Really disappointing in almost every way -- except the food which had as many hits as misses. * Nearly :30 after our reservation before we were seated. We were not the only ones to be going through this. Later learned it's probably because the kitchens timing was so off. * Sat in the back covered patio -- the smoke from the kitchen fills this unventilated area, and not only were our eyes burning through the very long meal, but we all now smell like fried fish, charred ribs and a campfire. * 20 more minutes before our drink drink order (we were for some reason only giving the dessert cocktail menu, but went with it) and we should have thought to order way ahead on cocktails. Had to flag down the waiter who was meant to cover every outside table, poor guy, and was definitely in over his head. * Ordered 8 dishes, being told 7-9 was ideal for our group of three. After another TWO HOURS of sitting there and not seeing 3/8 dishes... we realized it was best to cancel as much of the remaining that we could. We're told no "they are working." We were full, over ordered and it is now 11p. Our reservation was at 8:30 and we still haven't seen the majority of the more substantial dishes we ordered. Usually would be OK with this but if you recall we weren't getting drink orders taken so we're pretty bored at this point. * Food was definitely hit or miss. See below in strange order they arrived. - Mushroom lettuce wraps: OK at best, very salty and could have come from your local PF Changs... only up-leveled by some random beets. - Fried Fish with Bao: huge highlight very good, every element with delicious on its own or together. - Feta hummus: pretty decent, that's about all... no better or worse than a local Mediterranean spot. - Brussel Sprouts Fondue: delicious, but not a vegetable dish... still unclear where the Brussels were, but it was delicious - Duck: Very, very good. Tender and perfectly rare with just the right amount of sweetness - Ribs: not necessarily unique, but perfectly done and yummy. - Sliders... we will never know. Never came, but the check did! No dessert menu or final drink order taken. You probably guessed that by now. $250 meal, could have been way more if we actually got to drink. I smell real rough, and this never-ending meal put a real damper on our plans for a birthday celebration. read more

Tiktok brought my girlfriend and I to try the chefs selection. The food was soooooooo delicious and we enjoyed the element of surprise, concept, and ambiance of the restaurant. Our server was also very friendly and attentive. Our experience was almost a 10/10 but there were a few hiccups, hence our 4/5 star review. First, we felt a bit rushed throughout the meal as it's a 10 course meal and multiple times throughout the night our next course was placed on our table when we only half way through our current course. It created a sense of urgency to eat since we didn't want the next course to get cold and that feeling of being rushed could have been avoided with a few extra minutes in between courses. Additionally, on my reservation, I was asked if we were celebrating a special occasion (which we were) so I selected it was my girlfriends birthday. I wrote in the comments I would appreciate a surprise if possible and expected them to maybe place a candle on one of the dessert courses but this detail was missed. Finally, the bathroom of the restaurant can use a coat hanger as I found myself having to rest my coat on the wet sink because it was either there or the floor. Overall, we had a 4/5 star experience which is still great and we definitely would love to return in the future. We hope these few hiccups can be looked into for future guests so they can experience a 5/5 star setting. read more

Traif - Bacon Doughnuts from chefs selection - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

food is excellent. I love that they don't rush my meal. service was great too. I recommend sitting inside to watch the chef put your dish together. such care goes into your meal it would be a shame to miss it. thanks Kit great job. read more

Service was great, we went for a party of about 15 people for a birthday dinner and the food was amazing. lots of great tapas style dishes and the atmosphere was perfect for what we were looking for before going out to some bars in the area. read more

Good food, good cocktails, good service. Strongly recommend this place. One feedback, the ventilation indoor is poor and we were smelling of food after dinner because they have an open kitchen with poor ventilation. The food smell overpowered my fragrance! read more

I came here on recommendation from my brother, and boy do I like him more now because he did. I was visiting New York and was on a bit of a food tour, Traif was our last stop. There were 6 of us plus a baby -- they were beyond accommodating and didn't seem to mind my stroller being very in the way. We were greeted with smiles and the promise of a great evening. We got off to a bit of a silly start. We ordered one of their red Beaujolais bottles and it was not a fan favorite. Probably don't get that if you visit. The group felt very bad but our waiter (I believe his name was Carey) wouldn't allow us to and helped us figure out a better selection. After the wine was poured it was full steam ahead. When I tell you we had almost the entire menu... I mean there were literally 4 dishes we didn't have. Every single plate they brought to us was devoured. Now let me just say, I am a VERY picky eater. I don't like trying new flavors and I'm the kind of person who modifies everything. I didn't need to here. It was so delicious. The cheesy brussel dip was the fan favorite-- we were elbowing each other to get the last scoop. The gnocchi was wonderful and the mushrooms were deliciously seasoned. I'm not a big tuna tartare girl, but I powered through because the eggplant tempura it sat on was incredible. The strawberry ribs I didn't even get a chance to taste because everyone devoured them. The desserts were SO yummy too. The key lime pie was something special and when aren't donuts a good idea? We didn't have one dish we didn't like. We were also lucky to meet the owners! They were so nice and fun to talk to. Really cool to meet the people responsible for such a cool joint. Long story short, everyone in our group agreed it was the best meal we ate all weekend. Traif was an incredible place and I'm looking forward to coming back ASAP. read more

