Ruffian

On our lists of the best wine bars and cozy restaurants in New York.

Nineteen stools are the entire seating plan at this East 7th Street wine bar, tight enough that the kitchen, one cook working behind the bar, sends out food in full view of the room. The wine list runs past 250 bottles, nearly all natural wine from producers in Georgia, Slovakia, Ukraine and other corners of Eastern Europe that most wine lists skip, filed under joke categories like ‘Beach Sipping’ and ‘Stoop Sipping.’ The kitchen turns out a short seasonal menu built around vegetables, plus dishes like octopus with a spicy mole and a curry-based corn soup. Open since 2016, the room runs close enough that neighboring tables hear each other's conversations.