Let’s face it. Brunch is perhaps the most challenging meal to get right. In New York there are countless options but more than a few will leave you disappointed: the music is too loud; the coffee cold; and the service is both painfully slow and rushed. But some places rise above the others and deliver exactly what you are looking for, whether it’s the ideal midday comfort food like a stack of fluffy pancakes to help soothe that faint hangover from last night’s libations or a leisurely meal to enjoy with out-of-town guests before sightseeing.
Yellow Rose, a festive spot in the East Village, caters to any appetite or mood. The kitchen elevates stick-to-your-ribs Lone Stare fare to a new level (chef and co-owner David Rizo used to work at cult favorite Superiority Burger, another top brunch spot). Fill up on breakfast tacos (made with Sonoran-style flour tortillas) with bean and cheese or chorizo and egg. It’s still technically morning and breakfast is the most important meal, so order the chips and vegan queso and glazed donuts. Wash it all down with a roast tomato Bloody Mary or a hibiscus tea.
If you’re in the mood for a classic, fail-proof brunch, head to Russ & Daughters Café on the Lower East Side, a 110-year-old institution that has been run by four generations of the same family. Order a classic lox and bagel with all the fixings or for more adventurous palates there’s sable and sturgeon and horse radish dill cream cheese. Pro tip: this might be the place to try a famous New York black and white cookie or bring home some chocolate babka.
Sunday in Brooklyn is what brunch is all about: making a day of the whole meal. At this Williamsburg restaurant, the line of 20 somethings armed with their phones to document every dish spills out on to the sidewalk while there’s usually a procession of Ubers dropping off even more customers. No one seems to be bothered by the wait and no one is in a rush. Instead, they stand patiently admiring the hearty dishes coming out of the kitchen like ricotta and roasted berry toast, hazelnut maple praline pancakes, and steak and eggs.
See the other spots that made the list below.