Made reservations for 9:30pm on a Saturday night. Walked into the restaurant around 9:25pm and were told they were "cleaning out table" then at 9:45pm were told the people were paying. Finally were seated at 9:55pm and approached by a waiter at 10:05pm. Ordered the chefs tasting which was suppose to be 9 plates and 2 desserts. We received 7 plates and 2 desserts but didn't even say anything because it was already close to midnight when we were expecting our 8th and 9th plate but instead received dessert. Minus one star for the host lying to us and seating us almost half hour after our reservations. Minus another star for shorting us 2 dishes. The food was actually pretty good and I would def come back if it wasn't for the negatives. read more

Tried the tasting menu and everything was delicious! Loved the scallop risotto and shrimp. read more

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Everything associated with love is magical, and Traif is all about that magic. The couple Jason and Heather met each other while working in a restaurant in San Diego and decided to open up their own place after traveling around - this was how Traif came into being. Rather than calling it down-to-earth, I'd like to describe it as rustic. Open kitchen took majority of space inside and one could easily tell what is going to be the next dish. Plates were small and designed to be shared easily. We went with that beloved tuna tartare, with the marinated tuna sitting quietly on that piece of fried eggplant. While in general I would complain about the greasiness coming out of the crust, this time I only found it tasty. The blue crab with uni and smashed potato was another high light of the night, with each piece of crab meat, jumbo in size and tender in texture, buried perfectly beneath the potato purée. Duck breast was usually my go-to dish whenever I saw it listed on the menu, and I must admit, the duck breast from Traif was heartily prepared, well marinated, and perfect in texture. I guess I felt kind of sad when dinner concluded at Traif, and this only motivated me to go and visit their sister restaurant Xixa just a couple of meter away down the street. Traif certainly has some minor points that I cannot appreciate (their cocktail tastes a bit weird), yet I found myself enjoyed the whole experience from the beginning to the end. Thank you Jason and Heather, I felt it. read more

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Food, drinks, and service were all excellent. Will definitely return. Had a great autumn whiskey cocktail. Also recommend the tuna tartare with tempura eggplant. Surprisingly generous portions. Very creative menu. read more

Great food great experience, it's even better than the sister restaurant Xixa. Do yourself a favor and order the $55 set menu. read more

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Their Christmas decorations and Christmas themed drinks were 10/10! Very cute presentation and the drinks were very well made and tasted amazing. read more

3.5/5 Came here for a birthday dinner. The restaurant was accommodating when I asked if it was possible to switch for an earlier time the day of my reservation. Food: The stand out dish was the scallops. Extremely delicious and the flavors were incredible. Definitely recommend if you were to come here. The other dishes were good, but I probably wouldn't pay that much again (such as ribs) since they didn't stand out too much. The shrimp was a let down because they were the around the same price as better dishes, but were a small portion and didn't feel like anything special. Drinks: As a native New Yorker, I can understand the price range. The cocktails were around the same price as the tapa style dishes, but again, didn't stand out as anything special personally. I tried the havana-nana-nana drink and we also had beer. Service: Waiter was attentive and informative. I didn't catch his name, but he was friendly. One thing I did notice about a waitress who came by to give us our plates and served us our food was that her thumb was inside the plates and dishes each time. This stood out to me since COVID19 is still an ongoing concern, and germs could easily spread that way, especially since our food could come into contact with it as well. Other workers were friendly as well when we entered/left. Ambiance: We were seated in the garden, and the environment was pleasant, especially with the lights. Overall: Not sure if I would come back again (maybe just for the scallops), but was an okay experience. read more

This was a fantastic meal. Perhaps one of the best I've ever had. We came on a rainy night when several people had cancelled so the chef let us order a pre fix menu as a party of two and man I think I we got 3-4 people's worth of food. It's very meat forward, be warned but if you're into that, the tastes are complex, the pairing amazing, the textures bold and we just had a wonderful time. I'm not sure how flexible the prefix is, but they asked us how adventurous we were feeling to which we replied "very!" which resulted in fois gras, sweet breads, octopus, pasta, soup, salad and a great dessert. By the end we were stuffed. I recommend pairing the meal with a nice joint like we did which helped make the whole experience more visceral. Go for a date night. You'll leave feeling magical. read more

