8 restaurants Great East Village
Publié 05/23/2017
L’East Village est une destination de choix pour les sushis, soba, coréens, indiens, vietnamiens, thaïs, chinois, mexicains, italiens, français, grecs, autrichiens, allemands, serbes, ukrainiens, barbecues, végétariens et même ayurvédiques. Ses restaurateurs indépendants et ambitieux sont confrontés à une concurrence difficile, de sorte qu’ils ne cessent jamais de travailler pour satisfaire les clients. Les neuf nouveaux endroits que nous avons réunis, qui offrent des expériences culinaires allant de la cuisine de rue modeste aux fruits de mer haut de gamme, prouvent que la diversité et le changement sont toujours essentiels au caractère du quartier. —Julie Besonen
1
Abraço
1
81 E. 7th St.
Many coffee connoisseurs rank Abraço at the top of their lists for bean-to-cup excellence. Debuting in a closet-size space on East 7th Street in 2007, it almost instantly burst at the seams. Baristas and customers got more elbow room in 2016 when a move across the street allowed for tables, a bigger kitchen and a front patio. Moist olive oil cake and light sandwiches add to the appeal, as do vinyl records on the turntable.
2
Che Cafe
2
86 E. 7 St.
Empanadas get a modern twist at Che Cafe, an East Village nook that formerly lodged Abraço (which moved to larger digs across the street). Tennis-ball-size pouches, called chechenitas, are deep-fried to a golden crunchiness. Steamy savory fillings include chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and smoky chipotle, spinach with feta and rib-eye steak with onions, leeks and cheese. If you crave sweet street food, try the plantain and coconut pocket with raspberry puree and whipped cream.
3
Fiaschetteria “Pistoia”
3
647 E. 11 St.
Request the wine list at Fiaschetteria “Pistoia,” and the staff delivers a vintage milk bottle rack stocked with Italian reds and whites. The entertaining touch sets a free-spirited tone at this rustic, Tuscan-inspired trattoria. “Fiaschetteria” roughly translates as “wine shop,” and owner Emanuele Bugiani and his friendly staff hail from Pistoia, northwest of Florence. The freshly sliced prosciutto, homemade pasta and chicken liver crostini exude authenticity.
4
Little Tong Noodle Shop
4
177 First Ave.
Simone Tong conjured Little Tong’s theme: spaghetti-like rice noodles called mixian, a specialty of China’s Yunnan province, in broth that’s cooked over the course of multiple days. Proteins include the comforting “Grandma chicken”—with a tea-brewed egg, black sesame garlic oil and spicy fermented chili—and pork with greens and a tart chili vinaigrette that’s ladled into a copper pot. The narrow East Village spot is lined in brick and blond wood, and also serves tasty appetizers, beer, wine and sake.
5
Nobody Is Perfect
5
235 E. 4th St.
“Nobody Is Perfect” is quite the disclaimer, as names go, but we find no flaws in the restaurant’s soft burrata with broccoli rabe, whole rotisserie chicken and wood-fired pizza stuffed with mozzarella, arugula and fresh tomato. The warm, hip, brick-lined space is versatile for dates, big gatherings at communal tables or hanging out at the bar with a glass of wine and delicious fried baby artichokes with lemon zest.
6
Out East
6
509 East 6th Street
This inviting, bi-level seafood restaurant has a clubby vibe and celebrates coastal New York with seasonal agriculture and offerings from the Atlantic. Chef Tim Meyers (ex–Charlie Bird) shows talent through Nantucket Bay scallops with Meyer lemon; black bass carpaccio with strawberry and pistachio; tender, beer-battered octopus; and hot-smoked trout with lemon curry. Other highlights include hearty dishes like pan-roasted chicken and sides like creamed wild mushrooms with Hudson Valley Camembert cream.
7
Sister Jane
7
349 E. 13 St.
This younger East Village sister to the West Village’s long-running Tavern on Jane has the same low-key vibe and recipe for hot wings. A pressed-tin ceiling, mahogany bar, comfy barstools, high tables and a banquette flush with pillows make it the consummate neighborhood hangout. The straightforward menu includes fried chicken and a monster burger stacked with beer-battered onion rings—just the sort of ballast required when partaking in the extensive drinking options.
8
Uogashi
8
188 First Ave.
Sushi masters quietly and confidently carve raw fish like butter at Uogashi, an upscale Japanese restaurant outfitted in pale wood. Sophisticated patrons pluck seafood morsels with their fingers, using chopsticks only for palate-freshening ginger shavings. Whether or not you eat with your hands, you’ll get warm towels at the meal’s start. Sitting at the long counter gives you a great opportunity to watch the chefs at work; for privacy, choose a table behind a swath of white fabric.
For more options, see our East Village dining listings.