New York City: Prune (January 2020)



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.












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