Best Brunch Spots In New York City
Wondering where to get brunch in New York city, namely Manhattan and Brooklyn? This NYC brunch guide shows you the best brunch spots in the city, and by different cuisines. So whether you are looking for French or Australian or Japanese brunch, you can find them in New York!
Brunch is a huge part of the dining culture in New York, therefore there is no shortage of places that offer brunch in New York, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It actually can get quite overwhelming trying to decide where to brunch every weekend.
If you didn’t know, Brunch is usually served on the weekend (sometimes Fridays, depending on the restaurant) from 10am to 3pm. This is when you catch up with friends, talk about your wild night out, or complain about your dirty roommate or the not-so-great date you had earlier in the week.
As a food lover and fatty at heart, I tried to do new brunch places every couple of weeks. Some of the best brunch in New York is not only pancakes and Eggs Benedict, there are many regional inspired brunch that will satisfy any cravings you may have.
So whether you are craving french toasts or Eggs Benedict or avocado toast or matcha lattes, I’ve got the recommendations for you in this NYC brunch guide. Most of the recommendations below are from Manhattan, with a few from Brooklyn.
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Best French Inspired Brunch in New York City
One can never be tired of French food and French brunch is no exception. There are several French inspired brunch places in Manhattan. Some are more well known and expensive than others but they all offer similar yet different dishes.
Balthazar
Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
You simply cannot do brunch in New York without having tried this iconic place. Balthazar is a traditional French brasserie that offers amazing brunch, lunch and dinner plates. It also has a small bakery next door and is known for its bread and a variety of pastries.
The first time I had Balthazar was when I was in London. I didn’t know about the restaurant at the time but my classmates kept telling me how popular the restaurant was. It did not disappoint so I knew I had to try the New York City one just to compare (hint: it is equally as good).
Dishes to try at Balthazar
- Steak Frites
- Escargots
- Their pastries! You absolutely have to get their pastries as they are one of the most famous in New York City.
Reservation highly recommended for Balthazar Brunch on the weekend otherwise be prepared to wait 1-2 hours.
Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery
Neighborhood: Noho
Address: 380 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10003
Similar to Balthazar, Lafayette is another French restaurant + bakery located in Noho. I used to live not too far from Lafayette and would just go occasionally on the weekend.
I personally really liked their baked goods and their pancakes. Currently they are known for their viral round croissants which has 3 flavors (chocolate, pistachio and espresso martini). If you like coffee, you would be glad to know that Lafayette serves La Colombe coffee.
On a nice summer day, be sure to request to sit outside and people watch like a true Parisian.
Buvette Gastrotheque
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Address: 42 Grove St, New York, NY 10014
Buvette is a cute French restaurant located in Greenwich Village (what isn’t cute in West Village)? The inside is small so you can expect a crowded and loud experience, but that doesn’t take away the yumminess of the food.
Expect a long wait on the weekend to brunch there as they do not take reservations.
Being a French spot, you can expect to find very French dishes on the Brunch menu, such as Les Croques, Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame, as well as Belgian Waffles and other French dishes.
Cafe Cluny
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 284 W 12th St, New York, NY 10014
Cafe Cluny is a little bit different than the more traditional French brunch places like Balthazar as you won’t find baskets of baked goods on the menu.
Instead the most recommended brunch menu items at Cafe Cluny include the the burger, the oysters and the Breakfast Club Sandwich. Their French toast is also super good. This restaurant actually feels a bit more American than French to me.
Claudette
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Address: 24 5th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Located a couple of blocks north of Washington Square Park, Claudette is an upscale French restaurant known for their Mediterranean inspired French dishes. It is a super cute spot with both indoor and outdoor seating.
Dishes range from $15 – $30, and you can find a variety of items such as the Eggs Benedict, French Toast (which is supposedly amazing), pastry basket, Shakshouka, etc. The photo above is their Eggs Benedict, which was really good and not too heavy.
They are one of the few brunch spots that actually have a brunch menu on Friday! So if you can’t wait for the weekend to come (or simply want to avoid the crowds), you can go to Claudette for your Friday brunch.
Best American Style Brunch in New York City
ABC Kitchen
Neighborhood: Union Square
Address: 35 E 18th St, New York, NY 10003
ABC Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. It is a Jean George restaurant and its changing menu focuses on local, sustainable, and seasonal produce that does not use pesticide, GMO, etc.
I’ve been there once for dinner and twice for brunch and I was always amazed every single meal.
