Semilla

This was my birthday dinner. It was excellent. The $ 85 tasting menu included a fried cippolini onion with foie gras sauce, carpaccio of porcini mushrooms with ceviche of «New York State» shrimp in rhubarb juice, other savory courses, and two desserts. The vegetable-​forward menu suited our tastes perfectly. I’ve been having a lot of vegetables lately (Vic’s on Great Jones Street, Semilla) that have been beyond anything I imagined. We paired the meal with a dark rose that complimented every dish. The setting was chill. We sat at a U-​shaped counter, bar height. The music was good.
TIP: The counter seating might be difficult for parties larger than 2.
TIP: Check out the kitchen view in the bathroom.
TIP: Despite reports to the contrary, the meal is enough for an average person to be satisfied.

This is probably the best restaurant in NYC. The only reason I can believe I can even get a table here is because it’s so good and so small that the patrons must be actively keeping it a secret.
Let me say: If you don’t like this place, it’s actually *your* fault.
Ok about the meal: I’ve been twice and each time I ate at least 2 – 3 of the most creative and inspired dishes I’ve ever encountered. Here are a few examples:
Dishes:
Taranome Tempura with Bergamot Aioli & Citrus Cedar Salt — Oh taranome? It’s just the young buds of the angelica tree. Oh you’ve never had?
Polenta Sourdough with Cowbella Butter & Buttermilk — Creamy, incredible
Shrimp & Grits with Spring Greens — Speaks for itself
Desserts:
Turmeric Custard with Cara Cara Oranges & Anise Hyssop — you can eat the rinds if you roast them. Enjoy!
Plum Blossom Ice Cream with Preserved Plum Toffee & Almond Milk — god bless you Pam
Drinks:
Gose, Vacay, Grimm, Brooklyn, New York — just a light beer started from our local brooklyn friends.
Pineau d’Aunis, Rouge Gorge, Domaine Belliviere, 2014, Loire Valley, France — never had this grape before
The service is spectacular. They are patient and knowledgeable. They happily explain what the dishes are and where they came from.
Just go there you fools!

What happened?! We ate here quite awhile ago before all the hype and liked it so much that we came back this weekend with friends. Not the same experience. Let me start by saying — nothing was bad. All of the dishes were perfectly fine, some were really good. But nothing was really different. Or outstanding. Or impressive. Three piece of ‘root vegetable’ in a thin green sauce? A custard? Some ice cream? Boring. Major complaint is the wine pairing. Do not get this. The portions were a joke — think a tasting size, like what they bring you when you just want to try the wine to see if you want a full glass. Each ‘glass’ was finished in two sips, not even enough to enjoy while you eat the dish. Overall, disappointed this time. Maybe it was just a bad night?

This place is awesome, the bread is amazing. Staff is super friendly and let us try some of the experimental things. They have a way with vegetables.

The place is right kind of intimate and the food is cooked to the level of perfection. Too bad it is a little pricy (course meal cost about $ 110 per person without drinks including tax and tip) otherwise I would go pretty often!

As a sometimes jaded New Yorker, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh approach Semilla is taking to food. With only 18 tables, dinner is intimate, and the chefs comes out to describe the details of each carefully crafted dish. While not every dish was a hit, I appreciated the efforts they took to make common vegetables the centerpiece by pairing them delicately with other flavors. My favorite dish of the evening was the potato custard with black truffle and cod roe, an unexpectedly delightful mix of creamy and salty in every bite. As a bread lover, the polenta sourdough did not disappoint; it was deliciously moist and light but maintained a hearty flavor. I wasn’t previously familiar with any of the wines or beer that were in the wine pairing, but they all complemented the dishes well and provided some novel flavor notes (e.g. spruce beer!).
The bathrooms have a one-​way mirror so you can see into the kitchen, which is a little disconcerting, but I think it sums up my experience of Semilla quite well. They’re taking risks and doing things differently, but just roll with it and maybe whatever you find will end up being a pleasant surprise.

This place had incredible service, great food, and a friendly vibe. It’s as if you are sitting around your dining room table at home with a private chef and semolina taking care of you.
I would definitely recommend this place. Come in with an open mind and willingness to try new and adventures things.

