In search of some worth-trying breakfast restaurants in NYC? We’ve got your back!
Save this article now because you’re about to explore them all, from the perfect stack of pancakes and delicately layered pastries, to world-class bagels and mimosas.
Pass by Banter NYC if a quick and healthy breakfast is what you want, or make a visit to Hole In The Wall Cafe for a mouth-watering sandwich and a glass of morning cocktail at the weekend. Instagram-worthy and creative dishes? Little Collins is the place!
Wait no more, let’s jump right into these 15 best breakfast restaurants in NYC to start your day right!
1. Banter NYC
Banter is a cozy breakfast spot in lower Manhattan that serves the most healthy yet delicious Aussie meals! Pay a visit and let their sleek furniture, geometric patterns, and vibrant colors amaze you.
We always have the Banter’s Avocado Toast, which is so irresistible even just by its look! The best-smashed guacamole with grain and seed mix, alfalfa sprouts, and basil oil are all combined in one satisfying toasted bread!
The Golden Folded Eggs are also highly recommended as they are cooked to fluffy perfection. The bacon on the side adds a nice touch to the whole dish, while the toast tastes so fresh, crusty, and moist.
In case you want to go big, order the Banter Big Breakfast! We personally love the mushroom and halloumi that comes with it, great quality sourdough and a surprisingly large serving of bacon will satisfy both your palate and tummy!
What to order: Avocado Toast, Golden Folded Eggs, Banter Big Breakfast, Golden Folded Eggs, Tangerine Ginger Tea,
Address:
-169 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012
-643 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
-201 East 31st St, New York, NY 10016
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2. Community Food & Juice
Located just a few blocks away from Columbia’s campus, Community Food & Juice is always packed with students, faculty, and locals who crave American cuisine with light Eastern influences.
Though it’s not a vegetarian restaurant, many items on our menu can be made vegetarian by request, which is a big plus!
The Community Brioche French Toast is a must-have item with 2 huge slices of tender brioche served with caramelized bananas, walnuts, and maple butter. This dish will not only fill you up but also satisfy your taste buds to the core!
Biscuit Sandwich is an excellent plate of breakfast with soft scrambled eggs, topped with Vermont Cabot cheddar and house-made chicken apple sausage. Or try the Biscuit Sandwich which has that spicy tomato jam spread that can wake you up instantly!
For a vegetarian option, order the Avocado Toast which is packed with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Add some eggs if you wish!
What to order: Brioche French Toast, Biscuit Sandwich, Country Breakfast, Avocado Toast
Address: 2893 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
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3. Cafe Sabarsky
Inspired by great Viennese cafes, Cafe Sabarsky is a one-of-a-kind breakfast experience in NYC. Prepare to feast your eyes on the fanciest banquettes, light fixtures, period objects, and furniture here. A grand piano graciously sits on one corner of the cafe, occasionally playing cabaret, chamber, and classical music.
For breakfast, get the Bavarian Sausage with Warm Pretzel & Sweet Mustard that has a perfect balance of spicy and savory taste. Trust us, it tastes so much better than it looks!
The sausage is packed with ground spices and has a firm, bouncy bite, while the pretzel has a pleasant flavor with a crisp and brittle texture! This badass melts in your mouth instantly!
The Chilled Smoked Trout Crepes will make your palate sing of happiness! It’s fresh, and gentle with a subtle wood-smoked flavor that goes so well with the horseradish creme fraiche!
Don’t leave without having a cup of Kaiser Mélange! It’s a unique Viennese coffee made with espresso, raw egg yolk, sweetened with honey, and fortified with cognac.
Strong, rich, and smooth in every sip!
What to order: Bavarian Sausage with Warm Pretzel & Sweet Mustard, Chilled Smoked Trout Crepes & Horseradish Creme Fraiche, Kaiser Mélange
Address: 1048 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
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4. Sunday In Brooklyn
Sunday in Brooklyn is a neighborhood restaurant in Williamsburg that cares deeply about food and people, so every delicious dish is made with so much love and care. The three-story sun-drenched corner building offers a multitude of experiences for each season and time of day. Meet your loving family and friends here to enjoy the warm welcome, like neighbors, on a beautiful Sunday morning.
