Edi & the Wolf

We spotted the restaurant far down the street with its hanging baskets, iron steps, ten or so large potted plants, wooden benches, rusted chains, vintage style garage door and gas lamp — all very uncool but cool New York hip. Edi and the Wolf is a spin off from Michelin Starred chef’s Eduard Frauneder and Wolf Ban and offers Austrian fare in a setting inspired by an Austrian wine tavern known as a Heuriger.
We’d booked on the Open Table app and remembered to mention it to the server to collect the dining points. She seated us quickly at a wooden bench and table and brought us a pretty bottle of tap water and some artsy narrow highball glasses. Lou ordered bottled water, which they didn’t have and a tasty cocktail with bourbon and an apple liquor sprinkled with cinnamon with some hefty almost perfectly square ice cubes bobbing around in it.
We ordered quickly from the leather bound menu and noticed that everybody had bread, so we asked for some and it was delicious, with nigella seeds running through the whole wheat dough. We asked for butter and ended up with ricotta in lemon olive oil which was pleasant but not what we really wanted — still we knew we were eating at a restaurant which was on the unusual side for us, so suspending the imagination in terms of having exactly what we wanted was expected.
The cosy, rustic atmosphere had a very charming feel as if you could easily wander through exploring the various pretty plates, animal horns, dried flowers and glass trinkets adorning the shelves. Our appetisers came quickly — Pickled Vegetables to share and Romaine Wedge for him. The delicately pickled carrots were deliciously crunchy with a slightly sweet hint and just enough salt to make them tastier not salty. The other pickled vegetables were nice but it’s the carrots who were the winner for me. Lou cut me off a chunk from his wedge salad and it was nice and refreshing with pickled fennel, olive crumble (which neither of us could distinguish until we ate it alone) and charred cucumber. What a contrast to normal American style wedge salads which are usually drenched in blue cheese dressing with the only relief being a tiny cherry tomato or two.
We sat happily whilst our plates were taken away — me devouring the bread crusts with the oil and leaving the soft middle doughy parts with the ricotta for Lou. Just as I debated asking for more, my entrée of Lentil Stew with black garlic, crème fraiche and beech mushrooms arrived. It was hearty, savoury, rich and dark reddish brown with a huge blob of crème fraiche and a generous handful of some non-​descript microgreen. I couldn’t help noticing the mushrooms were oyster and not beech and even though it was delicious it irked me that they didn’t say when I ordered. Lou’s Baby Back Ribs with honey and beer glaze, bacon slaw and «awesome» mustard was apparently delicious and made me ponder that with most restaurants in America there was definitely more than a hint of the American in with the Austrian flavours. We had a side of house made fries with bacon aioli and house ketchup (which was distinctly not Heinz with a less sweet more tomato taste) and crispy Brussel sprouts with curry vinaigrette, shallot marmalade and cilantro. With just a smattering of cilantro it didn’t really impact the dish in any way and the curry vinaigrette only really came through on the last few sprouts which hung out bathing at the bottom of the bowl. I love the natural mustard sprout flavour and it was only really present on the few little balls of intact sprout which had made it through the roasting process and remained green. Still the bowl went back to the kitchen empty so perhaps I’m being too critical.
Completely full and with no space for dessert I was ready to go home but Lou had read up on the restaurant and insisted we stay to try the apple strudel which was apparently what everyone comes for. I looked on the menu for a Sacher Torte but there was none to be found, much to the disappoint of not just me but also a Russian fellow diner on a neighbouring table. I explained to her that the Hotel Sacher were the only place allowed to use the name Sacher Torte, however we both agreed that there should be a chocolate cake type thing with cream on the menu. The strudel was absolutely delicious with a well baked, golden base and light crisp layers over firm but not crunchy apple and tiny pieces of what I think were walnuts. A light crème Anglaise decorated the plate but wasn’t enough to really be a part of the dessert and a small spoon of crème Chantilly was on top of the pretty square of strudel. I think they may have made it like a baklava in a tray rather than folded like a long log but however they did it, it was light and just sweet enough.