Made a last second reservation at 7:30 but were told we could only stay until 9:00. It wasn't a big issue since the food is serve very promptly and eating tapas with four people means a quick finish. Their menus change often, so we weren't sure what we wanted until we got there. Luckily, out of the many things we ordered, everything was a hit! Their dishes are very interesting with the ingredients and it was surprisingly good and harmonious. I'd come here again and try more stuff, it is just great because the difference in menus makes a large variety of dishes available and allows adventurous people to have something new each visit. The bill came out to be ~$240 for four, not exactly cheap but we ordered quite a bit! (We ordered more food than shown in pics) read more

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What a fun experience! Server was great and i really loved the risotto with scallops will return and will recommend to friends! great date spot read more

Unbelievable 2nd trip! Dinner had been divine and the brunch was on par! The "non-bloody" tomatillo Bloody Mary was a refreshing twist on an all-time favorite drink of mine. The chef's selection brunch met the already incredibly high bar previously set. Taif has ruined me. I will be on an endless / fruitless quest for a better meal. read more

Traif's many glowing reviews have caught my eye a long time ago so I recently came to here for my birthday to sample the chef's tasting menu. My experience, however, was far from positive in just about every way. To paint a picture of the atmosphere for yourself, envision a crowded, hot, dark, stuffy room (at 10 pm, I counted 12 staff members alone, which is insane for a restaurant this size), the waiters were snobby and unprofessional. Food was uninspired in creativity, lacking in quality, came out at a confusing pace and order (we got our first 4 courses within the first 15 minutes of sitting down), and the portions were way too large considering there were eleven courses and only two of us to split them. Side note: notice how many of courses detailed below come with potatoes. Spoiler alert: almost all of them. Butternut squash soup: this was an amuse bouche, and in all honesty, it was quite nice. Perfect teaser amount for the overwhelming amount of food that was to come next. Tuna tartare over fried eggplant: light and spicy, but really lacking salt. Avocado salad was paired with grapefruit, radishes and feta cheese. The a avocados were hard and bland (nowhere ripe enough), dressing was way too sloppy with the red pepper flakes, zero salt, and we were cringing from the overwhelming acidity with every bite. As someone that loves to inappropriately grope avocados at grocery stores before buying them because I love me a perfect avocado, this dish was a bit shocking to be found at what I thought would turn out to be a top notch restaurant. Mussels: By far my least favorite dish - we left a good portion of it untouched. Crunchy, sandy, wilted and sad looking mussels with soggy potatoes and toast topped with sharp, unpleasant sauce. I was seated near the kitchen, and I'd place a hefty bet that mussels here are not drained properly, and the cooks are way too flustered to make sure they are alive prior to cooking them. Basically we ate garbage. Sugar snap peas, however, were a nice touch. Pork ribs: overcooked and dry, then slathered in overwhelming amount of strawberry jam and topped with pomegranate seeds. Ridiculously sweet and in desperate need of salt! This flavor will linger with you for several courses. Scallops served with tomato risotto: The risotto was ok, but unfortunately came out cold. Scallops tasted like they were drowned in vinegar and were unbelievably tough. Steak: nicely trimmed with no fat in sight, but pretty tough. I did appreciate seeing the roasted sunchoke it came with rather than another side of potatoes, but holly balsamic overload! Shrimp with pineapple and sweet potatoes had a kick to it that was balanced well with the sweetness of the pineapple, but again, a pinch of salt was missing in this course as well. Although not the worst course, still nothing to write home about. Foie gras: At this point I was too stuffed to enjoy much of anything, especially such a rich meat served with a sunny side up egg and tons of potatoes. Bbq pork sliders with fries was the last course before the dessert. Why?! How do average at best sliders with very little meat and soggy fries fit into an "adventurous" tasting menu at all, let alone climax the meal? Bacon donuts were too doughy and lacking bacon flavor to rock that name, but I did enjoy the dolce de leche sauce and coffee ice cream they came with. Key lime pie was was also fine, but I personally think it's tough to screw up a key lime pie. Hugely disappointing meal all around and possibly the worst tasting menu I've ever had. There's absolutely no way that I would return. If you do, I would recommend ordering just a couple of dishes off the menu and not putting yourself through that joke of a tasting menu. The positive reviews are either exaggerated, aged, or clueless. I barely made it home through our Uber ride before I got sick. My boyfriend took the brave route and moaned for hours in pain and discomfort. Happy birthday to me. read more

