New Restaurants in the East Village

Using the diabolical formula that made its older sister so popular in the West Village--killer margaritas, Hades-chic decor, upscale Mexican food--this newcomer is already hot as hell in the East Village.

This new Vietnamese spot offers dishes that range from delicious to inauthentic and has an interesting list of Asian beers and a questionable lineup of specialty cocktails.

The corn-fed-cow-loving Josh Ozerskys of the world may want to avoid this spot, where grass-fed beef aficionados come to graze on big burgers at not-bad prices.

An Employees Only vet is behind this tiny restaurant, with a mini-menu of shared plates ranging from steak tartare to duck confit poutine back to chicken fried steak, plus a full bar.

Really just a tapas-serving annex of the adjacent Winebar, Bar Paya serves diminutive plates of trendy Peruvian cuisine--think ceviche of sea bass, bitter orange, botija olive, and fennel--in a casual, vino-friendly atmosphere.

Faustina, located in the Cooper Square Hotel, is Scarpetta chef Scott Conant's sleekest restaurant yet; it's been constantly packed despite mixed reviews from major critics.

This confusingly named pizzeria is the just-opened sibling to the original Carroll Gardens location and serves pies and slices of its deeply charred, medium crust four-cheese pizzas and not much else.

Michael "Bao" Huynh's lucky 13th restaurant serves progressive, French-leaning Vietnamese plates in a comfy, date-friendly setting; don't miss the crawfish spring rolls or the duck confit hash.

This snug fondue spot from the owner of La Sirene is all about the dipping--scalding pots of cheese, oil and chocolate are all the place serves--and though it's not cheap, the BYOB policy evens things out.

Proving to be a rival even to ultra-cheap Middle Eastern favorite Mamouns, Cheep's has falafel sandwiches for less than a subway ride, and there's an ample salad bar full of free toppings.