We came here for Valentine’s Day dinner. It was a really fun spot and the idea is great. Essentially everyone sits around this massive chef’s tasting table and they come out and provide you with 11 different courses and their alcohol pairings if you choose to do so.
It’s a pretty small place and I think only 18 people are permitted at one time. There are no additional seating areas –it’s only the chefs table. It’s a very unique feel and I had never been to a restaurant like this before. All the dishes are really cool and they don’t use the same ingredient twice. They have a vegetarian option which is really good for us. It has a cool vibe and ambience and the waitstaff is really friendly. When they come out with each dish they thoroughly explain to you what it is and which ingredients were used to make the dish. It is pricy, especially on Valentine’s Day, but worth checking out. It’s also in a really fun part of Brooklyn near a bunch of bars to go out afterwards. Portions are fairly tiny so you will be able to eat all of it!

This review is a little bit overdue because I visited Semilla in Summer 2015. But, don’t let my delayed review signal a lack of enthusiasm — Semilla is incredible.
Upon walking into the restaurant (which is tucked away on a side street, so keep your eyes open!), you are greeted with a small, but ‘classically modern’ dining room. The room is quite small, but fits the large table where all of the diners sit. At first, I was a bit worried about brushing elbows with strangers as I tend to prefer just speaking with my own group, but this was no issue. The table is set in such a way that it encourages conversation amongst the diners, but by no means forces it.
Now onto the food. It was amazing. Now I could end with that word and that’s all that you need to know about Semilla — the food is great. But, I like a little more description. As the restaurant’s website states, Semilla is vegetable-​based. Meaning there could be meat on the plate, but in no way will it be the star of the dish. Meat-​eaters: don’t let this deter you. The flavors and textures of the dishes leave you wanting for nothing. There are 10 courses so make sure to pace yourself, but, keep in mind that the plates are small. Where Semilla seems to excel is in their combination of textures. If you get something thick and smooth, like a porridge, it will be accompanied by something crispy. My personal favorites on our menu were the Cornbread Porridge garnished with Okra (I had never tasted okra that I actually enjoyed until this dinner) and the Squash Blossom Tempura. My one gripe with the restaurant: the desserts were a bit of a letdown. Not bad in a way, but I think they tried too hard to be inventive when they should’ve put out desserts that were simple, but perfect in their simplicity. Judging by the success of their other dishes, the restaurant is capable of this perfect simplicity, so I was disappointed not to see it in their desserts.
Menu (Summer 2015):
1^st: Tomato with Charred Avocado & Nasturtium
2^nd: Cucumber Soup, Pickled Kohlrabi, Scallop Mousseline
3^rd: Charleston Rice with Raw Summer Vegetables
4^th: Fava Bean Falafel with Benne Seeds
5^th: Charleston Rice Sourdough with Housemade Ricotta
6^th: Whole Roasted Eggplant with Nettles & Preserved Tomato
7^th: Squash Blossom Tempura with English Peas & Black Truffles
8^th: Cornbread Porridge with Cannelloni Beans and Okra
9^th: Tomato, Wild Rose Cream & Strawberry
10^th: Crème Fraîche & Anise Hyssop Parfait with Red Currants
Bottom-​line: Go to Semilla. The menu is ever-​changing, the food is fresh, and they have a way with contrasting textures. It’s a vegetable-​based menu but you don’t miss the meat.
PS Their bathroom has a window that peeks into the kitchen. A little weird, but definitely check it out.

