An's List - Guide to Breakfast & Brunch in New York City
diners, trendy spots, and my neighborhood favorites - part 1
I've been sitting on this NYC breakfast and brunch list in my drafts for over a year, so I figured it’s finally time to share it. Truthfully, brunch and breakfast menus rarely excite me as they are often either bland or salty and greasy. As someone who’s not exactly a morning person, I’m usually content with just a strong cup of coffee to start the day. That said, breakfast still has its moments, especially after a night out, when I’m hosting out-of-town guests, or catching up with a friend.
Quick announcement: I’ve recently got an invite to be a part of Devoción Coffee Affiliate Program, AFFILIATE LINK HERE, and that means I have a discount code for you - 20% code ANTRIEU (online orders only for now!). Devoción Coffee is my #1 favorite coffee shop in NYC, and I frequent the Williamsburg, DUMBO, Union Square/Flatiron, downtown Brooklyn, and Midtown location. All of their coffee shops are laptop-friendly with free wifi, and their coffee is strong (Colombian beans) and fresh (from origin to cup as fast as 10 days). And they’re B Corp Certified!
Guide to Breakfast & Brunch in NYC - part 1
1. La Bonbonniere
A classic NYC diner! Expect greasy carb-y food, non-fussy vibe, quick service, low prices, and cash only!
2. Katz’s Delicatessen
The weekend line is insane, so I’d recommend to go early on a random weekday! It’s our favorite spot to take first timers who are interested in Jewish deli classics like the pastrami, the corned beef, potato latkes, and matzo ball soup in NYC!
3. Golden Diner
I got to try Golden Diner food for the first time at the Isla Beauty event, celebrating the launch of the Elixir. Isla Beauty turned Golden Diner to ‘Isla Diner,’ and the take-home gifts were the ‘Isla Diner’ mugs which I still have and love until now. I went back to try their famous golden pancakes, and my friend and I loved it. It’s good diner’s food with Asian influence, and you should try it when you get a chance! The line to get in can be a bit challenging these days, so I’d say to skip it if the wait is over an hour.
4. Rule of Thirds
One of my favorite modern Japanese restaurants in NYC with great brunch and dinner menu! You have to give the Japanese fluffy pancake a try if you’re going for brunch. It’s also located near so many of my favorite Greenpoint spots such as Caffè Panna, CIBONE O'TE & CIBONE, DASHI OKUME, Uzuki, Dream Fishing Tackle, and Dobbin Street Vintage Co-op.
5. Rolo’s
Another all-time favorite restaurant of mine with amazing bakery selections, brunch/lunch and dinner menu! I’m obsessed with their wood-fired polenta bread or anything that comes out of the wood oven here! The double cheese burger and two sheet lasagna verde bolognese are the icon items at this point!
Another bonus recommendation since we’re talking about breakfast and brunch food is the Masa Pancakes from its sister restaurant, Hellbender. I’ve been there once for dinner and thought the food was decent. It’s modern Mexican American food, and I love how spacious and vibey yet casual it is. Definitely a great spot for a group hang!
6. Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop
I lost counts of how many times that I’ve been here, and my go-to order is always a tuna melt on rye (with a side of tomato, lettuce, pickle), matzo ball soup or potato latkes, and a coke.
7. Bobo’s
French food at a historic West Village townhouse? Sign me up! It’s so cute inside and a great family-friendly spot!
French brunches I also love: Pastis, Balthazar
8. Café Mogador
Café Mogador is a family-owned NYC classic, serving Morrocan and Middle Eastern food since 1983. It’s always busy, and the food is excellent. I tried the Turkish coffee for the first time here, and it was so grainy (from the coffee ground) and bitter! Some people add sweeteners and spices like cardamon to their Turkish coffee, and I’m not too big of a fan with warm sweetened spiced drinks.
9. The Odeon
Bunching here makes me feel like I’m in an old classic NYC movie.
10. Breakfast by Salt's Cure
I’ve been to their Carroll Gardens location for brunch after waiting in a short line since it’s a walk-in only restaurant. I’d check out their West Village location or the new Prospect Heights location if I’m near by. It’s a chain restaurant from LA, famous for the oatmeal griddle cakes. They’re thin, crispy, but the consistency is slightly moist and undercooked, and I’m a fan!
If you love oats in baked goods just as much as I do, I’d recommend giving this Overnight Oatmeal Pancakes recipe a try. I found the recipe after searching for what to do with leftover buttermilk and blue berries last week, and they were excellent.
11. Buvette
I will get in line for Buvette, and it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve been here. You’d see staff making eggs using the steam wand from the espresso machine right when you enter the restaurant, weird, but they work. Simple menu, but Buvette is such great brunch spot to take first-timers to in the West Village.
