East Village

Avenue A Sushi

Affordable and excellent sushi—go for the marble roll which is wrapped in white seaweed, a true delicacy. Friendly fun and delicious! If you don't like DJ music while you dine, however, this isn't your place.

Veselka

Half-century-old Ukrainian diner now has a snazzier decor and hipper clientele but still offers traditional Eastern European fare like pierogi, blintzes, stuffed cabbage, etc.

Famous for its unusual take on dim sum items, some of which are available for dinner as well as lunch; its upscale Chinese-American food though not everyone loves this; and its cocktails. You will pay dearly for the experience - each plate of dim sum costs between $6 and $15 for an order of four dumplings, for example, with some plates as much as $22, and cocktails are $8-12 apiece if anything lower than usual for cocktail bars of comparable fanciness in this city but hardly cheap - but if you love dim sum and can afford the price, you'll probably find it an experience worth having. Reservations strongly advised.

Gandhi

Called by some the best Indian restaurant on the block others disagree, has an extensive vegetarian menu, tandoori specials, etc. Open seven days a week. Reservations not needed except for larger groups, which can opt for a party room.

Grand Sichuan International St. Marks

Serves reliably good Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. For best results, stick to those parts of the menu and avoid lunch specials. Large parties may need reservations.

Serves Moroccan, French, and Middle-Eastern cuisine, all dependably good. The cafe is especially popular for weekend brunch, but a very good breakfast/brunch is available every day of the week. More dishes are on the brunch menu on weekends, but you are likely to wait a half hour or more for weekend brunch during peak hours.

John's of 12th Street

This old-school Italian-American red-sauce place has friendly service, ample portions, loads of atmosphere and a century's worth of history.

Life Cafe

Funky neo-diner is no longer the terrific bargain it once was, but is still a great place to people watch. Featured in the musical Rent. Also seen in the movie Joe's Apartment, when Joe first arrives in NY and is having coffee there while looking at apartment listings in the paper.

A real neighborhood hangout that offers terrific coffee and light meals.

7A Cafe

Snazzy yet affordable with a cut above diner food. Has a real East Village feel and a great view of Tompkins Square and the Avenue A street life. Some people find their food underwhelming, though.

Soba Koh

A small, comfortable, civilized restaurant serving delicious soba and desserts and playing sweet modern jazz on its sound system. Expect to pay roughly $20-30/person for dinner.