Their Sunday Pancakes is the star of the show, 10 out of 10. Each bite is tenderly crisp, and fluffy on the inside, sticky sweet glaze that is rich and sweet but cut by saltier, fattier components.
Another crowd-fav is Cheddar Scramble, order this by all means! The scrambled eggs are perfectly creamy, the toast is nutty, and the chicken sausage is mild with a robust flavor. Chef kiss!
End it fabulously with a cup of S’mores Latte, which has everything you love: your favorite coffee, warm chocolate melting over creamy marshmallows, and sweet graham crackers. Enjoy!
What to order: Sunday Pancakes, Cheddar Scramble, S’Mores Latte
Address: 348 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
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5. Johny’s Luncheonette
Welcome to Johny’s Luncheonette, an old-school New York hotspot that has the most hearty breakfast platters, sandwiches, wraps and salads at modest prices. Watching the staff cooking at the grill is like poetry in motion, so don’t hesitate to grab a seat at their dining counter!
People line up every day to have their classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich with tomato, bacon, perfectly gooey cheese, and crispy browned edges. Don’t forget to pair your sandwich with a slide of onion rings, trust us when we say it’s crazily good!
Johny’s pancakes are a whole different level of pancakes. Even if you don’t like pancakes, The Banana and Chocolate Chip ones will make you wish you had an extra stomach to devour all of it!
For a really hearty breakfast, their King Kong French Toast must be the one! A hero bun tossed with all the breakfast classics like eggs, bacon, bananas, and cinnamon. It’s sweet, savory, buttery, and slightly spicy at the same time!
What to order: Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, King Kong French Toast, Mocha
Address: 124 W 25th St, New York, NY 10001
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6. Little Collins
Little Collins is a trendy Aussie cafe that serves the most delicious and Instagram-worthy breakfast in midtown NY. We love to come here for its chic and inviting design and love it even more for the utterly delicious menu items, ranging from savory and sweet breakfast items, and gourmet coffees, to baked goods!
The Smash is a big hit with a twist from the classic avocado toast, in which the avocado is mashed up with a bunch of feta and then topped with some chili flakes and pumpkin seeds for extra flavor.
For a more savory option, head for The Big Dill! The most excellent breakfast sandwich with cured salmon, scrambled eggs, dill, and mascarpone. Delicious and sizable enough to keep you up for a whole day.
Crave something sweet? Their Buttermilk Pancake with sliced banana and strawberry won’t let you down. The fruits on top are nice and fresh but the honeycomb is the winner for us! Definitely will order again!
What to order: Avocado Feta Toast, The Smash, The Big Dill, Chorizo Burrito, Buttermilk Pancake, Hot Mocha
Address:
-708 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017
-570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022
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7. Balthazar
A quintessential eatery in Soho known for its French cuisine, Balthazar is the breakfast spot of the rich and famous people. With exceptional service despite the bustling atmosphere, you’ll be greatly taken care of at Balthazar.
Sink your teeth into their perfectly prepared Le Panier, which is a basket of freshly baked goodies like chocolate croissants, cranberry-pecan bread, scones, sticky bun, monkey bread, and a butter croissant.
The Brioche French Toast is Balthazar’s breakfast of champions. With two slices of applewood smoked bacon lounging on buttery, sugar-dusted French toast, your palate will be so pleased and surely crave more!
We know it’s strange to order something different than a French dish in a French restaurant, but their Full English Breakfast is totally a hit! It’s beautifully plated, hearty, and filling just the way we love.
From crispy bacon to savory sausages, to eggs cooked in a variety of ways, to baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns, and toast. The variety of flavors and textures is extremely wholesome!