This is a great place to take a date. The ambiance was soothing and the overall food choices were pretty good. We thought about the tasting menu but then opted for our own choices. The best were the strawberry cinnamon glazed ribs then the uni over eggplant. The snap peas were a little on the salty side. We got this shot of I forgot but didn't take a picture of it but got a second dose of it and it was refreshing. Check this place out. The neighborhood may not look clean but definitely safe to walk around as I was visiting this hip neighborhood read more

Traif you are insanely delicious. There's so much to say but hard to put it all into words. Don't think twice and get the Chef tasting for $55 (start with 1 amuse bouche, 9 tapas style courses, trio of 2 desserts) along with the wine pairing +$35 and you will walk out full, tipsy and happy as a clam! Every course is really quite excellent. This is one of those spots where it really is best to leave it up to the chef! read more

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I came here for New Year's Eve and tried the chef's tasting menu. It was 75/pp with 8 courses and 2 desserts. The courses here are small, and provides a sample of the menu. It's more of a tapas style I'd say so you may leave not being full. Bacon Broth: It was a good sample of bacon broth. The flavor was rich, and I can imagine myself dipping bread, or having a soup based on this broth. Fish with avocado: Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of this dish but it was my favorite. The fish was fresh and the avocado paired well with it. It was refreshing. Scallops: DELICIOUS. I'd have to update my review one day when I go back, since I don't remember much. To skip to the desserts since I don't remember the name of the food I had, their bacon donuts was really good. I don't like bacon much, but the donuts were good and moist. read more

You have to try the chef tasting menu! It's a lot of food! You are literally fed into a food coma, so go as hungry as you can! You are allowed to point out things you typically won't like so that's great if you have any allergies. Everything tastes great. The service is very good. Definitely can say one of my favourite places to eat in NY. I would definitely recommend you try it out. read more

I really wanted to like the restaurant! The service was great, food was just ok (tasted either too sweet or too salty). We tried the tasting menu, and they offered very limited modifications for people with dietary restrictions (I'm lactose intolerant). We started at 7:30 and waited until 11pm to finish all the dishes, the whole time we were smelling the smoke from the kitchen (I feel bad for the chefs). I wouldn't visit the restaurant again. read more

Traif NY BK Willy B 6pm Tuesday 3rd January 2017 Four Stars Tasting Menu was delicious. 1. Soup Shooter 2. Black Truffle Burrata, Endive, and Potato Chip 3. Eggplant Tempura with Spicy Tuna 4. Scallops with whole grain pilaf, butternut squash 5. Strawberry Baby Back Ribs 6. Duck Breast with chestnut and cranberries 7. Goose Liver with potato, egg, and maple hot sauce. 8. Whole Prawns with uni Toast? 9. Roasted Pork Belly with cauliflower and black grapes 10. Gnocchi with piquillo peppers and ricotta 11. Pancotta 12. Bacon Doughnut We washed it down with whiskey and a clos de beaujeu Sancere. I enjoyed everything. read more

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I have been dining at Triaf for the past two years. I was a fan of the menu. Needless to say, I am writing this review because of management and service that we noticed was declining throughout the years on NYE, and other evening dinners. I desperately wanted to love Triaf, and give them a final shot. Last year, we received very poor service. With any restaurant, being understaffed for a holiday is an issue. However, it does not give the restaurant an opportunity to provide inadequate, professional service for paying customers. I would have wrote this in a review sooner, but it is not my style. I understand running a business can be stressful. It does not excuse poor service. Truthfully, I felt that management was very greedy, and did not want to pay for the appropriate amount of servers for such a busy crowd. Moreover, I am writing this review because I just got off the telephone with the owner, Heather. I had reached out last year because my date and I split our $300 NYE bill. In the end, my card was not billed 50% but 100%. Management had been harassing me for the other portion of the bill. My card was refunded. I am an honest customer. I felt that it was not professional to harass me for the other half of the funds. Both of our cards were given at the end of our meal. Mistakes happen. Customer service is very important - and in this situation, we did not receive professional customer service. We should not have to feel dishonest for a mistake that our server made. Sometimes, businesses need to take their losses for mistakes they have made. Heather did offer a gift card for the future (I never received this). This year, I tried to make a reservation for the third year. I was unaware that the other half of the bill was not resolved. Needless to say, I felt very uncomfortable because I did pay for my bill - both payments were made but the restaurant did not have their documentation organized. We had both signed receipts for Triaf. The conversation was brought up again, and I am disgusted. Management expressed that they lost money that evening, and she explained how she had to pay her servers. You did not lose money - and if you did, thank your staff. I am so embarrassed for the restaurant after this statement. The owner also explained how her and her husband work very hard (we all work hard). I am disheartened because a restaurant with such a reputation will make their customers feel like thieves. Customer service is everything. I will not be back. New York City is filled with thousands of wonderful restaurants. We were honest customers that paid, and should not be chased for a mistake that the business made. Especially after receiving poor service throughout our entire meal. Too bad, you lost several loyal customers. Sorry, I won't eat greed for dinner. read more

