Chef Guy Vaknin, the founder of City Roots Hospitality and the culinary guru behind kosher NYC vegan restaurants Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Willow and Coletta, among others, just opened up his latest effort: Le Basque, an upscale vegan dining destination showcasing kosher-style French and Spanish cuisine.
Taking over a remarkably beautiful space at 15 Union Square West in downtown Manhattan, Le Basque is filled with tufted velvet banquettes and a mezzanine floor that sits right below a stunning skylight. Unfortunately, not many kosher restaurants in the area pay this much attention to ambiance—a fact that makes Le Basque stand out from the crowd.
Menu wise, there is a lot to choose from: to start off, a bread basket will whet your palate, served with a choice of garlic thyme or cured olive caramel butter. The creativity continues on with a pintxos section—skewered snacks usually seen all over northern Spain—that features vegan versions of chicken, lamb and chorizo alongside vegetable-focused presentations (the wild mushroom skewer, although drenched in a bit too much sauce, certainly packs a punch).
Starters like the heirloom tomato salad and the escargot work as ideal appetizers as well, followed by a choice of five entrées also prepared as vegan versions of poultry and meat or vegetable-focused dishes. Speaking of: although certainly creative in his re-imagination of non-meat-meat dishes, Vaknin’s creations mostly resonate when concentrating on elevating vegetables like mushrooms, onions and potatoes.
The restaurant’s wine and cocktail menu is particularly delightful, mimicking the elegance of the space as a whole. Kosher wines hailing from France and Spain certainly provide a wider variety of choices than what is usually the case at kosher establishments.
Signature cocktails are also concocted creatively, but it is the eatery’s spirit-free drink list that really impresses: the relatively simple Basque in the Breeze—made with cucumber, lemon, orange and mint—refreshes without a hint of over-sweetness, as does La Vie En Rose, made with grapefruit, rosewater, basil, lime and the non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip, most reminiscent of gin.
Whether a fan of vegan cuisine or not, Le Basque’s beautiful space is certainly deserving of the kosher crowd’s attention—even if just for a nightcap.
