Welcome to the new and improved Brunch Directory - a complete list of over 150 restaurants with the best brunch in NYC. We've added some places, we've removed some places, and we've given a bit of explanation as to how each restaurant earned a place on this list. Use it to bone up on your NYC brunch knowledge or to pick a place for your next midday feast.
We update this guide frequently, so feel free to shoot us an email with your suggestions and/or complaints and you might see your tip in action soon.
Happy waffle eating.
east village & noho
1
Hearth
403 E. 12th St.
7.9
MAP
Hearth recently got a big revamp, and now this longtime East Village go-to for upscale Italian is much more in line with your healthy-ish needs. (But not so healthy that there isn’t still pasta.) Keep this one in mind for your next special occasion brunch.
2
Timna
109 Saint Marks Pl
8.2
MAP
One of our favorite newish spots in the East Village, Timna serves an excellent Mediterranean-inspired brunch. If you want to do it up right, they have a special that includes an entree, mezze, grilled pita, coffee, and a mimosa - all for $22. You do the math.
3
Westville East
173 Ave. A
8.5
MAP
A consistently great utility spot whose menu has something for everyone. Westville's been doing the healthy thing since way before it was cool, but its their non-trendy (and very tasty) approach to it that makes this place so loveable.
4
The Smile
26 Bond St.
7.9
MAP
A subterranean pretty-people establishment that serves simple, good food.
5
Bar Primi
325 Bowery
7.7
MAP
When brunch and pasta join forces, it’s a magical thing. Bar Primi is an excellent place for a group (if you can get a table) so come with your crew and get down with some hangover spaghetti.
6
Mile End Noho
53 Bond St.
7.9
MAP
The menu is part Jewish, part Canadian, and mostly great. But the best part about Mile End Noho might be the fact that you can usually always walk in without a soul-crushing wait.
7
Poco
33 Avenue B
MAP
A loud, crowded, fun spot that's best for party time and unlimited mimosas.
8
Root & Bone
200 E. 3rd St.
8.1
MAP
This place gets Southern comfort food right. Biscuits, brisket, bacon and waffle benedicts? Yes.
9
Lafayette
380 Lafayette St
8.1
MAP
A big, impressive French bistro that's a little more upscale and always a great time. It's also People Watching paradise.
10
Vic's
31 Great Jones St.
6.9
MAP
A barn-in-the-city vibe, with a broad, farm-to-table menu (pizza, pastas, market veggies, eggs, sandwiches). Vic’s can be a little bland, but it’s a good backup spot in the Noho area, especially if you’re confronted with a two-hour wait at Lafayette a few steps away.
11
Cafe Cortadito
210 E 3rd St
MAP
Loud music, a bottomless special, and passable Latin food. If you’re looking to embark on an afternoon of East Village day drinking, Cafe Cortadito is where you should start.
12
Cafe Mogador
101 Saint Marks Pl
MAP
An East Village brunch mainstay with delicious Moroccan dishes and a big, cool crowd.
13
Cafe Orlin
41 Saint Marks Pl.
7.2
MAP
Solid Mediterranean food in a space with plenty of tables, so you can generally get in pretty quickly.
14
Prune
54 E. 1st St.
8.1
MAP
A classic, always packed East Village establishment with unparalleled brunch eats. Yes, the food is worth the wait. If you can deal with sharing elbow space with your neighbor.
15
Miss Lily's 7A Cafe
109 Ave. A
7.5
MAP
A fun, tasty carribean spot that's somehow just as appropriate for your 7-year-old nephew as it is for your crew's drunk brunch shenanigans.
16
Yuca Bar & Restaurant
111 Avenue A
MAP
A go-to for solid Latin American food, Yuca Bar's $17 brunch prix fixe (including a drink) is very underrated.
lower east side & chinatown
17
Russ & Daughters Cafe
127 Orchard St.
8.0
MAP
Long before Sadelle’s came along, Russ & Daughters was the OG temple of Jewish appetizing downtown. It has a cool retro/diner vibe, and the Jewish comfort foods are on point. As they should be, these people have been making bagels and smoked salmon for over 100 years.
18
Macondo
157 E. Houston St.
6.9
MAP
Got a big group? This lively, huge Latin spot would be a good choice.
19
Dudley's
85 Orchard St.
7.1
MAP
An tiny LES neighborhood spot that's great for scoping pretty people and brunching on simple, solid eats.
20
El Rey Coffee Bar & Luncheonette
100 Stanton St.
7.9
MAP
A little cafe with lots of California vibes and healthy-ish, interesting, tasty food. This is a very casual, order-then-sit kind of place.
