New York is a great place to have brunch! There are so many places it’s hard to choose one. Here is my third personal ranking from one to ten! You can have a look at my first and second one.
In the East village, this Americano-Moroccan restaurant is always very crowded. They don’t take reservations, but it’s worth the wait. It’s so far one of my favorites in the city. Very laid back atmosphere and a friendly efficient service.
Freshly squeezed orange juice comes with a choice of poached eggs. Eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, or Blackstone eggs, they were all very well prepared and tasty.
The blueberry pancakes were delicious and the texture was perfect. The French toast was made from baguettes. They were very well soaked in the batter and were perfectly cooked. Everything was delicious!
Price range: $$
101 Saint Marks Pl # 1, New York, NY 10009
📞212-677-2226
A very elegant restaurant in the Trump building in Columbus Circle, next to the three Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges. The setting is beautiful and the service very pleasant.
The buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup were excellent. The French toast was very well prepared with the compote fruit. The size of the dish was a bit small, with only one piece of bread, albeit a very delicious one.
The eggs Benedict with flying pigs were tasty and the eggs were running. My son ordered the lobster burger; it was good but I definitely prefer eating lobster whole.
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023
📞212-299-3900
Located in East Village, Hearth is a rustic Italian-American restaurant focusing on healthy food. The décor is warm and welcoming. The brunch menu is not as traditional as some other restaurants.
The charred chicory bruschetta was unique and delicious. The French toast served with apple compote and maple syrup was also delicious. The Swiss chard with scrambled eggs and yogurt is a great combination and is an example of the uniqueness of the menu.
403 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009
📞646-602-1300
If you are looking for a true American brunch in a trendy atmosphere, The Smith is the perfect place. There are four locations in Manhattan; the one I know well is located in East village. Getting a reservation is typically easy and yet this restaurant is always packed. The atmosphere is vibrant, and the tiles on the floor and walls create a modern bistro look.
The poached eggs were perfectly cooked, the pancakes were fluffy and the salted caramel sauce was delicious. The vanilla bean French toast with caramelized bananas was perfectly soaked and stir-fried.
The Smith is also a great place to have cocktails or a glass of wine for happy hours.
Do note that it’s a kind of a loud restaurant.
Price range: $$$
55 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003
📞212-420-9800
Typical Brooklyn laidback style; the walls are made of bricks and tiles, wood floor, and the tables and chairs are made of wood. The brunch menu offers all kinds of eggs: poached, omelets, fried eggs. Burgers, shrimp and grits, and French toast are also available on the menu. Everything we ordered was tasty. The poached eggs were perfect and the French toasts with berries were generous.
Price range: $
688 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
📞347-318-3643
I like the atmosphere of this restaurant: modern, casual, and elegant. It’s vegetarian-pescatarian cuisine. The grilled avocado quinoa salad was very tasty and fulfilling.
The omelet was very well prepared, not dry nor saggy. The Black Bread Tuna Sandwich was really good.
47 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
📞646-329-6380
Make a reservation
A charming French bistro in Greenwich Village on the corner of Gay st. and Christopher st. surrounded by potted plants and big windows. In the summer time the windows are open, giving the feeling of sitting outside on the terrace like in Paris.
No pancakes or French toast on the menu, but you can find waffles, duck hash, and all kinds of eggs. You can also order croque monsieur and escargots (snails), but maybe more for lunch or dinner.
It has a pleasant atmosphere and great service. The waffle with smoked salmon and avocado was delicious. The duck hash could’ve been less fatty with more meat but the poached eggs on top were perfectly cooked.
Price range: $$
14 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014
📞646-756-4145
Make a reservation
A rustic barn feel, farm-to-table fare, good service, and it’s easy to get a reservation. I wasn’t pleased with the table they gave us first but they were very willing to accommodate us.
I like their corn muffin they offer at the beginning. We ordered the pancakes and the French toast, they were tasty but the portions were a bit small. My son ordered the shrimp & grits, it came with only three shrimps. When we told the waiter he came back with several shrimps on the side.
The space is big and the ceiling very high, the décor is quite nice but it can get very loud.
Price range: $$
19 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010
📞212-265-5959
Make a reservation
To start with a positive note, I would say that the décor is warm and the setting comfortable. There is a pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant with the white painted bricks, the tables made of wood, and the little bar with the blue tiles, a bit of an art deco bistro style.
Unfortunately I don’t agree with Michelin guide on this one. The doughnut tree was attractive and was presented in a unique way but was tasteless. The dishes were well presented but didn’t impress our taste buds. We ordered the pancakes, the waffles, the smoked salmon & bagel with soft scrambled egg and trout roe ($25), the cheese omelet with caramelized onion, and the poached eggs with Canadian ham. We basically ordered everything on the brunch menu and it was not very impressive.
131 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012
📞212-677-6200
The name of this restaurant is very attractive and it’s a Michelin recommendation. So I was hoping to have a good brunch in Brooklyn but it didn’t go as well as I thought. The hostesses were a bit overwhelmed and we had to wait for at least half an hour to have a table, despite the fact that we had a reservation. They were in panic mode. It was on the day of the New York Marathon and maybe that didn’t help much.
The restaurant had again this very Brooklyn, laid-back atmosphere. The kitchen is an open space, and when you sit at the bar you can see the bartender preparing the cocktails that looked fabulous. I ordered the bloody Mary, at first it was tasty but it was so spicy that with time I started to taste the spices only.
Then came the pancakes with the hazelnut maple praline and brown butter. It wasn’t as good at it sounded. The pancakes were dense and the sauce was too rich. The avocado toast with a six minutes egg on top was very good but the biscuit and gravy was too sweet and cloying.
It’s a pity because it’s a charming place.
348 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
📞347-222-6722
