Central and Eastern European pours by the glass, $18 to $26
East Village · New York · Southern French, Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 9, 2026 · How we review
Explore Ruffian’s wine-list information. An overall rating has not been assigned. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Ruffian at 125 E 7th St in the East Village posts a Wines by the Glass list. The pours sit under Sparkling, White, Orange, Red and Dessert headings and come from Slovenia, Romania, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Italy. The restaurant describes its cooking as local seasonal ingredients with the spice-inflected tones of Eastern Europe. The list is undated, so confirm what is open.
The Orange section has five pours: Brkić Mjesečar from Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2018 at $18, Blažič Jakot from Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2024 at $19, Casreli Erekle's from Kakheti, Georgia 2021 at $20, Jász Laci Setting Sun from Somló, Hungary 2024 at $21, and Paraschos Not Pinot Grigio from Friuli, Italy 2021 at $26. The whites include Somloi Vandor Hárslevelű from Somló, Hungary 2024 at $21 and Straka Welschriesling Greenschist from Burgenland, Austria 2023 at $19. Reds include Zagreus Mavrud Santimenti from the Thracian Valley, Bulgaria 2023 at $19 and Naboso Zore from the Little Carpathians, Slovakia 2023 at $21. The dessert pour is Lenkey Tokaji Szamorodni 2017 at $26.
The list has 15 wine pours: one sparkling (Guerila Blanc de Nature, Vipava, Slovenia NV, $19), four white, five orange and five red, at $18 to $26. Three are at the $18 low (Edgar Brutler Sefu Blend, Brkić Mjesečar and Gal Tibor Egri Bikavér Superior) and the $26 high is the Paraschos Not Pinot Grigio. Lenkey Tokaji Szamorodni 2017 for dessert is also $26, and a Mulled Orange Wine is $18. Each pour carries a short note from the restaurant.
The Bottom Line
A glass-only list of 15 Central and Eastern European pours from $18 to $26, with an orange wine section of five. Start with the Gal Tibor Egri Bikavér Superior at $18 or the Kapistoni Tavkveri at $23, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted by-the-glass list, not service, storage or markups.
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
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