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    Rule of Thirds

    4.1 (896 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Rule of Thirds Photos

    RULE OF THIRDS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Recommended Reviews - Rule of Thirds

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    Drink menu
    Ashley M.

    Everything is done right here! I don't think anything on the menu can be bad, even if it sounds odd or you don't know all the ingredients, each plate or drink is balanced perfectly and incredible tasty! The service is soo nice, speedy, and clean too! I loved spending a special birthday dinner here.

    Ahmed H.

    I enjoyed it, but it left a little to be desired. The mustard set the katsu sando off, the soufflé pancake had great consistency and the tuna belly was cooked well. The wait staff was very attentive to our needs. The restaurant is very unassuming from outside but was packed and bright inside.

    Linh T.

    I absolutely love the vibe of this place. It's SO spacious and offers a variety of seating options, from bar seating and garden seating to an omakase-style counter and traditional indoor tables. The food has been consistently excellent. I've tried the Japanese breakfast (just note that the fish selection can't be substituted), their famous pancake, and the chicken sando. Everything was yummmyy. The pancake is quite large, so I'd recommend sharing it. The staff is attentive and welcoming. Its hard to make resy but you can usually grab a seat at the bar or a smaller table without needing a reservation.

    Tuna
    Rezaul K.

    Branzino was really charred to the point where you can barely taste the fish, most of it was just rubbery, chewy, and bitter. Spirited away drink was a bit too sweet. You mostly taste the honey. It wasn't well balanced. Chicken karaage was salty and the batter was heavy. We liked the tuna tartar and the chicken meatball. Service was good. Chill ambiance.

    Japanese Breakfast Set - roasted market fish, assorted seasonal vegetables, nanatsuboshi short grain rice, almond miso soup. + drinks
    Renata G.

    I've been here multiple times over the span of 5 years and Rule of Thirds is still keeping its charm. The place is always buzzing, so I recommend getting a reservation. Last I was here was for brunch and we sat in the outdoor patio area. We got a two things to share and a main each. Shared plates were the soufflé pancake and silken tofu. Both were a miss for me. The pancake had a baking soda aftertaste and also they brought it out right away instead of after we finished our mains so it sat around in the table for a while until we were ready to eat it. Silken tofu had a mediocre flavor palette. There was no variation in texture either, just one plate of mushy items. We didn't finish either one of those. For a main, I ordered a a Wagyu beef bowl. It was really good but on the smaller side. The service was attentive aside from a spillage when the order came. Then they started placing plates on top of the spill instead of wiping the table. Eventually they cleaned it but overall there was lack of training in this case. I am not dying to come back here but would consider if I'm in the area again. I really like the actual space but food/service can improve.

    Tonkatsu
    Fiona O.

    Solid spot, but we weren't completely full, and nothing was amazing. I thought that the lemon/lime flavor in the tuna and nori overpowered the rest of the dish. The tonkatsu was more enjoyable with the sauce, but I felt that it was more bland without. The mazemen was probably my favorite! It's such a cool dish and is slightly more filling. My favorite part is the space though. It's such a large space with low lighting. Service was alright. It took a while before we were able to order our food.

    Tuna
    Moeka S.

    We got there around lunch time on a Sunday and we got a table for four in about 30mins! Because there are many shops you can look around in vicinity, it didn't feel too long. The seating was very cute! It was outside but divided from the entrance/outside with curtains and felt like we were glamping or something. If you like savory cocktail with some kick to it, bloody moon was one of the best cocktails I've ever had! And the appetizers we had was also delicious. I feel like the cutlet could've been a little juicier. It did feel a little dry. I had a great time there!

    Hottokeki
    Vishnu G.

    I had the hottokeki (souffle pancake), which had a nice combination of caramelized exterior with a custardy inside. It was topped with a fragrant compound butter and some syrup. I definitely tired of the sweetness about halfway through and had to take the rest home. The restaurant itself is beautiful, and if the weather is nice I'd recommend sitting in the outdoor area. I sat at the bar which was also nice enough. My meal came to $26 after tax and tip. Not cheap, but also not as expensive as other brunch spots in the neighborhood.

    Hot Honey Gem Salad 9/10 Hottokeki 9/10
    Jenng C.

    Got brunch here on a Sunday with a friend. We split the Hot Honey Gem Salad and Hottokeki (Japanese soufflé pancake). The pancake is gigantic and is absolutely meant to be shared. It was really fluffy and smelled soooo good (reminiscent of the HK street cart waffles). But because it's so big, by the time we ate half of it, we were getting a little tired of the same taste. The salad was good but nothing to rave about. For drinks, we tried the Lebowski-San and Kettl Hojicha Kombucha. It was my first time trying a clarified cocktail and it was really unique. I thought there would be more ice cream honestly but I still loved it. The kombucha though was shockingly tasty. I loved it so much that I bought a bottle online once I got home (they're from Kettl, a local distillery in Brooklyn). The venue is really spacious and I actually planned a wedding here in the past. They host a lot of events and there was even a birthday party happening when I ate there. The only downside is the location. The only train that goes there is the G so it's a bit hard to get to. Food: Hot Honey Gem Salad (radish, buckwheat, fennel, yuzu vinaigrette) 9/10 Hottokeki / Japanese Soufflé Pancake (fluffy hotcake, honey maple butter, sesame) 9/10 Add Mini White Sesame Soft Serve (soy milk, sesame oil) 10/10 - I would recommend just getting this on its own instead of the Hottokeki if you're craving just a little dessert. Drinks: Lebowski-San (green tea shochu, pisco, sakura leaf, clarified matcha ice cream, cold brew coffee floater) 9/10 - This is a clarified cocktail which I didn't expect. I thought I was ordering a matcha ice cream-like drink so although the drink was good, all the ingredients are very subtle in flavor. Kettl x Unified Ferments 'Hojicha' Kombucha (jou yanagi hojicha) 10/10 - This is an absolute must-try!

