Because you want fabulous food that you can't cook at home in a room that's more beautiful than your kitchen-corner dining area, and because you want to be served instead of serving yourself. Vegetarians are the definition of the reluctant diner, with dietary restrictions and a hesitancy for spending a lot on a plate of greens and beans. Cafe Ambrosia is an expensive vegetarian restaurant. The food, while very good, suffers from an occasional but significant lack of refinement.
Service can be excellent, though sometimes preachy.
Fortunately, greens on the plate fare better than greens on the walls. Caesar salad had a wonderful, authentic dressing on super-fresh, crunchy romaine. Six dollars seemed a little pricey for carrot soup, so we moved on to the appetizers. The presentation gave this starter distinction, the rolls balanced on a grilled slice of pineapple, drizzled with sweet and sour sauce. This is where vegetarian overcompensation can rear its head, and the elegance of the starters yields to the grandiosity of the main course.