A glittering mosaic paves the sidewalk entrance to Euzkadi, a small, tapas gem serving traditional and boldly flavored Basque cuisine to an arty East Village crowd. The red, L-shaped room is framed by a wood bar in back and a ceiling painted with Neolithic scenes of running buffalo. Heavily textured oil paintings, flags and wooden bric-a-brac imported from Spain add to the cozy, mid-century taverna feel.

The menu hews to the region's cuisine, with seafood-heavy dishes, grilled meats like hefty pork chops and garlicky skirt steak, and slightly more imaginative tapas.

OpenTable diners share their love for Euzkadi, with a strong 4 star rating:

• "This is the third time that I have come here and it just gets better. The server remembered the same drinks and appetizers that we order on our previous visits and asked, "The same?" Of course I nodded, "Yes." The food is amazing!"

• "The place had that cool Manhattan vibe that we love so much and that Spanish sensibility that I miss from my native Spain. The décor was simple yet had a quite elegance to it with cool music in the background. The staff was super friendly and made great recommendations on some tapas and drinks – my wife is very picky. The food was phenomenal!"