12. Great NY Noodletown
Their roasted duck, in my opinion, is 10/10. It’s perfectly seasoned, succulent, and incredibly addicting. I’d go back and order their wonton egg noodle soup with beef muscle and a quarter of the roasted duck again and again. Really great price and cash only!
13. Szechuan Mountain House
I’ve been to Mountain House twice, once at the East Village location and once in Flushing, and I like their food even more every time. The swing pork belly dish with thinly sliced boiled pork belly hanging on a wooden rack with chili oil, that they advertise all the time, is not that good. If you like cold appetizers, go for the cold chicken in Sichuan chili oil. The pineapple fried rice is surprisingly tasty, and I’d go back to order it again. I’m obsessed with Szechuan food if you haven’t figured out by now. Go here for lunch, late lunch, or dinner!
14. East Harbor Seafood Palace
This is hands down my #1 dimsum spot in NYC! Their shiu mai is the best ever! other favorites include shrimp rolls with sweet soy sauce, braised chicken feet, sticky rice in lotus leaves, stuffed tofu rolls, shrimp hacao, peppered spare ribs, pork buns and egg tarts.
Honorable mention (if you’re in Manhattan): House of Joy - It is one of the largest dim sum parlors in Manhattan’s Chinatown and one of the few restaurants in the area that still delivers its dim sum on carts.
15. Agi’s Counter - Crown Heights, Brooklyn
They do Hungarian and Austrian-inspired Jewish-American food here, and I’ve only been once but look forwards to going back ever since.
16. Bubby’s
I love brunching at Bubby’s. I love the location (Tribeca), how big the space is and how effective it is to dine here as the staff knows exactly what they’re doing. It’s always a pleasant experience going here. Yes, I’d wait in line here! The line moves fast though!
17. Saraghina Caffè
Saraghina Caffè is located at one of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods, Fort Greene. My perfect early evening order would be a salad, Prosciutto di Parma with a glass of Italian red (or a negroni or a spritz), and a pizza!
18. Sunday in Brooklyn
This is a very popular beloved brunch spot, known for their signature Sunday pancakes. It’s a single skillet-style pancake (pictured, very similar to Golden Diner’s version) topped with a hazelnut-maple praline coating. We ordered the brown butter and maple syrup to come separately, and not sure if the brown square thing was the hazelnut-maple praline coating. It’s just unmelted? I think overall it’s a decent brunch spot, worth to try once if you’re in Williamsburg.
19. Frankel’s Delicatessen
It’s more of a sandwich counter than an actual restaurants, but there are seats here. My partner’s go-to order is the hot Pastrami, and mine is the "Classic" Nova or the Taylor ham, egg and cheese, on an everything bagel, toasted, always. In the summer, you have to get the open-faced bagel with scallion cream cheese and heirloom tomato!
20. Café Sabarsky
This Viennese cafe is on the first floor of the Neue Gallery, across the street from Central Park. It’s my favorite brunch spot on the Upper East Side where dressing up for brunch feels appropriate. Insider’s tip: you can sneak your way up the set of the spiral staircase to the art gallery (for free!). I had seen people done that before when I was at Nue Gallery for the first time and didn’t have any trouble going up to the gallery after my visit at the cafe. The bathroom is down one level, and there’s an elevator (so try that route if you don’t have a ticket to the gallery?). You’re not allowed to take photos or videos at the Neue Gallery, but I promise it’s worth it to pay to get in as well.
Museum-adjacent brunches: The Modern at MoMA, Frenchette Bakery at the Whitney, Westmoreland at The Frick
SKIP THESE!
Thai Diner (mid and overhyped Americanized Thai food), Jack’s Wife Freda (bland brunch food?), JG Melon (it’s just ok!), Little Ruby’s (multiple locations - mid-brunch food), Maman’s (I’d pick up a baked goods here, but not dining in.)
ON MY LIST TO TRY:
All of the breakfast burrito spots because it’s my #1 favorite Mexican food category! I’ve only tried Ceremonia Bakeshop’s burrito. It’s good, huge, perfectly rated, but I have more on my list to try: Son del North, Santa Fe, G’s Coffeeshop, Ursula, and Foster Sundry.
The only two pancake spots left that I have yet to try are Clinton Street Baking Company (you can’t just walk in for pancakes here, and I’ve failed at going to the OG locations twice!) and Chez Ma Tante.
I know I’m missing a lot, so comment your favorite breakfast and brunch spots in NYC. I’d love to add them in part 2!
An :x