​alcoholic pairings. I loved the non-​alcoholic pairings! My friends ordered the wine pairings and loved those as well.
LIKES:
–Very unique dining experience
— Love the wine and non-​alcoholic beverage pairings
–Such a cozy comfortable environment
–The food is delicious. Even my friends who are not vegetarian loved it!
GRIPES:
None. I really thought this place is phenomenal and would recommend it to those in the Pacific Northwest!

Beautiful dinner! It is fun to watch them make the food so make sure to get a bar seat if you want to do that. The food is very good. I really only disliked one small part of one of the courses. They staff is great and willing to answer any and all of your questions. While the food is delicious be prepared to eat a second dinner after you leave because you will leave hungry.

Be sure to arrive on time! With little knowledge on what this restaurant really entails, I stormed in 10 minutes late into a seemingly obvious presentation by the Chef. The server then informed me that the chef in fact does gives a short talk before dinner and say a short blessing. With just a quick observation, I could tell that there is definitely a strong, yogi and Buddhism influence in the restaurant. I find that quite intriguing.
Because we were late, we were seated at the gallery in the back. This worked to our advantage because we didn’t miss the Chef’s presentation, and I also liked the dining area better as it was intimate and cozy. The gallery is actually a house turned dining room with paintings on the wall. I quickly learned that Sutra only offers one seating from Wednesday thru Saturday at 7pm, and they offer a pre set five course menu with wine pairings or non alcaholic drinks.
With that said, this was a SUBLIME dining experience! The young, very hipster Chef opened his presentation with a small gong, gave a little blessing, explained the menu in terms of the ingredients, locally grown, all organic, and spoke a little of the body, earth and food connection (something in that nature). It was wonderful. It was also a great introduction to so many different ingredients which I’ve never even heard of. Everything we ate was delicious, and I couldn’t quite put a finger on each dish, as they were so unique and different than anything I’ve ever tasted. They were very well-​prepared, presentations were fantastic, and they were delightful.
First Course: Roasted Beet Soup with a Dill-​Green Garlic-​Leek Gremolata. Now I don’t like beet. In fact, they gross me out, but this soup was so good!!! It tasted like tomato soup.
Second Course: Salad of Micro Arugula-​Fennel-​Watermelon Radish-​Candied Sunflower Seed. The micro arugula was so crunchy and crispy. So fresh that it tasted sweet.
Third Course: Smoked Beluga Lentil-​Avocado-​Fermented Cabbage Roll with a Pascilla Negro Chile-​Nettle Hempcream Sauce finished with Parsnip Chips. I loved the chips, but I’m not a huge fan of lentil, nor pickled cabbage. This was my least favorite.
Fourth Course: Cashew Cheese-​Maitake Filled Mung Bean Crêpe with Tamari-​Kale Rappini and a Sherry-​Saffron-​Tomato Sauce, Pomegranate & Micro Basil. This was both our favorite course! The cashew cheese was SOOO GOOD!
Fifth Course: Maple-​Walnut-​Brandied Fig Tort with Cinnamon-​Chocolate-​Coconut Whip. Very luscious and perfectly sweet.
We were so pleased with each meal and really enjoyed the unique experience. There is also a 10% discount if you pay with cash fyi. We were seated at a communal table, so if you’re looking for a romantic, strictly one on one, you should call in advance and request a corner table.
Sutra is worth every penny, and I recommend coming at least once when in the area.