One of my favorite recent finds in the east village, will definitely be back soon.
Cosy, intimate and beautifully decorated German restaurant, starters and mains were both incredible. We shared the ribs for a starter which were soft and delicious. My boyfriend and I had the schnitzel and duck ravioli for mains respectively, whilst the schnitzel was delicious, the ravioli was potentially one of the tastiest raviolis I’ve had in awhile
Ambience was relaxed, waitress did not once try rush us. Perfect for date night or a dinner with friends. All in all a wonderful dining experience

I adore this place and am now reminded that I am due for a visit here. It’s been way too long. One of the things I love most about this restaurant is the gorgeous interior. It’s just what I like. The décor has a gritty rusticism to it that is gussied up only slightly with elegant touches like tufted banquets, wildflowers, and hanging greenery, that look so interesting against a backdrop of reclaimed wood, steel and nautical roping. My initial thought when walking in was that it reminded me of the underbelly of old ship, but in actuality it’s fashioned to look like an Austrian wine tavern. In the back is a beautiful secret garden room that I love. The atmosphere is a little more whimsical, green and earthy. To top it all off, they play great music which only adds to the atmosphere.
The menu features mainly Austrian classics and comfort food as well as some other fun things mixed in. Everything is done simply and done well, which I appreciate. There is continuity across all aspects of the Edi experience, which seems to be going for a very homey, inviting feel that allows guests to just relax and enjoy the moments shared there with friends and special someones. Service was excellent and they make great cocktails. Definitely one of my favorite New York spots for a casual, relaxed evening.

Easily one of my three favorite restaurants in the city. Thoughtful, balanced and well executed menus for both food and beverage. Their sister bar is also one of my favorite post-​work haunts.

Very impressed by this quaint restaurant! It comes across almost as unassuming: there’s no sign outside and really just looks like a chic, underground bunker/​overrun garden. But I have to say I was SUPER impressed with everything I encountered here: the classy, sophisticated yet casual atmosphere, friendly service and beyond delicious menu offerings!
A group of friends and I came here on a Friday night (we had made reservations) but ended up waiting an hour at the small bar in the back before we were able to be seated. As a result, we received a round of free drinks and appetizers on the house! Of course you win points with that thoughtful gesture.
Fast forward to the meal: hot damn. Could NOT get enough. Especially the schnitzel (served with cucumber and potato salads) and spatzel (w/​mushrooms and peas). To DIE for: so rich and bursting with flavor.
Added bonus: we even got a free round of desserts for our wait. Thanks, Edi staff! Will definitely be returning, even if we aren’t seated late!

What an amazing find! This was truly one of the best meals I have ever had. The pumpkin soup and short rib were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive. Only issue is that it’s not closer to home!

Went here for Thanksgiving and it was so fun! I went really crazy on my decisions like beef tartar and oysters (first time for everything, right?!) and I just loved it all! The restaurant itself was beautiful with a garage type window that opened. It had an amazing, dark atmosphere that was just really nice feeling. The wait staff were very friendly.

We wanted to do a nice dinner for NYE, so four of us went here to spend a bit more than usual on the five course fixed price menu. I don’t normally do Unilocal reviews but the experience here motivated me. The restaurant wasn’t that busy, but the staff struggled at effectively managing the place.
Pros:
+ Most of the dishes were pretty good
+ Complimentary glass of wine — due to issues below.
Cons:
— They served two of us a 3^rd course dish and then left the other two people waiting for a meal for 5 – 10 minutes. When we raised the question, it turned out the couple at the next table should have received those dishes, and they were also left waiting longer.
— When the two missing 3^rd course dishes were supposed to be served, we were given 4^th course dishes instead. Despite the mistake, these were left on our table for a while, maybe to make us eat them. Eventually they were taken away, and a while after that we were given the 3^rd course.
— One of our party chose the vegetarian menu, and the eventual 3^rd course for them was the same as their 2^nd course. It turned out for their previous 2^nd course, they were accidentally given 3^rd course. Despite that, the staff left that there and expected the person to eat the same dish twice in a row, which they did because they were sick of waiting
— The 4^th course was brought out before we were half finished the third course and left on the table next to our plates. It turned out their hurry was due to the original 4^th course was just left in the oven rather than being remade. So when it came back to the table it was pretty overcooked, crusted and wilted as you’d expect from a dish that had been left in an oven for 20 minutes after it had already been cooked and plated
— Service was curt, and the main impression was total confusion. We would be asked variations on the the same questions by different people. Who had received what dish, who was up to which course, ‘point out to me what you’ve eaten so far on this menu’. No genuine apologetic attitude for all of this.
— Some wine glasses provided weren’t clean, had smears from people’s hands or lips on them. Sure that’s happened in restaurants before, but these guys didn’t have our confidence at this point.
— We widn’t get the dessert listed on the menu, they served us something else, but they didn’t bother to tell us that after all the other problems throughout the meal.

