TERRIFIC RESTAURANTS
RIGHT ON East 4TH STREET

E.U. (European Union)
235 E 4th St between Aves A and B
Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–4pm; Sat 11am–4pm, 6pm–1am; Sun 11am–4pm, 6pm–midnight
Phone: 212-254-2900 www.theeunyc.com

From the New York Times: “From the kitchen came a very fine appetizer of grilled octopus, served with chickpeas and preserved lemon, and an even better entree of baked monkfish, the mild, meaty fish less a cynosure than a backdrop for the cockles, mussels, tomato, green peppers and saucisson sec, a French salami, around it. In the door came the revelers, enough on many nights to fill all 110 seats and make this restaurant feel like one of the hottest tickets in town.”

Ma-Ya
234 E 4th St between Aves A and B
Hours: Tue–Thu 5–11pm; Fri, Sat 5pm–midnight
Phone: 646-313-1987
Prices: Average main course: $14
 From Time Out New York: “Chef Taweewat Hurapan (Rain and Rain East) is cooking up mouthwatering dishes from his native Thailand. In the tiny, meandering two-story space, diners shimmy into little nooks to savor subtly sweet mounds of coconut sticky rice, ungreasy platefuls of sautéed Japanese eggplant, and—best of all—crisp, whole deep-fried fish that collapses into a pool of rich, garlicky sauce. It’s a whole lot of flavor for your buck, with a reasonably priced wine list to match.”

Perbacco
234 E 4th St between Aves A and B
Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat, Sun noon–midnight
Phone: 212-253-2038
Prices: Average main course: $13
From Time Out New York:  “This rustic restaurant holds a dizzying array of Italian wines by the glass; the bartender even visits your table to make sure the food matches the drink. Small plates dominate the menu and a pleasant pungency lurks in much of the food here. Fried green olives are a must-order: the delicious hollow spheres are stuffed with spiced beef and pork, deep-fried and served in a paper cup. Smoked mozzarella is grilled and then laid atop violet radicchio laced with bacon. Pancetta surrounds monkfish that collapses in the mouth. Mouth-puckering pistachio ice cream makes for a nice finish.”

Le Souk
 47 Ave B between 3rd and 4th Sts
Mon–Thu, Sun 6pm–2am; Fri, Sat 6pm–3am
Phone: 212-777-5454
Prices: Average main course: $15
From Time Out New York: This mild-mannered hangout turns raucous on weekends, with belly dancers, rocking ethnic grooves and a crowd of comely rump-shakers overflowing from the hookah-happy Harem lounge next door. During the week, the scene is more mellow: Hanging lanterns, a wall-to-wall couch and overstuffed pillows encourage you to snuggle the night away. Start with herb-infused flatbread and lemony olive tapenade, followed by succulent stuffed squid or ajja merguez (poached, cumin-seasoned lamb sausage). Tagines are popular, as is abu nawash, boneless chicken stuffed with spinach, goat cheese and mozzarella in a delicate saffron sauce. Groups of five or more are held to the prix-fixe menu, so be sure to check the offerings before rounding up the posse.

Mamlouk
211 E 4th St between Aves A and B
Tues–Sun 7pm–midnight
Phone: 212-529-3477
Prices: Prix fixe: $40
From Time Out New York: “Meze of hummus, falafel and za’atar—flatbread topped with dried sesame seeds and olive oil—begin a six-course tasting menu that segues into a salad rich with black olives, tomatoes and avocado. Next up are thick vegetable stew or luscious moussaka. Two meat dishes provide the main course: chicken, either accompanied by walnuts and tart pomegranate juice or, on some nights, served kebob style over a bed of creamy lentil puree; and lamb, sometimes braised in a rich, tomato sauce. The pillow-strewn settees are particularly handy on weekends, when stuffed patrons sit back between courses to puff on hookahs and enjoy entertainment from belly dancers.”

Assenzio
205 E 4th St between Aves A and B
Mon–Thu noon–midnight; Fri, Sat noon–1am
Phone: 212-677-9466
From Time Out New York: “In the romantic candlelit confines of Assenzio, you can sample the restaurant’s namesake liqueur—ten varieties of absinthe, prepared without the now-illegal wormwood—as well as an extensive wine list. Don’t let the spirits go to your head before you savor the food. Authentic Sardinian flavor permeates everything from the insalate to the tagliere. Gnochetti is an explosion of tiny croissant-shaped dumplings covered in a heavenly wild-boar ragù, andthe suckling pig makes a juicy sidekick to roasted artichoke hearts and pecorino cheese. Despite the name—Italian for “absinthe”—the real attraction is the abbondanza of Italian wines, from $29 for a full-bodied Montepulciano d’Abruzzo to $450 for a perfectly aged Brunello (there’s also a separate by-the-glass list). The place does stock ten varieties of absinthe, the herbal liqueur with a kick, but you can no longer bank on hallucinations. At the bar, you can order from the restaurant’s menu of Sardinian specialties.”