ABC Kitchen is on the pricey side but the food is totally worth it. They are also associated with the ABC furniture store next store all the entire restaurant decor is elegant and unique. Reservation is highly recommended and don’t forget to order the crab toast; it’s phenomenon.
Almost everything I tried at ABC Kitchen is delicious, from their baked goods to their lemon aioli crab toast to their dutch baby pancake to the burger. You really can’t go wrong with anything you order at ABC Kitchen.
Jane Restaurant
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 100 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012
Jane is another one of the best brunch spots in Manhattan. One major props is that they take reservation (most brunch places in NYC don’t). Another major prop to Jane is that they serve Brunch from Wednesday to Sunday!
They change their menu occasionally but one dish has been on the menu for years, and it is the french toast and “Jane Benedict” aka crab cake Benedict. If you can only get one dish from Jane, you should definitely get that (and the French Toast), ok that’s 2 dishes.
Cookshop
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Cookshop is another really delicious brunch spot in Manhattan.
Although a little out of the way all the way on the west side in Chelsea, this spot is really popular on the weekends. There is usually a long line after 11am.
My favorite brunch dishes at Cookshop are the Dutch baby, Huevos Ranchero, and Deviled Eggs. They are also known for their huevos rancheros. Although I’m not sure if the Dutch baby is still on the menu.
Clinton St. Baking Company
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 4 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
If you want great pancake, Clinton St. Baking Co is one of the best places to go in Manhattan (the other place being Golden Diner in Chinatown).
Located in the Lower East Side, Clinton St. Baking Co usually has a line out of the door even before it opens! Unless you get seated right away, expect 1.5 hour wait. The good thing is there are other locations in Brooklyn so you can always try your luck there.
The restaurant is known for their blueberry pancake and chickens. The great news is that you can get the pancake any time, not only on the weekends. Clinton St. Baking Company also takes reservations, even for large parties, so you can minimize the wait by grabbing a reservation ahead of time.
The Grey Dog
Address: Multiple locations in Chelsea, Nolita, Flatiron, Union Square and the West Village
If you are looking for a more down to earth neighborhood spot for great food, The Grey Dog is it. This cute Michigan University themed restaurant has everything you would want in a brunch place.
There are multiple Grey Dog locations in New York and always a line out of the door. It’s different from other brunch places in terms of how you order.
Instead of getting seated first, you wait in line to order at the counter. During your wait the waiters will try to find you a table. I’ve been to the Union square location more than 5 times and some of my favorite dishes include the fish taco, seared tuna steak salad and the Grey Dog Breakfast. They also have a few vegan dishes!
Be aware that portion is huge (like true American portion), so don’t need to order too many things to be full.
Jacob’s Pickle
Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Financial District, Penn Station
Jacob’s Pickle is unlike any other typical brunch places in New York. It’s known for its fried chicken biscuit sandwiches and pickles (of course). It is great for someone who wants a southern flare to their brunch menu.
Reservation recommended, otherwise expect a long wait.
Best Japanese Brunch in New York City
You typically would not think of Japanese food when you think about brunch but considering how diverse New York City’s food scene is, Japanese brunch is a thing here and they do not disappoint. You will not be getting teriyaki chicken or California rolls at these Japanese brunch spots in NYC, instead you will get either authentic Japanese breakfast dishes or Japanese-American fusion food.
Okonomi
Neighborhood: Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
Address: 150 Ainslie St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Okonomi is a small and low key restaurant tucked away in the heart of Brooklyn.
During the day it serves traditional Japanese ichiju-sansai set meals for breakfast and lunch. In the evening this restaurant serves ramen. The meal comes with roasted fish, severn grain rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki (egg cake), and tsukemono.
They also offer a larger set that includes more seasonable vegetables.
The restaurant presents its food beautifully and they also taste amazing. So if you want real traditional Japanese breakfast, this is the place to be. No teriyaki chicken and no California rolls.
They used to not have a reservation system but now they only take reservations and not walk-ins for their brunch, since the restaurant only seats 12 people.
Hi-Collar
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 231 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003
Hi-Collar is both a coffee shop and a Japanese restaurant. Tucked away in the East Village, Hi-Collar has a limited menu, mainly composed of hayashi rice, omurice, and sandwiches. They also have hot cake, a Japanese styled pancake.
Besides food, they are also known for their coffee. Most people also come for the Omurice and their hot cake. You can make a reservation to avoid the wait.
Besides brunch, they have a completely different dinner menu, with many well known Japanese dishes and cocktails.
Kimika
Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 40 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012
Kimika is a Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant located in Soho. Its dishes are mostly Italian but with a Japanese twist (flavoring, ingredient, cooking method).