I came here with #brian to celebrate the end of a wonderful year. We had bookmarked this place a few months ago, and were excited to finally have a chance to go.
Definitely the standout part of this experience was the overall décor and vibes. It really feels like you are outside — the place is made of wood and covered in an assortment of plants. This was definitely a good call as we are approaching the winter when I plan on venturing out of the apartment only for the bare necessities — this is definitely a good call if you are trying to get your #outdoorson when it is –15 degrees. The tables are communal style for the most part with a few other tables on the sides as well.
They have a pretty extensive list of cocktails which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely come here just to experience the bar scene.
For food, we started with an order of the mussels — these were awesome and possibly the best I’ve ever had. I’m typically used to the classic white wine sauce which is amazing, but pretty standard. This was similar, but also incorporated some spice via peppers into the mix. Here’s a tip: they bring out a bunch of bread in the beginning to start the meal. #brian and I are #dieting after the calorically intensive holiday season, so we were pretty starved by the time we got there and devoured it. You should cherish it and use it with the mussels instead — we got another thing of bread but I mean us home girls gotta watch out dem carbs — beach season isn’t as far away as you think.
The rest of the food wasn’t particularly memorable unfortunately. We had to get the schnitzel, and also got a duck pasta dish. I have had a ton of short rib recently so we opted to not order it but someone next to me ordered it and man oh man did it look good.
All in all great experience and would recommend. They seemed to have a good selection of beers as well so I will have to return for that.

I like the overgrown abandoned garden center décor. They took an hour past our reservation to seat us but they totally made it right by giving us free drinks while we waited, comping our appetizer, and apologizing. They have some good German beers on tap that I now forget. The crispy octopus was very fresh and cooked perfectly. Our server warned the Spätzle was very heavy. She was right, I could barely finish it but I regret nothing.

Took my girlfriend here for a date night not knowing what to expect, and to say the least we loved it. The food, the service, the décor, and the ambience was excellent. It was a Friday night and the place was packed, but the servers and waiters were all attentive despite the buzz. Order the Spätzle to share as an appetizer! It’s so good! For entrées, pick any, I’m sure they all taste great. But the steak was perfect. Really enjoyed our night at Edi & the Wolf. Looking forward to visiting again for their brunch menu one of these weekends!

To be honest, we came here because we couldn’t get a reservation at Rolf’s, and we selected Edi and the Wolf based on the Unilocal Reviews. I am happy to report our experience was true to the other reviews…
Beautiful, rustic setting — you will forget you are in NYC.
Food is outstanding!
Our group of 6 enjoyed:
Apps:
Raw oysters — fresh, fresh, fresh.
Baby Back Ribs (w/​the most amazing mustard, yes, mustard), Pickled veggies and fried octopus (even the kids liked it)
Dinner: Short ribs (huge portion, all meat no bone, just melted in your mouth) and Wiener schnitzel (both pork and veal). Both outstanding as other reviews say.
Server was helpful. Service was slow, so plan on spending some time and you won’t be disappointed.

Had a great brunch here this past weekend. I was visiting from LA and loved that this felt nothing like the brunch spots at home… it was dim lit, cozy and relaxed.
The entrance into the restaurant is adorable, but you could miss it as the signage isn’t very obvious.
I had prosecco with brunch but all my friends had mixed cocktails that looked really fun and they said they tasted delicious. Everyone was happy with their food, and it was almost a slam dunk for me… I ordered the omelette with butternut squash & brussel sprouts, because it seemed like a combination I hadn’t seen in an omelette. While it was good, I think they forgot my butternut squash :(
Service was a bit slow, especially for it not being that crowded… but the servers were very nice.

