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14 Ideal Brunch Restaurants in the East Village

Where to blissfully brunch in the neighborhood

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NYC’s brunch culture is alive and well in the East Village, where petite but comfortable dining rooms across the neighborhood become alive during weekend days. Find Italian twists on American brunch classics, corned beef hash pierogis, and three-for-one Prosecco cocktail deals below, in a combination of standby restaurants and popular newcomers.

For brunch options across the city, click here, and for the hottest new brunches, try this map.

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Momofuku Ssäm Bar

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David Chang’s meaty restaurant sings at brunch under chef Max Ng, who sends out dishes like a blueberry skillet pancake with yuzu curd and a seven-spice brisket croque madame. Reservations are available, as are Momofuku classics like the iconic pork bun and the spicy pork sausage with rice cakes dish. Drinks include a blood mary with sriracha and an iced latte with Sichuan simple syrup. Get a bunch of hams, too.

Momofuku Ssam Bar Momofuku Ssam Bar/Facebook

Tim Ho Wan

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Popular global dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan opened its first U.S. location in the East Village, where all items are made to order in a full-service setting. The baked pork buns are the must-order, but any of the steamed dumplings will do as well.

Tim Ho Wan Tim Ho Wan/Nick Solares

James Beard Award-winner Marco Canora’s flagship restaurant is just as enjoyable for brunch as it is in the evening. His famed beef broth goes into a bloody mary and a bowl with eggs and vegetables, and classics like French toast or granola with yogurt are also available. But Italian-leaning items like meatballs and bruschetta are on deck too, good for ordering with a brunch group.

Veselka

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Ukrainian diner Veselka is a 24-hour NYC icon — open since 1954 and still serving breakfast every hour. At brunch, special options include pierogis filled with corned beef hash or bacon, egg, and cheese, as well as French toast dipped in egg nog. Those are only available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays, but the robust breakfast menu — which has blintzes, waffles, and potato pancakes — is around all the time.

Tarallucci e Vino

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Italian restaurant Tarallucci e Vino has since expanded across the city, but it started in the East Village in 2001. Expect brunch standards with Italian twists, like poached eggs with polenta or French toast with mascarpone. Spaghetti and cacio e pepe are also available, and all the pastries are made in-house, like a whole wheat croissant and a bomboloni.

Tarallucci e Vino Tarallucci e Vino [Official]

Cafe Mogador

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Charming Moroccan standby Cafe Mogador — open since 1983 and still owned by the family of founder Rivka Orlin — remains one of the top crowd-pleasing brunch spots in the East Village, with five different eggs Benedict options that come with both greens and roasted potatoes. They range from a spicy tomato stew Benedict to a smoked salmon one, and an in-house merguez sausage is available as a side.

Cafe Mogador Cafe Mogador [Official]

Noreetuh

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This Hawaiian-inspired restaurant is backed by Per Se alums, meaning the restaurant comes equipped with upscale touches like an especially good wine list. The menu here has Hawaii’s Japanese, Polynesian, and American influences, and the island’s beloved Spam shows up repeatedly. Brunch dishes include French toast with macadamia nuts and pineapple compote; a kalua pork bowl with fried eggs, pickled cabbage, and rice; and a fried chicken take on loco moco, in which the chicken is topped with extra rich, thick gravy, plus some runny eggs.

Mochiko chicken loco moco at Noreetuh Stefanie Tuder

Maharlika

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For a new-school take on traditional Filipino food, head to this fun restaurant for brunch dishes like an eggs Benedict riff with crispy Spam, kalamansi hollandaise, and home fries; or a baked egg dish starring goat shank. Also of note is the restaurant’s clever spin on chicken and waffles — where batterless fried chicken is placed on top of a purple yam waffle with anchovy butter and Filipino coconut syrup.

