Claire's Corner Copia
Hours
Profile
Neighborhood
- Downtown, just off the green
Smoke-free?
- Yes
Reservations?
- Not Accepted
Wheelchair Accessible?
- Yes
Accepts
$$ - average
American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Italian, Eclectic (Varied)
Vegetarian entrees, sandwiches and baked goods.
Claire's has been serving the Yale crowd in downtown New Haven for over 30 years. The small eatery is a dependable source of good food throughout the day and into the late night.
Orders are placed at the counter. The menu sprawls across a series of blackboards on the wall. Daily specials and local, seasonal options are available. Once your order is placed you'll pay, give your name and find a seat. Once prepared a member of the small waitstaff will bring out your dishes and call your name. Service is generally quick enough for a fast lunch. Once finished you're expected to bring your dishes to a bin for cleaning.
There are many vegan options (listed with a heart on the menu).
Coffees, teas and juice/smoothies are available.
Corner of Chapel and College Streets, just off the New Haven Green. Not far from the Shubert theater and the old Yale bookstore.
- (Mostly) Organic
- Kid-Friendly
- Kosher
- Outdoor Seating
- Wireless (free)
Added by Joshua Warchol on Apr 16 04 (updated May 15)
Reviews
i love it at claire's <3
I used to really like this place when I was vegetarian (but not vegan). I recently went back for the first time in 10 years and was disappointed to see that there was almost nothing that I could eat. Well, ok, there were things that I could eat, but who really wants to go to a vegetarian restaurant just to eat a salad or veggies on a pita?
There are a number of menu items that are labeled "vegan optional" but this does not mean that they'll put soy cheddar on your sandwich instead of real cheddar - it just means that they'll leave off the cheese. I was so irritated when I found this out that I just left the restaurant without ordering anything, so my rating of "terrible" has nothing to do with how the vegan food actually tastes (I wouldn't know), it simply expresses my frustration that this well-known vegetarian restaurant doesn't have any worthwhile vegan options.
I used to go here but they don't have anything for me to eat and they don't seem to care. I have spoken to Claire but still no changes. For my vegan diet I go the Edge of the Woods or Duck Soup. I have vegan choices and I don't walk away disappointed.
Nameste
Claire's has been around for so long and yet it does not seem to change. I am distressed by the inclusion of fish on the menu and most things seem to have cheese on them, which, depending on the rennet, wouldn't even be vegetarian. Eating at Claire's for a vegan is like eating at any other restaurant where you look for the one or two things you can eat. It's a great place for omnivores and for those people who call themselves "vegetarian" and still eat chicken and fish.
When I walked in, I was unpleasantly surprised to see how few things on the menu were vegan. It was breakfast time, and they don't serve anything off the regular menu, so I ordered one of the two vegan items off the breakfast menu. The tofu scramble I had was much much worse than any other tofu scramble I've ever had. The tofu did not have any spices or flavor. It looked like big white chunks of gelatinous tofu on a fancy white plate. It did have a few bits of vegetables but these had no flavor or texture. It was so gross that although I was really hungry and had paid $8 for it, I couldn't finish it.
This place might be good for vegetarians, but it is bad for vegans. It makes veganism seem hard by charging extra for soy milk, not offering easy vegan dishes (e.g. I can't believe that they don't have any vegan desserts!! How hard can it be to make one vegan cookie??), refusing to make other simple things vegan, and finally making the few vegan dishes (or at least the ones I tried) without much flavor, texture, or taste.
Almost everything has cheese in it, and most items without cheese don't taste good. They will only make vegan desserts if you request them the day before, as "vegan desserts don't keep well." For better vegan food in New Haven, visit one of the many ethnic restaurants or just about anywhere else. This place only promotes the notion that being vegan is a sacrifice.
Claire's certainly isn't like it used to be. Everything seems to be rather expensive for the lack of flavor that you get. They give a "vegan" option but make mistakes regularly. I live in the area and can tell anyone that Claire's isn't worth going to anymore. Eat something cheaper and more flavorful than a bed of plain raw veggies on a plate.