My spouse and I visited Prune for dinner on a Sunday evening
in mid-January 2020. Prune is open daily for lunch (or brunch) and dinner. We
telephoned ahead to make a reservation for dinner, which was a necessity on the
night that we dined. No reservations are accepted for brunch/lunch. If you are
waiting for a table, Prune does have a small marble bar that seats about four
people on brightly painted backless metal stools, but even those spots were
full with diners eating full meals when we were there. In warmer weather,
patrons can wait outdoors.
Prune opened 20 years ago near the corner of 1st
Avenue and 1st Street in the East Village, just across Houston Street
from the Lower East Side neighborhood. The diminutive space offers some
free-standing marble-topped tables near the front door, other cozy tables that
share a banquette on one side across from the tiny bar, and an open kitchen in
the rear. In addition, there is one larger semi-private table located one
flight down from the main dining room. There is a restroom on each level, and in
the winter, the restaurant offers a coat check because space is at a premium. Antique
mirrors do what they can to enlarge the room. Staff works well together like a
well-oiled machine in the cramped space.
Prune serves French-inspired cuisine. As we perused the
menu, our server delivered some crispy naan-like crackers to munch on. As
starters, we shared the softly scrambled eggs on toast and the chicken liver on
a slice of thick bread. For our main dishes, we ordered the duck (plated atop
lentils and stewed tomatoes) and the lamb. We also shared a side order of
Brussel sprouts, which were overcooked and unappealing visually (but still
tasty). We passed on dessert, although the one that still haunts us is the
shaved dark chocolate served atop crusty olive oil-drizzled bread.
We enjoyed our dinner at Prune; the food, service, and
atmosphere made for a pleasant night.
