The Ultimate Resy Guide to Brunch in New York

Our All-Around Picks

We’re not sure what’s more famous about Chez Ma Tante — the pancakes, or the wait times they quote you for weekend brunch. All the more reason to score a reservation in advance, we say. Obviously, get the pancakes (they are indeed worth the hype), but don’t skip the quiche with whatever veggies are in season, the country pate, some extra crispy bacon, or the chips and aioli. If you’re someone who enjoys a Bloody Mary, theirs also happens to be quite good.

Michelin-recognized Mexican fare is never a bad idea, and Casa Enrique’s brunch is no exception. Start with their perfectly made guacamole, and maybe some jicama and beet salad for the table before you dive into your main. We’ve got to recommend the chorizo torta with avocado, eggs, beans, and queso Oaxaca, or the chilaquiles rojos, but you honestly can’t go wrong with whatever you order.

The pancakes with warm maple butter and your choice of wild Maine blueberries, banana walnut, or chocolate chunks at this LES mainstay remain legendary for a reason. But what makes this one of the best brunch spots in the city extends far beyond those pancakes, thanks to the warmth and hospitality of owners Neil Kleinberg and Dede Lahman, who’ve run this beloved restaurant since 2001. Brunch here also means buttermilk biscuit sandwiches with the fluffiest of scrambled eggs, a can’t-miss latke eggs Benedict, and fried chicken paired with Belgian waffles, among many other choices. And to round it all out, you can’t go wrong with one of their seasonal cocktails, either.

P.S. Consider stopping by here later in the day for dinner, too, when you can still get those pancakes, a killer classic mac ‘n cheese, and a stellar salmon burger.

A stalwart of the neighborhood, this farm-to-table spot has an ever-changing brunch menu, depending on what’s in season in the area. But you can’t go wrong with any of the pastries, from the pillowy buttermilk biscuits topped with apple jam and butter, to beignets served alongside local Di Palo’s ricotta. For a main course, don’t skip the buttermilk-cornmeal pancakes with caramelized apples and whipped cream, if it’s on the menu, or the supersized huevos rancheros.

Read on for a profile of Cookshop owner Vicki Freeman.

At this charming Williamsburg spot, two restaurants operate out of the same space; one during the day, and the other at night. Fans of Japanese-style breakfast will want to check out Okonomi, which serves a traditional ichiju-sansai (Japanese set breakfast) seven days a week. Options for the $30 prix-fixe often include roasted fish, miso soup, and tamagoyaki (rolled omelet).

Leland Eating and Drinking House knows how to do the simple things right — something that’s not always easy to accomplish. We love their weekend brunch for its stellar quality, as evidenced by the hash updated with pork shank, the honey toast that gets brûléed and served with housemade ricotta, and the sausage, egg, and cheese served with an addition of za’atar chips. Don’t forget a sourdough cinnamon bun for the table and a Bloody Mary. Sit outside, if you can.

For Groups

With bright, airy dining rooms and a fresh, farm-to-table Italian menu, Rosemary’s is a wonderful choice for a daytime birthday brunch, or to simply gather a group to sample all three varieties of their pillowy focaccia. Eggs are the main star of this brunch menu, whether in purgatory with puttanesca or Benedict style, but we’re also big fans of the boozy brunch, which provides unlimited mimosas or frizzante wine for an hour, along with your choice of entree.

When chef Jonathan Waxman’s paean to roast chicken shuttered in 2020, the city mourned one of its finest convivial Italian spots. Luckily, it’s since reopened in a new location and with a daytime weekend menu that’s even better than before. We suggest grabbing a few pizzas to share with your friends, like the pizza uovo served with farmstead eggs, pancetta, and salsa verde; the ever-changing seasonal pastas; and of course, the signature JW pollo al forno for everyone to sample.

Known for its extended hours (they’re open until midnight or later every night) and its fantastic people watching, this Chelsea institution also serves breakfast every day until 4 p.m., making it especially fun for extended, boozy brunches. The lively atmosphere is ideal for groups; and the menu has plenty of dishes everyone at the table will want to share, like the lemon ricotta pancakes, or the brioche French toast.

There’s something for everyone at this PLG hot spot for all things seafood, making it an ideal brunch destination on the weekends. Think fried chicken and shrimp on a crisp cornbread waffle, or a comforting Benedict served with crab cakes and perfectly poached eggs. If you show up with a crew, do order some Chesapeake crab dip for the table to share, and don’t sleep on a carafe of the mimosa. They’ve also got a bottomless option for $60 per person, which includes an entree and 90 minutes of mimosas or bellinis.

