Neighborhood Guide: East Village Restaurants

by Josh_Ozersky - 0 Reviews - 4 Lists

Updated: August 26, 2009

The best food neighborhood in the best food city in the world is a challenge for the most organized gourmand. A world class noodle shop, or cult sandwich shop, seems to be around every corner. Here's your guide, and boy will you need it.

On this page:High-End Dining For the Bohemian Bouledvardier, East Village Alla Italiana, Noodle Town, Snack Paradise.

High-End Dining For the Bohemian Bouledvardier

  1. 1 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Degustation
    Read Reviews

    239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    A sophisticated small plates concept with surprisingly gentle prices, this sibling to Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar is a major chef's hangout.

  2. 2 3.5 Star Rating: Average Prune
    Read Reviews

    54 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    One of the city's most influential New American restaurants, it's still going strong under chef/owner Gabrielle Hamilton.

  3. 3 3.5 Star Rating: Average Apiary
    Read Reviews

    60 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    Former Veritas chef Scott Bryan teams up with a chic furniture designer to create this cozy East Village eatery.

  4. 4 4 Star Rating: Recommended Momofuku Ko
    Read Reviews

    163 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    David Chang's three-star tasting counter continues to be the hardest reservation this side of Rao's.

  5. 5 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Hearth Restaurant
    Read Reviews

    403 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    With outstanding American fare and impeccable service, it sets the bar for neighborhood dining.

  6. 6 3.5 Star Rating: Average Jewel Bako
    Read Reviews

    239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    Spectacular sushi presented with youthful energy makes for a true gem.

East Village Alla Italiana

  1. 7 4 Star Rating: Recommended Barbone
    Read Reviews

    186 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    Underpriced, ambitious East Village trattoria has some of the best pasta and wine values in town.

  2. 8 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Perbacco
    Read Reviews

    234 E 4th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    A Michelin-starred molecular gastronomist brings modern Italian food to the East Village, in an unassuming little osteria.

  3. 9 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Bianca Restaurant
    Read Reviews

    5 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012 (map)

    An East Village standby for no-frills, low-cost, very authentic Emilia-Romagnan cookery.

  4. 10 3.5 Star Rating: Average Frank Restaurant
    Read Reviews

    88 2ND Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    A clamorous, restaurant for rustic Italian and antique charm.

  5. 11 2.5 Star Rating: Below Average Una Pizza Napoletana--CLOSED
    Read Reviews

    349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    Yes, it's great pizza, but it has real East Village character, too, thanks to temperamental, tattooed resident genius Tony Mangieri.

Noodle Town

  1. 12 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Minca
    Read Reviews

    536 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    It's tiny, cramped, and very, very good. The noodles are available both as thick and thin, but it's so tight that you better get the latter.

  2. 13 3 Star Rating: Average Momofuku Noodle Bar
    Read Reviews

    171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    This shotgun ramen sensation is rightfully filled to the brim with devotees of big noodle bowls.

  3. 14 4 Star Rating: Recommended Pan Asian Restaurant
    Read Reviews

    141 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    It took some guts to open a noodle bar next to Momofuku, but the lines have been out the door, literally, since day one.

  4. 15 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Soba-ya
    Read Reviews

    229 E 9th St Ste 3, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    Handmade buckwheat noodles are the summit of Japanese pasta, and this temple of technique takes them very seriously.

  5. 16 4 Star Rating: Recommended Ippudo
    Read Reviews

    65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    The self-proclaimed "king of ramen" makes his case with the biggest, busiest, and, some would say, the best ramen shop in the East Village.

Snack Paradise

  1. 17 4 Star Rating: Recommended Crif Dogs
    Read Reviews

    113 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    Kick it with cheap chili dogs and video games on St. Marks. Then, once you're done, step into a phone booth and pass into one of the city's top cocktail bars.

  2. 18 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Porchetta
    Read Reviews

    110 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    Stark but accomplished East Village takeout specializes in just one thing: pork sandwiches.

  3. 19 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Pommes Frites
    Read Reviews

    123 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    These Belgian-style fries served to-go in a cone aren't cheap, but they're good enough to keep you going until you hit Veselka.

  4. 20 5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended Hummus Place
    Read Reviews

    109 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    Laid-back locals and hummus-lovers flock to this cheap-eats Mediterranean cafe.

  5. 21 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Plump Dumpling East Village Chinese Food
    Read Reviews

    299 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    Some of the city' s very juiciest (and very cheapest) pork dumplings are found in this East Village hole in the wall.

  6. 22 4 Star Rating: Recommended Veselka
    Read Reviews

    144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003 (map)

    This 24-hour Ukrainian diner has become an East Village institution.

  7. 23 4.5 Star Rating: Recommended Caracas Arepa Bar
    Read Reviews

    91 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    Watch your back, falafel: The Venezuelan snacks at this charming hole-in-the-wall might just kick off a new cheap-eats trend.

  8. 24 3.5 Star Rating: Average Terroir
    Read Reviews

    413 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)

    The ultimate wine-geek wine bar, courtesy of Hearth's Marco Canora and (especially) Paul Grieco. Not for the faint of heart.