Very cool concept and interesting dinner but not without some significant flaws. Chic, modern space — everybody is seated around a U-​shaped counter, though is not quite a chef’s counter as the kitchen is not on the other side (though the bathroom does have a window — hopefully with one way glass — where you can spy directly into the kitchen as you do your business). I enjoyed the soundtrack which was atypical as well, sounded like Cuban jazz.
While not purely vegetarian there is minimal meat/​seafood (as in a dusting or two, not a course or two — or even a side of meat). Interestingly one speck of meat was some foie gras powder; unexpected choice for such a veggie centric venue. Vegetables are definitely the star and this Semilla does excellently. Most of the courses were interesting, delicious and some playful (such as a turnip coated in brioche proudly paraded table side before being cooked, in similar fashion to the duck at Eleven Madison Park). The meal started strong with an amazing tasting sunchoke filled bun (in the style of an Asian pork bun). Some execution issues in that the dough stuck firmly to the paper causing much of he filling to fall out as it was picked up, but damn did it taste fantastic. Really wished there was a full bun each rather than one to share with my dining partner. Wonderful spaghetti squash course that tasted like spaghetti in meat sauce, but no actual meat (and Semilla accomplishes this without faux meat such as Chick’n, but the food is so fresh, flavorful and expertly prepared). Some of the best bread and butter I’ve consumed as well — do not be shy about asking for seconds; in addition to being fantastic the meal is not hearty and if you have a large appetite you will otherwise leave hungry. Despite some meager portions the price of $ 85 is a good value for the number of courses factoring in the quality and ambiance.
Service was unfortunately not nearly on par with the cuisine. Definitely more than just a whiff of arrogance. For example the first seating is at 6:00pm, if you walk inside at 5:58pm (the door was unlocked and no closed sign) be expected to be told to «walk around the block» and return in two minutes. That is not hospitality and is simply obnoxious — no problem if they would say we are not quite ready but if you’d like I can show you to your seats and someone will be with you shortly (especially if it is a chilly evening outside). That kind of set the tone for the night; the front of the house staff just lacked warmth and seemed to treat you as though they felt it was a dream for you to simply be dining at Semilla. Pacing of the meal was also a tad rushed IMHO (approximately 90 minutes start to finish).
I’d advise against the wine pairing; stingy pours and while I appreciated they had a mix of reds and whites despite the veg focus (as well as a beer) they did not seem to enhance the food, were decent but forgettable on their own and unlike the food were a poor value ($ 60 for six small pours, equating to glass and a half of wine total at best).
Semilla is unique and has the potential to be something special, but hopefully it will not coast and take it’s early success for granted because compared to most Michelin starred venues I’ve frequented there is work to be done, especially with the front of house.

I don’t know how to start my review, as I’m a 100% carnivore. From my stand point, there are hits and misses among all dishes; though probably judged by a vegetarian, Semilla could be impeccable from all aspects.
Hit 1: Fantastic grape fruit juice.
Hit 2: Veggie steamed bun; dipping sauce was also great.
Hit 3: Bread with black truffle, as all other Unilocalers have pointed. Bread indeed brought my attention with the help of truffle.
Miss 1: Strawberry vinegar — form some expectation before ordering as it could go really sour!
Miss 2: Spaghetti, not really enjoy the texture and cannot appreciate the strong smell.
Miss 3: I think there is a lack of main theme for the tasting dishes — I’m not quite sure what Semilla was trying to bring me after all.
As a newly raised Michelin-​star, Semilla was doing a decent job; nevertheless I believe there is still room for further improvement, to my limited experience.

