The best brunch in NYC for families

On weekend mornings, a “We love kids!” attitude and a no-reservations policy add up to pleasant chaos. Families embrace the mayhem and flock to this eatery’s two NYC locations for the gourmet brunch spread, which includes eggs benedict , sourdough toast and more, crafted from scratch using Grandma-approved family recipes. The kids menu features comforting classics like matzo ball soup and mac and cheese.

This neighborhood “finer diner” is perpetually lively and family-packed: With meals kids will devour like Buttermilk Flapjacks, Granola Belgian Waffles, and Corned Beef Hash, who can say no?

On Saturdays and Sundays from 8am–3pm, banish winter chills with a brunch of hot beverage and traditional baked treats. Grab a Mixed Berry Crepe drizzled with homemade crème anglaise! To make this dining experience truly authentic for the kids, you can always try Alice's Mad Morning Tea, featuring tea and poached eggs. 

The menu at this Southwestern spot features lots of reasonably-priced brunch dishes, including the Buttermilk Pancakes and Chuckwagon Beef Brisket. From the kids' menu, try the Texas Scramble (with eggs, potatoes and a biscuit) or the Pulled Pork Sammy with tangy pulled pork, french fries and carrot sticks. Brunch runs from 10am–4pm Saturdays and Sundays.

With a fairly extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, and egg dishes nearly anyone can be satisfied with a brunch at this Upper East Side locale, but kids with a sweet tooth are really in luck. Barking Dog’s selection of waffles and pancakes with various fruits, berries, chocolate chips, and a la mode. During the warmer months expect your pups to want to sit outside on the sidewalk café portion—they’ll likely spot a few friendly canines waiting patiently for scraps. 

Found inside the huge housewares complex ABC Carpet & Home, ABC Kitchen is a prime spot for farm-to-table treats decorated like a country farmhouse you wouldn’t expect to find in NYC’s concrete jungle. ABC Kitchen hosts brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm and kids can sample sweet treats like French toast with caramelized apples and seasonal glazed doughnuts or more savory options like spinach, goat cheese and herbs pizza and veggie burgers.

A favorite for Upper West Siders and Morningside Heights residents, the delicious comfort foods here will make for happy tummies all around. Though certainly best for egg-lovers with a menu full of savory quiches ($14) and scrambled egg biscuit sandwiches ($14), the potato pancakes, served with caramelized applesauce and sour cream make every weekend feel like a top-notch, homey chanukah celebration. 

Hungry bellies will be satisfied at this decadent restaurant housed in the James Hotel in Soho. Chef David Burke serves up kid-approved creations like pb&j French toast and almond raspberry pancakes while parents will enjoy more sophisticated dishes like branzino and braised short rib and mushroom hash.

Though this American Nouveau Lower East Side eatery can become a packed, boozy brunch party, arrive early and your whole family can enjoy the cool atmosphere. Kids and parents alike will appreciate the nods to classic LES favorites like potato pancakes and challah French toast, but we’re betting your little one will know exactly what to order when they see the chocolate-banana pancakes. The grown-ups should try the decadent lobster benedict. Sat 11am-4:30pm, Sun 11am-7pm; a la carte entrees are $16.95 

The promise of a farm-fresh brunch at this comfortable East Village spot will make it easy to get the family out of bed. Get there early to beat the crowds and make sure to take a gander at the pastry case stocked with chocolate-peanut-butter pie, brown Betty, fruit tarts and more on your way to the dining room. The brunch menu keeps the farmer’s hens a-laying, offering all sorts of egg creations—omelettes, scrambles, benedict and florentine included—as well as sandwiches and salads. Kids will eat up griddled options like Carrie Dee's buttermilk apple pancakes, but try the grilled cheese or chicken fingers served with fresh apple cider from the "Young Farm."

This appealing restaurant chain serves a homestyle breakfast with storybook menu items: Kids can try the Apple-Cinnamon French Toast or Toasted Coconut Waffle—while parents nosh on the Goldie Lox, a plate of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and cream cheese. Lunch and dinner are equally cozy—try the signature cream of tomato soup or chicken potpie.

Sophisticated Hilton offshoot Conrad invites families to its Mediterranean-inspired eatery, Atrio, for a memorable meal. On your way in, show the kids the 100-by-80-foot painting "Loopy Doopy" in the 15-story, glass-ceilinged lobby, then sit down to a basket of just-baked pastries served with butter and preserves. Adults get to choose from a variety of sophisticated entrée options like prosciutto pizza and stone oven baked eggs, while the younger set chows down on everything from silver dollar ricotta "hotcakes" to mini cheeseburgers. Try to snag a seat by the window to take in panoramas of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

This authentic Greek restaurant serves up the tastiest dishes for you and the family—their menu boasts plenty of kid-friendly offerings, including Breakfast Souvlaki with eggs, Greek sausage and fried potato, Buttermilk Pancakes and the Country Cast-Iron Breakfast with three baked eggs, Greek pork sausage and roasted tomato for those truly insatiable tween appetites. 

The kids’ dishes at this standout Carroll Gardens bistro—including a mini version of their famous fried chicken (with a side, beverage and dessert)—are perfectly portioned for little appetites. Alternatively, load 'em up with a stack of Buttermilk Pancakes or share some Fried Pork Chop and Cheddar Waffles.

Order at the counter of this taqueria, grab a seat and enjoy piquant Mexican dishes like braised Hudson Valley duck tamales with roasted poblano chiles or, for brunch, chilaquiles with sunny-side-up free-range eggs strewn with Amish chicken and cotija cheese. Tots may enjoy the Chilaquiles Con Pollo Y Huevo Frito with shredded chicken and sunnyside eggs almost as much as the colorful lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) decorations.

This soul food staple with locations in Williamsburg and the Lower East Side is like KFC takeout for hip city kids. Starting at 11am, try the Blueberry Pancakes or Sweet Chick Waffle loaded with fresh berries and ricotta. Families might also tackle the famed Chicken and Waffles for a classic Belgian waffle and two delicious pieces of fried chicken.

The “French Redneck” eats at this Park Slope spot that puts a Southern spin on classic plates. Kids will get on board for brunch specials like French toast or chicken and waffles and lunch items like a simple cheeseburger served with their self-described “best homemade French fries in Brooklyn.” 

The hipster trappings—pressed-tin ceiling, vintage silverware—attract a stylish, bustling Williamsburg crowd. Still, the food is delicious and affordable, and on Sunday mornings especially, when the typical patrons are nursing their hangovers, the spot is perfect for families. Sophisticated options pepper the menu—Scotch eggs, egg benedict with Berkshire pork-belly—but you'll find more lowbrow fare, too, like challah French toast, a BLT or any-style eggs accompanied by a juicy slab of meatloaf. Bonus: ample stroller parking space. 

An oak bar, exposed-brick walls, and tables and chairs from the set of The Sopranos (the owner was a producer) are the setting for Italian-inflected offerings for adults like a Caprese Benedict or BBQ Pulled Pork Panino, and kids will love noshing on treats like Chocolate Chip Pancakes or Quesadillas. Brunch runs Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am–4pm.