Can't say enough good things about Traif. By far one of my favorite restaurants in all the five boroughs. It's trendy, fine dining at its finest in a casual environment. Plunge for the tasting menu, you won't regret it. This was my second visit to Traif, and it's quickly cemented it's place in my heart as one of the best restaurant experiences I've had. Right off the J/M/Z in south Williamsburg, you could pass this place and not even know it. But as soon as you go inside, the dark, intimate environment decked with modern artistic accents pulls you in. I started off with the "Rude Pig" cocktail which was smoky, and had bacon salt around the rim, - you can't go wrong. The server then offered us a taste of their chickpea soup, which was perfectly spiced and set the tone for the meal. My boyfriend and I didn't do the tasting menu this time, but we certainly will next time. We ordered 3 dishes + dessert, and it was definitely filling. To start we had the tuna tartare which was slightly spicy, and the Japanese eggplant was perfectly crisp. Second, was my previous favorite, the cinnamon strawberry baby back ribs. You don't think it'd work, but it's a genius combination - by far the best ribs I've had and I always find myself scraping the plate. Lastly we ordered the scallops and risotto. My god, I will be dreaming about it tonight. The scallops were perfectly seared and the hint of rosemary played on my tastebuds after each bite. The risotto was creamy and complemented the scallops perfectly. For dessert you can't miss the bacon donuts with rum coffee ice cream. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, the donuts are topped with bacon crisps and sit in a maple syrup-type sauce. So incredibly good. The service here is also equally outstanding. Extremely friendly and very knowledgeable of the menu, you feel taken care of whenever you're there. Can't wait for my next visit here. It's worth the trip to Brooklyn. read more

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Amazing food and amazing service, my wife and I came here for our first ever tasting menu back in 2013 and came back recently again to celebrate our 1 month wedding anniversary. The food is spectacular and to have a tasting menu at the price of $55 per person is phenomenal. There are approximately 10 - 11 dishes (if we can remember correctly :)) and each one will tease your palette with an explosion of flavors. Our favorite go to dish is definitely the Tuna TarTare. It is served on top of eggplant tempura and we always order this as a full dish on top of the tasting menu because it is so good!! But don't get me wrong, every dish we have had is amazing as well - you can't go wrong with Traif. Overall I have been here 3 times and i can say for sure that i will be back! read more

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We came on a Friday night a little before 9 and were able to get a table for 2. The place was pretty lively and it's got a cute, candle lit atmosphere, good for dates. I've been meaning to try this place for years and I wish I had come sooner as I feel the dishes have probably lost their quality over the years. We ordered 5 plates and really liked 2 of them, the rest were just ok. My favorite was the shrimp followed by the snapper. The shrimp was crunchy and sweet with a delicious mix of sweet potato and pineapple. The fried wish was deep fried with a garlic cilantro relish on top and came with some deep fried buns that tasted like donuts, a delicious and hearty dish. The ribs were dry and the scallops were chewy. The cauliflower was good but nothing out of the ordinary. It's still a lovely place and a good meal overall. read more

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I'm back to traif again! Once again amazing food great staff. The music AGAIN falls below par. I will come back for the food and staff but only if Cal is in charge of the music from now on!! read more

Traif - New American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Who ever is writing poor reviews on here needs their heads examined! I almost didn't try this place because of the poor reviews and I would have missed out on one of the greatest meals I've had in years!!!!!! Everything is unique and utterly delicious! This place is an umami bomb that you need to try asap! Keep an open mind and try things you normal don't like - they have a way with making you love ingredients you'd normally hate and I loveee places that can bring me over to the dark side! There's nothing better than being able to walk into an innovative restaurant and being able to completely trust their culinary judgment.. OUTSTANDING JOB in the kitchen guys! And for those reading this review I also happen to be a cook and I wish I could do what these guys are doing in the kitchen! And to the snobs saying their food is just okay - you need help cause you're insane! #Iseeyou #Foodgasm #Foodporn #Eatit Tip: The food is outstanding! But in turn you'll most likely have to be very patient as this is a small extremely busy restaurant using a micro kitchen & bar space to supply the entire restaurant with their orders patience is a virtue and the food is BEYOND worth the wait! Oh! And they seem to think you need 6-8 dishes - you don't. Me and another person usually can only finish 2-3 and a dessert. But if you don't mind splurging definitely go for it and try as many as you can, everything's fantastic! Oh and I wouldn't suggest going here with a small window of time to eat. They are very busy and it's the type of place you should try an immerse yourself in the culinary experience - it's not something you'll be able to rush through.. read more

