This blog post is all about the best breakfast and brunch spots in New York City that I’ve tried and loved.
Looking for brunch spots in New York City? You’ve come to the right place.
I like to think of myself as an avocado toast connoisseur. And if you don’t know already, brunch is my favourite meal of the day.
A great thing about New York City? It knows how to brunch.
Below is my list of the best brunch spots in New York City, all tried and tested by yours truly.
If you’re wondering what makes me an expert on brunch spots in New York City, you should know that I’ve lived in New York and I also visit just about every Christmas for about two weeks’ at a time.
So there aren’t too many brunch spots in New York that I haven’t tried.
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If you’re planning a trip to New York City, make sure to check out my 140+ page travel guide eBook which you can download here to help you plan!
Brunch Spots in New York City: Manhattan
Below is my personal list of the best breakfast and brunch spots in New York City, within Manhattan. I’ve tried and tested many so you can be sure to find a favourite from this list!
1. Two Hands, TriBeCa
Address: 251 Church Street, New York
My absolute favourite on this list of the brunch spots in New York. I visit Two Hands without fail, every time I visit NYC.
While you’ll likely be eating a lot of sugar-filled, high calorie and greasy food in America, Two Hands is a welcome break of healthy food. With the regular suspects like avocado toast, you’ll also find buddha-type bowls with kale, quinoa and healthy greens taking up most of the menu.
There are three locations in Manhattan – TriBeCa, Lower East Side and NoHo – and two other locations in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee (which I visited recently), but we always visit the TriBeCa location during our trips.
I don’t want to say that we purposely book a hotel that’s a ten minute walk away from here, but it might have something to do with it… So if that fact doesn’t sell this brunch spot to you, I don’t quite know what will.
2. Little Ruby’s, East Village
Address: 198 East 11th Street, New York
Another of my favourite brunch spots in New York, I’ve visited Little Ruby’s more than three times for breakfast but most often in the summer and sat outside of their 9th street location.
They do incredible smashed avocado on toast and it’s my go-to every time I come here.
They’re also very well known for their lunch and evening menu, but I always see it as a breakfast spot, so have yet to try at a different time.
Little Ruby’s also do a great cup of drip coffee which you can’t beat in New York. I’m hoping they start to sell their coffee mugs soon, because they’re quite iconic, and I’d like to have one at home to help with my New York homesickness.
If you want to see these brunch spots in New York in visual form, make sure to check out all of my New York travel vlogs over on YouTube as we brunch a lot.
3. The Grey Dog, West Village
Address: 49 Carmine Street, New York
We refer to The Grey Dog as our ‘local’ as it’s the cosiest breakfast spot that feels more like home and less of a touristy breakfast spot compared to some of the others on this list.
You’ll find home fries, pancakes and hearty breakfast options on their breakfast menu, perfect for a hungover morning.
After a visit to Two Hands, this is always our next stop during our trips back to New York, especially at Christmas. I’ve spent mornings working from my laptop here, some very hungover mornings and some very hungry mornings when we’ve had to order a side of pancakes too.
The food’s great and so is the atmosphere, so we keep coming back every time we visit New York.
If you find yourself heading to Jack’s Wife Freda on Carmine Street, you’ll see The Grey Dog across the way. Please do yourself a favour and go to The Grey Dog instead, it’s one of the best brunch spots in New York and I hate to say that Jack’s Wife Freda is over-priced and not that great.
4. Bubby’s, TriBeCa
Address: 120 Hudson Street, New York
This is a recent addition to my list of best brunch spots in New York as I actually only visited for the first time during our trip at the end of 2024.
Considering that I literally worked down the street from Bubby’s for a year, it is a little criminal that it took me so long to visit.
However, it was definitely worth the wait and I have been missing OUT. I don’t want to be dramatic, but I think the pancakes flight might have just changed my life.
Honestly, I think about those pancakes often and I’m already counting down the days until my next trip to New York City just to have these pancakes again.
Life-changing, honestly and firmly deserving of a place on this list of the best brunch spots in New York.
5. Good Thanks, Lower East Side
Address: 131 Orchard Street, New York
Good Thanks is a very small cafe on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but a perfect location to start your morning if exploring the lower part of the city.
