Boulder's Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant Moves to Spacious New Digs

The twelve-year old vegetarian eatery moved just around the corner to a more visible location on Pearl Street.

December 10, 2018

Image: Leaf just sprouted in its new location on Pearl Street in Boulder.

Leaf just sprouted in its new location on Pearl Street in Boulder. Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

What happens on the ground matters — Your support makes it possible.

We’re aiming to raise $17,000 by August 10, so we can deepen our reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now: grassroots protests, immigration, politics and more.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$17,000

$3,700

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, a favorite spot among meat-free diners, has moved from 2010 16th Street in Boulder to a new location just a block away. The desire for a larger, more visible space was what inspired the move, explains owner Sara Stewart Martinelli. The new spot seats about 30 percent more guests than the original, which opened in 2006.

click to enlarge

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant's new location seats 30 percent more customers than the previous spot.

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

The owners felt that potential customers were having a hard time finding their way to dinner at Leaf, since the restaurant was off the main drag of Pearl Street. It's now located directly on Pearl Street, so there’s more foot traffic and it's easier to spot while driving by. “East Pearl is a great area, with some amazing restaurants and great shops just off the Pearl Street Mall,” Martinelli explains.

The new location opened Saturday, December 8, to a full house. It ties in design concepts from the original but adds some new architectural elements, including windows that open directly onto Pearl Street and a design motif that captures a natural, indoor/outdoor feel.

click to enlarge

Big windows open onto Pearl Street when the weather permits.

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

Leaf's menu is updated seasonally, but no changes were made for the move. It's entirely vegetarian, with a large majority of the dishes also vegan or having a vegan option. “We felt that the new location was change enough for our loyal regulars and wanted to reassure them that we’d still have our great vegetarian menu,” Martinelli says. So popular dishes such as the Buffalo cauliflower tacos, "cauliflower-style" oyster mushrooms, Burmese corn curry and Jamaican jerk tempeh with forbidden black rice can still be found.

Leaf is now at 1710 Pearl Street, in the former home of Zeal. The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to close, with Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a happy hour daily from 3 to 6 p.m. For more information, call 303-442-1485 or visit the Leaf website.

Kristen Kuchar is a Colorado writer covering dining and the beverage industry, including wine, beer, cider and spirits. Her articles have appeared in VinePair, the Beer Connoisseur, Beer Advocate, Craftbeer.com, Zymurgy and more. She has a WSET Level 1 certificate and is a Certified Beer Server by the Cicerone Certification Program and a Certified American Wine Expert.

A message from Food & Drink Editor Molly Martin: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Denver’s evolving dining scene and the latest culinary innovations our community offers.

Support Today