Too little food. No service. You are expected to pay first, get your food yourself and return your dishes after the meal. It’s overpriced, the decor is from a tag sale and the proprietors are cold.
sam654321
Pretty cool place inside.
I got the mushroom risotto....pretty tasty.
Talked to the owner lady for a bit and she was pretty cool.
Its in the middle of this resi neighborhood ..
.I thought google done me dirty but nope, there it was all the way down the end !!!
mark m braunstein
Founded in 1977, Bloodroot nears its 50th anniversary. For this historic restaurant that has created its own recipes both for its menu planning and for its business plan, 50 years is an enviable achievement marking a milestone.
Bloodroot began stirring feminism into food when feminist cafés and bookstores sprang up all across North America. It has outlasted them all. And through its 3 vegetarian and 1 vegan cookbooks, Bloodroot has contributed to both the feminist and vegetarian movements beyond CT’s borders.
The restaurant has defied convention even in its location on a dead-end street of a peaceful residential neighborhood. Its secluded site provides a spacious yard, ample parking, and a waterfront view. Picnic tables in the yard and patio foretell of informal and leisurely dining within.
Indoors looks like a museum with furniture maybe sourced from antique shops. Tapestries hang from the rafters. Chandeliers simulate candlelight. An entire wall is decorated with dozens of black-and-white vintage photos of females, all looking like the faded portraits of your great-grandmas. Bloodroot is all about Mom.
The food is akin to mom’s home cooking. Not haute cuisine, but not natural foods either. To my disappointment, white flour, white sugar, and white rice rule the day. The mostly conventional fare with an ethnic flair simply omits meat. Until ten years ago, Bloodroot’s menu still clung to cow’s milk products in support of a dairy industry that cruelly exploits the females of the species. This feminist collective’s transition into veganism was long overdue.
I have dined at Bloodroot over 30 times during 40-years. The building and décor have little changed. Its menu, however, changes both seasonally and almost weekly. I have been treated to memorable meals that rival more expensive restaurants. But sometimes the food did not rise above the level of my own home cooking, so I was better off staying home. You just need to choose wisely.
In the past, you were usually greeted by Selma Miriam, who cofounded Bloodroot with her business and life partner, Noel Furie. But Selma won’t be greeting us anymore. She died last February at age 89. Tributes filled Connecticut news media and even The New York Times.
Presently filling roles both at the front and the back of the house, Noel (in my photo, depicted standing) is one busy woman. And Bloodroot has begun a new chapter in its CookBook of Life.
Updated from previous review on 2025-10-14
BernaDette Session
Delicious vegan dining in a very comforting, friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Order at the desk upon entry, choose a table, browse the adjacent bookstore with its comfortable, cozy seating & pick up at window when your order is ready. Celebrating 47 years, this feminist bookstore restaurant collective has evolved from pescatarian to vegetarian, and now 100% vegan. Ample portions. Menu varies based on seasonal local produce. Daily specials posted. Limited hours are why it has taken me years to enjoy the Bloodroot experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Evan Boyar
From even before you walk in, this place feels comfortable, and continues to feel as such long after. From the cheerful woven fabric (there's a loom in the space!), to the people working there, to the unflappable kitty lounging at the register, to of course its food, this place is excellent.
NB: despite the old signs (and the current Google Maps category), the place is (wonderfully) entirely vegan, not merely vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rayah Martin
A lovely, homey, welcoming spot. Delicious vegetarian/ vegan food. Very unique and deserves another visit when I have time to check out the bookshop.
J A
Everything is vegan and has such amazing flavor. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the jerk tofu and seitan and it was actually spicy. I would recommend this place to anyone. They have a wide range of different flavored foods, something for everyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeannefk
The Jamaican Jerk Chickn was completely delicious and the bookstore is a unique part of this historic establishment. I plan on going back many times!
Jeffrey Fair
Good vegan protein place
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anne Hunter
Interesting place on the water. Very informal. A good selection of interesting food options. Vegan, but tasty.
The food was delicious and wholesome! Definitely the best vegan “chicken” I’ve had (chicken mole with beans), and a very flavorful Thai pineapple coconut curry. The selection of books and art were sublime, as well😄
G Glenn
The food has been excellent every time I've been in the past few years. I put an average score for service because there is no table service, you pick up your food at the kitchen window. The staff have always been friendly. The tables are various old style wooden tables, very homey feel which I appreciate a lot. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Joe
History drips from the walls here. They do homecooked vegan food right. They have an awesome set up that defies modern restauranting expectarions and creates a really special atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wade Anderson
First time without Selma, still a fun place. Excellent food.
