Where To Eat In Dimes Square

Unless you have a reservation, getting a prime-time table at Cervo’s is a pain in the butt. On any given weeknight, you’ll be told to come back in an hour, sometimes two, and on weekends, often three. Don’t give up. If you can’t beat the micro-influencers, join them. Once you’re sitting with a martini and a plate of crunchy shrimp heads, you’ll be glad to be part of the scene. Your efforts will be rewarded with manila clams in vinho verde, a block party feel, and all the vermouth you can stomach.

The entrance of this fun Cantonese restaurant has tanks filled with crabs and at least one person taking a whole roasted suckling pig to go. (If you’d like one for yourself, you’ll have to call ahead and order it in advance, although you can always just go with a roasted duck.) The menu is huge, and great for sharing. So bring a group and load up on cold, marinated jellyfish garlicky, crispy chicken, and a family-style wonton soup that comes in a bowl that looks like a giant’s teacup. There are a lot of big round tables, and one of the best things about this place is that it’s BYOB.

Did you know Dimes Square has a Le Labo now? As the neighborhood continues to outdo itself, Korean wine bar Sunn’s provides some much-needed DIY spirit. The six-table spot has a single induction burner and a concise menu of chicken soup with oversized mandu and rice cakes buried under stracciatella. Pay close attention to any banchan specials like oxtail terrine or Korean giardiniera.

This all-day Malaysian cafe is walk-in only, and like most good restaurants in this area, it’s always crowded. Fortunately, the people here are a little less try-hard than at some of the spots just around the corner. Snag a stool or one of the small tables, place your order at the counter, and wait patiently for your bowl of pan mee to arrive.

It should come as no surprise that this natural wine bar is kind of irritating. But that buzzy energy is part of why you come here (and visit Dimes Square in general). The space itself is fairly small, with a handful of stools and a single row of tables, but, in the summer, the seating-filled plaza out front has plenty of room. Share the beef tartare with a friend, get a $17 glass of natural wine from Alsace, and eavesdrop on the people wearing high socks with loafers seated next to you. This place doesn’t take reservations, so you might have to wait an hour for your table, but you should find that wait reassuring. It’s how you know you’re in Dimes Square.

If drinking natural wine served in razor-thin glasses while listening to ’90s hip-hop appeals to you, Tolo should be your next Dimes Square reservation. It manages to skirt some of the tiresome trends of the surrounding restaurants, and the regional Chinese cooking is reliable and unpretentious. Maybe it’s because there aren’t many seats, maybe it’s because the restaurant still has the awning from the previous tenant (an old Chinatown cafe), but Tolo feels like it attracts a more nonchalant crowd than its neighbors, and for that, we respect it.

Dimes is the restaurant that started it all, and we're still fans of the vegetable-forward New American food here. Sure, all the fixtures look like they were purchased at the MoMA design store, and you’ll be surrounded by the kind of people who inspire Nolita Dirtbag memes, but think of it as an exercise in urban anthropology. Order a wheatgrass margarita and some togarashi potato wedges with green goddess aioli. It sounds silly, but no one here is judging.

Corner Bar, the restaurant in Dimes Square’s opulent Nine Orchard hotel, is the kind of place where you’ll suggest meeting up with your most fashionable, influential friends. The smattering of French and Italian bistro classics isn’t exciting, but it’s all very good. Sure, you might pay $29 for shrimp cocktail, but it'll be some of the best shrimp cocktail you’ve ever had.

Yes, this little Greek spot is still packed every night, and contrary to what some people on TikTok might say, it doesn’t “suck now.” Is it the best Greek food in New York City? No. But you can get pretty good little lamb chops for under $30 and a carafe of wine for $27, and more importantly, try out a slightly off-the-walls outfit. Know that they don’t take reservations, so you will have to wait for a table, and that once you get in, it will be filled with packs of shrieking patrons having sooooo much fun.

If Dimes Square had a neighborhood bistro, what would it look like? Would it have bright red floors? Faux marble pillars? How about some ’80s-esque light fixtures and a bust of the Virgin Mary? That sounds about right, and it’s exactly what you’ll find at Casino. This Lower East Side restaurant is all about ambiance, but the food isn’t an afterthought. The Mediterranean menu is hearty and unpretentious, with options like tagliatelle bolognese and a burger with pancetta. Whatever you do, get a cocktail.

If you want all the good parts about Dimes Square, (the quality food and the opportunity to dress like an extra in The Matrix) but none of the crowds, then Carlota should be high on your list. It’s a tapas spot that often gets overlooked because it’s right next to the always-busy Bar Belly, and we prefer it that way, because we can usually get a table. Go with a few friends for some olives, croquetas, and a glass of Spanish red, and make conversation over the built-to-share schnitzel sandwich with chorizo.

There's vegan food that tastes great *for vegan food* and then there's great food that just happens to be vegan. JaJaJa falls into the second category, and it’s one of our go-to picks for a casual weeknight dinner or brunch. Some of the menu items here are dead-ringers for your Tex-Mex favorites, like their nachos piled with faux-rizo, refried beans, crema, salsa, and queso. Others, like the crispy pescado tacos, feel new and exciting. You might read the phrase "chipotle almond butter" and wonder whether that belongs on a fake fish taco. It does.