Environmentally friendly gestures come in all shapes and forms; some recycle anything from plastic bottles to food, while others leave the car at home and opt for a nice bicycle ride to work. One way to preserve the planet’s resources with minimum effort is to go to Otarian restaurant in New York City. The owner Radhika Oswal has come up with a unique concept; all the eatery’s ingredients have been “grown, gathered, sourced and prepared” with one thought in mind: to make the least amount of impact on the environment as possible.  

The environmentally friendly restaurant publishes the food’s ingredients along with a chart comparing how much CO2e emissions you would have been created by a more standard option. The idea is quite simple; livestock production causes a lot of greenhouse emissions, not to mention water pollution and land degradation, so by going vegetarian – if only on your lunch break – you can help save the planet a lot of energy!

Otarian’s menu is fairly vast and most of its items would make for the perfect lunch. CitySaheli tried and approved the curried apple and parsnip soup, but Otarian also offers a roasted tomato consommé and a pea and spinach potage. Otarian’s burgers are as big as they are tasty; CitySaheli munched on the Portobello mushroom burger and its healthy, egg-free dressing was a treat! 

For those who prefer a wrap or a simple salad there are a wide variety of healthy options like the avocado, tomato and mozzarella mix, the vegetable couscous, the toasted burrito, the spiced coconut curry, and a spicy potato side dish. The vegetable Biryani, however, consisted mainly of white rice with fewer veggies than we would have liked. For dessert try the delicious choc o mousse, or go for the apple crumble or panna cotta o berry. 

Otarian opened two restaurants in New York City in 2010 and London also houses two branches. The restaurant makes an effort to keep its design environmental friendly; most of the material inside the eatery is recycled and sustainable so you can enjoy a sustainable snack in a green setting!  

154 Bleecker Street, New York, NY
Tel: (212) 614 6834

947 Eighth Ave, New York, NY
Tel: (212) 489 3270

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