Labyrinth Press Company - Jamestown, New York

Mark K.

This place is a rare find, especially in a relatively out-of-the-way small city like Jamestown. It combines a small-town friendliness with a delightful albeit relatively simple dining experience. For us, it was a hidden gem.

The storefront for this diminutive little shop is not that obvious in passing as it is a half-flight down from street level. It is connected to the bar upstairs, which creates an interesting mix. It caters to breakfast aficionados and coffee connoisseurs, but there is also a chance to grab some creative dinners and lunches. This includes the provision for an extensive choice of beers and wines. On their website, it says it was "born a coffee shop, married a craft beer and wine bar (which) hatched a full service restaurant". It's a unique evolution.

The seating area in the lower level restaurant is quite small, with room for maybe 30 or 40 people. There is also an option to go upstairs to the connected bar, the Brazil Lounge. There apparently is also patio seating available in warmer weather.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a busy employee behind the counter, who invited us to sit where we would like (including upstairs if we wanted). The atmosphere in the quiet lower level suited us better on this occasion and there were still two or three empty tables when we arrived at 6 PM on a Thursday. The vibe was very casual, cozy and unpretentious. We opted for a window-side booth. Our server, Kate, attended to us right away and did a great job.

The drinks were notable. I had a hard time choosing something from the wine list, but I settled on the Primitivo. However, my wife hit the jackpot with her drink, a coffee creation called the Montezuma Mocha Latte. It was an espresso with vegan chocolate sauce, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne pepper. It was a chocolatey treat with an intense complementary zing. For us, this concoction set a standard for a liquid chocolate treat.

Their vegetarian menu offered several inventive and inviting options. We are not vegetarians, but we still enjoy good veg dishes. And what we tried here had to be among the best we have ever had. There are some very nice starters available and we opted for the Mediterranean Plate, which included sweet peppers, garlic stuffed olives, grilled flat bread and crackers. The dips were hummus and whipped feta topped with honey. The feta was the highlight, but the peppers were also unusually good and the flat bread was warm and delicious.

For her main, my wife had a Peppadew Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This was a huge winner. It was comfort food that was wonderfully flavorful. It featured melted Peppadew Cheddar and homemade apricot jam. Wow! It absolutely presented the perfect blend of flavors crashing together. I was fortunate that my wife shared a couple of bites of this gratifying sandwich with me.

I tried the Masoor Dal for my main, which featured chili ginger garlic, spiced lentils with tomatoes, onion, cucumber and carrots over basmati rice topped with a touch of cilantro aoli. It came with a side of that lovely grilled flatbread. It was very good but, if dinner were a battle, my wife was the clear winner. My selection was terrific but hers was superbly memorable.

Then came dessert. We couldn't resist as there were some fabulously decadent options. We finally decided on the Espresso Truffle Cake. This presented a flourless cake crust made with black and Dutch cocoas, dark chocolate and espresso powder topped with a chocolate espresso cream cheese mousse and finished with a layer of chocolate ganache. It was great, especially when accompanied by a dark roast coffee. Again, this instantly became a standard-bearer for us as far as chocolatey desserts.

There was quite a lot of food with our order. Our bill with food, drink, tax and tip was $80. The prices here were actually quite reasonable and you don't have to spend nearly that much for a good meal. But we enjoyed our choices and had leftovers to bring home. Looking back, I would have done nothing different. I hope we have a chance to try this place again.

Amanda C.

Prompt service during lunch rush while eating in. Fresh ingredients. Cozy atmosphere.vegan and vegetarian options. Haven’t tried something and not liked it.

April S.

What a gem! As a lifelong omnivore and foodie, I was blown away by the incredible Africa Peanut Burger (made vegan.) Service was timely for take out and so delicious, we ordered it again the next day before traveling home. Such a cute spot, too! 100% recommend!

Rosie

We had a great meal at the Labyrinth Press. The food was hot and fresh. Marcus provided great service and made us feel right at home. As others have mentioned, they have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. This was the first veggie burger I had that didn't fall apart while eating it. I would definitely recommend stopping by for a meal or cup of coffee.

Ashley M.

Alex at the Brazil is absolutely wonderful
And knowledgeable in his work. The restaurant and bar is fantastic and service is on point. Highly recommended.

Udit A.

Come visit the Labyrinth Press Company in Jamestown for an excellent array of vegetarian options. We tried a lot of different dishes on the menu and enjoyed all of them.

We had two of the flatbreads (Joe vs. the Volcano, Goodfellas), the Butternut Squash Ravioli, the Peruvian Tofu sandwich, the Broccoli Cheddar Soup, the Layered Nachos, and a few others.

The Flatbreads were excellent, as was the Ravioli, Nachos and Soup. The Tofu sandwich was slightly dry but tasted good.

Overall, a great dining experience. Definitely worth a visit!

Karissa P.

I let the man pick and he didn't realize they didn't serve meat. I had a black bean quesadilla and it was delicious. I found at least 3 other dishes I could enjoy without meat. He had a hard time. All of that aside it was a new experience for us. The service was good. They were pretty fast. The food was infact delicious.

Jay H.

Great little spot in Jamestown. Vegan food. Awesome beer selection.