Maitreya Social

I have been consistently impressed with the quality of Maitreya’s food for years, and my boyfriend and I are always advising people (vegetarian or not) to go as we know they won’t be disappointed!
We were there again on Saturday for a big group Christmas dinner, where 30 of us took over the upstairs room for the whole afternoon! Our 3 course meal was only £20 each and every single little bit of it was completely delicious. They have such an amazing way of combining unusual ingredients, and presenting them with care and attention, that makes you take your time over every bite. We were a massive group (and the restaurant downstairs was busy too) but each plate came out perfectly, on time and everyone loved their meal.
I could go on about how amazing Maitreya is forever! The staff are lovely, their drinks selection is great quality and well priced. I would advise everyone to try it out!

I first learned about this place from a girl from California ‘Oooo Bristol, that’s where that amazing vegetarian restaurant is isnt it?’ I was embarrassed to have never heard of it never mind been. There began a ten year love affair that has never wavered. I have arrived for dinner wearing all sorts, from a ball gown, to jeans n a paint splattered hoodie and have always felt perfectly comfortable, quite a feat.
I am a huuuuge fan of anywhere that presents beautiful, filling food that is reasonable and that I couldn’t cook at home. Unfortunately its pretty rare to find a place that ticks all these boxes. Maitreya always does.
This is the place where the benchmark is set for me.
Its vegetarian, loads of gluten free options 2 course meal fr two with a drink each came to £50, go, you wont be disappointed.

Barney, the fantastic new owner/​head chef at Maitreya Social catered my vegetarian wedding lunch. He brought lovely quiches, salads, a nut roast, and snacks/​dips. The guests absolutely raved over the food – I got more compliments for the food than anything else!
In fact, my mother loved the food so much that she wanted to visit for dinner a couple of days later. We had the warm salad and the roulade, both of which were divine.

Best vegetarian restaurant in the UK? I think not. But a good quality, interesting meal. First up — delicious bread with balsamic (reduction, not just balsamic) and delicious olive oil. Then ‘posh mushrooms on toast’ (wild mushroom brioche) to start were nice but subtle — probably a bit too subtle for mushrooms. Then the broth — super tasty with lovely aniseedy flavours. The leaves served with everything weren’t dressed at all, and I think that a dash of dressing adds to the freshness of ‘leaves’, and although some of the individual veggies in the broth were very tasty as organic veggies are meant to be, some didn’t taste of much.
Overall, food was a bit too worthy and could have done with a dash of butter or cream here and there. Also, my request for mayo was turned down with a comment ‘we don’t serve mayo here’ as if I’d asked for a raw slab of lamb that was still bleating.

This award-​winning vegetarian café is a real find, easily spotted by its purple painted exterior. Inside it’s unpretentious and friendly, serving up some of the most exciting vegetarian cuisine ever.
The menu changes regularly because it aims to use wild, seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible, locally-​sourced from small-​scale and ethical suppliers. The results are impressive, but it’s hard to recommend specific dishes because they may not be on the menu when you next visit. Whatever you order, however, you can expect food that is modern, interesting and adventurous, and also looks great.
It can be difficult to persuade many non-​vegetarians to venture to a veggie restaurant because they think they won’t enjoy a meal as much if there’s no meat involved — but if any restaurant is about to change their minds, it’s Café Maitreya. This is also a good place to go if you have other dietary restrictions, since the menu highlights dairy free, gluten free and wheat free options.
It’s also reasonably priced, with two courses costing £19.95, or three costing £22.95. You’ll need to book if you want to be sure of a table, though, because it’s often justifiably full to the rafters.

Café Maitreya is a very popular organic vegetarian restaurant situated on St Marks Road. It won one of the coveted Observer awards for food a few years ago, prompting me, and about half of Bristol, to attempt to try it for the first time. When I eventually managed to place a reservation, for myself and a group of friends, we all trooped over to Easton, to sample their delights. The place was buzzing, and offered a really refreshing change from Gloucester and Whiteladies Road where we usually dined out. The food was fantastic and we enjoyed a really pleasant night out.
These days not much has changed at Café Maitreya. There’s not quite the buzzy vibe that there was in the post award days, but the food still hits the spot, with the menu changing regularly so that we’re never faced with having to order the same dish twice. The puddings are as good as the mains (if not better — I have a sweet tooth), and a full three course meal will set you back anywhere between £20 and £25, so considering the calibre, it’s really affordable.
My only gripe is a small one; sometimes the wait for the food is often longer than I would like. The waiting staff are really friendly, but sometimes just a little too laid back.
One of the little perks I enjoy about visiting Café Maitreya is that I always find flyers for things that I never see anywhere else. This has led me to try out a whole bunch of stuff that I wouldn’t have heard about otherwise. Plus, there’s usually quite a lot of information available about ethical and environmental issues, with flyers about seminars and talks.

A vegetarian good enough to tempt even the most hardened of meat-​eaters, Café Maitreya blows all the competition out of the water with its beautifully constructed gourmet recipes.
Nestled away in a corner of Easton that remains unexplored for a lot of Bristol residents, the restaurant exudes a calming, almost zen-​like vibe. The pale coloured walls are softly lit by candles, with the minimal decoration a Thai statue or wine rack.
The food is equally well presented and uses unusual flavours like tarragon and truffle broth or caramelised endive. Plates are piled with ingredients I never thought I’d see together, in concoctions even less predictable.
Although it is undoubtably a once in — if not a lifetime, then not-​very-​often, dining experience, I found some of the combinations of flavours a little too much, and (dare I say it) there is something perhaps a little unsatisfying about a three course vegetarian meal. But at a price which betrays its quality, Café Maitreya is for sure a diamond in the rough of the archetypal vegetarian restaurant and its tofu mess.