Semilla’s tasting menu is inventive, adventurous, and surprisingly satisfying for what is essentially a meatless meal. I’m a carnivore through and through, but I do enjoy a vegetarian (or sometimes even vegan) meal from time to time, and at Semilla, I didn’t even miss the meat. The seafood dishes added some savory, briny flavors, so it’s not completely vegan.
The restaurant is super space-​optimized, from the seating to the bathroom to the kitchen, but it didn’t feel cramped to me. Every dish we had was beautiful, and I can say that pretty much everything was tasty, some dishes more than others (I add salt to everything, and I found that some dishes were a little too salty even for me). We appreciated the humor and the riffing on classic dishes that the chefs came up with — there’s a lot of creativity in this meal. The service was attentive, helpful, and enthusiastic, and I was amazed at all the magic they whip up in that tiny kitchen!
The courses we had, in early November:
1. A chestnut fritter on a bed of crushed chestnut shells, accompanied by a raspberry/​pine vinaigrette for dipping: this was a great take on a chicken croquette with mustard dipping sauce. Savory, small, and gone in two bites.
2. Raw, ribboned matsutake mushrooms with a pumpkin seed ragu and Parmesan cheese: this was a little salty but super delicious. The mushrooms have a cool texture, and I couldn’t believe that the ragu wasn’t made of ground meat; it had the flavor, mouthfeel, smell, and texture of a meat ragu. This was one of my favorites.
3. Pumpkin soup, in a pumpkin, with broccoli and green tomatoes: This was really fun, and reminded me of fall days as a child, eating cheddar broccoli soup with bacon. There are little crispy bacon bit-​type things as a garnish — I couldn’t figure out what these were, but they were delicious. The pumpkin-​as-​bowl was delightful. Another favorite.
4. Spaghetti squash with lemon, tomato, and crab: This was pretty salty. The crab had a great texture but this wasn’t one of the standouts. A very competent dish, though — nice riff on pasta with crab and tomatoes.
5. Rye/​potato sourdough bread with Cowbella butter served in its buttermilk: OMG this bread was the bomb. Soft, moist, delicious, and the butter in buttermilk is GENIUS. I could eat this at every meal, seriously. I was so mad at the group sitting across from us for not touching their bread. It took a lot of restraint not to leap across the table and take their bread basket.
6. Chicken of the woods mushrooms with potatoes and green beans: I think this was supposed to be like franks and beans. I liked this one but am having trouble remembering exactly what captured me about it.
7. Brussels sprout leaf stuffed with shredded sauteed Brussels sprouts and smoked onion, with a whipped Dijon dipping sauce sprinkled with barley grains: I realize that my description sounds super complicated and pretentious, but this dish was down to earth: basically, a stuffed cabbage. Savory, warm, though the giant Brussels sprout leaf fell apart when I tried to knife and fork it. I liked this one a lot.
8. Roasted squash tart and goat cheese tart: This was AMAZING. A beautifully light and buttery crust, with sweet squash and creamy goat cheese. I wish this is what quiche could be, always.
9. Chestnut mousse with black olive and lavender gelee: A totally unexpected flavor combo that really worked — this was a terrific dessert.
10. Fig leaf rice pudding with fermented grape granita and pine nuts: Another weird flavor trio that worked really well — plus a mix of textures, temperatures, and colors. Loved this dessert!
One of my qualms about Semilla is that the options for wines by the glass are somewhat limited (lots of bottles available, though). Otherwise, this was a fairly pricy but very tasty meal; definitely a food-​as-​art kind of place. I would challenge you to take a meat lover here without telling them it’s a pescetarian menu — I think they wouldn’t really notice until the meal was almost over.

My fiancée is vegetarian and it can be hard to find places that are friendly for her, but the «vegetable forward» concept at Semilla turns the tables.
We were impressed by the ambiance and atmosphere, from the no-​name exterior, to the 18 seat island, to the various aspects of the interior design like the hanging lights and the rack of simple spice jars.
Everyone has the same menu, save for my fiancé who was vegetarian, but it doesn’t effect the menu all too much (they have some meat accents which complement the vegetable dishes, which were not noticeable when absent, per my fiancé). Our favorites were the spaghetti squash, which reminded me of some of my favorite pasta dishes, and the brioche turnip, which was the most unique of the dishes we tried. Our least favorite was the hen of the woods mushrooms & potatoes. At the end of our meal, the pastry chef Pam Yung brought out the desert, a fig leaf rice pudding, with a candle for my fiancé’s birthday.
Overall, a truly unique experience which reverses the meat-​heavy concept that runs New York. Would recommend trying it for those who are OK with the price; but for a 10 course meal, theirs is under the high-​priced tasting menus of similar length available throughout Manhattan.

Maybe it’s the season. Maybe it’s just me. I wasn’t a fan of the tasting with the exception of the sweet courses, which were creative and delicious. This restaurant leans heavily on vegetables which is a great concept, but most of the dishes were heavily salted or did not have enough flavor. The heavily salted dishes would have been great for wine drinkers, but I don’t really drink. Some of the vegetables used don’t have much flavor especially when cooked whole since the sauces don’t penetrate the skin very well. Maybe smaller sized vegetables would’ve had the right vegetable to sauce proportion or maybe the vegetables just need to be infused a bit more with the sauces. Service was excellent and very accommodating.
Fooooood:
Sunchoke bun: the bun was a bit on the dry side and the stuffing inside wasn’t very flavorful
Butternut squash with a little hint of foie gras: a bit on the salty side but not bad
Squash spaghetti with crab: my favorite savory dish of the night but a bit too salty
Bread with butter and milk: delicious
Mushrooms with beans and potatoes: not a fan of beans or flavorless potatoes but the mushrooms were decent although a bit too salty and I had to eat the bread with the mushrooms
Brussels sprouts leaf with sautéed Brussels sprouts and mustard seeds: a bit too salty but interesting concept
Beautiful turnip brioche with a hint of truffle sauce and side salad: similar to a beef Wellington but with a turnip; the brioche was pretty good especially with that truffle sauce, but the turnip tasted like a steamed turnip and could’ve used some other flavors
Mushroom soup in a saucer: cute cup, but the hot soup burned my tongue and the soup didn’t taste all that great
Chestnut mousse and ice cream: delicious
Fig leaf rice pudding: delicious with a nice crunchy texture mixed in with the pudding