Came here for dinner last night with a friend — it is adorable, with a treehouse sort of feel. There are long picnic-​like tables that are «communal» in the sense that you will sit across from your date, but be brushing elbows with fellow diners. We started with these two flavored cheese spreads, a bit like a whipped cream cheese, one paprika flavored (my favorite!) and one pumpkin flavored. I had the chicken, which was SO moist and delicious, and my friend had the char, which looked great. The service is so nice and friendly, apologetic to a fault. While I was waiting for my friend I ordered a drink at the bar, and the bartender apologized for the wait, which had maybe been a minute. I would highly recommend Edi & the Wolf and would definitely be back if I was in the area.

Love the décor!
Upon entry, the interior was the first thing I noticed. It was already euphoric and we haven’t been seated yet. I made a reservation for 2 and once seated we had a look at the menu. Since the menu items were titled in German, it took longer than usual for me to figure out what I wanted.
We had the flatbread as a starter. This was definitely a great choice.
As for entrees, my friend got the seabass and I got the wiener schnitzel. Honestly, it was amazing but I didn’t know what to expect from my dish and being Korean, it tasted just like donkatsu. Don’t get me wrong, I love Donkatsu and the food was amazing but just expected something else. I would definitely come again and order something else for sure!

This review is only for Brunch. I will prob want to rate this more of a 3.5.
I want to come back and try the dinner menu.
I love the ambiance and the openness to the place. You can easily walk past it without paying any mind to it, but I guess that was what they were going for.
I came here with a couple of girlfriends and I ordered the Schnitzel burger. It was tasty but nothing too out of the blue to make it stand out. We were left unattended for a long time even though we really wanted to order another round of drinks. Apparently our waitress already left for the day after giving us our food. So overall… I feel very ‘mehh’ about the place.

Hands down the best experience we had in NYC.
Brought my boyfriend to New York for a Knife Fight (the cooking competition show on Esquire) themed foodie weekend. When we saw chef Frauneder from Edi and the Wolf crowned champion of the most recent season, I added a reservation almost as an afterthought. It turned out to be the best meal and all around experience we had.
We has an early meal around 5:30 pm on a Friday. The place was just getting opened up, we were the first ones there. (More people came in as we were there) We were given singular service and even got to chat with the chef a few times and he recommended we actually move our seats to something more romantic.
Our drinks (a classic Old Fashioned and a Franz Fizz off the cocktail menu) were made perfectly. The meal was delayed a bit because the staff was doing their tasting (which they did front of house and was lead by the chef — if you are into the preparation of food or cooking at all, it is incredibly interesting and not to be missed — for us it was worth it) but our server and the chef both came over to check in on us and make sure we were okay.
We had the Weiner Schnitzel (with veal) and the small Squid Linguini (made with squid ink pasta) and both were out of this world. Schnitzel isn’t the most complicated of dishes but it was done perfectly and the side pairings were exquisite.
The tastes combined with the linguini (squid ink in the pasta, pickled red peppers, a poached egg and crispy garlic) along with a very light and fresh garnish were like nothing I have ever experienced and would recommend to anyone.
I can’t speak to what the restaurant is like when it’s a busy night, but for us it could not have been a better meal or experience. We will definitely be back on our next trip.

Pros:
* Beautiful and whimsical décor, feels like you’re fine dining in the middle of a forest on an island or far, far away from Manhattan.
* Spacious– good for large groups, as I came here for an engagement dinner
* Loved and recommend the Braised Short Ribs (grilled spring onion, sunchoke, bluefoot mushroom), Wiener Schnitzel (heritage pig. potato salad, cucumber salad, lingonberry jam), and Spätzle (wild mushroom, english peas)
Edi is on the pricier side, especially after a couple cocktails… and you pay more for the unique décor/​ambiance versus for quantity of the food. Definitely a place for special occasions.

