Ella Funt Review - East Village - New York - The Infatuation
"Half the city’s restaurants are currently in an arms race to see who can have the plainest white walls, but not Ella Funt. This East Village spot has a neon-lit kitchen, a gallery-worthy art collection, and a gilded bathroom that’ll make you feel immeasurably wealthy for two to three minutes, depending on how hydrated you are. Named for a drag artist who performed at the club that (which the owners plan to revive), the place feels slick and offbeat in a way that fits the neighborhood. But, cool as it is, we wouldn’t recommend a full dinner here. If you want to check out this restaurant equivalent of Prada shades paired with Dr. Martens, sit at the bar, drink a glass of skin contact wine, and stick to just one or two French and Asian-inspired small plates. Ella Funt’s neobistro menu starts out strong, and fizzles toward the end. The crunchy little pork croquettes with comte are fantastic, and the tartine with uni and burrata is a certified cheat code. But it’s hard to get amped about a pricey strip steak drowning in a heavy tarragon sauce, or a single ricotta raviolo that tastes like a brief, unsatisfying recap of a story you’ve heard a few times before. To make the most of this place, treat it like a buzzy wine bar or gallery opening, and bring someone who has a rough idea of what they’d wear to the next Raf Simons show. The two of you can explore the natural wine list while you take in the ambiance, which is ultimately more compelling than the food. " - Bryan Kim