I was SO excited to try Semilla, a recently rated Michelin establishment, but I was really let down. You would think that they would explain the options for a beverage pairing and we learned that half way through our meal. In addition, they barely spoke up with any excitement over the dishes. I felt like we were in a factory being served and then when done, left.
The only highlights of the meal were the rice pudding, spaghetti squash, bread course and pumpkin soup.
I was so disappointed and really wish I could get my money back.

I live above Semilla, so when I heard that they were given the Michelin star nod I knew I had to check it out. I made a reservation the night before for 6pm on a Saturday.
I walked down the stairs and made a left. Nothing like location eh? And this is where the restaurant instantly loses a star that can’t be given back. They say be prompt, and I was 5 minutes early. I arrived on a windy, chilly autumn evening to a locked door and people telling me I cannot enter until 6. And there were bustling employees sweeping and getting the place ready.
Seriously? I get that the place is extremely small, but I cannot abide being told to wait outside when I am 5 minutes early to a top tier restaurant.
Now that I got that out of my system we can review the venue proper.
Semilla is an extremely small 14 restaurant where you sit at a large hollow bar with your fellow diners. The food is served straight from the restaurant to you from the bar in a machine like fashion that is extremely efficient but lack some charm. The staff was friendly however the sommelier (assumption based on that he was the one doling out and describing the wine) was a touch overbearing. I have an extremely accommodating pallet and will consume pretty much anything potable however I am not a wine expert. To to be spoken to of a wine like I should know the year and season and way it was created was a touch out of left field.
Alright on to the food. In short — creative and outstanding. Vegetable forward cannot be overstated. I am a steak loving kind of guy, but even I was won over. A flaming tamale, the best cream of mushroom soup I have ever had, an amazing bitter almond tart and the no silverware ice cream sandwich are the highlights. Some missteps would be the broccoli salad, which was overwhelmed with a tremendous amount of Hollandaise, and the encrusted pear was a bit tough. However, the food was a ⁵⁄₅ and I will definitely be back for another seasons menu alone. It is also very filling, so go in hungry.
I also optioned for the drink pairing and it was definitely a smart choice. Six small pours of wines, ciders and beers did a great job in working with and supporting the menu. Also, the wine list is labyrinthine at best, so letting them do the work for you is a good call. Some of the wines and ciders were absolutely fantastic and none were a complete miss. Overall the pours were slightly anemic and with the sheer quantity of food coming at you I felt myself hitting a dry glass pretty often.
Overall Semlli is a wonderful restaurant. I feel the only shortcomings are mechanical and the food and drink is world class, especially in a way that presents a 10 course, 95% veggie tasting menu. Talking cost, the tasting menu is now $ 85 and the drink selection is $ 60. With a cup of coffee (mediocre, skip it), tax and tip I was at $ 210 per head. I think for the experience offered this is extremely reasonable.

