To Dylen James and the Traif Team, Warm greetings from the couple visiting from Florida! We just wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dylen for the amazing recommendations—we made it a point to visit every place you suggested, and each one was absolutely spot on. Our experience at Traif was nothing short of phenomenal. From the moment we walked in, the service was impeccable, and the food… wow. Truly top-tier. Hats off to the chef and the entire team—you all delivered a 6-star experience (yes, we’re going beyond 5!). We’ll definitely be back soon, and next time, we just might call ahead to see if Dylen is working 😊 With appreciation, Your Florida Fans
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Richard Burda
Great food at a reasonable price point.
vivi Chanle
Wow, what an unforgettable dining experience! At first glance, this restaurant looks so unassuming from the outside, but once you step in, the open kitchen design immediately grabs your attention. We ordered eight dishes plus two desserts, and honestly, every single one had its own highlight. The presentation was meticulous, and the flavors spoke for themselves—refined, balanced, and absolutely delicious.
The first standout was the shrimp served over pasta—grilled over fire, infused with that irresistible smoky “wok hei” flavor. Hands down the best shrimp I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. Next came the cauliflower—simple and comforting, a nice balance before the heavier dishes. Then the pork liver… my goodness. Zero gaminess, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and surprisingly similar to foie gras—maybe even better! Paired with fruit, it was just genius.
The pork dish that followed was also paired with fruit, creating a beautiful sweet-savory contrast. The ribs leaned toward a sweet profile as well, perfectly glazed and fall-off-the-bone tender. To finish, the donut with bacon was such a unique twist—slightly sweet, slightly savory, and definitely memorable.
And here’s the kicker: all of this for just $58 per person. The value is insane for the quality and creativity you get. Truly a hidden gem—I left full, happy, and impressed beyond words. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ferit Icil
Food is unbelievable. Changing Menu gives it a reason to keep coming back. Service has to be outstanding. Petra is a rockstar. She gave the best dining experience and the best drinks! We met Alex on a separate night. Genuinely a kind soul. We came back looking for him. Personally, I love the design. Abstract and minimalist. The tone is dark but I think the joyful atmosphere and the worker’s attire, they wear what they want, adds the color that’s not present in the decor. If there is an award for being the Best Restaurant in NYC, Traif deserves it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristoff A.
OUTSTANDING service by Alex and Jonathan, fantastic cocktails, delicious food. Tell your momma, tell your mates because this spot is banger!!! I'll be back asap!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quin G
Tonight I had the pleasure of spending my birthday with the team…comfortable, and satisfied.
Perfectly paired ingredients that play from taste to texture, well timed course arrival. Truly enjoyable food experience( my fave in the city )
And, thank you Justin, Beyond the obvious quality of Thoughtful ownership, which is represented that goes past “owning” anything/body, the sense of leadership gives “a Lion doesn’t have to tell you they’re a Lion”
Please note I also love how over 18 yrs This business is a family business, from his mom’s keylime pie to his partnership with Heather, who has a restaurant down the block, (‘Xixa’ same quality differently focused)
Also…Get the ribs.. 😜
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Youssef David
The food was no good, nothing was impressive. The restaurant was not clean. Not worth the money.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
R R
Great meal and great deal probably best tasting menu deal in city $58 for a 10 course meal . Very flavorful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Tatum
Saved this gem for our last night in the city. Amazing tasting menu featuring unexpected and superb flavor combinations. Great, personal and friendly service. Picked some of our own small plates and went with staff recommendations for the others and every plate was fantastic. Now I know why this is one of my son's favorite spots. Best meal we had in New York.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe Czyzewski
You have to do the tasting! Perfect experience overall. My server was so kind.
Best food I had in New York! Anthony, our server, was lovely. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zimmi Coker
We had a wonderful time dining at Traif. Our waiter was incredibly kind and told us the story behind the restaurant once we were seated. Funnily enough, the owner himself is Jewish, but apparently he has a weakness for pork and shellfish so he named his restaurant Traif which is Yiddish for un kosher. We love the subtle touch of irony here, haha! A lot of the items on the menu did indeed include pork and shellfish and everything was DELICIOUS! All of the ingredients used for their creative cocktails are made in house. They even had a bacon fat salt rim on one of the cocktails which was incredible. There were two standout dishes that I liked the most: the tuna tartare with tempura eggplant and the braised short rib sliders. The quality of the tuna was very fresh and the braised short rib sliders just melted in your mouth. The softness of the bun was such a pleasant surprise too. Thank you for a wonderful evening, and I can’t wait to try your other Mexican restaurant next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Bigeye Tuna Tartare, Braised Short Rib Sliders with Fries
Gee B
$58 tasting menu that doesn’t have a single miss? Yeah, you can’t beat that!
Every dish was cooked and seasoned to perfection.
The scallops were the best my group and I ever had.
The blueberry pork ribs? Ton die for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not a Karen
Always a treat. Wonderful, interesting shareable food and friendly, knowledgeable service. I have loved this place for a long time. Consistently a winner.
