Ingredients for the perfect brunch: good company, an atmosphere that’s prettier—and, let’s hope, significantly bigger—than your apartment and food that makes you wish you could wake up and do it all over again. Here, ten options to shake up your weekend.
10 Brunch Spots to Add to Your Rotation, Stat
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Published Mar 14, 2018
Old Rose
The high ceilings and marble accents of this restaurant inside the Jane Hotel make a great backdrop for the equally photogenic brunch pizza topped with egg, guanciale and mozz or smashed avocado on housemade sourdough. Pro tip: The White Star cocktail (apricot eau-de-vie, prosecco and lavender) is the mimosa upgrade we didn’t know we needed.
113 Jane St.; oldrosenyc.com
Clay
This Harlem newcomer—housed in what was once a historic jazz club—is already becoming a neighborhood staple. Pull up a seat in the cozy dining room and dig into housemade English muffins, a duck confit arepa and brioche French toast.
553 Manhattan Ave.; claynyc.com
Olmsted
This is big: After nearly two years in Prospect Heights (and on every foodie's must-eat list), the beloved restaurant is rolling out brunch this week. No surprise, the menu is seasonally driven and all-around delightful, whether it's in the form of bacon-and-cheddar-stuffed egg rolls, apple-strudel cinnamon buns or a grilled breakfast burger covered in melted raclette. Oh, and brunch will also be offered on Fridays, in case you need an excuse to start your weekend early.
658 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn; olmstednyc.com
Bòcàphê
Brunch is an international (and Instagrammable) affair at this French-Vietnamese hot spot, with dishes like an omelet-filled bánh mì or a papaya salad topped with eggs and turkey bacon. Bonus: The menu’s served all day, in case your “morning” starts at 2 p.m.
222 Lafayette St.; bocaphe.com
Kevin O’Leary
Nur
Brunch at this modern Middle Eastern restaurant is as much an experience as it is a meal. For a fixed price, you’ll get an ongoing cavalcade of shareable mezzes brought to your table, like a sabich (a fried-eggplant and egg pita sandwich), beet and citrus salad and a Jerusalem bagel with various dips. (Finally, someone understands our desire to order everything on the menu.)
34 E. 20th St.; nurnyc.com
Meme’s Diner
On first glance, this sleek, light-filled eatery may look like another social media-baiting café (and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t snap a pic), but it’s a true diner at heart—a really good one. Every brunch starts with complimentary “cereal mix,” followed by comforting eats like Frito migas, everything-bagel babka and chili oil-fried eggs.
657 Washington Ave., Brooklyn; memesdiner.com
Flex Mussels
You probably know the seafood haven for its ginormous buckets of bivalves, but you need to get acquainted with its brunch menu—particularly the brilliant savory doughnuts, filled with scallion cream cheese and coated in everything-bagel seasoning.
Multiple locations; flexmussels.com
Brooklyn Cider House
Cider for brunch? Absolutely—especially when it’s paired with double-fried chicken and waffles or the aptly titled Hangover Helper (Spanish chorizo, caramelized onions and peppers and sunny-side-up eggs on a baguette). And the “ciderosa,” made with crisp Bone Dry cider and OJ, may make us stray from Champs for good.
1100 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn; brooklynciderhouse.com
The Highwater
This never-ending winter got you down? Just head to this tropically inclined Astoria spot and soothe yourself with the cheery ambience and Hawaiian-inspired eats like an island Benedict with Kalua pork or Hawaiian French toast with yuzu cream cheese and mango. A cocktail served in a pineapple-shaped goblet is also a necessity.
3420 Broadway, Astoria; thehighwaternyc.com
Due West
This stylish West Village gastropub makes a great date-night spot, and now we have another excuse to snuggle into those velvet booths. Along with dishes like a fried pork chop and pancakes with butter maple toffee, you’re going to want to order a Rose Bowl: a large-format cocktail of rosé, vodka, lime, mint and sparkling wine.
189 W. Tenth St.; duewestnyc.com