I was late to getting here for a number of reasons. The main reason is that I don’t prefer tasting menus, even though the meal usually ends up being incredible. Other reasons include reading reviews about the courses being mostly vegetables and people referring to it as being ultra hipster to the point of feeling like you are in a Portlandia episode. I wanted to dislike the hipster silliness that I enjoy watching Fred Armisen satirize, but it turns out that the bizarre concoctions here were really delicious.
It’s actually not as hipster as some people are saying. The atmosphere is really chill, and definitely the most relaxed I’ve been for a tasting menu. It’s a big U-​shaped counter with space in the middle for the servers to shuttle the dishes back and forth, and the tiny kitchen in the back of the restaurant.
They have some bizarre sodas available (Strawberry Vinegar?) as well as a drink list to start, and then they start bringing out the courses, sometimes with no break at all in between, and sometimes with a too long wait for the next bite.
— Tomato Gazpacho with Peaches, Rat Tail Radishes & Black Olives
This was a super flavorful and powerful way to start the meal. I was not expecting the flavor to be so strong, as gazpacho is often on the blander side, but the addition of the peaches made this really addictive.
They also brought out a little bite at this point which wasn’t listed on the menu of the meal they emailed later that night, which was one of my favorites of the night — a small cherry tomato stuffed with sweet corn. Delicious.
— Sweet Corn Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushrooms
After the tomatoes and tomatoes stuffed with corn, we move on to more corn. This was another soupy dish with more flavor than I expected, but not as delicious as the gazpacho.
— Roasted Eggplant with Pepper Leaves & Grapes
This was tasty too, but the textures were a little hard for me to grasp. The eggplant was super mushy, and topped with little bits of super crunchy stuff — was it grape nuts maybe? To complement the grapes? Even though this was really weird, I still found myself eating every bite of it.
— Multi Grain Sourdough with Cowbella Butter & Buttermilk
I read a lot of reviews singing the praise of how amazing the bread was here, which may have gotten me a little hyped up, as I thought it was quite good, but not what everybody is making it out to be, and certainly unable to touch the incredible bread course I tried at Ko. My only problem with it was that it wasn’t warm at all. If I’m getting bread as 1 course out of 9 (which works out to $ 8 or so for bread), I would expect it to be served at least not cold.
— Tomato Salad with Cucumbers
This was one of the few courses I didn’t completely enjoy. Less a salad and more a foamy soup, it tasted too much like one of those healthy green juices.
— Tomato Tart
This was my favorite course of the night. A small square tart topped with multiple layers of thinly sliced different types of tomatoes, it tasted so much better than it sounds and looks.
— Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms with Corn & Mole
I guess this was the main course, which I didn’t realize at the time. With a play on words on the type of mushroom in the dish, the thick, meaty mushrooms really did almost taste and look like chicken. I’m not even the biggest fan of mushrooms, but again I was surprised at how good this was.
— Peaches, Saffron & Bitter Almond
This was a decent first dessert course. The peaches were super sweet, which I always like, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the finale.
— Tarragon Profiterole with Blueberry & Buttermilk
This tiny little bite was a great finish to the meal. Obviously much smaller than I would have liked, but it was a great little fancy ice cream sandwich that I could’ve eaten at least 10 more of.
I’ve never eaten so much tomato in one meal before, but they included them in such different ways and preparations that I didn’t really notice at the time. I’ve definitely tried tasting menus with better, more satisfying food, but this one is totally a must try for something different and something that can surprise you based on the ingredients they are using. Other reviewers have pointed out how they left very hungry, which I could see being possible since it’s really not that much food and there isn’t much protein (I can’t judge too well though, since I anticipated this and ate a ton of ice cream and some pizza on my way over).
For $ 75, it’s not a bad price compared to some of the ultra expensive tasting menus out there, and it’s fun if you don’t like the stuffiness of most of them and don’t feel like wearing non-​comfortable clothes. Just make sure you really like tomatoes, corn and mushrooms, otherwise you will not be very happy.

