Elixir

It was a cold and blustery day with the hope of a nice pot of tea. We were very disappointed because the first day we came the door was unlocked but the owner told us she was having a private party. She assured us she would be open the next day we came and she was closed!!!
We got our tea but at the French Patisserie.

Located next to the Triplex Theatre, there’s lots of free parking. The hostess is nice but she’s way overworked: she cooks all the food herself. On the day we went, she hadn’t had a chance to bake any desserts (and this was 2PM in the afternoon on a Sunday). I had the tempeh reuben which had a nice mustard taste to the cabbagekraut (which thankfully tasted nothing like sauerkraut). The tempeh was cooked nicely and I would order it again.
It’s a very intimate (cramped) restaurant and it’s steamy inside. This is presumably because of the tea they’re brewing. I had a house blend tea of lavender, red clover, and sage: it was odd but pleasant (and it stays warm over a tea candle at your table). Overall, the food had good presentation but there weren’t many options. This restaurant might eventually get more stars once they work the kinks out, but until they get another cook & speed up the service), 3 stars.

I loved this place. It was hidden away and the space was small but nice. Service was slow but it fit the atmosphere. The staff was incredibly friendly yet quiet and unintrusive (sp?). We all swapped meals multiple times and loved all of them. Seems like it would be a great place to get a tea/​coffee and a sandwich and do some work. The coffee is made in a french press and left on your table and the tea is served over a lit candle. The price was high but I always expect to pay more for vegan meals.

The tea and experience are worth going here for. We shared a pot of lapsang suchong. very nice. The pot was glass, kept warm by a candle underneath. I’ll go back for sure.

We had a wonderful lunch at Elixir this past weekend. The waitress greeted us immediately and continued to be attentive to our needs throughout the meal. I had the tomato soup and the onion tart. Both were exceptional. It is great to have a place dedicated to serving local vegetarian fare in the Berkshires.

service was terrible, but the food was great, we didn’t even get our drinks until after we had finished our food. i ordered a RIDICULOUSLY high priced smoothie and it was TERRIBLE.
these prices were insane especially for the small amount of food… i left and ordered fries somewhere else

We love Elixir. All of it. Elixir is a tiny café tucked in next to the Triplex Cinema off of Railroad Street in Great Barrington. Its chairs and tables spill out on to the concrete patio of the building, immediately endearing patrons to the casual feel of the place, like a small café in Naples that’s been there for decades. Inside is a museum of mason jars and glass bottles, all filled with wildflowers and herbs and liquids at varying stages of «tincturing» and fermentation. A bowl overflowing with rose petals adorns a large center table.
My husband ordered chilled pomegranate tea; I choose green Moroccan mint. The tea arrives, on a silver tray, in a Turkish tea pot, pre-​sweetened with honey and perfectly minted; that’s when the healing begins.
«God, this tea is good,» I say, reveling in the refreshing fresh mint and the ornate blue shot glass that I continually pour my tea into. I’m already starting to get that weird feeling of being in another place.
Elixir has only been open for four weeks and for now (and I hope forever), owner/​chef/​herbalist Nancy Lee is keeping the menu simple and the flavors complex. On this humid summer night, we set our gaze on hummus and vegetables –labelled simply as «snacks» — and potato leek soup. The hummus is a surprise. It’s creamy, and has a heat to it that is authentic. The soup is green, not overrun by the potato starch.
«This soup is different,» says my vegetable-​reticent companion. He holds the spoon for me to taste. «Those leeks will not be ignored,» I say. «Not this time.»
We clean our bowl/​plate, anticipating the entrees. The server (a really fabulous, kind of shy young woman who is learning the ropes about all the tinctures and herbal ingredients) brings our food… it wafts from the interior out into the street. He dives into his tempeh Reuben, I take a minute to smell my jasmine rice with Thai butternut-​curry. There are plenty of crisp vegetables in just the right amount of sauce. The dish is piquant yet light, and colorful. It has not taken on the blandness of color that can sometimes befall anything with zucchini. It is, in essence, perfect. I am not hungry anymore, which is often my chief complaint besides being tired from rigorous physical activity sans meat.
«How’s your Reuben?» I ask. My husband has been more quiet than usual throughout the meatless meal. I assume it’s out of disappointment.
«It’s…amazing. You need to… just try it. The combination is amazing.»
He practically throws a chunk of the sandwich at me. The tempeh is a great texture, not rubbery, it’s got a slight smoky flavor to it. It’s smothered with spicy/​sweet mustard and pickled beets (there might be an onion in there, too) and the whole thing is so crisp and tangy it may actually take the sweat away from the summer evening.
The mosquitoes take interest in our revitalized blood so we move the party inside, as there is still dessert to be eaten. Please trust me when I say that this is the kind of café where you do not ask for the check after the main course is eaten. Stick around for the dessert. Seriously.
Strawberry short cake with maple whipped cream — all totally fresh. Fudge made with currants, almonds, coconut sugar and drizzled with a honey lavender sauce. It is dizzying but so good. While lapping up the honey with the textured rich fudge and breathing in the lavender, I realize that there is no other name for that café.
«I feel good,» says my husband.
«I think that’s the point,» I say.

Quaint looking little restaurant hidden away next to the movie theater. My husband is a Vegan so we were excited when we heard about this place. Owner prides herself on using only fresh ingredients prepared in small batches. Did watch her cut some fresh herbs from a planter just outside the front door. But those fresh herbs did not give plain romaine salad, tomato soup, a humous quinoa plate and cheddar & apple slice sandwich the flavor to warrant a $ 66 price tag for a lunch for 2. The cocao fudge with lavender on a bed of jam was the highlight of the meal but it cost $ 12. Wish I could say we enjoyed our dining experience but the combo of ordinary food and a frazzled owner trying to prep & serve on her own (the help didn’t show up the day of our visit) to an almost full restaurant did not make for a great meal. No menu was available so we were a bit shocked when the bill was presented.

I recently visited Elixir for lunch while passing through on a motorcycle trip. As a vegetarian I was looking for something healthy in a nice environment. The outside seating is wonderful and the restaurant is cozy with a touch of elegance. My lunch was unfortunately very poor. The tempeh open faced sandwich consisted of dry tempeh on toast with a sprinkling of shaved cabbage. With a natural soda and tip my lunch was $ 29, worst of all I was still hungry and needed to buy some granola bars at a coffee shop around the corner. On leaving I hardly got a thank you from the woman who apparently owns the restaurant. Just a really, really disappointing experience.

Gastronomy for your spirit! This is a very lovely place. We immediately felt an elegance and healthy energy the moment we walked in. Nancy and her staff have created a cozy spot for amazing hand brewed teas and great snacks that will bring you not only organic yummyness, but also a moment to catch your breath… or maybe even let it go. We will return there as often as possible. A memorable place indeed.

CAN’T WAIT TO EAT HERE! Vegan in GB! It’s been a long wait. Nancy’s (the owner) food is amazing!