You wouldn’t expect to get a fine dining experience in the middle of Easton but that’s what Café Maitreya is. As a committed carnivore I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t a nut roast or ricotta and spinanch lasagne in sight
The cooking was unusual (I had no idea what most of the ingredients were) and wonderfully presented. Wasn’t heaving plates of food but it was a nice change not to feel bloated at the end of meal — instead you felt like you had enjoyed some really fresh and unusual ingredients and given your pallette something to think about.
Really good service and value for money in my opinion. Put it this way, if this was in Clifton you’d pay twice as much I reckon.

A vegetarian restaurant has its work cut out with someone like me. I come from the ‘if there isn’t food on the plate then it’s not a real meal’ school of thought. Café Maitreya has converted me, however, if not to a vegetarian, then at least to someone who can tolerate not having bacon for a few days.
It’s certainly not just about the vegey theme here. They take themselves pretty seriously, with a sleek feel to the place and a thoughtful menu. Expect things with names like leek and red leicester tartelle. You might hope that the lack of meat would bring down the prices a bit. This isn’t the case unfortunately, although at nineteen pounds for two courses the bill shouldn’t be too shocking. You do get an excellent meal for your money, with food that has clearly had plenty of care paid to it in a a very pleasant setting. They cater for more than the usual range of dietary requirements, so if your looking for somewhere nut or gluton free this offers a rare opportunity to eat at a high end restaurant.

I like nothing more than a prime piece of very rare Sirloin steak oozing blood onto the plate. That’s the sort of hideous meat-​eater I am.
I didn’t expect to like to vegetarian only menu at Bristol’s finest veggie restaurant, but I revelled in it.
The best veggie restaurant I’ve ever been to, and possibly in my top 5 restaurants ever. Locally sourced foods and delicate flavours decoared beautifully on the plate.
On the trendy St Marks rd in Easton, the unassuming doorway leads to an extremely smart café-​style eatery. Service is swift and the smells are stomach-​juice enticing.
The food, like wild mushroom and butternut brioche with chanterelle and paris pink stroganoff, bramble jelly, is pretty and gorgeously pretentious, but still satisfied my hunger and actually tasted of something. The puddings are fruity, rich, unusual so make sure you keep some room in your belly. Truly and vegetarianly tasty.
I came out of there very full up, humming ‘Meat is Murder’ by The Smiths.

A group of us went for lunch. I’ve heard so much about this place over the years and was looking forward to it. Maybe we were unlucky and the chef was off that day but we were all disappointed. Food was bland and there were some very dubious taste combinations. Small portions too. We really tried hard to like the food but it really wasn’t very good at all. Also very slow service and food when there were not many people in the restaurant.

great food a bit pricy for the credit crunch though

The high quality, imaginative food on offer here cannot be faulted. I cannot recall a single thing I’ve eaten here that hasn’t made me go mm-​mmmh out loud. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. After winning many accolades the restaurant still hasn’t got above itself and has continued to carry on providing fresh, innovative vegetarian food. I wanted to go the whole five stars but I bemoan their opening hours. When the café first opened there was a lot of hope that there would be a place to eat and drink casually at any time of the day, which has been seriously missing in Easton. But gradually opening hours have serioulsy reduced and this place is solely a night time dining affair.

I am ashamed to admit that Café Maitreya wasn’t on my list of ‘must go to’ restaurants and when my friends suggested that we should eat there one evening I agreed to go but wasn’t overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect. I couldn’t imagine that a vegetarian restaurant would have much to offer me considering I wasn’t vegetarian. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was probably one of the loveliest meals I have ever had. Everything was so tasty and fresh and so beautifully presented. I left at the end of the meal feeling satisfied but not sluggish and stuffed like I often feel after a ‘meaty’ meal. I have now re-​written my ‘must go to’ list thanks to my vegetarian friends!

Café Maitryeya has been voted as the best vegetarian restaurant in the United Kingdom. Staying true to their name, all food is locally sourced, extremely fresh and absolutely to die for. If you ever want to see the good side to veggie food, this is absolutely the place to visit.
As Neil mentions, the place books up quickly and reservations are practically compulsory. You wont be disappointed when you finally get a table, because the friendly staff, great wine and excellent atmosphere will give you and your companions a dinner to remember.

If you have a die-​hard meat fan you want to show how good veggie food can be, take them here, the food is fantastic.
It is the best veggie resteraunt I have ever been too.
It’s also tucked away in a maze of back street, so get a good map.
Make sure you book though, people know exactly how good it is and it fills up quickly!

Café Maitreya has won many awards since it’s opening in the lively St. Marks Rd area of Easton; voted top vegetarian restaurant by the Observer and the Vegetarian Society. Its menu presents tempting and innovative dishes using as much ethical, organic and locally produced foods as possible. Wheat and gluten free dishes are available and the staff will try to accommodate other dietary requirements with due notice. Prices are £18.50 for two courses and £21.95 for three.
I love this restaurant for its unusual ingredients that create fabulously mouth watering and modern dishes. It’s thoroughly deserving of all the awards and acclaim. And the food is beautifully complimented by a selection of organic wines and beers. The staff are well informed, friendly and welcoming. Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings.

Judged to be top vegetarian restaurant in Uk Café Maitreya, meaning universal loving kindness, promotes an ethos of cooking its food with love and running its business ethically by supporting local growers and using organic and seasonal ingrediants.
Menu offers selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy free dishes with a nouveau cuisine fine attention to detail style. An example meal could be started with roast red pepper and goat’s cheese followed by bavaroisaubergine, pinenut and feta moussaka and finished off with blueberry, fig and mascarpone roulade. Website offers recipes of favourite meals.