The 18th district has a couple of good restaurant, most of them though with classic Viennese or Austrian cuisine. So when we heard about the opening of Rubi Israeli Cuisine, we were all excited to try it. Finally something new in this otherwise mostly deserted culinary district. Rubi’s main color is orange, which reflects itself in the orange marquee outside, as well as the lighting inside. It does give the place a very warm and friendly look though.
inside seating @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
The restaurant offers the typical Middle Eastern fare, including, but not limited to, roasted cauliflower, hummus, and Tabbouleh. I ordered something called Cherchi, a sweet potato dip with coriander and pickled lemon. I am not sure if I would have noticed any lemon, but the dish was really interesting and, more importantly, tasty.
Cherchi @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
Of course you need some bread with it, otherwise a dip really doesn’t make sense. Since none is served with the Cherchi, I ordered the flatbread with Za’atar. Honestly, this was so good! It arrived warm and with a good amount of Za’atar on top in front of me and I could have just eaten that alone. Not a chance to cut out the carbohydrates that evening. It would have been such a waste to not finish it all! It comes with a delicious tomato dip on the side.
flatbread with Za’atar @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
Along with that I ordered roasted broccoli with a sour cream, dill, and garlic sauce. It was a nice change to ever available cauliflower and I also appreciated the sour cream sauce. It was perfectly seasoned and well roasted, with the last of the bread I wiped the plate. All in all, I loved my food.
roasted broccoli @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
Others were not so pleased. The roasted cauliflower was, compared to other places, quite small. At Rubi you only get one half. So that instantly wasn’t a success. But since everybody cleared their plates, I have to assume that they liked the nicely roasted cauliflower in the Tahini sauce.
grilled cauliflower and tahini @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
The sea bass ceviche was a bit on the bland side. Announced to arrive with vegetables and pistachios, it looked as if blanketed in a green carpet. I am just not sure if you can call Za’atar and herbs vegetables. I also liked some zing, the lemon didn’t do the trick here.
sea bass ceviche @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
My vegetarian friend was the other happy person. At Rubi’s she had a large selection of interesting food. She opted for the hummus dish with boiled egg and lots of Za’atar. It comes with the aforementioned tomato dip and a small bowl of olives. With it she ordered Bourekas filled with spinach and cheese. It seemed like a big enough meal and was also eaten without complaints. Since it looked good and she smiled, let’s say it was very good.
hummus with egg and Za’atar and Bourekas @Rubi Israeli Cuisine
What’s noticeable though was the really slow service. There was only one person behind the bar and another servicing the tables, but the place was not full. Our drinks arrived after the food and for that we had already waited a while. I am not sure this is because the restaurant has only opened recently, or if that is going to be the standard there. In any case, I found the food to be really good, and I definitely want to try some more from the menu. Maybe give Rubi a little time though to settle in. Yours, Pollybert
Rubi Israeli Cuisine
1180 Wien, Gersthofer Strasse 30
Tel: +43 676 4764097
Email: rubi.rest22@gmail.com
Mon-Thu: 12:00-22:00, Fri: 12:00-23:00, Sat: 10:00-23:00, Sun: 10:00-22:00
https://www.rubi.restaurant/eng/