There is a large “outdoor” area and spacious inside dining room. All the food is meant to be shared (although you don’t have to) and they encourage a party of two to order 3-4 items. We personally thought 4 items were too much, so 3 is probably the perfect amount.
Some of my favorite brunch items from Kimika include the Matcha mochi french toast (on the sweeter side), the truffle carbonara and the farm based eggs.
Davelle
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 102 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002
If you are looking for a cute Japanese cafe with some light bites, then you can’t miss Davelle in the Lower East Side.
This small cafe is known for their super pretty (and tasty) toasts, with the most popular one being Berry and Cream Cheese as well as honey lemon. You will also find other curry dishes and spaghetti dishes for lunch. And of course you can find a variety of Japanese flavored lattes, from Matcha latte to Black Sesame Latte to Azuki (red bean) latte.
Best Chinese Brunch in New York City
Chinese brunch may be another thing that you’ve never heard of but the culture of dim sum is famous in China, especially southern China.
Dim Sum is a breakfast/lunch meal served with tapa-style small sized bites (dumplings, meat balls, spare ribs, rice rolls, etc) served in small steamer baskets or plates. Usually served with tea and finished with desserts such as egg tarts and sesame balls.
Besides Dim Sum, there are also other food in the Chinese cuisine for brunch.
Potluck Club
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Address: 133 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002
Located in Chinatown of Manhattan, Potluck Club is a Cantonese-American restaurant known for its old Hong Kong decor as well as Hong Kong inspired dishes.
They offer a weekend brunch menu and a dinner menu, with more items on the dinner menu. The brunch menu includes a couple of toasts, chow mein, and burgers. They also serve Hong Kong style milk tea as well as coffee milk tea.
Out of all the dishes we tried, I really liked the Bolo bao milk toast as well as the Cha Siu Burger with fries. If you don’t drink, then I would also recommend the old man chiu mocktail. Reservation is highly recommended, especially for dinner.
Tim Ho Wan
Neighborhoods: East Village, Hell’s Kitchen
Tim Ho Wan is a renowned dim sum restaurant known for its quality and cheap prices. Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong was granted 1 Michelin star and was labeled the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world.
They don’t take reservation and in terms of food, they are known for their crispy pork bun (sweet & savory at the same time). For more information on Tim Ho Wan, see this review.
Kong Sihk Tong
Neighborhood: Chinatown & Flushing
Address (Chinatown): 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
If you are looking for a Hong Kong styled cafe but with large portions and great pricing, then you should make your way to Kong Sihk Tong for brunch on the weekends.
I didn’t realize that this place was trendy on social media when my friend introduced it to me, and I have gone at least 5 times since she took me. So I can say pretty confidently that I’ve tried most of their popular dishes.
Personally I really like their french toast, baked pasta with pork chop (with tomato sauce), the baked Portuguese style chicken with rice, beef chow fun, their Korean short ribs, and of course, their milk tea.
Bonus: if you are in Queens or Long Island, another really great Hong Kong styled cafe is Marathon Cafe. Their milk tea is one of the best Hong Kong style milk tea I’ve had in New York, and their food is really good, large portions and not too expensive.
Best Mexican Inspired Brunch in New York City
Cosme
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address: 35 E 21st St, New York, NY 10010
Cosme is an upscale restaurant located in Flatiron serving Mexican inspired cuisine. If you come to Cosme for brunch, try the Uni Tostada, Lamb barbacoa and Egg sope and finish off your course with the Mexican Churro with Chocolate sauce. Churro with chocolate sauce is actually a very typical breakfast item in Spain.
Atla
Neighborhood: NoHo
Address: 372 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
Atla is a contemporary Mexican eatery located in Noho. They offer a different style of food compare to Cosme but equally as good. Personally I liked the Chicken Enchiladas and the Tostadas.
This restaurant is a lot smaller than Cosme so expect a wait if you come during peak brunch hour.
Best Mediterranean Brunch in New York City
Jack’s Wife Freda
Neighborhoods: West Village, SoHo, Chelsea, Union Square, Williamsburg
Jack’s Wife Freda is an American-Mediterranean restaurant with several locations in New York City. Every time I go to this restaurant, there is always a huge line in front of it regardless of the location.
They are known for their Mediterranean dishes, from Mediterranean breakfast to shakshuka to sandwiches and burgers. The SoHo location has a super cute storefront and seating outside, hence attraction a lot of tourists and locals alike.
