Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine is a little hidden gem of a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. It is not located on a main road, it has a niche concept, but it stands out for having delicious vegan cuisine.
The ‘V’ in Neo-V originally stood for vegetarian, according to the chef-owner. As it stands, the menu is vegan and the vast majority of ingredients used in the kitchen come directly from the garden located at the rear of the restaurant. This obviously encourages eating only the flavors of the season and forces the Dragonfly Neo-V kitchen to change its menu frequently, which it does.
The interior is modest but elegant at the same time. It has a simple flow and feel, forcing you to focus on the complexity of the menu. Other restaurants in Columbus, Ohio should take note: This is not a 24/7 high-end town where everyone attends the same actor studio company. Reinventing the wheel doesn’t work very well here.
I can’t think of a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio outside of Dragonfly Neo-V Kitchen that caters to the vegetarian/vegan crowd, making it a little easier to corner a few pockets of that market with no competition. The chef makes an effort to let the flavors of the seasonal ingredients do the talking and the food is delicious.
Our service was excellent, I know they are not perfect, and I go to restaurants to enjoy the food first and foremost. I have been to many restaurants in Columbus Ohio where the service was fishy at best, but the food came out and was amazing. That makes up for a lot of things IMHO. Get the right food; we’ll worry about the rest later.
The pistachio crusted tofu was great. I skipped dessert but they had a plentiful selection. They even have a light lunch concept right next to their restaurant, called On The Fly. I was given many samples of the garden offerings while I waited for my food. This is a nice touch. No expectations, just a kind of “try it and you might buy it” kind of operation.
Vegan restaurants are few and far between in this kind of beer and pizza town, so having a place like Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine right in the heart of this town is a nice touch. Meals are plentiful, I wasn’t hungry after an hour and felt great about supporting the local community. I will come back for the vegan food for sure.