When it comes to brunch, a meal that can require two extra-strength Advil, the last thing anyone needs is a fight about where to eat. There are endless brunch options in the five boroughs, and while most are serving dry pancakes and $20 fried chicken sandwiches, a handful rise above the rest. Our favorite places to eat brunch in the city serve unlimited coffee, runny eggs, breakfast sandwiches, and affordable dim sum.
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The Best Brunch Spots in New York City
Eggs, breakfast sandwiches, and unlimited coffee

Dawa’s
Dawa’s is a Himalayan American restaurant in Woodside, Queens, that serves brunch classics alongside momos and thentuk, a Tibetan noodle dish. On the menu: pancakes, French toast, a brunch burger with Russian dressing, and kewa datsi, a Bhutanese stew. The wide-reaching menu makes Dawa’s a standout brunch option in the area, with something for every mood.
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Jack & Charlie’s No. 118
For its new brunch menu, Jack and Charlie’s offers a trio of carb-y options from vanilla bean waffles to babka French toast. But for those looking for a protein start to the day, there’s also a colossal shrimp cocktail or the prime rib french dip. Or consider the Maine lobster roll splurge chased with an espresso martini for an end-of-meal lift.
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Wenwen
Wenwen opened in Greenpoint last year, bringing some life (and baijiu shots) to a quiet corner of the neighborhood. The whole fried chicken that the restaurant makes at dinner is one of the most coveted orders in the borough — only five are available each night — but it’s easier to try at brunch. The dish is served as a sandwich with scallions and lots of sauce on a menu with other brunch-only dishes, like a Taiwanese crepe made with tater tots.
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Buvette
Buvette is a very good, very tiny bistro that now has locations in Mexico City, Tokyo, Paris, and Seoul. The original, in the West Village since 2011, comes from the chef Jody Williams, behind Manhattan’s popular Italian restaurants Via Carota and I Sodi. There’s a line out front at all hours of the day, but it’s worth braving at brunch for its Croque Madame sandwiches, steamed eggs with salmon, and fresh croissants.
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Lingo
Lingo is a new Japanese American restaurant in Greenpoint that’s mostly flown under the radar since opening in April. Its owner, Emily Yuen, used to run the kitchen at Bessou, a popular Japanese restaurant that specialized in comfort foods. It shows during brunch, when the chef serves a separate menu of rib-sticking dishes like spam eggs benedict and yuzu ricotta pancakes. Most are priced between $18 and $25. Brunch is served on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Chez Ma Tante
Chez Ma Tante is one of the most popular brunch spots in the city for a reason: It serves the best pancakes in town. They’re made with more egg yolks than whites, and cooked on a griddle in lots of butter until they have a nice char. The result: a rich and crunchy pancake that’s not overly sweet. The pancakes pair well with other dishes on the brunch menu, like the savory English muffin with whitefish salad or the cheesy egg sandwich with breakfast sausage and artichoke.
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Three Decker Diner
Three Decker Diner has been open in Greenpoint since 1945, but it recently changed owners. Gavin Compton, the owner of Variety Coffee Roasters, and Eduardo Sandoval, behind the Blue Collar burger chain, are now steering the ship. The food has improved and the prices are fair: disco fries, fajitas, hard shell tacos, chicken Caesar wraps, wings, pancakes, and waffles are all available around the clock, usually for around $10. Unlimited coffee, from Variety, costs a few dollars.
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Thai Diner
Breakfast is served until 5 p.m. at Thai Diner, making it perfect for a last-minute brunch. The breakfast sandwich — egg, cheese, sausage, and Thai basil wrapped in a roti — is one of the best in town, and the Thai tea babka french toast comes with sides of condensed milk for dunking. Despite the restaurant’s popularity, it’s almost always possible to get a table here, with seats spread across booths, a counter, and an outdoor setup.
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Dhamaka
Dhamaka, an acclaimed Indian restaurant operating out of the Essex Market food hall on the Lower East Side, now serves brunch. The separate menu has chicken biryani, masala omelets, paneer breakfast sandwiches, and an Indian version of French toast served with condensed milk. The restaurant remains one of the hottest tables in town, even during brunch, and a reservation is recommended. Brunch is served from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
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House of Joy
House of Joy is one of the largest dim sum parlors in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and one of the only restaurants in the area that still delivers its dim sum on carts. Grab a number from the host at the front and wait patiently to be called — which, if you don’t arrive before 11 a.m. on weekends, might be an hour or more. Once inside, plates of rice noodles, pineapple buns, pea shoots, and chicken feet cost a few dollars each, and there’s a full menu of larger meat and seafood dishes.
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Nettie's Restaurant
Nettie’s in Queens Village is known for its soul food classics served in portions meant for sharing: big plates of turkey wings, fried catfish, mac and cheese, and candied yams. A proud Black-owned business, the restaurant brought some warmth to the Queens neighborhood when it opened last fall: The owners stop at tables to chat with customers and share messages of generational wealth and youth guidance. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.
Golden Diner
Samuel Yoo, an alum of Momofuku Ko and Major Food Group, opened this throwback diner in Two Bridges in 2019. Years later, it’s still one of our favorite places for brunch staples like pancakes, breakfast burritos, burgers, and fries that are served all day.
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Win Son Bakery
Pro: Win Son Bakery is home to one of the city’s best breakfast sandwiches — a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a flakey scallion pancake. Con: Everyone already knows this, and the lines on weekend mornings often stretch out the door. First-timers, don’t be scared: The sandwich is worth it, and there’s lots of seating throughout the restaurant and at tables out front.
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Peaches Restaurant
This popular Bed-Stuy restaurant has a brunch menu with fried chicken, seafood, and Southern sides. The steak with eggs, chicken with toast, and catfish with grits are all reliable, and a larger menu with crab cake sandwiches and shrimp po’ boys is served all day.
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Leland Eating and Drinking House
Leland Eating and Drinking House is an all-purpose restaurant: At lunch, it’s a casual corner spot where neighbors spill out onto the sidewalk. At night, it turns into a restaurant worthy of a birthday or anniversary. And on weekends, it’s one of the best places in Brooklyn for brunch. On the menu: pork shank hash, focaccia sandwiches with roast eggplant, citrusy cinnamon rolls, and a sausage, egg, and cheese with pickled jalapeno.
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