Fun dining experience here at Sutra. They have one or two seatings a night, in other words, reservations are required! The restaurant is pretty small and located among other small storefronts/​restaurants. Ok so about what made dining here fun. When you arrive you choose where you want to sit. You can sit at the counter to see them prepare the food or at tables. If it’s a full house, you may have to share a communal table.
As soon as all the dining patrons arrive, the chef goes over the various ingredients in the five courses. We did the wine pairing and non-​alcoholic drink pairing with our meals. Everything we had was excellent. Delicious, fresh, whole foods! Their menu changes often to what is in season. Here’s what our dinner consisted of:
First & Second Course — roasted cauliflower-​cinnamon soup with shiso served aside a salad of lemongrass poached beets-​micro arugula-​radish and smoked pumpkin seed served with lemon-​nigella-​hempcream dressing
Third Course — yellowfin potato-​celery root-​cashew cheese-​black garlic gratin with grilled fennel, fermented cabbage, fried caper and micro cilantro finished with pomegranate molasses
Fourth Course — butternut squash polenta cake with smoked black lentil, a chocolate mole negro sauce, maple-​cardamom parsnips and sautéed black trumpet mushrooms and sprouted greens
Fifth Course — coconut crème-​key like torte with a star anise-​pecan brittle crust
What made dining at Sutra fun and different (in a good way) is that everyone was served each course at the same time. We never felt rushed, which I was afraid of because I’m a slow eater!
I knocked off one star because we felt the staff could have been a tad bit friendlier. Overall, I would recommend Sutra whether you’re an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, etc. We’d definitely return if we visit Seattle again.

This place is very hippy dippy. I give it 3.5 stars.
The pros: You get introduced to a lot of interesting seasonal vegetables (of which many you have probably never tried before). The food is beautiful and the whole evening experience is thoughtfully done.
The cons: The food was hit or miss. My favorite thing I had was the salad, which to me isn’t the best sign, but it was a really good salad. The dessert-​habanero chocolate ice cream over a cherry chocolate tart-​was different and everyone seemed to like it but me. The spicy flavor from the habanero and the sour from the cherry together was way too intense for my taste buds, which was a bummer since dessert is my favorite part! The other thing that was a con for me was that at the very beginning, before they serve you any food, they talk about the menu going over every single item in all its glorious detail (a 15 – 20 minute explanation). It was unexpected and probably not the best thing to do when people are hungry. It would make more sense if they explained the dishes as they were serving them to you.

Sutra is by far one of the most impressive and interesting dining experiences I have had in my life. It is a «feels like home» restaurant that offers a pre-​set 5 course menu and only one seating per night. It is a unique and personalized dinner and event that is well worth the extra planning and cost! My boyfriend and I already have reservations to return and take his Ohio parents. ;)
Not only is the food entirely vegan, it is also organic, local, seasonal, and gluten-​free. Their ability to make an entirely plant-​based meal so creative and delicious is inspiring. I have posted the entire menu for your enjoyment, and I can honestly say that every single dish was incredible. Highlights: The celery root leek soup with shaved truffle on top was perfectly smooth and wonderful. The saffron cashew cheese paneer was really creative and was an excellent match with the winter roasted vegetables and herbed tomato sauce. Another fun part of each dish was the inventive «sprinkles» such as candied sunflower seeds, fried capers, and parsnip chips. And they completely won me over by ending my night with caramel coconut whipped cream over chocolate! Amazing.
The entire five courses costs $ 50, which may seem like a splurge, but seems completely reasonable when you are there. Not only is there more than enough food to make even a non-​vegan quite full, but the quality is outstanding. If you are looking to save a little, you will get a 10% discount if you pay with cash. If you are willing to splurge a bit more, you can get even fancier and get a wine or non-​alcoholic beverage pairing with each course.
sWhat’s even more impressive about this restaurant is how they do all their magic in one tiny house. The ambience is cozy, intimate, hipster, and maybe even a little divey. There is a strong buddhism influence with the gong ringing at the start of dinner, and next door is a connected Sutra yoga studio. If you get there early, definitely try to sit at counter where you can see everything being made in the open kitchen! It can also be fun to sit at one of the larger tables and mingle with other guests — I’m pretty sure only wonderful people dine here. :)
Unsurprisingly, the chefs and wait staff are very hipster, and super friendly and casual. They clearly have some intense preparation for each night’s dinner and take it very seriously but also have a good time. And sitting at the counter allows for conversation not only with the wait staff, but also the chefs and owner!
Clearly this is a dining experience not to be missed. If you have a special occasion coming up, or just want an amazing meal, I recommend making a reservation now. They have their one seating Wednesday through Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 6:30pm and max out around 30 people each night. Beyond worth it for the food, the ambience, the people, and the creativity at work!

