City Bistro is a vegan-owned “tea house and coffee company” in St. Augustine, Florida, a city that we love! They serve locally roasted coffee and have a nice tea selection. We were surprised to learn they use locally baked (delicious) breads on their menu items. And they have a large selection of breakfast and lunch foods (including pastries). The restaurant location is removed from the hub-bub of the historical shopping and dining district by only a few blocks, but far enough away for it to be very peaceful and for parking not to be a problem at all. In fact, they are just across the street from the tram ride, where you can get a day pass and use the tram/train all day to tour St. Augustine. The train/tram has a huge parking lot for its customers only.
Mr. Key Lime and I have been to City Bistro a couple of times and have enjoyed it each time. It’s the kind of place where I always say, “If I lived here, I’d hang out at this place.” The dining room and environment are relaxing and inviting. They have high and low tables both, all with comfy chairs, and a corner of couches and upholstered chairs. The upholstered furniture area also has tables for your food or laptop. Coastal style paintings by area artists fill the walls and are for sale.
The menu includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items as well as non-vegan and non-vegetarian items. My only disappointment was when ordering a vegan breakfast sandwich, I was told I couldn’t get one without the tofu eggs, because the sandwiches were pre-assembled and couldn’t be altered. I had seen on their website “it would be our pleasure to custom-make any item to suit your preferences and requirements.” So, that was a drag.
At the time of our visit (and subject to change), there were 8 vegan option items (clearly marked) on the menu. Hubs and I have so far only ordered the vegan veggie wraps, which were ah-mah-zing. Rarely do we order something that has such perfectly balanced textures and flavors, but these wraps were GOOD. They were filled with hummus, sweet potato, greens, cucumbers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and banana peppers. I’m typically not a fan of the (often overwhelming) flavors of pickled items like banana peppers and olives, but these flavors all blended so well! The wrap itself was crunchy from being put on a grill or panini maker, which had me declaring that I would now and forever panini grill my wraps made at home. Each wrap was served with an unexpected little side dish of relish made with chickpeas, onion, broccoli, tomatoes and more. It was a tasty and nice addition.
We tried their medium roast and dark roast coffees; both were smooth and mellow. They have a tray of glasses and a water dispenser in the dining room. For someone like me, who drinks two or three glasses of water with a meal, this was a godsend.
I expect to revisit City Bistro many times because of their varied menu and plenty of vegan choices, plus food available for non-vegan friends. The atmosphere is comfortable and pretty (I forgot to mention, they have the prettiest wall shelving I’ve ever seen!). The staff is always super nice and friendly, and the coffee is very satisfying.
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