It’s the collab you didn’t know you needed. At Shalom Japan, Jewish and Japanese culinary traditions meld perfectly. Their brunch menu is creative, fun, and most importantly, delicious. Try the wagyu pastrami sandwich, the thick sesame temomi mazemen, and the matzo ball ramen for a meal you could only get in New York. Bring a crew so you can share and try as many dishes as possible.

For Boozy Brunches

For a later weekend brunch (they open at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays), head to this cocktail and seafood-focused bar. Start with the happy hour oyster special, then chow down on dishes like the lobster roll with Kewpie mayo. You really can’t go wrong with any of the thoughtfully crafted cocktails here, but the current zodiac themed menu is both hilarious and excellent. (We’re partial to the Aries house shot, described as “fancy fireball”).

Hellbender in Ridgewood got its start as more of a late-night bar, and while it’s evolved into more of a full-service restaurant since then, the drinks are definitely on par with the excellent food from chef Yara Herrera. You’ll find a Bloody Maria, guava bellini, housemade green juice, and margarita pitchers and carajillos all perfectly primed for pairing with dishes like sweet corn pancakes with canela butter and maple syrup, or enfrijoladas with melted cheese and a black bean mole.

For a taste of the Caribbean without leaving the five boroughs, head to this cheerful spot in Williamsburg. Even better? They run their all day “Drunch” parties on Sundays, serving dinner and brunch menus.. We also love their tasty signature cocktails like the Plantini (made with roasted plantain puree and rum), as well as their unique daytime dishes. Start with one of the savory flatbreads, like the yardie shrimp, followed by some sweet plantain pancakes topped with coconut whipped cream.

Read on for an interview with Kokomo co-owner Ria Graham.

Considering they bill themselves as the world’s most awarded pub, this revered watering hole in FiDi is certainly a must-visit for a daytime tipple and nosh. The cocktail menu is inspired by the traditional spirits and flavors of Ireland — think Irish coffee and an Irish coffee martini — but there are also lighter and fresher mixed drinks like a pineapple rum with guava. And, as should be no surprise, the weekend brunch here boasts one of the best Irish breakfasts in the city.

Although perhaps best known as a destination-worthy wine bar, this tiny spot in Williamsburg is also a Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning restaurant, making it a perfect gathering spot for oenophiles and hard-to-please food lovers. The biggest draw here is the enormous selection of natural wines, from skin contact and pet-nats to bottles from nearly every region of France. Pair your tipples with ever-changing dishes like the butter beans en brodo or the boudin blanc with crispy potatoes and curry. They’ve also got a pretty great collection of merch.

Who can resist a bottomless brunch deal? Not us, that’s for sure. Try the two-hour (!) bottomless brunch from Balvanera, with sangria and mimosas for $30 if you purchase a main. That’s the easy part; the hard part will be deciding which one. Go for the huevos a caballo (eggs and steak), the housemade chorizo sandwich, or torrejas lola (sweet milk brioche, dulce de leche, and caramelized banana). When the weather is nice, sitting on the patio makes those two hours fly by faster than you can say “One more, please!”

For Sweets

You say “Tex Mex,” we say “when and where?” Yellow Rose knows how to do Tex Mex splendidly, with breakfast tacos that satisfy the nostalgia you have for the ranch you’ve likely never lived on. Try the barbacoa, the bean and cheese, or the potato and egg. Order the Lone Star Beer queso for the table, and one of each of the donuts. They keep it simple in the cocktail department, so be sure to order mimosas and roasted tomato Bloody Marys (add the Miller High Life pony, duh) all around. And while their Tex Mex fare is truly excellent, you also can’t leave without getting some of their desserts, especially their Texas-style sheet cake.

With Camari Mick in the kitchen, you know the baked goods are going to be excellent. There are candied orange almond croissants, mushroom leek Danishes, and gorgeous pignoli cookies. You’re obviously getting the pastry basket for the table, but you can come down from your sugar high with their more savory choices, too, like a ricotta and oyster mushroom sourdough tartine and eggs in purgatory.

This all-day restaurant and pastry counter takes inspiration from both Jewish and Eastern European traditions — think dishes like the palacsinta made with citrus custard and soft cream, or thick cut bacon with buttered cabbage leaves and sunny-side-up eggs. The baked goods here are one of the biggest draws: make sure to grab some of the spanakopita babka or, if you’re there on a Sunday, the doughnuts.

One of the most welcoming spots in the neighborhood is this sunny and cheerful all-day cafe, which has made a name for itself with its housemade bagels and pastries. The bakery menu includes many of New York’s most famous treats, including a chocolate babka and black-and-white cookies. Larger dishes for the sweet tooth in your party include the griddled honey corn muffin with apple butter.