I went here for dinner on a Saturday with six friends. We were seated by the window by a friendly and polite manager and promptly attended to by a nice waitress.
I thought the décor was great. There are all these old ropes and pieces of wood, it’s almost nautical themed. It’s dark, quiet & intimate with no frills.
The food was amazing. I ordered the chicken & a pasta dish. Both were perfect. My friends had schnitzel and cheese platters which I tried. They were also amazing.
I’ll come back here for sure and I’ll be recommending it to my friends.

Edi & the Wolf has been on my short list for special occasions for quite some time. I’m out of the dating world these days, but this spot’s metaphorical Tinder game was strong enough for a solid swipe right.* Through word of mouth, press, this very website, I had envisioned an intimate date spot in a homey setting. What I got instead was a kinda-​sorta kitschy, urban gardener’s garage playing what could only be described as Baby Boomer music — cheesy classic rock and disco and such. Edi & the Wolf’s IRL ambiance threw me, for sure. She’s by no means unattractive, just perhaps a bit more laid-​back than I was led to believe. Heading into an Austrian/​German meal, I also anticipated being well-​fed. Well, not so much there either. There are still praise-​worthy things to say about this Alphabet City favorite, but my expectation of the whole affair was something different, to say the least.
Let’s start with the highs. The Flatbread appetizer (candied onion, pickled mushroom, mozzarella) was very good — cracker-​thin, salty, and gooey in all the right places. Not to mention, the $ 2 speck addition was a more-​than-​reasonable upcharge when we’re talkin’ meat toppings. My Braised Short Ribs entrée (pearl onions, sunchokes, trumpet mushroom, carrot) was tasty, too — tender and flavorful, and the sunchokes were a nice potato substitute. The bourbon-​based Fall of Franz cocktail was an easy winner — I ordered two of ‘em. While the music may have been casual and/​or off-​putting, the shabby chic décor and wood-​planked ceilings with LED movie-​theater lights were well done.
As for the lows? The Crispy Wild Octopus (confit potato, romesco, grapefruit) was a small, single-​tentacle serving smothered in the smoky, almost ketchup-​like condiment. I rarely say this about my eight-​legged friends, but skip it. That tasty short rib I just talked about? Also, too small a dish. I heard some other table’s server expound passionately about his favorite menu picks, the kind of guidance I feel I needed after adjusting myself to the actuality of our aforementioned ambiance. Our server, while nice and accommodating, gave us little more than a «What would you like?»
I can’t fault an establishment for not living up to my preconceived notion of some place I’d never been before. But had I known ahead of time, perhaps I would’ve saved it for more of a pre-​game dinner with friends kind of night. If we’re still on modern courtship terms, a Grouper, if you will?* With the right expectations and occasion, Edi & the Wolf can still be a satisfactory spot with quality cuisine, even if it failed to make my heart a-​flutter, or my stomach a-​fuller.
*Kids, am I doing this right?
**What a time capsule review this should be. Friendster, anyone?

C’est par un merveilleux soir d’octobre, lors d’une récente visite à NYC qu’une amie m’a conseillé ce resto!
Au coeur de l’alphabet district et avec une ferme intention de terminer la soirée dans le Lower East side, nous, nous sommes entassés dans un taxi à fin d’aller déguster une excellente cuisine allemande! Et ce, dans un décor qui rappelle les fables pour enfants allemands. Un menu court mais délicieux! Nous avons partagé en entrée un excellent plateau de fromages accompagné d’un vin blanc allemand, au nom qui m’échappe, et j’ai poursuivi avec des Schlutzkrapfen (raviolis au fromage de montage autrichien, ricotta fait maison, gruyère et une sauce au beurre, épinard et vin blanc)… un réel délice!
La cuisine allemande m’est tout à fait inconnue mais suite à cette expérience j’ai bien envie de poursuivre ma découverte… soit à Montréal soit à New York où cette cuisine semble soudainement devenir à la mode! Hors des circuits touristiques communs, l’Edi & the Wolf est un incontournable et lors de ma prochaine visite, j’irai essayer le menu brunch!