After several starts and stops from the pandemic, chef Helen Nguyen can finally give a stage to her Vietnamese cooking. The menu that changes frequently, but includes dishes like crunchy banh xeo, a “banh mi burger,” and various noodle soups.

This Haitian restaurant presided over by chefs Marie Charles and Dominique Hermann makes some very stylish cocktails (don’t miss the Barbancourt rum, which is featured in several), but the food is equally compelling. The restaurant occupies a comfortable corner location with plenty of windows, decorated with paintings, including portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Chadwick Boseman. The food includes malanga fritters called akra; fish filet in Kreyol sauce (rich and tomatoey); griot pork confit in big chunks accompanied by pikliz, a spicy relish; and chicken wings in a variety of styles.

These days wine bars with standout food programs are a dime a dozen. But Wildair, from Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, helped codify the genre when it opened years ago on the LES. If you’re looking for a special occasion night out in the neighborhood this should be on your list, especially for the desserts.

Decades ago there were probably two dozen Dominican and Puerto Rican cafes on the Lower East Side, with menus that rotated on a weekly basis, and often with similar decor and design: twirling stools along a lunch counter, a heated cabinet for rotisserie chickens, and a press for hot sandwiches. Named after a region in Puerto Rico’s northwest, Cibao is one of a very few remaining, owned by Milagro Thina. Cuban sandwiches make a popular quick lunch, but there are also nourishing meal-size soups, pork roasts, paprika-rubbed chickens, and red and black beans served with yellow and white rice.

Dhamaka is one of the city’s hardest-to-nab reservations, currently the crown jewel of Unapologetic Foods (the hospitality group behind Indian restaurants Adda, Semma, and the Rowdy Rooster) and it’s clear why. Located inside of the Essex Crossing complex, Dhamaka offers offbeat South Indian dishes rarely seen in New York, as well as a limited-order, elusive rabbit dish. Bar seats are easier to come by for walk-ins.

With food originating in the Chinese province of Henan, this tiny cafe facing Sara Roosevelt Park opened in 2012. It’s run by Wendy Lian and her family and specializes in Henan’s broad, hand-stretched wheat noodles. Try them with the well-stewed brisket topping, along with a serving of the garlicky cucumbers common in northern Chinese restaurants. The cafe’s most famous offering, however, comes from Xinjiang province: “big tray chicken,” a burbling wok of bird parts in hot oil with enough Sichuan peppercorns to blow the top of your head off (or at least cause a profound metallic tingle on your tongue). Pork-stuffed dumplings are great, too.

As the name suggests, this cafe founded by Fernando Lopez in 2017 specializes in tamales. Some are classic, such as the chicken in mole poblano and pepper strips with cheese, while other fillings are atypical, like bacon and cheese. Look for specials on the chalkboard outside. Tortas, soups, and a killer breakfast sandwich featuring a runny egg on a brioche bun, with lots of customizable options that include avocado, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sausage are also available. Another branch lurks in the East Village.

Founded by Scarr Pimentel in 2016, Scarr’s is distinctive among New York City’s pizzerias. The menu, with its round and square pies, channels our neighborhood pizza parlors, but the pizzas, available by the slice or pie, are kicked up a notch with artisanal ingredients and flour milled in the basement. The place was an early champion of cupping pepperoni, for example, which catches the paprika oil in the upturn that results from baking the sausage slices. The result is one of the best and richest pizzas you’ve ever tasted.

Tucked away at the southeast corner of the Lower East Side, far from the frenetic bar scene and facing a park, this spare, brick-walled space with modernistic light fixtures makes a great romantic date spot. The menu from chef Ryan Bartlow features Basque fare and dishes from other Spanish regions to pair with wines.

Wu’s was a revelation when opened over five years ago at the quintessential Lower East Side corner of Essex and East Broadway. At its heart is the kind of traditional Chinese coffee shop that specialized in wonton soup, congee, and pork and duck charcuterie — but then more elaborate takes on Cantonese dishes that ran from stir fries to whole fish and beyond were added to the menu. Now Wu’s is a meeting place for a very diverse customer base, especially sought after for group birthdays and its BYOB policy.

Kopitiam is a casual Malaysian cafe with an all-day menu that runs the gamut from nasi lemak (with its crunchy achovies), to supple noodles with chile oil, and not-to-sweet desserts like the layered kuih, made from gluttonous rice. There’s lots to love here at all times a day, especially good for a quick bite.