Even before I relocated my entire life to a two-block radius around Cooper Square, I always made my way to the East Village for weekend meals and after-work drinks. Over the past two years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars here, eaten several pounds of cold soba noodles, and drunk gallons of coarsely filtered sake, trying to determine which Google Map pins would be immortalized in both my memory and the in-app “favorites” list. Although I’m perfectly content to sprint across Astor Place on my lunch break to grab a salad from Wegman’s, there’s so much more the neighborhood can offer. This is by no means an all-encompassing or perfect list, but it’s my current guide to eating out in the East Village. I’ve broken it down into helpful sections you can navigate here:
And I’ve also arranged the list into a condensed, easy-to-view pocket guide that you can save to your phone.
Breakfast + Cafes
La Cabra took the prize for best pastries in my 2024 coffee shop rankings, and it’s still my go-to if I want a little treat with my morning latte. They’re known best for their cardamom buns, but seasonal pastries like chestnut and currant tarts and lemongrass buns are also worth trying.
Tucked away in a basement off 7th, this little Ukrainian restaurant serves up comfort food like varenyky (boiled dumplings) and holubtsi (cabbage rolls) Friday through Sunday. The food is excellent, affordable, and served with care by a team of volunteers.
If you couldn’t guess, this Vietnamese cafe’s specialty is Phin-brewed coffee with condensed milk, but they also have specialty drinks like Pandan and Turmeric Ginger lattes on offer. There’s a small selection of Asian baked goods, and the ambience is somehow simultaneously bright and cozy. It’s a good place to meet up with a friend and chat for hours.
Ignore the spray-painted cartoon baguette on the outside of the building and focus on the piles of flaky croissants, baguette sandwiches, and fresh focaccia waiting inside. Baked goods here run a little more expensive than I would like, but there’s never a wait (unlike La Cabra), and it’s one of the few neighborhood bakeries open until 7 pm.
This kosher lunch counter has been around since 1938, and it feels like a relic of a New York that no longer exists. Everything is pescatarian (most things vegetarian), kosher, and affordable, and there’s not much better than a hot bowl of borscht on a cold winter day.
Lunch
Sobaya’s lunch special is my personal favorite, and it has a dedicated place in my heart and my camera roll. There are daily specials, but from 12-3 on weekdays, you can get a rice bowl, cold or hot soba or udon, and green tea for $24. I always opt for the eel and cold soba. They’ve received the Michelin Bib Gourmand for multiple years for their handcrafted buckwheat soba, and who am I to disagree with the Michelin guide?
Although Pasteur Grill & Noodles in Chinatown is my #1 bánh mì spot, V-Nam Cafe is a close second. It’s a no-frills Vietnamese restaurant where you can get a great sandwich for $10 any day.
There may only be room for four people inside Thai for Thought, but the hospitality from the owners and their lunch special (a variety of entrees for $12, 11 am-3:30 pm) more than make up for that. You can always eat your Pad See Ew in Cooper Square, just a block away.
Dinner
Featured on the final episode of Parts Unknown, John’s of 12th is an East Village staple. It’s been around since 1908, with a hulking pile of wax (that could generously be called a candle) which has been burning since the prohibition days. Although they serve traditional Italian food, they’ve also updated their menu to be vegan and celiac-friendly.
There’s no shortage of Halal restaurants in the city, but Ayat is one of my favorites. It’s a Palestinian restaurant with large portion sizes that’s been featured in the Michelin Guide– what more can you ask for? The Maklouba and Mansaf are truly special, but you can’t go wrong with a kebab or shawarma either.
Tabetomo closed down temporarily last year to rebuild after a fire damaged the six-story building it operates out of, but they’re back and running, serving tsukemen, ramen, and other Japanese food next to Tompkins Square Park. Try the largest bowl of tsukemen in NYC if you’re feeling daring, or just enjoy a nice hot bowl of regularly portioned tonkostu chashu tsukemen.
The East Village can be a difficult place to eat with a large group of people. Before it shut down in 2022, my friends and I once had to resort to eating at Dallas Barbecue. Málà Project not only has room for large parties, but the menu is best enjoyed with friends. Order a bunch of plates to share (I recommend the dry pots, mapo tofu, and dan dan noodles) and relish the signature numbing sensation only Mala spice can deliver.
Dessert
There are some old establishments on this list, but Veniero’s is over 130 years old. When you sit down in the cafe with its Thonet chairs, tin walls, and stained-glass ceiling, you feel like you’re in another time, or even another country. I like to pick up a couple of rum babas as a treat on my way home, or grab a box of cannoli for friends’ birthdays.
Lady Wong is my favorite dessert spot, period. I take my classmates here when they (or I) need a pick-me-up and we each get a different flavored kuih (snacks from Southeast Asia usually made from glutinous rice). I like the Pandan Serimuka (pandan custard over slightly salty sticky rice) and Cendol (pandan jelly and palm sugar in coconut milk), but every single option on the menu is perfectly crafted and just the right balance of sweetness.
If you’re looking to impress someone, take them to Cha-An for dessert. The menu is expensive, but there isn’t another establishment in the area serving Japanese parfaits and mochi that are this picture-perfect. If you want a really special experience, they also offer a tea ceremony for 3-4 guests.
Duo Cafe is one of the newer additions to the list, opening in late 2023. It’s a cozy Chinese teahouse that offers unique desserts like osmanthus basque cheesecake, green tea apricot mousse, and caramelized sweet potato. Afternoon tea runs $39 a set, and slices of cake are usually priced around $13, but it’s a great for a date night or day out with some friends.
Late Night
Open until midnight most nights and 4 am on Friday and Saturday, Zaragoza is the perfect place to get a late-night taco and some Mexican candy. Say hello to the affectionate little bodega cat while you enjoy a chicken burrito with fresh guacamole.
Owned and operated by Ray Alvarez since 1974, Ray’s Candy Store is an East Village landmark. They’ve got NYC soda counter staples like egg creams, along with weirder options like fried Oreos and funnel cake. Whatever you’re craving, Ray’s has the perfect treat to finish a late night on the town.
If you’re wondering how this place gets its name, just try the “rowdy” spice level. They don’t play around, and I’ve seen grown men cry trying to handle the heat. If you don’t feel like destroying your mouth (and insides), they’ve got tamer spice levels, and all the fried chicken is excellent. Oh, and it’s open until 1am on weekdays and 3 am on the weekend.
Backseat Driver 