lines form on Third Ave for some of the city's best banh mi
Must-try: Banh mi, Cha ca la vong, Roll-your-own rice roll tower
📍 99 Third Ave, New York, NY 10003
a basement-level cab stand serving vegetarian chaat since the early '90s
Must-try: Chana masala, Pakora, Samosa chaat
📍 114 E 1st St, New York, NY 10009
Indian in the East Village — 4.7 on Resy across 7,952 diner reviews
📍 24 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Plant-based in the East Village — 4.7 on Resy across 7,016 diner reviews
Must-try: Scorched cauliflower, Stuffed poblano
📍 95 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Mexican in the East Village — 4.6 on Resy across 15,128 diner reviews
📍 29 E 2nd St, New York, NY 10003
Shanghai-region seafood in a serene, waterfall-clad room on St. Marks
Must-try: Dungeness crab in Shaoxing wine, Red braised pork belly, Cold appetizers
📍 19 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
a Taiwanese-American counter that turned the breakfast sandwich into a modern classic
Must-try: BEC on scallion pancake, Mortadella version, Fried chicken
📍 23 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Michoacán-style carnitas on East 3rd Street — pork cooked in its own fat, served on tortillas made in-house
Must-try: Carnitas surtido taco, Chicharrón, Horchata
📍 210 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009
David Chang's East Village original where the NYC ramen conversation started — the pork belly buns changed American dining
Must-try: Pork belly buns, Spicy miso ramen, Roasted rice cakes
📍 171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Brooks Headley's East Village cult vegetarian counter — the best veggie burger in America, plus rotating bowls and ice cream
Must-try: Superiority Burger (veggie patty), Sloppy Dave, Soft serve ice cream
📍 119 Ave A, New York, NY 10009
a 1940s kosher counter keeping a piece of the East Village intact
Must-try: Tuna sandwich on challah, Pierogies, Soup with challah
📍 127 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
a Szechuan room built around a customizable dry pot
Must-try: Dry pot with beef balls, Bok choy, Bacon fried rice
📍 122 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
a ramen shop whose breakfast bowls need booking in advance
Must-try: Breakfast ramen with bacon and egg, Steak and eggs with chimichurri, Asa-style bowls
📍 70 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003
East Village pasticceria since 1894 — cannoli, cheesecake, and a pastry case under pressed tin
Must-try: Cannoli filled to order, Italian cheesecake, Lobster tail (sfogliatella riccia)
📍 342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003
The St. Marks Moroccan brunch that the East Village organized its weekends around for forty years
Must-try: Moroccan eggs, Chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemon, Halloumi plate
📍 101 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Northern Vietnamese cooking on St. Marks — a pho broth simmered long enough to justify the price
Must-try: Oxtail pho, Bánh cuốn, Cha ca la vong
📍 119 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
The tonkotsu that started New York's ramen decade — Akamaru Modern, pork buns, and a room that still roars
Must-try: Akamaru Modern, Hirata pork buns, Ippudo salad
📍 65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
a counter doing Philly cheesesteaks on rolls baked in house
Must-try: Cheesesteak with hot and sweet peppers, House sesame hoagie, Fries
📍 151 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
a 1st Avenue room serving a menu of genuinely excellent momos
Must-try: Meat momos, Vegetable momos, Thenthuk
📍 177 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
The East Village's Ukrainian coffee shop since 1954 — pierogi at every hour, and open all night on weekends
Must-try: Pierogi, boiled or fried, Borscht, Bigos hunter's stew
📍 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
an Avenue B Ethiopian spot where every entree comes with two vegetable sides
Must-try: Shiro wot, Red beets, Chicken in berbere
📍 182 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
an iconic BYOB Puerto Rican restaurant in Alphabet City since 1976
Must-try: Rotisserie chicken, Mofongo with pernil, Alcapurrias
📍 66 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009
central Thai cooking and a gazebo backyard, straight from Bangkok Chinatown
Must-try: Sukhothai tom yum noodles, Koong karee, Whole fried branzino
📍 204 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003