What to order: Brioche French Toast, Toasted Bagel, Full English Breakfast, Le Panier
Address: 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
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8. Sadelle’s
Sadelle’s is a cute and trendy breakfast restaurant in NY that has the best bagels to offer! Not only their food is addictive but the brick walls, steel interiors, and floral arrangements scattered around are super Instagram-worthy too!
Who knew a simple French Toast could taste so mind-blowingly good? The insides are a liquid, soft, oozing, eggy wonderland that you will eat all day if you can.
Since they’re famous for bagels, order the House Salmon Bagel and you’ll never be disappointed! It’s a small sandwich that packs with all kinds of heat, while the house-smoked salmon is perfect and the bagel is spongy inside with a crisp shell!
Take a bite and you’ll start to wonder why it took you so long to try this item!
And the hits keep coming, try Leo – the Sadelle’s version of scrambled eggs. It is topped with house-smoked salmon and tastes surprisingly good! The Sadelle’s Tower is no less popular with unlimited bagels!
Make sure your platter has whitefish salad on it, it’s truly a game changer.
What to order: French Toast, House Salmon Bagel, Leo, Sadelle’s Tower, Grapefruit Tonic
Address: 463 W Broadway, New York, NY 10012
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9. Hole In The Wall Cafe
Hole In The Wall is probably one of the most well-known breakfast and brunch restaurants in NY, offering everything your tummy is craving, from colorful fruit bowls, and hearty burgers, to morning cocktails. The place has a chic and casual vibe with natural lighting from the floor-to-ceiling windows, making it a very comfortable spot for weekend breakfast or casual business brunch.
Forget about the usual eggs benedict; this one will bring you to a new dimension – the Chilli Scramble Egg! It remains the perfectly cooked eggs that are not too dry but now packed with savory and spicy taste from the green harissa.
Choose the Cheezey Burger that is packed with LOTS of cheese, and a juicy, meaty beef patty. Take a bite and feel that beefy, cheesy goodness fill your mouth, OMG we start feeling hungry typing this!
Wanna start your day with something light? Order the Seasonal Yogurt Bowl, which comes with blueberry compote, granola, mango, strawberry, honey, and ‘secret’ seasonal fruits.
Time for coffee, shall we? Don’t skip the Nutty Espresso Smoothie, we know the name may confuse you but trust us when we say it’s crazily good with a sweet, creamy, and peanut-y taste!
What to order: Pulled Pork Benedict, Chili Scrambled Eggs, Seasonal Yogurt Bowl, The Cheezey Burger, Golden Turmeric Latte, Nutty Espresso Smoothie
Address:
-15 Cliff St, New York, NY 10038
-445 E 35th St, New York, NY 10016
-37 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010
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10. Ess-a-bagel
Ess-a-bagel is a classic New York bagel shop that is famous for serving top-notch bagels, pastries, coffee, and more to the locals since 1976. Their bagels are hand-rolled and baked fresh daily at the store, along with tons of fillings to go with!
Start your adventure with a doughy, fluffy everything, pumpernickel, or cinnamon raisin bagel, and schmear it with all manner of decadent cream cheese options! We personally love the Cinnamon Raisin Bagel for its fragrant, tender bite, and slightly sweet taste.
Our all-time favorite combination must be everything bagel with a scallion tofu spread, this is everything we want if we have to choose one dish for the rest of our lives! The bagel is chewy and toasty, while the spread is delicious and tastes like a lighter cream cheese.
Add some more tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and avocado, now you have the best bagels ever in NY! Or sink your teeth into the Signature Favorite Bagel and let that fatty, smoky taste of nova balanced out so well by the rich and creamy scallion cream cheese!
What to order: Tofu Spread Bagel, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Bagel, Signature Favorite Bagel, The Pepe, Iced Cafe Choco
Address: 831 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022
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11. Barney Greengrass
Barney Greengrass is an old-school Jewish breakfast and brunch destination you shouldn’t miss in the Upper West Side. Normally they have plenty of room to sit, but you will have to show up early for a table on weekends!
The menu is loaded with everything from omelets and eggs with smoked fish, to cheese blintzes, challah French toast, and signature platters.