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Not my favorite spot. Food is fine, service is fine, but nothing I ate or drank there made me feel like I wanted to go back. Especially when I got home and kept smelling something burning, and I realized it was the coat I wore. Traif was so smoky, I brought it home with me. Took several weeks for my winter coat not to smell like a bbq grill. read more

Amazing! We had trouble getting a reservation so we got on the wait list. Got a call and they ended up being able to seat us at the time we wanted. Food, drinks and service were outstanding! Fantastic restaurant - a definite must if your in Williamsburg. read more

Everything about Traif is magnifique. The outdoors garden space is beautiful as is their indoor dining. Taste and presentation impeccable.

Went here for an anniversary dinner and it did not disappoint! We got the chef's special (vegetarian for one of us) and the amount of food was amazing. Every dish was unique and the perfect bite. Would definitely recommend Traif. read more

Wow.. wow.. wow.. all I can say is wow. Even through a pandemic - this restaurant manages to rise above. The service was impeccable, the food was some of the best I've had in YEARS in NYC.. trust me and get the ribs, the gnocchi, the tar tar, literally everything on the menu was cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. You will see us many more times!!!! Thank you for an amazing night! read more

"This one goes to eleven[1]" This is how I felt after having dinner at Traif. If you like bold, brash, intense, and unapologetic flavors, this is your place. If you appreciate subtlety, balance, and complexity, you may be disappointed. I felt that my taste buds were subjected to an assault of flavors where I couldn't tell what was in the front line and what was behind that. Like a chorus of marvelous singers, where unfortunately you can hear only one voice, the other ones overwhelmed and muted. The ambiance seems a bit unfocused: warm and welcoming, with a compact open kitchen behind the beautiful, long bar. But why the flat-screen TV with "Iron Chef" on, looping continuously in silence? The main room, although intimate and cozy, gets noisy. Moreover, the opportunity to see the chef at work from your table (something I always like) also means that your clothes will smell a bit. Come here in the spring/summer and score a table outside. You will enjoy a wonderfully lush, Amazon forest-like patio. Our evening started with cocktails: both the Autumn Cabin[2] and the Red Pearl[3] were excellent. In fact, I liked these cocktails so much that I would consider coming to Traif even just to kick started the night, while sitting at the bar and watching the chef work his magic. The menu of small dishes, while it encourages sampling and sharing, is deceptive: five dishes resulted in way too much food for two people. Order as you go, since some dishes are larger in size than other ones. The lamb and chorizo meatballs, chipotle cream, and manchego ($7), was perhaps the most subtle dish we had. And I am not being ironic. The meat and cheese were nicely balanced, and you could taste both types of meat. The razor clams with chorizo exemplified what I meant at the beginning of this review: the delicate flavor of the clams was completely overpowered by the intensity of the chorizo. What was left of the clams was only their wonderful consistency. Just the idea of a razor clam, its essence gone. The sautéed sweetbreads[4], artichokes, asparagus, and roast maitake mushrooms ($14) was the dish I enjoyed the most. It was also the most simply prepared one. The sweetbreads were wonderfully crisp on the outside, and nice and soft on the inside. I praise chef and co-owner Jason Marcus for pursuing an idea and bringing it to life with enthusiasm. Each dish is perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. If Mr. Marcus could focus part of his passion into giving every singer of his chorus its proper spot on stage, the final execution would greatly improve. --------------------------------------------------------- [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY [2] Rye whiskey, Canton ginger liquor, chocolate bitters, 5 spice blend, orange. [3] Chili vodka, Thai basil, kiwi, citrus sour. [4] This is a large portion, good enough for two or more to share. read more