Maharlika Maharlika/Yelp

David's Café

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Chef David Malbequi brings experience from Daniel Boulud’s group and the BLT restaurants to this French-American cafe. The brunch menu has something for everyone, from lighter kale salads and egg dishes to hangover-busting items such as orange blossom pancakes, a standout burger, a Montreal-style poutine with a hamburger patty. An extensive drink menu includes cocktails, beer, and wine, as well as pitchers of beer, mimosas, and more for those looking to keep the party going.

David’s Café

Rosie's

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When the weather’s nice, this spacious corner restaurant retracts its two glass walls to let in that sweet sunshine and breeze. There’s seating for 90 and a big bar — and it’s one of Eater senior critic Robert Sietsema’s favorite Mexican restaurants in the East Village. Brunch here ranges from tacos to egg dishes like an egg and sausage sandwich topped with black bean puree and Oaxaca cheese. Coffee by Brooklyn Roasting Co. is on tap.

Rosie’s Robert Sietsema

Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s famed restaurant serves a buzzy brunch, offering both classic breakfast items like eggs Benedict and less classic ones like lamb sausage with oysters on the half shell. Also of note are the Dutch pancakes: an individual pancake cooked in the oven with pears, served with Canadian bacon and maple syrup. Plus, there’s an expansive bloody mary menu. Come early, or be prepared to wait.

Edi & The Wolf

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Casual and rustic Edi & the Wolf, from Austria natives Eduard “Edi” Frauneder and Wolfgang “the Wolf” Ban, has been serving Austrian fare since 2010. The brunch menu is tight and includes a schnitzel burger and kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake with caramelized bits.

Lil' Frankie's

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Cozy but cool Italian restaurant Lil’ Frankie’s, from East Village restaurateur Frank Prisinzano, is known for brunch partly because of its three-for-one prosecco drink deal, though the solid and affordable menu plays a part as well. Those who like classic brunch meals can have their eggs and pancakes, while lunch seekers can find Italian sandwiches and salads and dishes like lemon spaghetti. Reservations available and cash only.

Lil’ Frankies Lil’ Frankies/Facebook

Root & Bone

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Fried chicken destination Root & Bone serves the sweat tea-brined poultry on its own, with biscuits, and with buckwheat waffles at brunch. Other Southern touches come into brunch items, too: Biscuits with gravy, shrimp and grits, and a bellini with peach and lavender are options.

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Momofuku Ssäm Bar

David Chang’s meaty restaurant sings at brunch under chef Max Ng, who sends out dishes like a blueberry skillet pancake with yuzu curd and a seven-spice brisket croque madame. Reservations are available, as are Momofuku classics like the iconic pork bun and the spicy pork sausage with rice cakes dish. Drinks include a blood mary with sriracha and an iced latte with Sichuan simple syrup. Get a bunch of hams, too.

Momofuku Ssam Bar Momofuku Ssam Bar/Facebook

Tim Ho Wan

Popular global dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan opened its first U.S. location in the East Village, where all items are made to order in a full-service setting. The baked pork buns are the must-order, but any of the steamed dumplings will do as well.

Tim Ho Wan Tim Ho Wan/Nick Solares

Hearth

James Beard Award-winner Marco Canora’s flagship restaurant is just as enjoyable for brunch as it is in the evening. His famed beef broth goes into a bloody mary and a bowl with eggs and vegetables, and classics like French toast or granola with yogurt are also available. But Italian-leaning items like meatballs and bruschetta are on deck too, good for ordering with a brunch group.

Veselka

Ukrainian diner Veselka is a 24-hour NYC icon — open since 1954 and still serving breakfast every hour. At brunch, special options include pierogis filled with corned beef hash or bacon, egg, and cheese, as well as French toast dipped in egg nog. Those are only available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays, but the robust breakfast menu — which has blintzes, waffles, and potato pancakes — is around all the time.

Tarallucci e Vino

Italian restaurant Tarallucci e Vino has since expanded across the city, but it started in the East Village in 2001. Expect brunch standards with Italian twists, like poached eggs with polenta or French toast with mascarpone. Spaghetti and cacio e pepe are also available, and all the pastries are made in-house, like a whole wheat croissant and a bomboloni.

