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The Diamond District knows all about settings, and this kosher lunch place has a striking one—upstairs at the National Jewelers Exchange, overlooking clamorous aisles of wedding rings, watches, and the people who buy and sell them. In the forties, the main floor was a restaurant with a mezzanine lounge, but by 1950 the owner transformed the space to a jewelry store and the upper level into a kosher dairy restaurant. The narrow, glassed-in room holds a diner counter with a turreted shape for extra seating; tables span the window and are clustered in back. The clientele are generally Hasidic men working on the same block and older Jewish couples, but the longtime staff is welcoming to newcomers. A number of omelets, dense and browned, are joined by such lunch items as a dark tuna melt, undistinguished borscht, and golden-fried potato pancakes. Eggplant Parmigiana attempts international variety, but the main draws are, unquestionably, the kosher certification and the one-of-a-kind locale. — Karen Hudes

Cheese blintzes, $6