Uluh Tea House

The Verdict

Ranked #198 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2025, up from #268 in 2024, this East Village Szechuan spot is on a consistent upward trajectory and currently sits in the OAD top 200 for casual dining on the continent. If you're in the neighbourhood and want Szechuan that has been vetted by serious eaters, book it. If you've been once and played it safe, come back and go harder on the menu.

What to Expect

Uluh Tea House sits at 152A 2nd Ave in the East Village, a part of Manhattan that runs dense with restaurants competing hard for regulars. The room itself is on the compact side, as most serious Szechuan spots in New York tend to be, the visual register here is casual and unfussy rather than designed for occasion dining. Think tightly spaced tables, the kind of room where the food is the point and the surroundings are secondary. That framing matters for decision-making: this is not a date-night showpiece, but it is exactly the kind of place where a table of two or four who know what they want can eat very well without the overhead of a formal dining experience.

The cuisine is Szechuan, a category defined by the use of Szechuan peppercorns and broad bean chili paste, producing the numbing heat (málà) that distinguishes it from other regional Chinese styles. If you've eaten at Wu Liang Ye or Hwa Yuan, you have a reference point for the wider New York Chinese dining conversation, though Uluh's OAD ranking puts it in a different tier of recognition for this specific style. For a broader look at the city's Chinese dining options, China Cafe is worth knowing as a comparison point at a different price and format.

Late-Night Angle

On weekdays Uluh Tea House closes at 10:15 pm, with a modest extension to 10:45 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. In practical terms, this means a 9 pm or 9:30 pm seating is achievable on a Friday or Saturday when most neighbourhood restaurants are already winding down. For late diners who want something with real flavour intensity rather than a fallback pizza slice, the Friday and Saturday extended hours make this a workable late option in the East Village. It's not a midnight option, but for a post-event dinner or a late start on a weekend, the kitchen is still running when much of the competition has closed. If your evening is flexible, aim for a 9 pm Friday or Saturday arrival rather than squeezing a rushed midweek booking.

For the Returning Visitor

If you've eaten here once, the move on a return visit is to be more deliberate about the heat level and the category of dishes you're ordering. Szechuan menus at this level typically separate cold dishes, dry-fried preparations, broth-based options, each showcasing málà differently. The OAD recognition for casual dining specifically, rather than fine dining, signals that the kitchen's strength is in execution of traditional technique at accessible prices rather than innovation or theatre. Come with a table of three or four to cover more of the menu. Solo dining is fine at lunch, but you'll get significantly more out of a shared table experience at dinner.

Ratings & Recognition

• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America: #198 (2025)
• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America: #268 (2024)
• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America: Highly Recommended (2023)

Booking

Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Hours run 11:30 am to 10:15 pm Monday through Thursday and Sunday, 11:30 am to 10:45 pm Friday and Saturday. Walk-ins are likely possible at off-peak times, particularly weekday lunches. Weekend evenings will fill faster given the OAD profile, so a same-week reservation is a reasonable precaution if you have a fixed time in mind. The price range is not confirmed in current data, but the OAD Casual designation and East Village positioning suggest a mid-range spend well below the city's tasting menu tier.

Quick reference: East Village, 152A 2nd Ave | Mon–Thu & Sun 11:30 am–10:15 pm | Fri–Sat 11:30 am–10:45 pm | Easy to book | OAD Casual North America #198 (2025)

Explore More in New York City

For broader context on where Uluh Tea House fits in the city's dining map, see our full New York City restaurants guide. If you're planning a trip around the meal, our New York City hotels guide and New York City bars guide cover the rest of the evening. The New York City wineries guide and New York City experiences guide round out the picture if you're building a longer itinerary.

For reference on what serious casual dining recognition looks like at other OAD-tracked venues nationally, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Smyth in Chicago, and Providence in Los Angeles represent different price points and formats in the same critical conversation. At the fine-dining end of the spectrum, The French Laundry in Napa, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Emeril's in New Orleans, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico, and Dal Pescatore in Runate show the international range of critically tracked restaurants Pearl covers.