The 37 best brunch spots in NYC right now

One may deign to day drink, or one may rise and imbibe at Sidney’s Five. The terrific East Village bar and restaurant has a whole martini menu any time, and its morning variety, with gin, lemon, cointreau and orange marmalade, is an elegant a.m. option. Pair it with buttermilk pancakes with fresh peaches, whipped peach butter and rosemary maple syrup for a decadent weekend treat. 

Even if you head to Leland Eating and Drinking House earlier in the day desirous of the excellent dinner items that also appear in the afternoon (trout rillettes, charred lemon skillet mussels), its brunch-only options are enticing. Go ahead and try a sourdough cinnamon roll and the egg sandwich with cheddar and arugula. You can always come back after dark. 

Israeli-born Maya Jankelowitz met her South African husband, Dean, while working at breakfast bastion Balthazar. Jack’s Wife Freda’s menu melds the cuisines of their childhood homes, as well as New York’s Jewish food traditions. Bloody mary’s, cantaloupe mimosas and Aperol spritzes pair splendidly with plates of green shakshuka and poached eggs with grilled tomato and haloumi. 

This narrow trattoria has been operating on Ludlow Street since 2007, and its bottomless brunch is still best in class. For $40, you’ll sip unlimited sparkling white wine or mimosas along with plates of eggs in purgatory, Tuscan chestnut crêpes and good old eggs any way. There’s a 90 minute limit like most brunches of this ilk, but service is unrushed and it's probably good to set your limits this early, anyway.

This diner in Two Bridges is the first solo effort of Sam Yoo, formerly of Momofuku Ko and Torrisi. Diner culture is dwindling in New York, and Yoo’s spot aims to remedy that. Expect egg sandwiches on sesame scallion milk buns, omelettes, and green tea coffee cake.

The Chez Ma Tante team has taken over the lobby restaurant in the Wythe Hotel. You’ll find croissants, oeufs en meurette and roast chicken on the French-American menu. Chocolate mousse and crème brûlée are on the dessert menu.

Tim Ho Wan has earned a ton of hype throughout the years thanks to its title as the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. The first NYC location of the dim sum darling launched in the East Village in 2016, serving its signature baked BBQ pork buns, steamed shrimp dumplings and pan-fried turnip cakes, all priced in the single digits. This Hell's Kitchen location dishes out these specials in a space inspired by 17th-century French salons, with details like an embedded bamboo steamer and the Tim Ho Wan dragon logo.

Chez Ma Tante’s unpretentious European influences give it Montreal vibes.The restaurant is situated on a sleepy corner in Greenpoint not too far from the waterfront. The menu seems simple but it’s satisfying: stripped down recipes that focus on quality ingredients that you can’t stop eating. The stracciatella with English peas, fava beans and preserved lemon is a favorite.

The stylish sit-down café, set in Roman and Williams Guild, also has to-go service for its food and home goods. While you're noshing on French fare from chef Marie-Aude Rose, scope out the kitchenware that is also for sale. 

Another sunny café from Gabriel Stulman’s team, Fairfax is parked right in the middle of the West Village. Sporting of-the-moment mid-century modern decor and large windows, it’s a prime place to post up alone with a laptop or with a pal.

Ed’s Lobster Bar, started by the longtime sous chef at Pearl Oyster Bar, nails the seafood dishes we love all summer long and makes them a treat for brunch. Whether it's a lobster roll or a clam chowder, you'll leave satisfied and daydreaming of that beach vacation.

If you’ve spent more than one Saturday afternoon waiting in line for a few gorgeous slices of Nova, this is the brunch for you. Gather your fellow lox lovers and grab a smoked-fish platter for four at the coffeeshop sibling of the Lower East Side’s revered appetizing store. The beefed-up boards are each named after one of founder Joel Russ’s daughters and padded with a laundry list of accoutrements (rye bread, cream cheese). The café is still only offering takeout with a few tables outside. 

This Malaysian café has an all-day menu of small plates and snacks. Kopitaim’s nasi lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, which includes coconut rice, fried anchovies, cucumber, peanuts, hard boiled egg, side of house sambal sauce, is a comforting way to start any morning.   

Variety’s delightful any time of day, and, in addition to entrées like its Jerusalem bagel with smoked salmon, shakshuka, Israli breakfast and pancakes with fruit compote, Dagon lets you design your own mezze from options like whipped eggplant, chicken liver mousse and muhammara. 

Brunch at beautiful, jewel-toned Baar Baar includes one large plate and one side for $39. Mix and match options like chili cheese naan, pani puri, bombay masala omelettes and chicken tikka masala. Mimosas, bellinis and sangria are also available by the pitcher for $40. 

Milk toast seems to be everywhere in New York these days. Get out of bed this weekend to see the artistry that is Davelle's own mesmerizing berries and cream toast that creates a delicious checkerboard effect.