To Dylen James and the Traif Team,
Warm greetings from the couple visiting from Florida! We just wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dylen for the amazing recommendations—we made it a point to visit every place you suggested, and each one was absolutely spot on.
Our experience at Traif was nothing short of phenomenal. From the moment we walked in, the service was impeccable, and the food… wow. Truly top-tier. Hats off to the chef and the entire team—you all delivered a 6-star experience (yes, we’re going beyond 5!).
We’ll definitely be back soon, and next time, we just might call ahead to see if Dylen is working 😊
With appreciation,
Your Florida Fans
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food at a reasonable price point.
Wow, what an unforgettable dining experience! At first glance, this restaurant looks so unassuming from the outside, but once you step in, the open kitchen design immediately grabs your attention. We ordered eight dishes plus two desserts, and honestly, every single one had its own highlight. The presentation was meticulous, and the flavors spoke for themselves—refined, balanced, and absolutely delicious.
The first standout was the shrimp served over pasta—grilled over fire, infused with that irresistible smoky “wok hei” flavor. Hands down the best shrimp I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. Next came the cauliflower—simple and comforting, a nice balance before the heavier dishes. Then the pork liver… my goodness. Zero gaminess, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and surprisingly similar to foie gras—maybe even better! Paired with fruit, it was just genius.
The pork dish that followed was also paired with fruit, creating a beautiful sweet-savory contrast. The ribs leaned toward a sweet profile as well, perfectly glazed and fall-off-the-bone tender. To finish, the donut with bacon was such a unique twist—slightly sweet, slightly savory, and definitely memorable.
And here’s the kicker: all of this for just $58 per person. The value is insane for the quality and creativity you get. Truly a hidden gem—I left full, happy, and impressed beyond words. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is unbelievable. Changing Menu gives it a reason to keep coming back. Service has to be outstanding. Petra is a rockstar. She gave the best dining experience and the best drinks! We met Alex on a separate night. Genuinely a kind soul. We came back looking for him. Personally, I love the design. Abstract and minimalist. The tone is dark but I think the joyful atmosphere and the worker’s attire, they wear what they want, adds the color that’s not present in the decor. If there is an award for being the Best Restaurant in NYC, Traif deserves it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
OUTSTANDING service by Alex and Jonathan, fantastic cocktails, delicious food. Tell your momma, tell your mates because this spot is banger!!! I'll be back asap!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tonight I had the pleasure of spending my birthday with the team…comfortable, and satisfied.
Perfectly paired ingredients that play from taste to texture, well timed course arrival. Truly enjoyable food experience( my fave in the city )
And, thank you Justin, Beyond the obvious quality of
Thoughtful ownership, which is represented that goes past “owning” anything/body, the sense of leadership gives “a Lion doesn’t have to tell you they’re a Lion”
Please note
I also love how over 18 yrs
This business is a family business, from his mom’s keylime pie to his partnership with Heather, who has a restaurant down the block, (‘Xixa’ same quality differently focused)
Also…Get the ribs.. 😜
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was no good, nothing was impressive. The restaurant was not clean. Not worth the money.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Great meal and great deal probably best tasting menu deal in city $58 for a 10 course meal . Very flavorful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Saved this gem for our last night in the city. Amazing tasting menu featuring unexpected and superb flavor combinations. Great, personal and friendly service. Picked some of our own small plates and went with staff recommendations for the others and every plate was fantastic. Now I know why this is one of my son's favorite spots. Best meal we had in New York.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You have to do the tasting! Perfect experience overall. My server was so kind.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Best food I had in New York! Anthony, our server, was lovely. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a wonderful time dining at Traif. Our waiter was incredibly kind and told us the story behind the restaurant once we were seated. Funnily enough, the owner himself is Jewish, but apparently he has a weakness for pork and shellfish so he named his restaurant Traif which is Yiddish for un kosher. We love the subtle touch of irony here, haha! A lot of the items on the menu did indeed include pork and shellfish and everything was DELICIOUS! All of the ingredients used for their creative cocktails are made in house. They even had a bacon fat salt rim on one of the cocktails which was incredible. There were two standout dishes that I liked the most: the tuna tartare with tempura eggplant and the braised short rib sliders. The quality of the tuna was very fresh and the braised short rib sliders just melted in your mouth. The softness of the bun was such a pleasant surprise too. Thank you for a wonderful evening, and I can’t wait to try your other Mexican restaurant next door!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Bigeye Tuna Tartare, Braised Short Rib Sliders with Fries
$58 tasting menu that doesn’t have a single miss? Yeah, you can’t beat that!
Every dish was cooked and seasoned to perfection.
The scallops were the best my group and I ever had.
The blueberry pork ribs? Ton die for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a treat. Wonderful, interesting shareable food and friendly, knowledgeable service. I have loved this place for a long time. Consistently a winner.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delish! Tuna was wow as was risotto
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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