Plus, it’s located on Orchard Street which is my favourite street to wander down on a morning in New York.
Famous for their scrambled eggs, you may have to wait for a table, but I can guarantee you that it’s very much worth the wait.
Cosy (maybe a little cramped), but you’ll get to know your neighbours over your first meal of the day.
6. Banter, NoHo
Address: 169 Sullivan Street, New York
I will pre-warn you now that Banter is expensive, but it’s also very, very good.
Another spot near the Lower East Side, this spot is also very popular with the locals and you’ll more often than not have to queue for a table.
You’ll have a feast for breakfast that will definitely set you up for the day to explore New York City. But so worth the money, for sure.
Also order the sweet potato fries with your breakfast. Sounds weird, I know, but trust me!
7. La Bonbonniere, West Village
Address: 28 8th Avenue, New York
We’ve come to the diner section of this list, as every list of brunch spots in New York should include a diner institution like the three that I’m going to introduce you to.
First up is my favourite diner in New York. La Bonbonniere in the West Village is everything you’d expect from a typical New York diner.
As soon as you step through the doors, you’ll feel like you’re back in the 1990s with men reading newspapers at the counter, everyone knowing each other by name and the menu also looks like it came from the 90s, the prices are that good.
If you’re looking for a cheap brunch in New York City, diners are going to be your go-to. Choose how you’d like your eggs, white or brown toast or if you’d like a flight of pancakes (like me) and they’ll keep refilling your coffee cup.
There’s nothing more perfect on a winter morning than a classic New York diner.
RELATED blog post to read: 30 of the Best Cheap Eats in New York City for Under $10
8. Zafi’s Luncheonette, Lower East Side
Address: 500 Grand Street, New York
This was Steff’s favourite diner in New York, and the first we visited on our trip. To be fair, you really couldn’t beat the price for the amount of food we got (and toast), making it an excellent choice for a cheap breakfast in Manhattan.
Again, it had that local feel with regulars popping in and sitting at the counter, but it wasn’t as cosy as La Bonbonniere, plus location-wise, I preferred La Bonbonniere to wander the West Village and Greenwich afterwards.
If you’re like us and need to balance out the boujee brunches with some wallet-friendly choices, diners like Zafi’s Luncheonette are your best bet.
9. Waverly Diner, West Village
Address: 385 6th Avenue, New York
The final diner we tried and probably my least favourite of the three, was Waverly Diner in the West Village.
I’d say Waverly Diner is probably the most well known on this list, and is famous for being in different TV shows and movies, but this diner doesn’t come with diner prices.
Since it’s so popular and in a prime location, the prices definitely reflect this.
I also need to remind myself to stop ordering hash browns when I’m in America because they’re not the hash browns I’m used to.
You can see a lot of the brunch spots in New York from this list in my recent New York travel vlog on YouTube!
Brunch Spots in New York City: Brooklyn
One thing I recommend to anyone visiting New York, is to leave Manhattan for a day and visit Brooklyn.
New York is more than just everything that’s found in Manhattan (although, there is a lot) and some of my favourite restaurants and the best brunch spots in New York, can be found in Brooklyn.
Here’s a guide to the best brunch spots in Brooklyn, New York.
10. Sunday in Brooklyn, Williamsburg
Address: 348 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
A strong contender for the best pancakes you will ever have in your life. There, I said it. And yes, I know that’s quite a hefty statement to make but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Ok, Bubby’s in TriBeCa may have changed my opinion a little, but the pancakes at Sunday in Brooklyn are different, so you’ll just have to try both and come to your own conclusion I’m afraid.
The breakfast here is good, but honestly, I would just come here to order a stack of pancakes to share. You’ll struggle to eat more than one pancake yourself as the consistency is almost like cake – it’s incredible.
There is now a location that’s opened in Notting Hill, London but as you can probably guess with the name, the original is located in Brooklyn, New York – and what beats the original?
It’s a very popular spot, but very much worth the wait (and the weight gain).
11. Cafe Colette, Williamsburg
Address: 79 Berry Street, Brooklyn
A lovely French cafe located near Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn.
If you find yourself in Brooklyn on a New York morning, you should head to Cafe Colette for their smashed avocado on toast and make sure to order a side of French fries – you can thank me later.