Jean-Georges’ seafood-centric spot at Pier 17 is a stunner. We’re talking NYC movie-moment beautiful, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River and Brooklyn Bridge Park so close across the glittering water you can almost grab it. The food’s good too, including kicky seafood plateaus, lobster rolls and land items like eggs Benedict and fried chicken. 

One of the best rooftop restaurants in NYC, Alma’s brunch offerings include fun frozen cocktails, peak form margaritas, chilaquiles to rival any other, a fortifying arroz con queso, Corona bottles filled with the best hot sauce in town and a casually beautiful view of lower Manhattan and the East River. 

Beginning as a drunk-food closet at the back of a bar, this Southern-fried spot run by the three chefs—Carolyn Bane, Erika Geldzahler and Sarah Buck, who met working at Diner—retains the DIY, seat-of-the-pants spirit of the dive that it sprang from: food specials scrawled on sheets of paper, chairs and tables that might have been salvaged from a public school, and borderline aggressive bright overhead lighting. The food, not the venue, is clearly the draw. The fried chicken—simply brined, floured and fried—is among the city’s most succulent, with a greaseless, extra-crispy crust.

Roey’s is an offshoot of Rosemary’s, a scene-y Italian restaurant in the West Village. Its brunch menu includes cacio e pepe egg sandwiches, Dutch boy pancakes and half-a-dozen pizza varieties. 

At this pioneering Bed-Stuy restaurant, owners Craig Samuel and Ben Grossman (both of The Smoke Joint) ably merge greenmarket and upscale Southern concepts. Starters emphasize salads, like the toss of arugula, pecans, green apple, blue cheese and balsamic. Other brunch menu items include smoked chicken and sausage gumbo, grits with shrimp or blackened catfish and steak and eggs.

Shuka’s rustic yet vibrant menu is inspired by Ayesha Nurdjaja’s travels through Spain and North Africa, as well as by her experience on the line at top Tel Aviv kitchens. The Moroccan-influenced tiles and textiles accompany a menu full of mezze (fried halloumi, za’atar fries) and dishes like baklava cinnamon rolls, spit roasted chicken shawarma and shakshuka.

The name of this family-run restaurant in Bedford-Stuyvesant comes from Ernest Hemingway’s boat, Pilar, which he used for fishing trips in Cuba. For entrees, there’s a classic pressed Cuban sandwich served with plantain chips or a side salad. Sip on Cuban soft drinks like the pineapple-flavored Jupiña or the cafe con leche especial, a sweet combination of Café Bustelo espresso and condensed milk.

Dimes’ buzzy shine has worn off a little since it first opened in 2013, but the quality of the brunch has remained just as bright as ever. With playful interior design and almost mismatched furniture filling the space, it’s one of the most pleasant places for morning fare. Dimes has a market, the main restaurant and Dimes Deli, which remains our favorite of the three. Here you’ll find berry acai bowls, big salads, and an excellent breakfast burrito.  

This downtown Caribbean restaurant playing a reggae-and-dancehall soundtrack offers a brunch power hour with the purchase of any entrée. Sip 60 minutes’ worth of island cocktails like the One Love bellini (sparkling rosé, pineapple and peach) or a Lily’s rum punch with pineapple, orange and cranberry while feasting on West Indian–inspired platters.

Nestled beside the High Line, Cookshop is perfect for alfresco dining, featuring seasonal, locally sourced dishes and an array of fresh, piquant cocktails. For a decadent brunch, try the Dutch baby with lemon curd, or go savory with poached eggs, huevos rancheros or the roasted chicken breast salad. Many dishes are grilled, rotisseried or prepared in a wood-burning oven, in a wide-ranging display of sophisticated food craftsmanship.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, Sunday in Brooklyn is open for brunch every day of the week. The rustic three-story space boasts an outdoor patio, private dining room and a rooftop garden. The brunch menu includes items like an egg and cheese sandwich with gochujang aioli and a cheddar scramble with bacon, breakfast sausage, chicken sausage or avocado.

Five Leaves these days is mobbed, but their truffle fries are worth the wait. Looking for a reason to get your booty out of bed? This might be it. 

From humble juice bar beginnings to raw-food superstar with bicoastal outposts, this sun-drenched café in Nolita has vegetarians hooked — and for good reason. The rustic-chic vibe—complete with blonde-wood counters, white-washed brick, and a plethora of lush greenery—sets the scene for farm-forward plates. Not to be overlooked, the extensive drink list includes super-food smoothies, elixir shots and even cold-pressed cocktails.

Williamsburg’s Gertie serves a terrific breakfast with the soul of an old-school New York luncheonette in a space you’d expect to find somewhere in California. It’s bright and airy with an Instagrammable mural by artist Lea Carey inside. Excellent egg 'n cheese sandwiches are served on house made English muffins that we'd order any day of the week.