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Top Restaurants & Cafes for Weekend Brunch in New York
New York's chicest cafes, bistros & restaurants for weekend brunch
New Yorkers are passionate about "doing brunch" on weekends—it's an institution. Everyone seems to have a favorite restaurant, but to keep things interesting, locals are always seeking out new and unusual spots to try. For the best Eggs Benedict, omelettes, brioches, pancakes, people-watching & leisurely afternoons soaked with Champagne and Bloody Marys, check out these top picks recommended by NYC Insiders and foodies …
Permanent Brunch
In the City That Never Sleeps, why limit brunch to weekend days? Serving an expansive brunch menu, this brand new spot would be even more genius if it were open 24/7, which it's not (at the moment it's open from 5:30p.m. to 11:30p.m. most weekday nights, closing later at 3a.m. on Thursdays & Fridays, and from 10:30a.m. on weekends until 3a.m. on Saturday night, and 11:30p.m. on Sundays). But when Permanent Brunch is open, its Southern-inspired menu is all Brunch all the time, featuring Anson Mills Grits and an artisanal bacon bar. Head chef of this cozy, narrow space is Meg Grace, whose credentials include MOMA's MODERN and her acclaimed gastropub dinners at The Redhead in the East Village.
Permanent Brunch
95 1st Avenue (between 5th and 6th)
New York, NY 10009
United States
+1 212 533 3315
Bistro Bagatelle
It seems the party never stops in the Meatpacking District. If you love sleeping in on weekends, go to this chic bistro in the afternoon … "For the cold, dark winters, the all-day Saturday party brunch at Bagatelle is a good bet," says Mary Helen Kelt, a food writer who conveniently lives near this chic bistro. "Think magnums of champagne and dancing on the tabletops." Sound familiar? That's because Bagatelle is co-owned by Aymeric Clemente, former maître d' at Le Bilboquet on the Upper East Side. You'll find the same well-heeled Euros that for years have filled the tiny Bilboquet for disco brunches that end up with revelers dancing on chairs and tables—but Bagatelle is much larger, all the more room for shimmying …
Bistro Bagatelle
409 W 13th Street (between 9th Ave and Washington Street)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 675 2400
Public
"Delicious food in a breezy, industrial-chic space with a retractable window-paned garage door opening out over Elizabeth Street," is how trained chef and food writer Mary Helen Kelt describes the cool, contemporary decor at Public, where long rows of tables can be put together for large groups. There's also a tiny fireplace lounge in the back. Cuisine is inspired by Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, and the excellent wine list features that region. "The tea-smoked salmon Eggs Benedict with yuzu hollandaise is just about the best bennie I've had in the city," says Mary Helen. G'day Mate!
Public
210 Elizabeth Street (between Prince and Spring Streets)
New York, NY 10012
United States
+1 212 343 7011
Dell'Anima
"Dell'Anima is where West Villagers go to read the paper and get a lazy start to the day," says Internet entrepreneur Kim Simonton. "Food is served family-style, so I love to grab a few friends, sit at the bar and order multiple dishes—I always want to order everything! The chef is quite talented and changes the menu based on what seasonal and local produce is available; you can see that everything is fresh because the kitchen is tiny and in full view in the back. I go often for dinner too, and anyone I take falls in love with this gem."
Dell'Anima
38 8th Avenue (between Jane and 12th Streets)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 366 6633
The Little Owl
"The Little Owl is a lovely space for brunch," says Chandana Rao, lawer and co-founder of Spark Consulting Group, a lifestyle concierge and consultancy. "It occupies the corner of, and looks out onto, an incredibly charming, quiet intersection with cobblestones and well-maintained historic brownstone row houses. Service is friendly and leisurely. The food, especially the omelet, is delicious, thanks to the kitchen's competence and the freshness of the produce and other ingredients. And the coffee—an important barometer of any brunch spot—is superb."