Excellent. Finally got to try Traif after months, nay, years of anticipation. We had planned on going to a show at Rough Trade later in the night, so I got an early reservation on Open Table, just a few days in advance. The place was about half empty at around 7pm on a Wednesday, which I was little surprised about, given the hype and popularity of the place. To be honest, the place is a little out of the way in a fairly empty side of S 4th Street, right by the Williamsburg Bridge entrance. Anyways, I liked the bar and the open kitchen setup, and the overall vibe was pretty dark intimate, what with the dim lighting, close quarters and all. The back area is enclosed in glass and lined with hanging Christmas lights, which provide for a pretty cool ambiance. After a bit of going over the menu, we ended up getting the chef's selection for 2 (around 8 plates and not one, but two desserts). At $50, not too shabby, given that each plate is around $13-20. They seem to have somewhat of a rotating menu, but with a few favorites that stay on the menu year-round. We started off with a couple cocktails: the Autumn Cabin, which was like an old-fashioned with five-spice, and the Rude Little Piggy, which was pretty smokey and sweet, with bacon-salted rim. What we received: - Sweet potato soup (kind of an amuse bouche) - Chopped chicken livers with balsamic bacon toast - Bigeye tuna tartare on tempura Japanese eggplant - Berkshire pork belly with Macintosh apple slaw and Concord grapes - Chicken wings glazed in hoisin, five-spice, chiles, Sriracha - Strawberry-cinnamon glazed baby back ribs with pomegranate seeds - Mussels, kale, feta in spicy harissa broth - Sauteed sweetbreads, with mushrooms, Brussels sprouts - Seared scallops over braised lentils, butternut squash, and huckleberry gastrique - Short rib sliders with sweet potato fries - Panna cotta with strawberry - Bacon doughnuts with dulce de leche/coffee ice cream My favorites were the ribs, sweetbreads, and tuna tartare. The ribs had an interesting flavor with the strawberry cinnamon, yet weren't incredibly sweet. The sweetbreads were legitimately incredible, and perfectly crisped. The tuna tartare had a great mix of textures with the crispy tempura and tender, rich raw tuna. To be fair, everything was pretty excellent, but these dishes truly stood out among the rest. Service was very attentive and obliged to just about every little request we had. Prices, as previously mentioned, are pretty standard, if not a little on the pricier side for BK. However, you can be assured that the quality of everything is top-notch. Even something as simple as the chicken wings were perfectly cooked, both crispy and juicy at the same time. It really speaks to the attention to detail and dedication to quality, which is accurately reflected in the overall Yelp rating. I'll certainly be back to try some of the other dishes on the menu the next time I make that trek to Williamsburg. read more

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I don't know where I am, but i've been here before. The patio is serene and darkened, a comfortable canopy of grape tendrils gives cover, a lazy fan laps breeze into your cheeks, the Decemberists are playing in the background. A bite of creamy burrata complimented by the sweet and tang of a lightly marinated salad of strawberries and peaches, taste like summer. I could be at any great restaurant back patio in the world, but i'm right here in Williamsburg. I'm in the middle of a thought provoking meal at Traif. A newish restaurant that, judging by the light crowd on a Friday night, hasn't gained traction with the locals quite yet. Food and service like this, and I suspect that will soon change. Lightly fried sweet breads, complimented by the earthiness of artichokes and maitake mushrooms, make me wonder why all restaurants (other than Traif) tend to over-batter and over-cook their sweet breads. I'm also guiltily struck at how much sweet breads are reminiscent of Chicken McNuggets, which is maybe why they're so enjoyable. An earthy and unctuous plate of tender sauteed broccoli rabe on a bed of portabella bechemel and topped with an over easy egg could convert me into a full time vegetarian - I don't miss meat at all with this dish. A competently done cockle and conchiglie pasta, mounted with butter, flecked with truffle oil and spiked with jalapenos, tastes much lighter and cleaner than the sum of its parts. I also wonder why Traif, which is decidedly non-Italian, is running circles around most Italian restaurant's pasta. A dessert of brown sugar budino, a delicious but complicated palette of reserved notes - chocolate, sweet and saltiness - caused my palate to wildly reach for approximations. "Where have I had this flavor profile before? Caramel corn at the county fair? Chocolate mousse at Robuchon? Where?" I can't make up my mind, but I know this budino is damn tasty. The food is on point, the wine is flowing, and the final bill is too good too be true. I'm struck at how good the food is, how modestly it's priced, and wonder why all restaurant's can't figure out this formula. Maybe i'm not at any restaurant's back patio in the world. I'm right here at Traif. read more