Too little food. No service. You are expected to pay first, get your food yourself and return your dishes after the meal. It’s overpriced, the decor is from a tag sale and the proprietors are cold.
Pretty cool place inside. I got the mushroom risotto....pretty tasty. Talked to the owner lady for a bit and she was pretty cool. Its in the middle of this resi neighborhood .. .I thought google done me dirty but nope, there it was all the way down the end !!!
Founded in 1977, Bloodroot nears its 50th anniversary. For this historic restaurant that has created its own recipes both for its menu planning and for its business plan, 50 years is an enviable achievement marking a milestone. Bloodroot began stirring feminism into food when feminist cafés and bookstores sprang up all across North America. It has outlasted them all. And through its 3 vegetarian and 1 vegan cookbooks, Bloodroot has contributed to both the feminist and vegetarian movements beyond CT’s borders. The restaurant has defied convention even in its location on a dead-end street of a peaceful residential neighborhood. Its secluded site provides a spacious yard, ample parking, and a waterfront view. Picnic tables in the yard and patio foretell of informal and leisurely dining within. Indoors looks like a museum with furniture maybe sourced from antique shops. Tapestries hang from the rafters. Chandeliers simulate candlelight. An entire wall is decorated with dozens of black-and-white vintage photos of females, all looking like the faded portraits of your great-grandmas. Bloodroot is all about Mom. The food is akin to mom’s home cooking. Not haute cuisine, but not natural foods either. To my disappointment, white flour, white sugar, and white rice rule the day. The mostly conventional fare with an ethnic flair simply omits meat. Until ten years ago, Bloodroot’s menu still clung to cow’s milk products in support of a dairy industry that cruelly exploits the females of the species. This feminist collective’s transition into veganism was long overdue. I have dined at Bloodroot over 30 times during 40-years. The building and décor have little changed. Its menu, however, changes both seasonally and almost weekly. I have been treated to memorable meals that rival more expensive restaurants. But sometimes the food did not rise above the level of my own home cooking, so I was better off staying home. You just need to choose wisely. In the past, you were usually greeted by Selma Miriam, who cofounded Bloodroot with her business and life partner, Noel Furie. But Selma won’t be greeting us anymore. She died last February at age 89. Tributes filled Connecticut news media and even The New York Times. Presently filling roles both at the front and the back of the house, Noel (in my photo, depicted standing) is one busy woman. And Bloodroot has begun a new chapter in its CookBook of Life. Updated from previous review on 2025-10-14
Delicious vegan dining in a very comforting, friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Order at the desk upon entry, choose a table, browse the adjacent bookstore with its comfortable, cozy seating & pick up at window when your order is ready. Celebrating 47 years, this feminist bookstore restaurant collective has evolved from pescatarian to vegetarian, and now 100% vegan. Ample portions. Menu varies based on seasonal local produce. Daily specials posted. Limited hours are why it has taken me years to enjoy the Bloodroot experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
From even before you walk in, this place feels comfortable, and continues to feel as such long after. From the cheerful woven fabric (there's a loom in the space!), to the people working there, to the unflappable kitty lounging at the register, to of course its food, this place is excellent.
NB: despite the old signs (and the current Google Maps category), the place is (wonderfully) entirely vegan, not merely vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A lovely, homey, welcoming spot. Delicious vegetarian/ vegan food. Very unique and deserves another visit when I have time to check out the bookshop.
Everything is vegan and has such amazing flavor. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the jerk tofu and seitan and it was actually spicy. I would recommend this place to anyone. They have a wide range of different flavored foods, something for everyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Jamaican Jerk Chickn was completely delicious and the bookstore is a unique part of this historic establishment. I plan on going back many times!
Good vegan protein place
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Interesting place on the water. Very informal. A good selection of interesting food options. Vegan, but tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was very good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious and wholesome! Definitely the best vegan “chicken” I’ve had (chicken mole with beans), and a very flavorful Thai pineapple coconut curry. The selection of books and art were sublime, as well😄
The food has been excellent every time I've been in the past few years. I put an average score for service because there is no table service, you pick up your food at the kitchen window. The staff have always been friendly. The tables are various old style wooden tables, very homey feel which I appreciate a lot. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
History drips from the walls here. They do homecooked vegan food right. They have an awesome set up that defies modern restauranting expectarions and creates a really special atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time without Selma, still a fun place. Excellent food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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