Traif
“Bacon doughnuts $7: even though I was stuffed I had to try the famous bacon doughnuts.”
“(1) Pork belly
(2) Broccoli Rabe w/ Mushroom, Truffle Oil, Fried Egg = we all gasped at how amazing this was.”
“The peekytoe crab on top might be superfluous, but those sweet potato fries and smoked paprika aioli are a killer combo as usual.”
Traif
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I can't say I loved it here, hence the 3 stars…
We got 6 dishes for 3 people, the waitress suggested 7-10 for 3 people! We thought 6 was a lot.
We ordered several things and I didn't really like most of them. I think they took things a little too far in terms of flavor. I get its in Brooklyn and they're probably trying something new but for me, it was okay..
We got the tuna tartare which was my favorite dish. It came out on a crispy tempura eggplant and the flavors were really good.
I hated the broccoli rabe – there was a slice of thick bread in the middle between the veggie and a fried egg and cheese… and there was truffle, so odd.
The short rib sliders were my next favorite. They were really good and the sweet potato fries were a good touch.
The duck was good, decent portion but considering the price it was a little pricey, but my husband and cousin who were there really liked it.
the pork belly was crispy but delicious too!! I liked all the flavors they went together well, but you have to be ok with eating pure far, because it's pork belly…
We ordered some other ones but I forgot what…so it wasn't memorable.
Had a pretty solid culinary experience here with two other friends. It's not cheap, but the dishes are inspired and flavorful while maintaining a comfort food vibe. Here are the dishes I enjoyed:
+Portobello mushroom tempura dumplings
+buffalo-style frogs legs
+strawberry baby back ribs
+pork belly
+baked muenster cheese
+buffalo milk burrata cheese
+foie gras
+bacon doughnuts
It was more than enough food, especially with dessert and drinks. The tempura dumplings were the surprising favorite; the burrata and pork belly were also crowdpleasers. Great mixed drinks, too, and the pea soup that we were served as an amuse-bouche was awesome. Definitely would return here.
There is some seriously good food going on here. From what I can remember (we were a few drinks in by then) we had the cauliflower, the rabe with parmesan, the tuna tartare, the sliders, and the list goes on… Other than the sliders, which were fine but not particularly memorable, everything had some great combinations of exotic flavors that made every bite a discovery. Wash it down with copious amounts of wine for the win – excellent selection.
I finally had the pleasure of dining at Traif. Made reservations (day of) for a Friday night. Almost every table was seated, but there was no one waiting. For a small space, they seem to handle everything very well! I was early so I grabbed the Spritz cocktail at the bar. The bartender was really nice and helpful and the cocktail was delicious. It's not currently on the website's menu, but it was Vodka based, topped with sparkling wine.
We were seated earlier than anticipated, which is always a nice bonus. We ordered the Bibb Salad, Strawberry-Cinnamon Glazed Ribs, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, and the Foie Gras. The Bibb Salad was a little too salty. The Ribs were hands down the best dish. The Shrimp was good, but reminded me of orange chicken. The Foie Gras was also amazing! It's not the typical foie gras I had in mind, but the presentation was unique and flavorful.
This is a tapas style restaurant where every plate is shared. They recommend 5-7 dishes for 2 people, but we ordered 4 and were perfectly content! The staff was experienced and delightful.
Perhaps the most creative and mind blowing dish I had at Traif was the hamachi kama tempura. What made it so interesting was (1) the choice to fry the neck (it's usually grilled) and (2) that the batter was made using a mix of chinese spices, namely five spice and white pepper. So to recap, that's using a japanese cut of fish and frying it in a unique blend of chinese spices for a damn tasty dish. Mind blown.
The summer sushi, featuring cured salmon and wakame risotto was also a highlight, with excellent texture and mix of temperature. For some reason the server took the plate away while I was picking at the leftover risotto. Maybe they needed the plate or something?
Our other dishes (white asparagus, romano beans, roasted carrot salad) were all good but not as mind blowing as the other two dishes.
The menu kind of understates the creativity going on here, but that's kinda fun because it means you have to really taste through it yourself.
Out of all the places I was excited to try in NY, Traif was at the top of my list.
A small restaurant with an open kitchen and prep area, I'd highly recommend making reservations ahead of time.
Arriving just before our scheduled time we were seated immediately. Within minutes we were greeted by our server. Knowledgable, professional and with the ability to move things along at a pace that makes the 2 hours spent here feel like a half hour.
Guiding us through their menu of small plates and cocktails, I chose their pork belly, sweetbreads and foie gras. Each was excellent, my favorite being the crispy but tender pork belly. Drinks were outstanding! For dessert we had what I remember to be a rum, banana pudding? Unreal! Best pudding I've had outside homemade and well worth the extra scraping of my spoon against the bottom of the dessert dish to get every last bite.
Traif's atmosphere is dark and relaxed. There's what looks like a modern art mural on the ceiling above the kitchen and the noise level is just loud enough without being deafening and discouraging conversation.
I'd go out of my way to return.
A quick peek at Traif's stellar star average probably tells you enough about this place, but just wanted to chime in and agree that this is one of the best restaurants in the area!
The restaurant claims to celebrate "pork, shellfish, and globally-inspired soul food" and their logo is a pig, so I was a bit worried that as a non pork eater I'd be missing out on the full experience, but I was happily proven wrong. We nervously asked our server if they'd be willing to do their famous chef's tasting menu taking our eating restriction into consideration and to our surprise they were happy to do so. What followed was course after course of some of the most flavorful, inventive small plates (some not so small) that I've had in a long, long time.
Favorites included: the bigeye tuna tartare on fried eggplant (OMG!), gnocchi with peas and ricotta (YES!), their popular short rib slider (DEAR GOD YES THANK YOU!), and burrata with potato chips (WHAT?!?!)
The only dish that I remember being slightly disappointing was the final one, the cinnamon sugar donuts with coffee ice cream, because the donuts didn't taste as light and fresh as I expected. I actually loved the final little taste they brought out, two tiny clementine pieces drizzled with molasses.
We sat in their covered patio on a dark rainy evening and though it was the middle of the week the place was buzzing. The service was on point, so informative and attentive, and it was a perfect evening. Thank you Traif!
So based on the reviews, clearly this place is top notch.. But I will add my 2 cents anyway.
MUST TRY:
– Hamachi Carpaccio
– Joe's Chopped Chicken Livers
– Salt & Pepper Shrimp
– Baked Muenster Cheese*** MY FAVE.
– Strawberry-Cinnamon Glazed Berkshire Baby Back Ribs
– BBQ Braised Short Rib Sliders
– Salmon Sashimi Dish
I just drooled everywhere.