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So, I know I'm probably gonna get a lot of crap for giving this place only 3-stars as it has over 1,500 glowing reviews, but it just didn't impress me to be honest. I've been to a number of awesome high end (Michelin Star) as well as low end (hole-in-the-wall) restaurants, so I think I know something good when I find it. And I didn't find it in Traif, in my opinion. We chose the "Adventurous" Tasting Menu, which includes things like pork belly, foie gras, sweetbreads, etc, which was $50 per person for 11 courses, but, after including drinks, champagne, wine, tax, tip, the meal came out to $250. Normally I don't factor cost into any of my reviews and don't mind paying up for a great meal, in fact, I paid $450 at Gramercy Tavern for a meal that I thought was worth every penny. But I thought Traif was way too pricey for the quality of the meal, dishes, presentation and service. The location was a little off the beaten path, even for Brooklyn, which is fine, and cool to be honest, and the actual ambiance of the restaurant is nice as well. I liked that you could sit at the food bar and watch the chefs prepare your meal. Dark lighting, cozy vibe, overall, really nice. The problem with Traif is with the: 1. Inconsistent Quality of the Dishes- some were great, some were ok, and some were downright terrible, with some having flavors/seasoning that was overbearing to the point where that's all you could taste (like using way too much goat cheese on our dish that was a beet-based dish, to the point we couldn't even taste the beets, all we could taste was the goat cheese). 2. Timing of the Dishes- it seemed like we had only eaten half of our current dish, when they would bring out the next one. So, then we would hurry to finish the dish, and start the next one, when they would do it again. They did this for ALL 11 DISHES. I asked them to slow down with them after the 3rd one, but they didn't listen and kept bringing them, haha. I laugh now, but it was a BIG Disappointment as it was happening. 3. Poor Service from the Waiter (not busboys though)- seemed like we always had to call him over or waive him over when we wanted more water, or when we wanted to order more wine, etc. And then he almost seemed a little annoyed by it. 4. Poor Communication on the Dishes- the waiter or busboy would deliver the dish, but then he wouldn't explain what it is that we were eating. The waiter even mistakenly called our lamb chop dish the "duck breast" dish, until I corrected him, cause obviously a lamb chop doesn't look like a duck breast, lol. List of Dishes: 1. Taro Root Soup- pretty good actually 2. Wild King Salmon Sashimi with Tangelo- was good, but the citrus was too overbearing 3. Yellow Beets with Goat Cheese- way too much cheese and mint, couldn't taste the beets 4. Berkshire Pork Belly with hearts of palm- one of the better dishes, but I've had better belly 5. Seared Dayboat Scallops with risotto- probably the best dish of the bunch 6. Whole Tiger Prawns- not sure what sauce they used on it, but it was terrible 7. Lamb Chops with hummus and mint yogurt- was good, but not the best again 8. Foie gras with sunny side egg- loved the foie, but the egg threw it all off, trying to hard 9. Short rib slider with fries- tasted like a Sloppy Joe I used to get in middle school 10. Green tea & chocolate pudding- green tea was too overbearing and strong 11. Bacon donuts with coffee ice cream- probably the 3rd best dish, but got old after a while Looking back, I sort of wished we had ordered dishes a la carte as some of the ones on the menu looked better than what we got from the Chef's Tasting. So, if you come here, I'd recommend that. Overall though, I'd pass on this place if I were you, as there are MUCH Better options in Brooklyn than this place...St. Anselm being one of them and only a few blocks away... read more

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This is going to not sound like a 5 star review at first, but bear with me. Traif is dim. And not in a romantic candlelit way. I couldn't see my food well. The guy behind the bar was fighting the good fight by holding up glasses to the barely there lighting so that he didn't serve any with water spots. There was a spotlight in the prep area so that the servers could at least see the dishes before they went out. The rest of the kitchen... dim. Traif is loud. I mean LOUD. Like Grand Central loud. Actually worse since it's not such a large space. It became of vicious cycle of shouting. And really lady... nobody has to laugh that loud outside of a comedy show. If you can, sit in the separate area in the rear. If you have a jacket or purse, don't sit at the bar. There's no place to put your belongings but on the chair next to you. And if they need the seat... you're crap out of luck. The portions are small plates. You find that out right away when your server asks you incredulously if "that's all you want??" I ordered the BBQ Sliders. They come with two sliders & sweet potato fries. You get a very yummy roasted pepper soup amuse bouche that just makes you want more. Now out come the sliders. They made my stomach mad just looking at them. Then I ate one sweet potato fry. Dear God up in Heaven was that good! I think they breaded the sweet potato fries with Angel Dust. Not metaphorically... with actual psychedelic drugs. I destroyed them how Godzilla destroyed Tokyo. They give you the option to add a third slider to the entree, but what they should do is allow you to just order the sweet potato fries on the side. I want to bathe in them. Since I only ordered 3 Sliders, I had plenty of room for dessert. I normally don't, so it was a prime time to have the famous bacon doughnuts with coffee ice cream. First off, I love coffee ice cream. I love bacon. I love doughnuts. Put all three together and BLAM! And you get a nice amount of them too. They were most likely to share, but don't. Eat them all yourself. Maybe I came on some weird Loud Talker Night but I would gladly go again just for those fries. I'll give away the sliders and order some other entree just to get the fries. Good God the fries! read more