LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
The Ruby Fruit
Included In
Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl, Apple released the iPhone 5, and Sharknado was the undisputed king of American cinema. The year was 2013—and it also happened to be the last time a lesbian bar existed within LA city limits. Before 2023, at least. As ridiculous and confounding as that decade-long drought was, it no longer seems worth dwelling on. Because The Ruby Fruit is here, and it’s fantastic.
This sapphically-inclined natural wine bar in Silver Lake is already much more than a spot to sip funky riesling. It’s a community center, a queer space, a messy late-night hangout, and during lunch, a tremendous diner. It's a place that feels comforting all day long, whether you're there to eat or drink.
If you’re planning your first trip to The Ruby Fruit, go at night. That’s when this neighborhood wine bar transforms into a legitimate block party filled with first dates, married dates, neighbors, bandmates, and various people talking about podcasts. Since the interior is small—there’s only a wrap-around bar and a handful of tables—by around 7pm every night (and we mean every night) the party starts to spill onto the sidewalk, and then into the parking lot. The crowd definitely tilts social as the night goes on—this might be the first wine bar where we’ve accidentally left our credit card—but a great time here is not solely dependent on intoxication levels. There’s a long list of non-alcoholic options, including beer, tonics, wine, and spritzes, which are what many people here are drinking. Some are even eating, too (mostly hotdogs, which is pure camp, and everyone here knows it). But if you do want to have a full meal at The Ruby Fruit, we recommend swinging by at lunch when things are calmer and the menu is larger.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
The Ruby Fruit fills up at lunch. You might even have to wait a few minutes for a table during the rush. Once you're in, the setting is conducive to sitting, chatting, eating, and then chatting some more about how good the food is. It also functions as a co-working space with laptop warriors sitting amid solo diners and Tuesday meet-cutes. The place is full service, but at no point will you be rushed out the door. We once spent four hours writing here. We'd still be there if we didn't have other restaurants to visit.
The daytime menu is mostly diner classics (tuna melts, breakfast sandwiches, curly fries, etc.), but tweaked in ways that’ll make you perk up and mutter “Oh wow” under your breath. The tuna melt is served open-faced on milk bread, topped with shaved curls of celery and crumbled potato chips. The breakfast sandwich involves a stack of griddled mortadella on a salty pretzel bagel. And those curly fries, well, they arrive covered in gooey, molten raclette, crispy pieces of speck, and pickled red onions. The second they hit the table, we immediately texted a friend, “What are you doing right now? Come eat with us.” Partially because we needed help finishing the plate, but mostly because we wanted an excuse to stay at The Ruby Fruit longer.
That’s the power of this place. Yes, there’s great food but the line out the door consists of people who want the chance to be themselves for a few hours. A chance to be gay, be loud, be quiet, be hungry, and be thankful that sentences like “LA doesn’t have any lesbian bars anymore” are a thing of the past.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
M.E.C. Sandwich
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Loaded Raclette Fries
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Smoked Mushrooms And Faro
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Tuna Melt
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hot Dog
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Olive Oil Cake