With seating options both outside and inside, you’ll be transported to a Parisian cafe for the first part of your morning.
Not that you want to leave the ambiance of New York, but why not try a French start to your day.
12. Frankel’s Deli, Greenpoint
Address: 631 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn
During a recent trip to New York, I actually stayed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for the first time. This meant we explored more of Brooklyn than we would have normally, which was a very welcome change.
From working in coffee shops like Cafe Nyla, Brooklyn Roasting Company and Sweet Leaf in Greenpoint, I got to know the borough a lot better.
One of the highlights in Greenpoint was Frankel’s Deli, a famous spot known for their pastrami sandwiches.
It was eggy, cheesy and meaty – just the perfect meal after a night out if you’re around Greenpoint on a Sunday morning. I’d highly recommend it!
RELATED blog post to read: The Best Coffee Shops to Work From in Brooklyn
13. Sea Wolf, Bushwick
Address: 19 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn
Another of the Brooklyn brunch spots in New York, Sea Wolf is located in the Bushwick area, deep in the heart of Brooklyn.
If you’re coming to Bushwick for some vintage shopping (they have some of the best and biggest vintage/thrift stores in the city) or to take a wander around the many murals and street art, you should start your day in Sea Wolf.
Inside an industrial setting, you’ll be tempted by their boozy brunch as they’re quite famously known, but you’ll also find a lot of seafood on their menu too.
Another favourite of my brunch spots in New York!
14. Milk and Honey Cafe, Prospect Park
Address: 1119 Newkirk Avenue, Brooklyn
During a morning exploring the Prospect Park/Flatbush area of Brooklyn, we started the day at Milk and Honey Cafe.
I was so surprised by the mansions around this area, since in my head Brooklyn is full of brownstone town houses.
Not in this area! I’d recommend eating at Milk and Honey Cafe, just so you can take a wander around the homes nearby and dream of someday living there like I did.
From the picture I’m sure you can guess that this wasn’t my favourite brunch in New York, but if you’re looking for a small brunch, this is a good spot to check out.
Make sure to check out my foodie day in Brooklyn YouTube vlog to see where to eat in Brooklyn, New York!
Brunch Spots in New York City: Staten Island
No New York borough is safe when it comes to brunch, and Staten Island is no different.
While not many people will make the trip out to Staten Island (I really recommend the free ferry!), it’s definitely worth it.
With one of the best views of the Statue of Liberty (for free!), it’s also a great way to see a unique part of New York, that not many tourists explore.
15. Project Brunch, Staten Island
Address: 4553 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island
During my year living in New York, I had to tick off all five boroughs. It would be pretty criminal if I spent 12 months living there and didn’t tick off all five, right?
We made a day of it, getting the free ferry across from Battery Park and seeing the Statue of Liberty in all her glory.
Project Brunch came highly recommended and with ‘Brunch’ in the title, I had very high expectations.
While it wasn’t the best avocado brunch I’ve ever had, I did love the atmosphere as it felt like a very local spot, and the homefries were pretty great.
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The Best Brunch Spots in New York City
And there you have my favourite breakfast and brunch spots in New York City.
From cheap diners to bagels and pancakes, right through to a full Aussie-inspired brunch perfect for Instagram, you’ll find something suitable on this list.
I’m so excited to go back to New York again for my fifth trip this year (outside of living there, of course) and have some new brunch spots on my list that I need to check out.
So make sure to keep an eye on this blog post as I’ll keep it updated with every visit I make to the Big Apple.
RELATED Brunch Spots in New York blog posts to read:
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- How to Spend St. Patrick’s Day in New York City
- Coliving in New York: Why You Should Consider SharedEasy
- New York YouTubers You Need To Start Watching
- Where to Find the Best NYC Bagels in New York
- The Best & Coolest Museums in New York to Visit
By Orlagh Shanks
Orlagh Shanks is the Editor of Orlagh Claire, an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog.
After working in the PR & Influencer Marketing industry, Orlagh quit her job to travel Asia for 12 months and moved to Sydney, Australia where she is now a full-time travel blogger and content creator sharing travel tips and recommendations for all 30 of the countries she’s visited so far.
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