If you’re looking for the pancakes that broke the internet, your search ends here. The restaurant’s now-trademarked pancakes look a bit like the emoji: they are absolutely slathered in hazelnut-maple praline and finished with an adorable pat of brown butter. They’re also enormous, so if you’re eyeing that triple-stack, bring your appetite. Other sweet treats include the ricotta and mixed berry toast, and the salty-sweet maple-cheddar biscuit.

For Special Occasions

While Eunji Lee’s Lysée easily qualifies for being one of the city’s best spots for sweets, period, you should also know it happens to have a truly splurge-worthy brunch. Every Saturday and Sunday, they offer a three-course pre-fixe brunch for $60 a person with your choice of seasonal quiche or a smoked salmon and avocado sandwich. It also comes with a housemade granola parfait, and a choice of Lee’s acclaimed viennoiserie (choose from the kougin amann, warm babka, and more) with housemade jams and spreads. Pair it with an espresso martini made with Lysée’s signature brown rice milk or a calamansi mimosa.

Two words: tableside omelet. In the elegant upstairs main dining room at The Golden Swan, chef Doug Brixton personally prepares French-style omelets to perfection, all with your preferred accoutrements, ranging from meaty Maine lobster and elegant truffles to luxurious caviar. But whether you dine upstairs or in the more casual Wallace Room downstairs, brunch at The Golden Swan always feels like a celebration. In addition to the omelet, we highly recommend the truffle-laden tagliatelle and golden, buttery pancakes to share, too.

The reopening of this French bistro in 2019 signaled that the reign of the Meatpacking District as a brunch destination is far from over. Pastis 2.0 maintains what made the original so iconic — the people watching, the classic French menu — but with a soupçon of energy and friendliness. The brunch options here are plentiful, from gruyere omelets to chicken paillard, not to mention the celebratory pitchers of mimosas and refreshing cocktails.

Located on a quiet stretch of waterfront near Dumbo, Vinegar Hill House has long been the area’s go-to spot for celebratory meals. The weekend brunch menu may not be long, but what’s there is delicious: yogurt and granola served with blood orange and marjoram, broccoli and caramelized onion quiche, and sourdough apple pancakes. Make sure to ask for a table in the garden when the weather is nice.

While New York doesn’t have many Austrian restaurants, it doesn’t matter much when Wallsé knocks it out of the park every time. The Saturday brunch here includes a few dishes that are hard to find in the city, including the delightful kaiserschmarrn (essentially fluffy pancake bits) and Wiener schnitzel served with lingonberries, and potato and cucumber salad. Definitely save room for the brunch dessert menu, which includes a wonderful apple strudel topped with a mound of schlag (whipped cream).

If brunch is an excuse to indulge, Le Crocodile is the pitch-perfect use case. Go for the velvety cheese omelet, the incredible patisserie selection (honey butter scones, pain au chocolat), and the ham-and-cheese croque madame. Pair it with their generously lovely bellinis, and relax knowing that your problems are still hours away.

For Kids

If there’s one thing we know about kids (and humans in general), it’s that they all love pizza. That makes the aptly named KID an ideal spot for brunch with the family, where you can munch on pepperoni pies, grilled cheese with marinara dip, and a housemade Pop-Tart with seasonal berry jam. Toss your progeny a quarter to play the arcade game in the back if the adults need a moment to themselves.

Shuka’s Mediterranean menu is meant to be shared, which makes it an ideal spot for kids to try a bit of everything, from the subtly sweet whipped feta to the crowd-favorite baklava cinnamon rolls. We recommend ordering all of the brightly colored dips (the labne with satsuma and pink peppercorn is particularly superb) and letting the kids go to town with tons of pillowy pita.

Read on for a Resy Questionnaire with Shuka chef Ayesha Nurdjaja.

Il Buco’s more casual little sister has been one of the neighborhood’s best spots for little diners since it opened over a decade ago. At brunch time, head for one of the tables upstairs, which offer kids a bit more room to roam. Favorites among the younger set here include the excellent classic breakfast sandwich with pillowy scrambled eggs, as well as the carbonara pasta made with house-cured pancetta. And don’t forget the pastry basket for the table, either: everyone goes crazy for the chocolate bombolone.

The brunch menu at this American comfort food spot almost seems tailor-made for kids: pull-apart, frosted cinna-nut buns; five styles of challah French toast; and enormous portions of extra-gooey macaroni and cheese. And, while your little ones enjoy their sugar high, the adults can sip on an ample selection of daytime cocktails, including a variety of Bellinis or The Razzle, made with elderflower liqueur and vodka.

One of The Seaport’s best spots for little brunchers is California-import Malibu Farm, which serves farm-to-table dishes with a dash of West Coast cool. The weekend brunch menu boasts many kid-centric dishes, including pumpkin pancakes with a mound of whipped cream, and avocado toast with poached egg.