Terrible customer service! As a vegan, it PAINS me to rate a vegan restaurant poorly. However, the customer service I received deserves it.
I called yesterday to make a reservation for Valentines Day. I was put on hold and could hear the restaurant. I kept saying hello and no one would answer. I called back a few times and it was busy. I went online to make a reservation, but the last date for making a reservation only extended to the 8^th of February. I was a little frustrated as I have had similar frustrations making reservations at this restaurant before. I know that you «aren’t supposed to email asking for help» but I did anyway hoping for assistance with my reservation. I got an auto-​reply telling me that they cannot assist with reservations via email. This was not the worst part. I received another email from the staff telling me these exact words «the tone of your note isn’t really in alignment with the energy we like to attract at this time so it sounds like it might not be the right fit.» Granted my email was terse because I was frustrated, but I think anyone would have been by this point. Perhaps I need to write a haiku poem while holding a yoga pose outside of this restaurant to be deemed worthy of better customer service. Perhaps then they would finally assist me with my reservation?
In the email they explained they are a small business. Yes, I understand small businesses have challenges, but this never excuses poor customer service. Not only will they not assist me, but I am not welcome in their restaurant as I am «not the right fit». Ok, all I wanted was help making a reservation and now I am being told that I am not welcome to dine in their restaurant.
Guests should not have to jump through hoops and call numerous times to secure a reservation. There are several platforms to assist with online or phone reservations. A special email account could be dedicated to taking reservations with an auto-​reply regarding the particulars of a menu. There are MANY solutions that do not involve additional staff or money. It’s too bad because the food is great and the service at the restaurant as well, but they need to improve on their reservations system and their customer service in regards to reservations. Unfortunately I will not be returning to this restaurant and will tell everyone about my poor experience.

I had been waiting to go here and it was well worth the wait!
This place is amazing! The food bursts with flavor and every course is more exciting than the last. I love the fresh ingredients and the care/​love that goes into making those ingredients into something so fantastic.
The service was stellar, the pace of the meal was spot on and the wine pairing really added to the meal.
I can’t wait to go again!

My first review on Unilocal and I thought I’d make it about Sutra. As a die-​hard meat lover this place just blows me away every time I visit; 3 so far but many more to come.
I like to sit at the counter and interact with the chef during the meal.
Every time I have eaten at Sutra I have been exposed to different foods and combinations. Think modern fine dining, with great flavor combinations and nice presentation in a very casual, farm-​to-​table environment.
If all vegetarian food was this good I could almost give up meat.

Four stars because I see the potential but I didn’t really like the menu that was being served a couple of weeks ago. I wish they’d put the menu on social media because I made the reservation based on an old menu they had on their website. I also found the super small restaurant kinda awkward and unappealing. The chef and staff are very hardworking and seem to really care that you enjoy your meal. You can even tell them about your food preferences ahead of time even though the menu is a set menu.
Also, I want to clarify their pricing scheme. Based on the other Unilocal reviews, I thought I’d receive a discount for paying with cash. And maybe it is a discount but in my mind it wasn’t. You receive a bill and it has a price and that IS the cash price (I think it is usually ~$ 50/​pp). If you want to pay with a credit card then it is an additional 10% on top of the price on the bill. I was thinking the price is ~$ 50/​pp and that if I paid cash I’d receive 10% off of the ~$ 50/​pp.

Yes, the place is kind of pretentious. Yes, it’s expensive to eat here. Yes, there is no meat.
But HOLY HELL, you will never EVER eat food like this anywhere else. This place served me the best dinner I have ever eaten in my life, AND it was vegan! I’m not even vegetarian and this place blew me away with flavor, textures, and tastes I’d never experienced before. I didn’t even know what some of the foods were but every bite made me careless about what it was and wonder about how I was going to get more of it.
If you have the money and the time, stop here. Seriously.

What a truly special experience!
I’m not a vegetarian but am doing a 28 day cleanse so I took the opportunity to try Sutra when it may otherwise have slipped under my radar. Boy am I glad I did! We had a party of four including my husband who was skeptical that there would be no meat for dinner.
Every course was incredible — so much flavor, beauty and presentation. I also opted for the non-​alcoholic drinks pairing which was lovely! And at $ 40 set menu, it’s the best bargain in town for a gourmet and unique dining experience.
Will absolutely go back, cleanse or not. Thank you Sutra for sharing your bounty with the world!