Utopia - Bangor

I absolutely loved this place! It has a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the stylish decor perfectly reflects my feelings for the people of Maine. Unlike many restaurants where vegan options are often an afterthought, here they truly shine. The food is thoughtfully flavored and beautifully presented, with a lot of attention to detail and excellent use of seasonings. Our server, Sabrina, was fantastic and gave us spot-on recommendations, earning a perfect 10 out of 10 from us. I had the best cauliflower steaks I've ever tasted, paired with a lovely, light local craft beer. The music added to the great ambiance as well. I can't recommend Utopia highly enough!

This restaurant has a relaxed vibe where guests can choose how to dress. The menu features a reasonable selection of vegan options, but none of them truly impressed us. The Polenta fries were tasty, but didn’t pair well with the sauce. The falafel plate was decent, though the falafels had a strong lemon flavor that reminded my partner of his mother's 7-Up cake. Additionally, I’ve never encountered falafel served with tahini or a similar dipping sauce before.

It has many vegan options and they are all very good. they even have vegan poutins.

We started with the colorful salad and soup bowls. I had a sweet drink made from a delightful mix of tomato and zucchini bites along with other flavorful vegetables in a broth that offered unique foreign aromas, providing a refreshing change from the often acidic taste of tomato-based soups found in many other restaurants. The fresh mint leaves in the Faro salad enhanced the olive oil and poppy seed dressing beautifully. For the main course, I ordered one of the most original dishes I've ever had—cauliflower steak, paired with a sweet and spicy sauce made with various spices and hot paprika. The side of rice provided a gentle contrast to the bold flavors of the steak. However, similar to my first experience at Utopia, some dishes leaned towards being overly sweet. The roasted Brussels sprouts with their simple syrup were almost dessert-like, while the dates in the cauliflower steak somewhat overshadowed the paprika. I also had to contend with dried cranberries in my Faro salad, despite ordering it without them this time. These missteps, along with the unacceptably slow service, were the only things that prevented me from giving a full five-star rating.

Many of the items on the menu are marked as vegan or can be made vegan. Mezze platter, polenta fries, and the cauliflower steak (made vegan) were highlights and would absolutely order again. They also offer vegan desserts.