If you’re one of the many yoga fanatics who enjoy a super smoothie or vegan bite after a re-energizing yoga session, you’ll LOVE PuraVegan! This place is a yoga studio with a 100% vegan and gluten free restaurant conveniently located next door. It was recommended to us multiple times by relatives, friends, and owners of other restaurants, so we were very excited to finally check it out for ourselves. Their somewhat restricted hours conflicted with our availability, making it a challenge to visit, but it was well worth the wait. Since our first visit we have been back several times to try out more of the delicious menu items, and have been very happy with their range of options. We also recently discovered that one of our relatives is a chef here and are pleased to announce that we are related to the genius behind some of their wonderful dishes!
Overall r
ating ★★★★
Good food, nice atmosphere, good service- it’s no surprise we recommend this place. What other vegan restaurant owns its own yoga studio?
Food ★★★★
As we said before, their entire menu is vegan and gluten free, which makes this a very convenient place for anyone with allergies or sensitivities.
Over the meals we’ve ordered the Prana Potion smoothie, Kale salad, Raw Pad Thai, Acai bowl, and cooked corn bread. We have tried the Spicy Black Bean Caribbean stew and the Three Sister’s Soup from their seasonal menu. Everything had just the right amount of spices and flavor. These chefs clearly know what they’re doing!
The Three Sister’s Soup had veggies, beans, and lentil broth, and was very mild with little flavor. The Pad Thai was made of kelp noodles, veggies, and cashew almond sauce, also a fairly mild flavor, but the sauce spiced it up a bit. The stew on the other hand, was very spicy and full of flavor. So depending on how much flavor and spice you like, you can choose which is best for you.
You probably know what you like in your smoothies, but out favorite was the Prana Potion. It’s made with cucumber, kale, chia seeds, camu, ginger, goji berries, blueberries, pineapple, dates and coconut water. Basically everything that tastes good and is good for you is mixed in this smoothie and it gives you a super boost of vitamin C!
Now it’s time for the best part of the mean, dessert! As chocolate lovers, we tend to order items with the most cocoa in them, which at PuraVegan is their cocoa cookie and cocoa coconut drink. The cookie has an almond flour base (our favorite gluten free flour substitute) and is sweetened with both maple syrup and coconut sugar. Both made for very rich and tasty treats!
There is a small retail section in the store that sells healthy super foods, such as camu powder and hemp seeds, as well as some packaged meals that you can grab on the go.
On top of all of these food options, they also have a program for their “Pura Vegan Cleanse”. It is a 3 day cleanse program that aims to boost your bodies immunity and help encourage better eating habits. With so many great resources and delicious food, PuraVegan almost makes it hard to eat unhealthy!
Top Picks:
- Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
- Maca Cappuccino Smoothie
- Prana Potion Smoothie
- Raw Pad Thai
- Mackincheese
Quality ★★★★
PuraVegan almost always uses organic carrots, apples and spinach, and uses as much organic produce whenever possible. They also use local grown produce during the warmer months, when accessing local fresh veggies is easier.
They use GMO free corn for their corn bread, and try to avoid GMO’s as much as they can. They use little oil in their cooking, but when they do use oil, it is the healthiest one available, coconut oil.
The restaurant uses limited soy, usually in their healthy fermented form, like miso, in which the nutrients are accessible.
Along with their high quality food, they also have a recycling program and clearly labeled bins allowing items to be separated for this purpose.
PuraVegan rates 5 out of 5 stars from the Green Dining Alliance independent rating system for sustainable practices and commitment to use of organic and local ingredients. This is the very top rating possible!
Atmosphere ★★★★
The atmosphere was, casual and cozy, with dim lighting and comfortable booths and tables . Orders are taken at a counter and then brought to your table.
They seem very committed to clean food and helping the community. They offer donation based yoga classes in the mornings and day time, as well as cooking and nutrition classes that try to make healthy eating an easier and more realistic goal.
Service ★★★★★
The service was prompt in terms of taking our order and delivery of food. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful in trying to answer our questions regarding the ingredients.
Price $
The prices seemed extremely reasonable for the quality of the food presented. Their juices, smoothies and meals range from around $6-$11.
Location
The restaurant is located between Delmar Loop and the Central West End, very close to Forest Park, particularly the History Museum.
Address: 307 Belt Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63112
Check out their website for more details: Pura Vegan Cafe