The Little Owl
90 Bedford Street (between Grove and Barrow Streets)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 741 4695
Commerce
"If you're seeking pancakes and waffles, head to IHOP (yes, Manhattan has one!), but if you want an inventive menu and a great scene (keep an eye out for bold-face names), head to Commerce, in Greenwich Village," says Thomas Farley, founder of New York Insider TV. Located at the elbow of a charming, checkmark-shaped street (bring your GPS-enabled iPhone to ensure you find it), Commerce features dishes such as mushroom and fontina ravioli with sunchoke purée and parmesan emulsion, and biscuit-and-sausage gravy with sunny-side up egg and black pepper. It's all so filling and delicious that you may just decide you can skip your dinner that night."
Commerce
50 Commerce Street (at Barrow Street)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 524 2301
Cafe Cluny
"A West Village favorite," says ultra-stylish art gallery owner Rhiannon Kubicka. "This restaurant has lovely decor—a cozy but more contemporary French bistro setting—and a delicious, simple menu featuring local and fresh ingredients. Their brioche French toast is a must, as is the breakfast club."
Cafe Cluny
284 W 4th Street (at W 12th Street)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 255 6900
Community Food & Juice
"Upper West Siders and Columbia University students and faculty are waiting anxiously for local fave Community Food & Juice to reopen after a recent kitchen fire," says Insider Chantal McLaughlin, a resident of Morningside Heights. "The casual, spacious cafe serves delicious food made with local, seasonal or organic produce, fish and meats, as well as a selection of organic wines. A relative newcomer, it's so good that it's attracting downtowners, even more so now that's it been covered in the 2009 Michelin Guide New York. Estimated re-opening is Labor Day weekend 2009. I can't stop checking their Website waiting for the big announcement …"
Community Food & Juice
2893 Broadway (between 112th and 113th streets)
New York, NY 10025
United States
+1 212 665 2800
Café Select
"For brunch or lunch I like Café Select, a new place from the owners of La Esquina, another favorite of mine across the street," says Nick Boeck, an art collector and real estate deveoper who lives near this cozy spot, where both cuisine and decor are modeled after minimalist, retro cafes found in Swiss train stations. "I love the location … it's at the crossroads of Lower East Side/Soho/and Nolita. You'll find a great crowd inside the café and hanging around the street during the summer. Everything on the menu is good, especially the traditional Swiss/Germanic dumpling side, called Späetzle, which is fantastic—really heavy and rich but delicious."
Café Select
212 Lafayette Street (between Broome and Spring Streets)
New York, NY 10012
United States
+1 212 925 9322
Paradou
Hair of the dog anyone? Another Meatpacking destination for social butterflies is this Provençal-style restaurant. Don your designer sunglasses and score a table in the back garden, one of the best in town, which is tented and heated during colder months. "The food's more than edible, but the party crowd comes for the $29 all-you-can-drink champagne and champagne cocktails brunch extravaganza (they say limited to 2-hours but it's rarely enforced), which includes a generously-portioned, pretty tasty brunch entree," says trained chef and food writer Mary Helen Kelt. "Brunch at Paradou is always lovely, especially in the sunny garden during the summer."
Paradou
8 Little West 12th street (between Washington Street and 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 463 8345
Double Crown
"I've been going to Double Crown for brunch every weekend since I discovered their Do-it-Yourself Bloody Mary Bar,'' says Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng, wine expert and co-founder Cravings, an epicurean Website. "It's a brilliant idea and they have a bounty of ingredients for the Bloody Mary drinker. There are contemporary touches like ginger, black Chinese vinegar, jalapenos. I also love their bread basket—which comes with vanilla butter and fig jam—and their tropical fruit salad with pickled watermelon rind. The DIY part makes you an active participant in the brunch … I like the creative aspect!"
Double Crown Restaurant
316 Bowery Street (at Bleecker Street)
New York, NY 10012
United States
+1 212 254 0350
Alexandra
My Insider Divya Gugani trained at the French Culinary Institute and founded Behind The Burner, a fab, behind-the-scenes culinary resource, so needless to say I was intrigued by her recommendation for this under-the-radar West Village spot that doesn't even have a Website: "A must for brunch is Alexandra, a small, candlelit storefront restaurant," she says. "Their almond encrusted French toast is positively life affirming—enough said!"
Alexandra
455 Hudson Street (between Morton & Barrow)
New York, NY 10014
United States
+1 212 255 3838
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