    Chelle L.

    Came here on a weekend for brunch and did not have a reservation so the wait was 1.5 hours. We were seated in the outdoor hut which was initially super warm but they were able to turn off the space heaters and turn on the fan. We ordered the hottokeki, katsu sando, kakuni donburi and karaage. The souffle pancakes were nice and fluffy. The katsu sando was crispy and flavorful. The kakuni donbur was filling and the pork belly was wonderfully braised. It came with an almond miso soup and it was just okay. The almond pieces made the soup gritty and it wasn't great to eat. The karaage was crispy and I liked the sauce it came with. However I wish the sauce came on the side because it was all at the bottom of the bowl. Service was good and they came by several times to refill water and take away plates. The space indoors and outdoors is lovely and I look forward to coming back to try the other items.

    Karry L.

    Came here on a Thursday evening and got seated at the bar, we really wanted to get seated at one of the table on the courtyard but got declined cos we were walk in without resy. we ordered bunch of a la carte including tuna and nori which i was very satisficed, it's a great combo that I'd not think of myself, silken tofu was really smooth and flavorful! however was a little bit disappointed w karages, the batter was abit thick, and the flavor was mediocre. lastly my friend ordered tonkatsu, i had a pc to sample and was not impressed, even not impress that it costs almost $40 for such an ordinary dish. the space is definitely nice, high industrial ceiling w tables spaces out, there are some booth seats and private party room. overall 50% of what we ordered were just mediocre. maybe i'll come back for their brunch menu.

    Outside
    Yupar O.

    Need to go back for brunch to try souffle cake. Tonkatsu has a bit of red spots so made me feel a lil uneasy to eat and also portion for that was small for the price. Better to go with a group to try out everything. Tuna Nori, Salad, Binchotan were really delish! Service was top notch bc I appreciate how attentive they are.

    Chicken katsu curry with Almond Miso Soup and a side of Mac salad
    Ginny C.

    The soufflé pancake is what I came here for and it was everything I wanted and more. The pancake was soft and a little chewy . The butter on top was salted and the maple syrup added just the right amount of sweetness. I am coming back for this! I tried the yuzu mini soft serve but I think I would like the black sesame one more. Coming back for that too! The chicken katsu curry was good. The chicken was well seasoned and cooked. We also got the macaroni salad and it came with pieces of sausage which I really enjoyed. The decor was nice and felt really comfortable. It was a packed house even on a snow day so reservations are recommended z

    Almond Miso Soup

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    Rule of Thirds Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Rule of Thirds

    Are any of the locations dog-friendly?

    Not 100% sure. But I'm sure they would be able to accommodate you. Also just call after 5pm for clear communication.

    Can you bring a birthday cake?

    I can only answer for private parties. You can bring a cake, but there is a slicing fee of $5 pp. I'm not sure what it's like in the general dining area.

    Can you walk in or do you need a reservation?

    Walk-in possible but reservations highly recommended

    Are the outdoor seats heated?

    Yes

    Can you walk in or do you need a reservation?

    You can walk in but the walk in wait times are pretty rough on the weekends; potentially an hour or more based on the size of your party

    Do they have highchairs for toddlers?

    Is there vegan options available here?

    Yes there are 1-2 options- definitely let your server know you are vegan so no animal products such as fish dashi is in the food your order. I ordered the mushroom dish and they made some small modifications to ensure it was 100% vegan! Overall,… 

    Do they have high chairs or booster seats for toddlers?

    Dogs allowed in the outside space?

    Yes

    View All 13 Questions

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    Tora

    Tora

    4.5
    (65 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    Have been here a handful of times now and think it's pretty solid for the area! Have never been for…read moredinner so can only speak for the lunch vibe, but I have found the service to be great and the lighting is nice because there are floor to ceiling windows. The menu is pretty diverse with various appetizers, sushi, and also ramen/curry so your standard izakaya fare. One of my favorite dishes here has been the chirashi. The fish was very fresh and it's pretty affordable. I've only ever been here in groups of two and I probably would recommend it for smaller groups because the space itself is small and most of the tables are two-seaters if I recall correctly.

    Cuisine: 8 Service: 7…read moreDecor: 7 Value: 7 Overall: 8 Another Thai owned Japanese restaurant specializing in izakaya style cuisine in Bushwick. It's been open for a few years, so clearly it has a good enough formula to keep the neighborhood happy. I have been here once before, but returned last week after dining several meals at Tomoni in Jackson Heights. Apparently, the owners are friends. Nonetheless, I needed to make the comparison. After my first few bites of their Tora Don and Chirashi Don, it was clear that this restaurant has the better quality seafood. Each slice of sashimi had vibrant colors, clean taste, and the proper texture. Tomoni is not bad, but fall slightly short of this caliber. With that said, there is an even farther gap between their rice quality. Though Tora is very good, Tomoni produces nearly perfect texture and acidity for my taste buds. Other than the best omakase restaurants in NYC, Tomoni shines as one of the best versions of sushi rice in the five boroughs. Service is good and space is cute. If I have a craving for some decent Japanese food, I would drive 20 minutes here for a meal anytime.

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    Zaru Soba Chashudon Katsu Curry

    Rule of Thirds - japanese - Updated August 2026

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