Best Italian Brunch in New York City
Locande Verde
Located in Tribecca, Locande Verde is a casual/rustic Italian place with a lot to offer. Besides serving brunch and dinner, a lot of people also get married here. I am a big fan of sweets, so I loved their monkey bread, and lemon ricotta pancake. Reservation recommended as this is a trendy spot.
Rosemary’s
This cute West Village spot serves seasonal Italian food with a rooftop farm. I’ve been a couple of times and always ordered different things from the menu. Get a few of their small dishes and cheese to share as these make Rosemary’s stand out among the typical brunch places.
Best Australian Brunch in New York City
Most people are no strangers to Australian brunch. I first tried Aussie brunch when I was living in London. Ever since then, I’ve been loving Aussie brunch more and more! Great news for those who love Aussie brunch, there are a tons of Aussie brunch places in NYC.
Citizens of Soho
Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 201 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
Citizens is a chain Australian cafe with locations in Soho, Chelsea, and Gramercy. I usually go to the one in Soho since I’m in Soho a lot.
This cafe is super chill and spacious, with great coffee, drinks, and a brunch menu. I really like their smashed avocado toast, it’s not only delicious but also super pretty to look at. I’ve also had their baked eggs which was really good.
If you want that Australian taste, be sure to get Vegemite Flight.
Dudley’s
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 85 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Founded in 2012, Dudley’s is a solid brunch spot in the Lower East Side. Dudley’s prides itself on serving creative cocktails, a variety of seasonal dishes, and an enticing atmosphere.
Two Hands
Neighborhoods: NoHo, Tribeca, Nolita, Williamsburg
I have to admit that I found this place because their food looked so “instagrammable”. Having been to the Nolita location a couple of times, I genuinely have to say the food at Two Hands is not only instagrammable but also delicious.
My favorite dishes at Two Hands include the avocado toast, the Acai bowl, and the Banana bread but there are so many choices. Unfortunately Two Hands do not take reservation so you will have to try to get there early and wait.
Bluestone Lane
Neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Upper West Slide, Times Square, East Village, etc
More of a coffee shop than a restaurant, Bluestone Lane has several locations in NYC and offers a variety of light eats for breakfast.
I personally love their Beet Hummus Toast, Banana Toast and Oatmilk Latte but each location in NYC offers a slightly different menu with something in common such as the Avocado Toast.
Bluestone Lane also offers healthy bowls for brunch or even lunch but I consider them a bit on the pricey side. If you are looking for a chill yet trendy cafe, you should check out Bluestone Lane.
Best Southeast Asian Brunch Spots in New York City
Thai Diner
Neighborhood: Soho
Address: 186 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
Thai Diner is this super trendy Thai restaurant that is known for its unique menu.
Thai Diner is not your typical Thai restaurant, and even though you can still find dishes like Phat Thai and Khao Soi, that is not why they are popular.
Instead, you should try their uniquely “westernized” dishes such as the Thai Tea Babka French Toast, Egg sandwiches, and the disco fries. I liked it so much that I went back by myself recently and got the crispy snapper. It was so flavorful that I can still taste it when I think about it and it’s been a month!
Bonus: Best Bagels in New York City
While bagels are not really “brunch”, it is still a big part of New York City life and can substitute one brunch meal on the weekends.
While I am no bagel experts, I did have the chance to try many different bagel spots in Manhattan over the years and can vouch for a number of them.
- Ess-A-Bagel: This is one of the most famous bagel shops in NYC. It is popular among tourists and locals. Even though popular with tourists, I definitely do not think it’s over hyped and the bagel is really good
- Tompkins Square Bagels: When I used to live near Union Square I went there all the time. I always got everything bagel and it is really good.
- Apollo Bagels: This is no traditional bagel as the shell is super crispy. The bagel is made from sourdough and it used to be attached to a pizza shop, but now it is a standalone bagel shop due to its popularity. I would recommend getting everything bagel with butter, as I felt they put too much cream cheese on the other ones I’ve tried.
- Popup Bagels: This is another very trendy bagel shop in Manhattan. You will need to buy at least a few bagels as they don’t sell single bagel, but the everything bagel is super flavorful.
Its hard to say what’s the best brunch in New York City since there are so many more brunch places in NYC that I haven’t tried and the choices do get overwhelming.
But if you are looking for different types of Brunch, definitely check out some of the ones I mentioned above as well as some of these fun brunch spots in NYC. General rule of thumb for brunching in New York City: go early (before 11am). All the popular brunch places in NYC get packed on the weekend after 11am, so try to go as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
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