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, bagels and lox, or dim sum.
Read MoreThe Best Brunch Spots in New York City
Eggs, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and unlimited coffee
Melba's
Chicken and eggnog waffles are one of the signatures of this Harlem destination. Owner Melba Wilson uses recipes from her grandmother that date back to the 1930s, and earned her the win on Bobby Flay’s cooking show years back.
Old John's Luncheonette
Old John’s was opened for 70 years, before being saved and relaunched in January 2021. The spot keeps charming, nostalgic elements while updating the space and menu. For brunch, find several omelets, turkey clubs, breakfast burgers, and bloody marys.
Breads Bakery
Breads Bakery has recently launched a new brunch board in two variations at this location only. Choose from the smoked salmon board ($67), with salmon, tomato, cucumber, capers, pickles, salted radish and butter, scallion cream cheese, tahini, Israeli salad, and assorted breads, or the shakshuka board ($60) features two eggs, pickled cabbage, labneh, tahini, hummus, feta, Israeli salad, and breads.
Dawa’s
Dawa’s is a Himalayan American restaurant in Woodside, Queens, that serves brunch classics (like french toast) alongside momos and thenthuk, a Tibetan noodle dish. The wide-reaching menu makes Dawa’s a standout brunch option in the area, with something for every mood.
Cafe Chelsea
Sceney Cafe Chelsea offers brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 3:30 p.m., with variations on seafood towers ($24 to $155), a Florentine omelet, salads, burgers, and sandwiches on gluten-free bread. Brunch is all about the drinks, of course, which includes cocktails like a vesper, le flaneur, booze-free options, or the French-focused wine list.
Mark's Off Madison
One of Pete Wells’s 100 Best Restaurants for 2023, this Midtown spot from chef Mark Strausman, formerly of Freds at Barneys New York and Campagna restaurants, offers crowd pleasers in a just-right space that’s neither too casual nor too swanky. Choose from a selection of bagels and bialys, banana challah french toast, a Roumanian steak sandwich, a Reuben, and more.
Jazba
Chef Akshay Bhardwaj’s restaurant now offers brunch Friday to Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m., with items like a kathi roll, fried chicken, green chile chicken, and pindi chole bhature with masala chickpeas. Look for brunch-only cocktails inspired by the menu.
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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Lure Fishbar
True to its reputation as a seafood spot, lots of fish preparations are available at Lure’s brunch, though fewer than at its dinner service, including a smoked salmon tower, its signature sushi with toasted rice, a lobster roll, and full plate fish-filet entrees. Other brunch selections are mainly standards: four kinds of eggs Benedict, a burger, Caesar salad, and mushroom omelet. And elbowing its way onto the menu is a dim sum service consisting of four plates, half presented in bamboo steamers. All are worth ordering.
K'Far
Looking for something crowd-pleasing, pretty, and satisfying — that you can get into without a reservation? Head to K’Far. The Philadelphia restaurant opened in Williamsburg about a year ago. The menu has pistachio sticky buns, lemon cheesecake babka, and flattened bagel sandwiches to snack on, plus bigger items like shakshuka and latkes with fried eggs. There are 150 seats between the dining room and atrium, meaning it’s almost always possible to get a table at brunch.
Thai Diner
Breakfast is served until 4 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.
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Casa Carmen Tribeca
Casa Carmen is named after Carmen Ramírez Degollado — known as Titita — an 84-year-old Mexico City restaurateur who runs one of the most recognized restaurants in Mexico City, what started as El Bajio and has become a chain. She was born in Xalapa, the inland capital of Veracruz state and is celebrated for her labor-intensive homestyle regional cooking. Brunch items include ceviche verde, a menu section of tacos, chilaquiles, corn pancakes, and enmoladas xico.
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Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles
On the same block where people line up for a taste of Mei Lai Wah’s famous pork buns lies a brunch option where there’s no wait. Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles, originally a locally beloved food cart, relocated to this permanent takeout spot this summer — and it's been a morning staple for us ever since. There are just a couple of counter stools here but it's well worth your time and wallet. Go for the $5.75 curry fishballs over rice noodles and ask for all the sauces.
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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 few 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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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 a favorite place 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 flaky 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.
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Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette
Open on the weekends starting at 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Ridgewood newcomer is a charming spot to saddle up to one of the bar stools or tables and start your morning off with a sandwich and pie slice (think nostalgic, rotating options like banana cream). It’s an easygoing, order-at-the-counter sort of vibe where it's pretty guaranteed you’ll get a seat.
Colonia Verde
The best type of brunch, in our opinion, is a dish that gives you a little taste of all the fixins. Colonia Verde’s sausage and veggie parrillada fits the bill: a giant platter of several types of sausages, veggies, dipping sauces, queso fundido, and arepas. The breakfast tacos, as well as the duck fried rice, are also great options as well. There is plenty of seating in the back for groups.
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. There are other locations around Brooklyn.