Restaurants inspired by literature are definitely New York’s strong suit. From Alice’s Tea Cup, a café inspired by the tales of Wonderland, to a west village café that evokes the feeling of being in a birdcage, Rayuela, which means ‘hopscotch’ in Spanish and is the title of Julio Cortezar’s eclectic novel, is the new restaurant on the Lower East Side that is sure to please. At Rayuela, almost surreal atmosphere is created by the eatery’s nature-evoking décor, each customer sits in a candlelit space with a tree growing from the room’s center and each drinker sits at the bar filled with stones, facing a wall of bottles on display as though in a museum. The perfect mix of restaurant, bar, and lounge, Rayuela offers food that is as eclectic as its namesake. For an appetizer that explodes with flavor, sample their Tuna con Sandia ceviche, which features Diced calamari and tuna marinated in a watermelon-lemongrass citrus sauce. For a blend of cultures, order the Carica Tejada, where a Chilean papaya is stuffed with duck confit and topped with a pedro ximenez duck sauce.

GetWize: Think this restaurant is all about the food? Think again. These folks prove they are no stranger to the alternative even when it comes to cocktails. For the perfect twist on a latin classic, order the Sake Sangria filled with drunken jicama, cucumber, green apples and grapes!