21
Dimes
49 Canal St.
MAP
Another, slightly more serious healthy-food establishment full of "hip" people people and ingredients you've never heard of. Don't worry - there's still an egg sandwich. And it's tasty.
22
Freemans
End of Freeman Alley
8.4
MAP
A classic NYC restaurant that everyone needs to experience, and brunch is a great time to do it. The waffles and pancakes are great.
23
Forgtmenot
138 Division St
MAP
This dive bar/diner has a total mixed bag of a menu - think kebabs and nachos. Come with a big group, order a ton of things, and you'll be happy.
24
Jing Fong Restaurant 金豐大酒樓
20 Elizabeth St
MAP
One of NYC's classic pushcart dim sum establishments. And it's dirt cheap. Bring your whole crew.
25
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
13 Doyers St.
8.0
MAP
Made-to-order dim sum from a place that's been at it since 1920. This is an experience from a different time, and a fun one at that.
26
Clinton St. Baking Company
4 Clinton St.
7.8
MAP
Notoriously horrendous wait times and truly incredible pancakes. That's all you need to know
27
Shopsin's
120 Essex St.
7.2
MAP
A ridiculously tiny "restaurant" inside Essex St. Market. You're not allowed to eat here with a party larger than four, and you'll need to study the 900-item menu in advance of coming. If you're into this kind of shtick, you'll love it here.
soho, nolita, tribeca
28
Raoul's
180 Prince St.
8.4
MAP
One of our all-time favorite classic NYC restaurants, Raoul’s recently started serving brunch. And if the idea of Instagram-ready decor, avocado toasts, and overpriced and under-filling eggs makes you want to die - Raoul’s brunch is for you. It’s dark, it’s vibey, it’s a little sexy, and most importantly - they serve their mind-blowing burger.
29
Epistrophy
200 Mott St
7.2
MAP
Epistrophy is one of the most useful restaurants in Nolita: it’s laid-back but still “cute,” it’s reasonably-priced, and waits are never too long. One other reason? Their brunch - a mixture of egg dishes and panini all under $15.
30
Jack's Wife Freda
224 Lafayette St.
7.2
MAP
Such a simple little cafe, such unreasonable waits for a table. If you can get in, you'll enjoy Middle Eastern influenced brunch foods (like shakshuka) that were pretty much made for girls' day out.
31
Two Hands
164 Mott St
MAP
This Nolita-bordering-Chinatown cafe is an Infatuation HQ mainstay during the week, and just as useful for brunch. The avocado toast (add an egg) and acai bowl are as tasty as they are Instagram-ready.
32
The Dutch
113 Sullivan St.
7.8
MAP
A solid spot for comfort food and maybe some oysters. And maybe a stiff drink.
33
Balaboosta
214 Mulberry St.
6.3
MAP
A sort of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean brunch. Get the lamb burger.
34
Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St.
8.6
MAP
Brunch is the time to hit Locanda Verde. Mainly because you can actually score a table, but their bakery is excellent and it's a nice place to throw back some eggs and some drinks on a sunny Sunday.
35
Chalk Point Kitchen
527 Broome St
MAP
Chalk Point Kitchen is a Soho spot to eat vegetable type things surrounded by trinket type things. You'll love it.
36
Café Habana
17 Prince St.
8.2
MAP
Still one of the coolest places to eat in NYC. Expect a not-insignificant wait at brunch, but Cuban sandwiches and huevos await.
37
Little Park
85 W. Broadway
8.1
MAP
A new restaurant from the people behind The Dutch and Locanda Verde, Little Park is similar but more veggie focused.
38
Bubby's
120 Hudson St.
6.9
MAP
This is a hardcore Tribeca brunch hang. Come for above-average pancakes and better people watching.
39
Sadelle's
463 W. Broadway
8.5
MAP
A temple of Jewish appetizing that's both flashy and genuinely great. This is one of the best new places to brunch.
40
Tacombi @ Fonda Nolita
267 Elizabeth St.
7.6
MAP
Pretty good tacos, and very pleasant fake Mexican courtyard to enjoy them in.
41
Egg Shop
151 Elizabeth St.
7.6
MAP
Egg Shop gives the people what they want, which is apparently eggs. Have them many different ways, on a sandwich, in a bowl, you name it. What a world.
42
Bread
20 Spring St.
7.5
MAP
If you're tired of the usual eggs-and-sweet-carbs thing, Bread has some very nice salads, soups, and sandwiches to offer. How civilized.
43
Cherche Midi
282 Bowery
7.8
MAP
Upscale French brunch.
44
Cafe Gitane
242 Mott St.
7.1
MAP
This has long been a place to See And Be Seen, but the food is probably better and more reasonably priced than you might remember. The sidewalk seating is prime in the summer.