Semilla is without a doubt one of the city’s best new restaurants and definitely serves the best largely vegetarian tasting you can pretty much find. For me, it honestly did live up to the hype.
Plus, Semilla happens to have hands down the best bread course in NYC. It is cooked up by grain maestro Pamela Yung, who used to work at Tartine before heading to Brooklyn. The bread is served mid-​meal, and last night it was a black garlic brioche in the shape of a cinnamon roll served with fermented tomato. It was absurdly good and worth the trip alone.
As for the food, I think Semilla has really gotten into the groove of their veggie-​forward mission because there was no meat of any kind on the menu last night and I honestly didn’t miss it one bit. It was pretty wild. Check out the courses yourself:
1) Creamed English Pea Tart
2) Tomato with Avocado & Nasturtium
3) Charleston Rice with Raw Vegetables
4) Pattypan Squash with Peanuts & Dried Mint
5) Roasted Eggplant with Nettles & Preserved Tomato
6) Black Garlic Brioche with Fermented Tomato
7) Potatoes with Bok Choy & Curry
8) Fava Bean Falafel with Benne Seeds
9) Tomato, Rose Cream & Strawberry
10) Crème Fraîche & Anise Hyssop Parfait with Red Fruit
Every course was wildly creative and blended homy, almost comfort food like flavors (like falafel and berries & cream) with extremely high technique and unlikely vegetables, fruits, and spices. The second course, for instance, was actually a savory tomato granita encasing this amazing mix of avocado and nasturtium. High points were definitely the English Pea Tart, the Pattypan Squash, the Eggplant, and the outstanding bread course. Desserts were the weakest.
I also want to shout out to the very attentive wait staff and the U-​shaped counter which was, for some reason, not as annoying as a rectangular shared table. Also, don’t worry about the window in the bathroom, it’s one way.
Looking back, I honestly can’t believe the whole meal was veggies with small amounts of milk products and perhaps a bit of animal fat applied here and there. It was unique, refreshing, filling, and I left both having experienced utterly unique food and not feeling guilty in the slightest.
I can see why people keep saying restaurants like this are the future of food.

I stumbled in from out of a summer rain storm. I was immediately greeted empathetically and cheerfully by Billy, and offered some Riesling. Salsa music was playing on the speakers and I couldn’t help but feel so much happier.
Nestled in an unlikely part of Williamsburg, Semilla’s menu is what they call «veggie-​forward,» but mostly it’s just very personal, seasonal cooking at its best. None of the dishes felt tired or overused, and vegetables were used but not with the dogmatic sense that is felt at many restaurants attempting a similar concept. Meat is not «taboo,» but definitely plays more of a supporting role in the cast of lively ingredients.
The falafel was great, and Pamela Yung’s bread seriously was unforgettable. Lovely crust, perfectly moist and soft interior, and begging to be eating. For all the non-​lactose-​intolerants out there, take advantage of that delicious-​looking buttermilk/​butter. Pam herself noticed that I wasn’t able to have the butter and came out with amazing canola oil with salt. It was so delicious.
I definitely recommend the experience of eating at Semilla. Fair warning for those that don’t want to eat 4 slices of delicious bread like I did, you may not be full when you leave. Heh :)

Ok overall and reminds me a LOT of Degustation in Manhattan. The menu changes weekly.
No menu here, just $ 75 for 8 – 10 courses. Allow 2 hours for the meal.
Note: If you’re the kind of person who cant stand grapefruit (like i do) make sure you bring it up because the dessert course is made with it
The food was good and I didn’t leave hungry but since everyone is giving 5 stars, let’s address some issues I had:
— 100% vegetarian meal. No meat or seafood whatsoever. This is a huge deal since it really lowers the value of the experience.
— Portions were small with some giving 2 to 3 bites each
— Bread basket as a course. The bread is great but it’s not a course. I came to this place starving and the bread basket was served half way through the meal. Sadly, this half a loaf was the biggest portion we got all night. The fact they served it twice during the meal was probably the only reason we didn’t leave hungry.
— No regular menu. I really wish they had a regular menu to supplement like other places in case you were still hungry or wanted an appetizer.
— Beer and cider menu way too eccentric. The list was completely made up of hard to pronounce foreign names and doesn’t even list the type of beer. All except two ciders were by the .75 bottle, and out of those, they ran out of the cider that wasn’t gross.
— The music. Not sure what mood they were trying to set but it was all over the place. We heard Spanish music, gangster rap, and even some tribal drums.
Again, just a few gripes but overall great if you take it for what it is.
Degustation in Manhattan is almost identical and offers way better variety and quantity of food
EDIT: 2016 — Honestly cannot believe this place now has a Michelin star and has a 4 star rating at
.
Complete snobbery. I’m convinced the Michelin star rating system is complete bs
Since coming here, I have been to almost all the «big hitters» in the Michelin/​Tasting menu scene. You can see my other reviews for a comparison:
==========
Here’s my Ultra-​High end tasting menu/​Michelin Star grading sheet from Best to Worst:
— Eleven Madison Park A
— Brooklyn Fare C
— Momofoku Ko D
— Le Bernardin F
— Semilla F