Tarallucci e Vino Tarallucci e Vino [Official]

Cafe Mogador

Charming Moroccan standby Cafe Mogador — open since 1983 and still owned by the family of founder Rivka Orlin — remains one of the top crowd-pleasing brunch spots in the East Village, with five different eggs Benedict options that come with both greens and roasted potatoes. They range from a spicy tomato stew Benedict to a smoked salmon one, and an in-house merguez sausage is available as a side.

Cafe Mogador Cafe Mogador [Official]

Noreetuh

This Hawaiian-inspired restaurant is backed by Per Se alums, meaning the restaurant comes equipped with upscale touches like an especially good wine list. The menu here has Hawaii’s Japanese, Polynesian, and American influences, and the island’s beloved Spam shows up repeatedly. Brunch dishes include French toast with macadamia nuts and pineapple compote; a kalua pork bowl with fried eggs, pickled cabbage, and rice; and a fried chicken take on loco moco, in which the chicken is topped with extra rich, thick gravy, plus some runny eggs.

Mochiko chicken loco moco at Noreetuh Stefanie Tuder

Maharlika

For a new-school take on traditional Filipino food, head to this fun restaurant for brunch dishes like an eggs Benedict riff with crispy Spam, kalamansi hollandaise, and home fries; or a baked egg dish starring goat shank. Also of note is the restaurant’s clever spin on chicken and waffles — where batterless fried chicken is placed on top of a purple yam waffle with anchovy butter and Filipino coconut syrup.

Maharlika Maharlika/Yelp

David's Café

Chef David Malbequi brings experience from Daniel Boulud’s group and the BLT restaurants to this French-American cafe. The brunch menu has something for everyone, from lighter kale salads and egg dishes to hangover-busting items such as orange blossom pancakes, a standout burger, a Montreal-style poutine with a hamburger patty. An extensive drink menu includes cocktails, beer, and wine, as well as pitchers of beer, mimosas, and more for those looking to keep the party going.

David’s Café

Rosie's

When the weather’s nice, this spacious corner restaurant retracts its two glass walls to let in that sweet sunshine and breeze. There’s seating for 90 and a big bar — and it’s one of Eater senior critic Robert Sietsema’s favorite Mexican restaurants in the East Village. Brunch here ranges from tacos to egg dishes like an egg and sausage sandwich topped with black bean puree and Oaxaca cheese. Coffee by Brooklyn Roasting Co. is on tap.

Rosie’s Robert Sietsema

Prune

Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s famed restaurant serves a buzzy brunch, offering both classic breakfast items like eggs Benedict and less classic ones like lamb sausage with oysters on the half shell. Also of note are the Dutch pancakes: an individual pancake cooked in the oven with pears, served with Canadian bacon and maple syrup. Plus, there’s an expansive bloody mary menu. Come early, or be prepared to wait.

Edi & The Wolf

Casual and rustic Edi & the Wolf, from Austria natives Eduard “Edi” Frauneder and Wolfgang “the Wolf” Ban, has been serving Austrian fare since 2010. The brunch menu is tight and includes a schnitzel burger and kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake with caramelized bits.

Lil' Frankie's

Cozy but cool Italian restaurant Lil’ Frankie’s, from East Village restaurateur Frank Prisinzano, is known for brunch partly because of its three-for-one prosecco drink deal, though the solid and affordable menu plays a part as well. Those who like classic brunch meals can have their eggs and pancakes, while lunch seekers can find Italian sandwiches and salads and dishes like lemon spaghetti. Reservations available and cash only.

Lil’ Frankies Lil’ Frankies/Facebook

Root & Bone

Fried chicken destination Root & Bone serves the sweat tea-brined poultry on its own, with biscuits, and with buckwheat waffles at brunch. Other Southern touches come into brunch items, too: Biscuits with gravy, shrimp and grits, and a bellini with peach and lavender are options.

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