Ruffian — Restaurant in New York

I’ve had a handful of great experiences here. Always considered this spot an easy recommendation. Unfortunately my last visit did not hold up to what should have been an enjoyable evening. The night began in chaos as the hostess scrambled between waiting patrons and dining customers. Look, I get it, it’s Friday night in the east village at a popular wine bar. I can forgive the cluster f**k but believe it is relevant to make note especially since when asked, the hostess wouldn’t say how long of a wait to expect. After being shuttled from one end of the restaurant to the other, an hour later, our wait came to an end. We used our hour long wait to decide on what to order only to be told that the restaurant had sold out of those very items. This was shocking considering the menu only has 3-4 entrees in total. We basically had to settle on whatever was left on the menu: pickles, hummus, braised chickpeas, terrine, fried rice. The pickles were satisfactory and the hummus was standard. It appears that someone forgot to braise the chickpeas. Instead we received a plate of recently decanted chickpeas straight from the can sitting in an alien sauce which was accented with chunks of feta. We liked the terrine as it was served with toasted buttery bread. Now, the fried rice with spam and shrimp... the rice was over cooked 2x over, then tossed around in an iron skillet. What should have been a crispy hearty serving of fried rice, spam, and shrimp instead resulted in a crumbly rice pudding. I’m a local that loves my local establishments. My experience suggests this wine bar/restaurant has fallen victim to its own success. There was something amiss, as if the restaurant has lost its soul. Extra star for the incredible wine list and knowledgeable staff. I do hope this was an isolated experience but I will not be visiting...

So, so, so disappointing. A friend of mine went here pre-pandemic and said it was one of the best meals she's had in NYC. We went again recently, and it was honestly one of the worst.

The tasting menu seemed to have an Indian Theme, but it was some of the worst Indian food I've ever eaten. The "chaat" was awful - essentially just a chickpea soup with a few crunchy bits thrown in. The eggplant curry made no sense as a combination for its base. The mango dessert at the end tasted like one of the really cheap roadside mango ice lollies that someone had put a bit of chaat masala on.

The non-Indian food was also bad (though not quite as bad). The gnocchi was overcooked and dry. The smoked olives were literally just olives in vinegar! Okay, this was our bad for ordering them (but again, my friend had had them last time and they much have been stuffed with goat cheese and a pepper or something). We probably should have read the menu more carefully on that one, but honestly who serves a bowl of pitted olives in vinegar and charges 12$ for it?!?!

The reason I even gave it two stars is because it was a nice place to sit and the wine was solid (although, obviously, they're just giving you the bottle, so not much to hang their...

Last review I left was 4 stars and I still believe the staff and food are worth 4. But this past week I ate outside in the hut. Well we had 2 unwanted guest by our table. RATS!!! The were rats running around the sidewalk right in front. And one came in. But I still leave my initial review up:

Pure culinary artistry! Ruffian is more of an experience than an eatery. The place says small bite, but provides big flavor. They playfully dance with your pallet with dishes like Chaat (traditional Indian dish) done with different spices that gives it their own unique taste. The tartar is pure genius ( I hope you know at this point its a vegan restaurant). As for the main staple of the restaurant. Their wine is divine. Must try the Orange wines. Also if your not a wine expert or even if you think you are, ask the server for a pairing. They are very knowledgeable, help you find you the perfect combination to delight your taste buds. This is a very small place which is now bigger because of outside seating. Grab some friends and enjoy a summer night if wine and...