This small panaderia and cafe in Washington Heights remains one of the best places in Manhattan for Colombian pastries and assorted South American snacks. Swing by in the morning for the sweet-salty pandebono cheese bread, chicken-filled corn empanadas, and calentado, the traditional Colombian breakfast platter of rice and beans paired with a fried egg, chicharron, and an arepa.

It’s not unusual to encounter a line snaking out the door at this ongoing Harlem pop-up shop, and for good reason. Chef Melvin Johnson started Harlem Biscuit Company during the pandemic and quickly amassed fans for the shop’s buttery, flaky biscuits, sold alone and as the base for a range of stuffed biscuit sandwiches. Solid entry points include the Langston, piled high with fried chicken, pickles, onions, and chili garlic honey; or the Frederick, featuring a pork sausage patty, egg, cheese, and jerk honey.

Part of Eli Zabar’s east side empire, E.A.T. is a diner-cafe mix that blends American breakfast classics with Jewish fare. Sit in the checkered room for dishes such as a ratatouille omelet, cheese blintzes with apple sauce, or a bagel with sturgeon.

This tiny Argentinian empanada stall at the Columbus Circle Turnstyle Market is a solid choice for a quick, light Midtown breakfast on the go. Consider the flaky beef turnovers, studded with salty green olives, or the excellent caprese variety, teeming with tomatoes and stretchy mozzarella — think of it as a pizza roll of sorts. Open from 10 a.m.

Even if unknowingly, many New Yorkers have tried the bread from Sullivan Street, since it’s sold to many restaurants around the city. The dishes are just as fantastic, especially the soft eggs with prosciutto on brioche, which come highly praised, as well as the square tomato and zucchini pizza slices. The bakery opens daily at 8 a.m.

Humanitarian chef Jose Andres’ Hudson Yards food hall Mercado Little Spain houses a full-service diner that offers a lovely breakfast starting at 11:30 a.m. daily, or at 11 a.m. on weekends. Pair eggs with rich morcilla or nutty jamon iberico, or try a variety of classic Spanish tortillas.

Early risers near Madison Square Park have a breakfast taco option in King David Tacos, originally a Prospect Park cart that’s added this location in Manhattan. On Friday and Saturday starting at 8 a.m., breakfast tacos are on offer, including the BPEC (bacon, potato, egg, and cheese), Queen Bean (refried beans, potato, egg, and cheese), and Or’izo (Mexican chorizo, potato, egg, and cheese).

The breakfast menu here may not have a ton of variety, but of the handful of options, it’s impossible to go wrong. Bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches arrive hot and melty on pillowy brioche buns; the cafe’s legendary crullers are refreshed often with seasonal flavors — maple and cookies-and-cream are the current offerings.

The eggs at chef Jody Williams’s Grove Street charmer are cooked with the steam wand on the espresso machine, normally used to make a cappuccino — and they’re perfect. Starting at 8 a.m. daily, diners have the option of topping them with either smoked salmon or prosciutto. A waffle sandwich and plenty of pastries are also available at this petite restaurant.

Brooklyn Kolache, long a neighborhood staple in Bed-Stuy, expanded with a West Village outpost earlier this year. Order a handful of the sweet and savory Czech-Tex pastries — the jalapeño, egg, and cheese; and the cherry compote and sweet cheese options are not to be missed — and wash it down with a cup of coffee sourced from favorite NYC roaster Kitten Coffee.

This normally 24-hour Ukrainian diner offers breakfast all-day during its revised mid-pandemic operating hours, starting at 8 a.m. The menu has challah French toast, pancakes, waffles, and latkes served with sour cream and apple sauce. The blintzes and pierogis are especially great.

When the morning calls for tamales, tortas, or breakfast burritos, head to Downtown Bakery. The small shop is stocked with a particularly wide variety of the cheesy, stuffed burritos — including chorizo, steak, and veggies. The bakery opens at 9 a.m. sharp everyday.

Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s all-day spot attracts nocturnal diners with expensive shellfish platters, spicy laab salads, and aromatic curries. But in the morning hours, patrons come for fat slices of babka French toast, designed for drenching with salty condensed milk. There’s also a fine roti wrap stuffed with soft eggs, cheese, and with fragrant Thai sausages. Breakfast is served until 5 p.m. Open from 11 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. on weekends.

The late Kenny Shopsin’s kids have kept this beloved diner going in its most recent iteration inside the Essex Market on the Lower East Side. The massive menu can be overwhelming to newcomers, but start with the “blisters on my sister” category, where anything from enchiladas to a skillet of rice and beans comes topped with two sunny-side up eggs. The banana pecan brown sugar pancakes are also a top choice. Note that Shopsins is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and breakfast starts at 10 a.m.

Breakfast is the ideal time to stop by Chinatown stalwart Mei Lai Wah, as they often sell out of their fresh-baked treats later in the day. Load up on puffy roast pork buns, pineapple pork buns, and custardy cocktail buns for a guaranteed good start to the day.

All-day Malaysian cafe Kopitiam made a splash with its reopening a few years ago, expanding its menu to include more savory options, too. The sunny, colorful space, owned by chef Kyo Pang, kicks off breakfast service at 10 a.m. with dishes like kaya toast, half-boiled eggs with soy sauce and pepper, and fish ball soup. Don’t forget to pick up one of the wonderful sweets, like the pulut inti: morning glory sticky rice topped with grated coconut surgar.

This Australian cafe — with other locations in Murray Hill, Flatiron, and Williamsburg — offers up the breezy, down-under dishes for which the country is known. Avocado toast and flat whites are standout, as is the iced coffee come summer. Plus, there’s ample seating for a pre-work drop-by or a meeting, starting at 9 a.m. on weekdays.

Since the 1950s, George’s has been fueling the FiDi office crowd ahead of a day’s work. The no-nonsense diner is serving breakfast essentials like chocolate chip pancakes, corned beef hash, waffles, and omelets. The familial staff and setting at George’s are hard to find elsewhere.