45
Hundred Acres
38 MacDougal St.
7.8
MAP
This place is the unofficial official brunch restaurant of Soho, thanks to a nice environment and excellent cinnamon buns. Just ask the person next to you. They'll only be about three inches away.
46
Estela
47 E. Houston St.
8.4
MAP
As long as you don't come to Estela expecting to be nice and comfy, you'll have a great time with the creative food and full brunch cocktail list.
west village & greenwich village
47
High Street on Hudson
637 Hudson St
7.8
MAP
High Street On Hudson does a lot of things well, but it does breakfast foods - specifically breakfast sandwiches - best. If a next-level Egg McMuffin kind of creation isn’t your scene, they also do some excellent lighter options as well.
48
Perla Cafe
234 West 4th St.
MAP
Been wanting to try Perla Cafe, but need to ball out on a budget? Brunch is your strategy. There are eggs and pancakes, there’s a sandwich, and yes, there’s a pasta (carbonara). We’ll make this easy: you’re getting the pasta.
Photo: Henry Hargreaves
49
Quality Eats
19 Greenwich Ave
8.4
MAP
Quality Eats is a casual, cool, neighborhood steakhouse that looks and feels nothing like a steakhouse. Brunch here includes everything from coconut quinoa to a “large format” cinammon roll to steak and eggs - it's a great time to try this place in all its Instagrammable glory.
50
dell'anima
38 8th Ave.
8.4
MAP
We appreciate any good excuse to eat pasta in the middle of the day. And one really good one is dell'anima. They've also got some non-carb-centric options, but you're probably soulless if you skip the carbonara.
51
Hudson Clearwater
447 Hudson St.
8.1
MAP
Hudson Clearwater’s menu reads like the Greatest Hits Of Brunch: brioche french toast, eggs benedict, huevos rancheros, plus healthy options and cocktails. This is a back-pocket West Village move, especially if you have a picky eater with you, and especially during the summer when the back patio is open for business.
52
Gardënia
64 Downing St.
7.8
MAP
This West Village restaurant is most eligible for your next Girls’ Day Out. It’s a pretty space, with tasty drinks, and very solid, vaguely-Latin-inspired brunch eats. The short rib burger is not to be missed.
53
by CHLOE
185 Bleecker St.
8.4
MAP
Does brunch exist in a world without eggs? As by CHLOE proves, the answer is yes. And it involves pancakes, cinammon rolls, and hash browns. Not bad. Not bad at all.
54
Agave
140 7th Ave S
MAP
Sometimes you want a drunk brunch but don't want to feel like you just time-warped to freshman year of college. Agave's our go-to for a bottomless situation that feels a little more upscale in both food and vibe.
55
Jack's Wife Freda West Village
50 Carmine St.
7.4
MAP
The new West Village location of Jack's Wife Freda has all the charm of the original, with generally shorter wait times.
56
Barbuto
775 Washington St.
8.5
MAP
The brunch menu changes often at Barbuto, but if you're lucky they'll be serving breakfast pizza and carbonara. The famous chicken's always on the brunch menu, too. This place just knows how to make people happy.
57
Sotto 13
140 W 13th St
MAP
Home to a family style brunch built for sharing with a group, Sotto 13's food is probably the best you can find at a boozy brunch in this town. Just know that drinks are not unlimited, so the party stays in check. That's probably for the best.
58
Jeffrey's Grocery
172 Waverly Pl
MAP
A place to enjoy many things, from oysters to sandwiches to eggs and bacon. Jeffrey's Grocery is one of our favorite casual restaurants, and we'd eat here any time of day.
59
Morandi
211 Waverly Pl.
7.7
MAP
Italian brunch which means you can eat pasta, which means we love it. Morandi is another restaurant we like more during the day than at night. You will too.
60
Claudette
24 5th Ave
MAP
Claudette is a very pleasant restaurant, especially during the day. But it might be more style than substance. It'll do just fine for a pricey brunch with your friends, but set your expectations to "pretty good."
61
Bluestone Lane Collective Cafe
55 Greenwich Ave
MAP
Home to possibly the most coffee shop Instagrams in NYC, thanks to lots of natural light and white walls and tables. But to think that Bluestone is just a place where people take pictures is a mistake. The breakfast/brunch food here is excellent, including many gluten free options.
62
12 Chairs
56 Macdougal St
MAP
This place flies pretty under-the-radar considering its prime Soho/Greenwich Village location, but that's all the better for your chances of getting in without a wait. Its Mediterranean-inspired menu is simple, delicious, and very reasonably priced.
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