Origins Cafe

Go to Origins! Enjoy the peaceful environment of the greenhouse, trumpet and bass player and «Bye, Bye Blackbird,» the decision making as you peruse the menu, where every item sounds worthy of a choice.
After ordering, your senses will appreciate the quiet, the fragrances of food and lush greenery. and the expectation of what will arrive next as you sip hot coffee during brunch.
Food arrives and you will be in heaven with items using local harvests: cheeses, honey, fruit and vegetables. What more need I tell you?
Go to Origins! Skip the typical «greasy spoon», hotel, tavern or highway rest stop. It will make your trip to this area really memorable as no other food experience can.

Had a lovely meal here at Origins café, really well situated and the food was terrific. My husband and I are both vegan and the server was able to accommodate us and direct us to things that were already vegan on the menu (including dessert! #yay #notsorbet) We shared the gazpacho, which was seasoned REALLY well and then we both had the panini and they subbed cheese for hummus and grilled it, amazing! They had a multitude of non-​dairy milk options for coffee and my friends who are omnivores, LOVED their french toast. The only reason it did not get five stars, is that the service was a bit on the slow side and there seemed to be some miscommunication about which plates go to which tables (they kept trying to bring us food we didn’t order, lol)… but honestly, we were here to visit with friends and so the slow-​ish service was not a problem for us. They had a live music ensemble playing for Sunday brunch! I thought it was great!

Service was friendly and the food was incredible. The panini was fantastic and seasonal too. On the back of the menu they list where the ingredients come from (many local farms listed). The setting was spectacular, and its hard not to wander around while you wait for your food (we did and the waitress was patient as we were staring at plants when our food arrived!) Definitely a must-​do if visiting the Cooperstown area, but you want to see something different.

Gorgeous ambiance and incredible food! Had a lovely afternoon with the girls with the delicious herbs wafting around us.

This is a lovely place to have lunch (or dinner on Wednesdays). The owners and servers are incredibly generous people and serve some of the freshest and most delicious food in town. If you are looking for creative cuisine that uses fresh, local ingredients, this is definitely the place for you. Their Wednesday evening harvest dinners are a treat with live music and a 3 course vegetarian menu that is always inventive and tasty, set in a little greenhouse garden oasis. They make the best gazpacho I’ve ever had, and a killer smoothie. Don’t miss out!

So, the service was subpar and I’m pretty sure they forgot about our order because people that came in after us are and left before we even saw food. However, the raspberry lemonade was refreshing. The gazpacho was the best I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot). The goat cheese panini was outstanding. And our second panini was not the one we ordered (realized after) but it was delicious too. They both had apples so we didn’t put it together until after! I’ve been waiting a year to try their food and it didn’t disappoint. I could do with better service. Will definitely come back on our next visit!
PS. Watch out for hair. Especially if that skeeves you out.

The people were so nice and provided great service. The food was incredible, grown there or at local farms. I was immediately relaxed upon entering the tropical greenhouse. We stayed after eating for awhile to enjoy the atmosphere while we sipped some more mint limeade. I wish I lived closer because I would come here at least once a week!

Went in for lunch on a rainy day, so the place was pretty empty. The interior of the greenhouse really does make you feel like you’re in a garden. Light music in the background, and the place is not overly loud, such makes it a great place to actually have a conversation with a friend. I had a panini and it was delicious… I was savoring every bite.
Above all, the people and staff passing in and out were some of the friendliest people I’d encountered in a while. It was an extremely welcoming environment and even if the food wasn’t delicious (which it was…), I’d happily come back again.

Excellent food! Went here with my family and we had paninis, all of which were delicious! Restaurant is in a greenhouse, so it has a fun vibe. Only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is because the service was a little slow, but they’re working on it. Recommend making a reservation if you have a large group.

The Origins Café folks were slinging «thai green curry» at the Modest Mouse show at Brewery Ommegang this past Friday (⁵⁄₂₄), so I am reviewing their food based on my experience there, not at the café. Based on my experience there, however, I will not dine at the café.
The «thai green curry» consisted of nothing resembling actual green curry, but I guess that’s what I get from ordering thai food from white folks. What Origins served resembled a spicy, but otherwise flavorless, chowder. There were none of the complexities or bright, floral flavors that come from eating actual green curries. The potatoes tasted like they came from a can — y’know like the chunks in canned clam chowder — only they were larger. Yuck! The brown rice was undercooked and inedible. I ended up throwing it away, despite the fact that it was $ 7! Total waste of money and food.

Lunch in garden! I mean real garden with tons of flowers around you. Staffs are young and super friendly. The smoothies are really tasty and healthy. I minus a star as the variety of snack is a little to few for me. Anyways, hummus is the must!

