The Ruby Fruit
Permanently Closed
Natural wine bar with vegan options and comfort dishes
Natural wine bar with vegan options and comfort dishes
"After a rough few months that included a brief closure and reopening—and a dose of controversy—The Ruby Fruit is back. If you’ve never heard of the place, the “sapphically-inclined” wine bar opened in 2023 and was one of the first new lesbian bars to open in LA in decades. We even named it one of LA’s Best New Restaurants that year. So what’s Ruby Fruit like now? It’s still pretty great. In the afternoon, the colorful room functions as a co-working space with laptop warriors sharing space with solo diners and weekday meet-cutes sipping ginger beer. It’s a good idea to come hungry, because the menu of upgraded diner classics can quickly turn a happy hour drop-in into a full-on meal. Prioritize the gooey mozzarella sticks, fried gigante beans that taste like fries, and a Danish-style hot dog topped with remoulade and crispy shallots. At night, crowds no longer spill into the front parking lot like they did when the bar first opened, but you can still count on Ruby Fruit to be a chill, dependable spot for first dates and roommate hangs while listening to people intently discuss podcasts. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Pause Unmute Food Rundown Fried Gigante Beans Beans that you can eat with your hands? Sorry bar nuts, we’ve got a new drinking snack. Topped with rosemary sprigs and a lemon wedge for spritzing, these salty crunchies are a nice thing to have on the table while having a deep discussion about the latest Queery episode. photo credit: Brant Cox Grilled Shrimp Cocktail Seasoned in Old Bay and charred over charcoal, these are plump, smoky shrimp that crackle as you take a bite. They’re great on their own, but you can also add them on to the two salads on the menu. photo credit: Brant Cox Grilled Chicken Sandwich The fried chicken sandwich had its moment, now it’s the grilled chicken sandwich’s time to shine. Or at least the one at Ruby Fruit. Even with all the toppings—mayo, pickles, cabbage, and fresno chile vinegar—it’s the tender slightly smoky chicken and soft potato bun that do the heavy lifting here. photo credit: Jessie Clapp The Roob Hot Dog Our go-to snack when that fourth glass of barbera hits. The condiments are a nod to Denmark, which means creamy remoulade, sweet pickles, ketchup, mustard, and crispy shallots. It’s a salty, tasty little treat that’s perfect to have in your hands while hanging on the sidewalk. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Olive Oil Cake Is the solo dessert lunch a thing yet? Well, it should be, and this olive oil cake—moist, spongy, and topped with jam—is proof. If you see us order a second one of these by ourselves, mind your business. photo credit: Jessie Clapp" - Brant Cox
"The Ruby Fruit might just be the most joyously raucous wine bar we’ve been to in LA. Show up to this Silver Lake queer space at night and you’ll find wall-to-wall people spilling out onto the sidewalk and even the parking lot. It’s why when we’re hungry, we like to head to Ruby Fruit during the day. The vibe is much more low-key, with people sipping wine and getting work done while eating refreshed diner classics. Think decadent breakfast sandwiches, BLTs, and a grilled chicken sandwich that’ll make you realize fried chicken gets too much limelight." - brant cox
"Reopening today, April 16, the Silver Lake strip-mall spot returns to its original space and its Instagram—deleted on February 12—was reactivated. Owners Emily Bielagus and Mara Herbkersman first opened the bar on February 21, 2023; it had marketed itself as a “strip mall wine bar for the sapphically inclined,” was known as a low-key hangout for wine, hot dogs, and Miller High Lifes by the bucket, and often hosted queer events. It abruptly closed amid the January 2025 wildfires, with a now-deleted Instagram post that read, “We have come to the heartbreaking decision that at this time, operating the [bar] is no longer possible due to financial impact from the current natural disaster,” and “the math just isn’t mathing.” About a month after the initial closure, on February 12, the Blade published a report in which former staff alleged mistreatment in the workplace and that trans and BIPOC customers did not feel welcome; Eater LA spoke to two former workers who alleged the bar wasn’t inclusive and that they experienced “toxicity” from the owners. In conversations with Eater LA, Bielagus and Herbkersman addressed the allegations and the reason for closure, saying the bar had been financially “vulnerable” since opening and that they had done more “concrete” things like DEI training for staff; Herbkersman added that Instagram commenters who shared their experience had not gone “unheard or ignored.” In a statement to Eater LA on April 16, Bielagus and Herbkersman said, “So excited to be back in the [bar], doing what we do best: serving delicious food, cocktails, and wine in our neighborhood bar and grill.” They say they have revamped the menu and will welcome back members of the original team, and in a follow-up statement said they have “brought back as many employees as [they] are currently able to, given the current needs of the business,” and are “making internal adjustments to address past feedback and look forward to serving [their] guests, new and old alike.” One former employee, Sienna Deadrich, alleges they have not heard from the owners since the closure and were not offered their job back. For now the bar will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday." - Rebecca Roland
