Foul Witch — Restaurant in New York

I don't like writing bad reviews, but this was a pretty rough experience (Feb 10th 2025). There were three major issues that went from disappointing to infuriating.

First, the food was barely okay; the grilled wing of skate was a bizarrely flavorless pile of cartilage with maybe two bites of edible food (the potato side dish was good, though). The mackerel seemed turned, and the veal tortellini, while good, was more of an appetizer than an entree.

Second, we were overcharged by almost $80 - a full bottle of wine was added to our bill, when in fact there was only a glass ordered. We were charged that, and it wasn't reversed, despite assurances that it was.

Third, and most serious, was that the server ignored the fact that one of our party is sober. She explicitly ordered the "Fire Walk With Me" mocktail, clearly on the non-alcoholic menu, after asking for assurances that it was in fact non-alcoholic - but was then brought the "Laura Palmer" vodka cocktail.

We only learned that it was the alcoholic drink after she started exhibiting signs of intoxication. The server verified that it was, in fact, the alcoholic "Laura Palmer," which was further reflected in our bill. Both drinks are made the same way, and the intensity of the fennel and chili masked the taste of the alcohol.

She's been sober for over a year, and this accidental break in her sobriety was extremely distressing.

It might be a good idea to not name your stupid overpriced twee drinks something that could be so easily mistaken, especially when the consequences are so incredibly dire for the person ordering.

I don't know how to get the charges to my card reversed yet, but I will never go back...

DO NOT ATTEMPT A WALK-IN SEATING HERE BECAUSE THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY LIE TO YOUR FACE!!!

I was in the area on a Saturday night and had seen this place recommended on the NYT Top 100 so I thought I'd try to see if they could seat 1 as walk-in. The host said they didn't have anything available right then but that he could put me on their wait-list. And that it'd be about a 35 min wait. So I agreed and went and did some errands. I circled back after about 40 mins and they still didn't have an opening. When I asked if I'd have time to go somewhere nearby to get a drink while I wait, I was told "more than enough time." I took my sweet time getting through a glass of wine. It'd been about an hour and a half since I first got on the wait-list. Finally I decided they must have just forgotten about me and was just googling a different place to eat in the area when I FINALLY got the notification that my table was ready. TWO HOURS LATER!! Timestamped texts screenshotted.

That all said though, good food will cleanse all manner of sins. And the dishes here were DIVINE!!! I got the geoduck and wagyu and they were perfect. The geoduck especially was done properly - crisp and tender without being rubbery.

Both the server/bartender and the host were absolutely lovely. They apologized for the wait and gave me free bread to make up for it. I'm only scoring service at 3 stars because of the insane wait. Once I got in, the service was perfect.

The place does fall short a bit on ambiance. It's just a little loud and very dark, with not the most comfortable seating.

All in all I would def come back, but next time I'll def do it with a...

Definitely recommend going to Foul Witch for a fun date night or a wine night with a small group of friends! Food: •Fire & Ice - This dish is a dreamy combination of creamy stracciatella and spicy 'nduja sausage, which can be perfectly scooped up by their incredible bread. •Coppa - This thinly sliced, melt-in-your mouth Italian meat is a great pair for their delicious wines! •Sorana Beans - Do vourself a favor and treat vourself to this bowl of beans. The creamy white beans are doused in olive oil and a flavorful salsa verde. •Veal Tortellini - The texture of this dish is insane! These tortellini covered in amaretto are perfect pockets of fatness and flavor. •Sunchoke Caramelle - Love the intense lemon flavor here and the slight crunch from the poppyseeds! •Ice Cream - Foul Witch had a few creative ice cream flavors including a wildly savory Sourdough ice cream.

Foul Witch has great wine and beer selections with some fun and rare finds! First we got a bottle of the 'Chette Baker skin-contact Gewürztraminer from Barbichette in the Finger Lakes. This wine was perfectly juicy with intense tropical fruit flavors of passion fruit and pineapple as well as notes of lychee, grapefruit, and spice. Highly recommend this wine, and it was a great value! Then we tried a super interesting co-ferment from Veneto, Italy made with Syrah, Grenache, and Garganega. The result is a punchy, light red wine with some...