The Brunch Spots in NYC I Actually Go To

Grove Street between Bedford and Bleecker. Take the 1 to Christopher Street.

Buvette is tiny. Like, really tiny. Maybe 30 seats inside and a few more on the sidewalk when the weather cooperates. The menu is French-leaning and everything feels intentional. The granola with thick yogurt and berries is perfect. The tartine with prosciutto and butter is the kind of simple that only works when every ingredient is flawless.

I come here when I want brunch to feel like a quiet morning in someone’s very beautiful apartment. Get there by 9:30 AM on weekends or you’ll wait. Worth it every time.

The original is on Lafayette in SoHo but the Carmine Street location in the West Village is my favorite. Take the A/C/E to West 4th.

This place leans Mediterranean and South African and the combination works in ways you wouldn’t expect. The green shakshuka is the star. Baked eggs in a spiced green sauce with labneh and challah for dipping. I’ve ordered it probably forty times and I still get excited when it arrives.

The rosewater waffle is great for anyone with a sweet tooth. The iced mint lemonade is borderline addictive. The vibe is bright and casual and the service is faster than most brunch spots in the city. I’ve never waited more than 20 minutes here, even on a Saturday.

Wythe Avenue near North 1st Street. Take the L to Bedford Avenue.

Gertie calls itself a Jewish deli and that’s technically true but it’s doing something more interesting than that description suggests. The interior is gorgeous. Green tiles, natural light, a counter that makes you want to sit alone with a newspaper and pretend it’s 1962.

The pastrami egg and cheese on a roll is one of the best breakfast sandwiches in New York. Full stop. The latkes are crispy and not greasy which is harder to pull off than it sounds. And the babka French toast exists, which is a sentence I wish I could read again for the first time.

Lines form early on weekends. Put your name in and walk around the block. It moves faster than you’d think.

St. Marks Place near First Avenue. Take the 6 to Astor Place.

Mogador has been here since 1983 and it feels like it. Not rundown. Just settled. The kind of place where the staff knows the regulars and the regulars know what they’re ordering before they sit down.

The Moroccan eggs are the move. Poached in spiced tomato sauce with warm bread on the side. Simple, warming, perfect. The hummus plate is also excellent if you want something lighter. I’ve had brunch here in every season and it never disappoints. There’s a reason it’s survived four decades in a neighborhood that reinvents itself every five years.

Wythe Avenue at South 2nd Street. Take the L to Bedford or the J/M to Marcy Avenue.

Yes, there’s a wait. Yes, it’s worth it. The malted pancakes with hazelnut maple praline are the single best pancakes I’ve ever eaten and I’m not being dramatic. They’re thick, fluffy, slightly nutty, and the praline on top adds a crunch that makes the whole thing work on multiple levels.

The rest of the menu is strong too. The hash is well-seasoned, the egg sandwich is loaded in the right way, and the cocktail menu is smarter than it needs to be. But let’s be honest, you’re coming for the pancakes. Everyone is coming for the pancakes.

Orchard Street between Houston and Stanton. Take the F to 2nd Avenue.

The original Russ and Daughters appetizing shop on Houston has been around since 1914. The cafe is the sit-down version and it is exceptional. If you like smoked fish, this is the best place in New York. Possibly the best place anywhere.

The classic board comes with silky lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, onions, and a warm bagel. It sounds simple because it is. But the quality of the fish here is in a different league. I also love the scrambled eggs with salmon and everything from the pastry case. The black and white cookie is the best version of that cookie in the city and I will argue about this with anyone.

Orchard Street near Broome. Take the B/D to Grand Street.

Dudley’s is Australian-influenced which in brunch terms means excellent coffee, avocado toast that actually justifies its existence, and a general atmosphere of calm that feels rare for the Lower East Side.

The ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter are fantastic. The full brekkie plate is hearty without being heavy. And the flat white here is genuinely one of the best in the city. I first came here on a recommendation from a friend who’s impossibly picky about coffee and I’ve been coming back monthly since.

Amsterdam Avenue between 84th and 85th. Take the 1 to 86th Street.

This is not delicate brunch. This is “I walked six miles yesterday and I need fuel” brunch. The biscuits are the size of your head. The fried chicken and waffles are absurd in the best way. Everything comes with a side of pickles, obviously, and they’re house-made and crunchy and perfect.

I bring out-of-town friends here when I want to impress them without taking them somewhere fussy. It works every single time. The portions are enormous, the prices are reasonable for what you get, and the vibe is loud and happy in the way that good brunch should be.

Inside the Neue Galerie at 86th and Fifth Avenue. Take the 4/5/6 to 86th Street.

This one is different. Cafe Sabarsky is inside a museum and it feels like you’ve been transported to Vienna circa 1910. Dark wood paneling, marble tables, Viennese pastries that look like they belong behind museum glass. You need a reservation on weekends and you need to accept that this will be a slower, more deliberate brunch. That’s the point.

The crepe with smoked salmon is wonderful. The Guglhupf cake is rich and buttery and goes perfectly with their Viennese coffee. This is the brunch I choose when I want to feel like a slightly more cultured version of myself. It always works.

Graham Avenue near Scholes Street. Take the L to Graham Avenue.

Win Son does Taiwanese-American brunch and it’s unlike anything else on this list. The fly’s head omelet has ground pork, chives, and black beans. The dan bing is a Taiwanese egg crepe that comes with different fillings and it’s the thing I crave most when I haven’t been in a while.

This is the spot I send food-obsessed friends to. The ones who’ve already done all the obvious places and want something that surprises them. It surprises them every time. The menu is creative without being gimmicky and everything is executed at a really high level.