"Opened on February 21, 2023 as a Silver Lake wine bar and named as an homage to Rita Mae Brown’s 1973 coming-of-age novel Rubyfruit Jungle, the spot debuted as a sapphic-focused venue run by Emily Bielagus and Mara Herbkersman after they transitioned the space from Eszett. It offered wine, beer, cocktails, coffee and a lunch/dinner menu with comfort dishes like popcorn chicken, a furikake Caesar salad, deviled eggs, and grilled wings, and hosted events including comedy shows, coworking, and live music; it was also one of 2023’s most prominent openings and earned Eater LA’s Best New Community Restaurant award. The owners framed the mission plainly: “We wanted a space where the sapphic community felt safe to go, and we knew that there wasn’t that space in LA,” and Bielagus added, “I had always said I wanted to open a lesbian bar before I turned 40.” Financial fragility followed much of the bar’s run — the duo say the business was “vulnerable” from early on, never turned a profit, and struggled to secure enough backing while operating day-to-day — and conditions worsened after the SAG-AFTRA strike in late 2023 and again after the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025, when sales dropped 90 percent (one day bringing in an estimated $600). The owners announced a sudden closure on January 11, 2025, saying in an Instagram post, “We have come to the heartbreaking decision that at this time, operating [the bar] is no longer possible due to financial impact from the current natural disaster,” and “The math just isn’t mathing.” Herbkersman recalled, “That’s when the panic really set in,” and added, “The dollars made that decision for us.” After the closure, responses split between shock and offers of help and dozens of allegations from former staff and customers that the space could feel exclusionary to trans and BIPOC people; a February 12 report in the Blade collected anonymous former-staff accounts alleging mistreatment, and former employees described a pattern of feeling tokenized and like they were “walking on eggshells.” Staff accounts include: “I felt very tokenized throughout my time there,” and “The sadness I feel about the closure of the bar is much smaller compared to the disappointment and hurt I experienced working there,” (an anonymous former employee). Former line cook Sienna Deadrich said, “I think they clearly were struggling with money for a long time,” and described frustration that staff-driven event ideas were discouraged or cost-prohibitive. The owners say they always intended the venue to be inclusive, that they used terms like “sapphically inclined,” “lesbian,” and “sapphic community” interchangeably to be expansive, and that they are reviewing policies and “wish we did more ‘concrete’ things like DEI training,” while defending some decisions around fundraising and the pivot from an initial employee GoFundMe to a later campaign to attempt to save the business. The first employee fundraiser (started January 12, goal $15,000) closed around $13,000 and was distributed to staff; a later fundraiser to save the business (goal $100,000) and an associated Leather & Lace event were announced and then the event was canceled with refunds. On February 6 the owners issued a statement titled “A message from [the bar]” reiterating dedication to inclusivity and plans to review workplace practices; comments were turned off and the bar’s Instagram was deleted about a week later. The space is currently being used as a relief kitchen run by Coco’s to Go-Go, and the former proprietors withdrew $3,926.89 from the fundraising page on February 14 to cover utilities, rent, and vendor payments while saying they are “uncertain of any future plans” — former staff say they would only consider returning if it were employee-run and -owned. " - Mona Holmes
"Co-owned by Mara Herbkersman and Emily Bielagusman, this Los Angeles wine bar serves lesbians, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and trans folx and features an active evening scene. For the co-owners, having both digital and real-life spaces is important; as Herbkersman puts it, "While being online is wonderful for its accessibility, we also need human interaction," Herbkersman says. "We can’t just exist online; no one can." The venue functions as a physical haven amid a broader decline in queer bars and the continuing need for safe spaces when traveling and gathering: "It’s in our DNA to seek out others like ourselves," agrees Ed Salvato, a professor at New York University who specializes in tourism, and, as Erica Rose observes, "When traveling, it’s vital to have a safe space for all marginalized genders within the queer community." - Chris Dong Chris Dong Chris Dong is a travel reporter, editor, and strategist. He covers everything from the latest luxury hotels to the nuances of credit card rewards programs. Previously, Chris was a reporter and newsletter editor at The Points Guy. His work also appears in Lonely Planet, AFAR, The Washington Post, and Business Insider, among others. Chris lives in Los Angeles after spending nearly a decade in New York City. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