Let me paint a picture for all you chow hounds out there. Imagine walking into a beautiful forest on a warm summers day. While in this forest you hear smooth jazz in the background and you feel relaxed. Now imagine this paradise is a restaurant. That’s right! heaven now exists on earth in the from of a greenhouse turned restaurant. Sit down and enjoy a fresh smoothie as you hear the birds chirp and the bugs buzz. The wait staff may be slow, but they are kind and they get to know their customers. Not to mention the food is some of the best in this small town. This restaurant is one of my favorites and I will recommend it to anyone.

Found Origins looking for a vegetarian place to eat in/​around Cooperstown and it’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever eaten. A café inside of a plant nursery? Brilliant! Such a relaxing, peaceful, pretty atmosphere and the food was delicious. My husband and I shared hummus, cold cucumber soup, and two of the paninis. The coffee was also rich and strong, which is a huge plus in my book. Not to mention, this place is all about locally sourced ingredients, sustainability, and the like. Can’t recommend enough!

This new café is so delicious and the atmosphere is very relaxing. I enjoyed my meal (black and bleu burger) and liked that they had some very healthy options, including a gluten free dessert. I highly recommend Origins Café.

We went there for their market dinner (held on Wednesday and Saturday nights) where they go to the farmer’s market the day of, or the day before, and create a menu based on what they find. They also have live music, usually jazz or something that allows to you talk with your group, but still enjoy the tunes.
On our night they were serving humus, falafel balls with salad, and baklava for dessert. They encourage $ 25 donation for the meal, but no check comes, and it’s BYOB for drinks.
The meal takes places inside their greenhouse, and the meal is served by the owners. Tables are spaced out nicely, with plants and shelves in between, so the meal has a very intimate feel.
There was not one particular thing that was amazing, but the entire experience made for a great night. The food was very good, the atmosphere was relaxing, the service was friendly and entertaining, and the music a great addition to the night.
We will definitely be going back.

This was a very interesting experience. We really enjoyed our meals. Their mobile site says brunch starts at 10:30, their main site doesn’t say anything about brunch, and Unilocal says brunch at 11am. We got there around 10:30am and they accommodated us, but said they were crazy busy and scattered because they were preparing to cater at the Further show at Double Day field later in the day. Overall it was a very cool experience eating within their greenhouse among exotic plants, but not «cool» in the temperature sense, as it was quite warm and humid outside and you’re eating outside. It seems to be a hidden secret as we were the only ones there even by 11:30am on a Sunday. I’d love to try more sometime, though, if we ever return to Cooperstown.

Amazing fresh homemade food. Organic. Local. You can read the map that pinpoints exactly where each product comes from. The place is located inside a The Carefree Gardens… So you are literally eating in what is basically an indoor garden! Beautiful! The sisters that run the place are so nice! We had a lovely leisurely lunch taking it all in. We enjoyed the white bean hummus, the curry quinoa salad and my friend had a panini. Our photos are above. She swears it’s the best sandwich she’s ever had! I loved my food, too. Very fresh and flavorful. I would come back to Cooperstown just to show this place to friends and family. Definitely worth a visit! Vegetarian, gluten free and vegan options are available. Go!

What a great experience!!! I’ve been to the nursery many times where this café is, know both the young woman who run this place, but until yesterday, I’ve never eaten there. It was definitely my loss. Unashamedly good honest food. I though it was going to be one of those pretentiously healthy, natural food places. I was wrong. Nothing pretentious about it though the food was natural (the wild leeks, ramps to us locals, were picked that weekend in an area very near the café). Wow! The Potato Leek soup, which has to be one of my all time favorite soups, was outstanding. My wife and daughter shared the Quiche and raved about it as well. My other daughter, a foodie from the city, had the Panini and was equally impressed. They’re doing something right in Cooperstown with food and the Origins Café is at the top of the food chain.

I absolutely love this gem of a café! It is run by two sisters in their 20’s — a couple of talented and friendly entrepreneurs! Their café serves incredibly healthy and interesting meals, all of which are made with naturally organic ingredients from local farmers. The café is set in the middle of a garden environment, with exotic plants all over the place! Their menu includes paninis, black bean burgers, and salads like the Painted Goat, with fresh goat cheese, dried cranberries and walnuts with fig-​balsamic dressing. My favorite smoothie is the Green Machine (apple juice, kale, ginger and banana). Also, their quinoa is from a rural Ecuadorian women’s cooperative! Their goal is to support a healthier community and environment, and I think it is absolutely amazing! These girls had a vision and went with it. I think more places like this need to exist!!!

The Leonard sisters and all the personnel of the Origins café are super nice and laid back too. Most of their fare is vegetarian. They have several pannini made with local cheeses, and fruit., and other local ingredients. They were short on the strawberries which was an ingredient on a sandwich that I ordered so one of the sisters suggested that I order half of that, and half of another sandwich. Great idea and both were great. Basil, pears, gouda, goat cheese, and strawberries, and good bread, how can you go wrong… Plus the strawberry lemonade I had was very good, and the brownie I had for desert was in the top 15^th percentile of brownies that I’ve had… and I got some vegetarian chili in the fridge that there were selling at the Pumpkin Festival at the park.