Start your day right with their Scrambled Eggs, which is topped with one of their famous smoked fish. Choose sturgeon if you’re a white fish lover, actually, we always order another plate of sturgeon to share, and it even tastes better on top of a bagel!
The Pastrami Salmon Sandwich must be our second favorite item on the menu. We love it for the signature, intense peppery flavor that creates an incredibly delicious aroma to the whole dish.
A big fan of meat? We’re sure the Corned Beef Omelets can soothe your craving with a well-balanced flavor of sour, spicy, salty, and, of course, meaty.
What to order: Scrambled Eggs, Pastrami Salmon Sandwich, Sturgeon, Corned Beef Omelets
Address: 541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024
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12. Westway Diner
A local diner with Greek and Italian options, Westway Diner, is an absolute gem. When you wake up feeling extra sad in the morning, and you need that one big comforting hug from a diner booth, Westway got you covered. This is the comfort of all comfort foods and having it for breakfast is a great start.
The Westway’s Challah French Toast will be the first thing we order for its delicate taste or the Belgian Waffle to enjoy the perfect crunch on the outside and wholesomely soft on the inside.
For a savory one, you can’t go wrong with their Westway Sandwich which is fully packed with grilled chicken strips that are marinated to perfection! The honey dijon is a real game changer, you have no idea how this bold and tangy mustard highlights the whole dish!
In case you’re not in the mood for coffee, try Blue Sky Smoothie. Its sweet, sour, and citrusy aftertaste can really cleanse your palate after a hearty dish!
What to order: Roast Beef Sandwich, Pasta & Avocado, Westway Sandwich, Blue Sky Smoothie
Address: 614 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036
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13. Russ & Daughters
Russ & Daughters has been serving some of NYC’s favorite lox and herring since 1914. Now, people still come back for more of their soft and chewy bagels filled with mouth-watering cream cheese, smoked fish, or pastrami-cured salmon!
A trip to Russ & Daughter must not exist without smoked fish, hesitate no more to order a bagel with any choice of fish toppings! Or you can try their Hot Smoke/Cold Smoke, which is probably the best thing on the menu!
It comes with baked salmon and smoked salmon served on the same dish and with waffle crisps for dipping purposes. Believe us, those are the best slices of salmon we’ve tried!
The Traditional Raspberry Rugelach at Russ & Daughter is a legend, each is swirled with raspberry jam, filled with plump raisins and currants, and topped with cinnamon and sugar. The buttery cookie just goes so well with that mouth-watering fruit filling!
Now comes the best part, try their Coffee Soda! The rich, smooth taste of the coffee, combined with the bold sweetness and fizziness of soda is going to win your heart!
What to order: Hot Smoke/Cold Smoke, Traditional Raspberry Rugelach, Smoked Fish Platter, Coffee Soda
Address:
– 141 Flushing Ave Building 77, Brooklyn, NY 11205
– 179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
– 127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
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14. Veselka
Veselka is a Ukrainian restaurant that first opened in 1954, and today it’s still one of New York City’s most popular spots for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even dinner!
Step inside and you’ll be greeted with Ukrainian artwork, trinkets, and artifacts, which truly celebrate America’s melting pot experience and encourage visitors to enjoy the Ukrainian culture!
Their Weekday Breakfast is a must-try for those who love a hearty meal at the start of their day, with potato pierogies topped with eggs and a choice of bacon, sausage, or kielbasa (highly recommended)!
Egg fried to your heat’s content, the carb-heavy Classic Fried Egg Sandwich always hits the spot for breakfast. The grilled smoked ham, gruyere, and all the arugula goodness are worth every penny!
End your breakfast right with a cup of Homemade Cold Brew and you’re ready for a new day!
What to order: Weekday Breakfast, Classic Fried Egg Sandwich, Veselka’s Special Fried Egg Sandwich, Homemade Cold Brew
Address: 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
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15. MORNING STAR CAFE
Morning Star Cafe is a classic New York restaurant that has been operated since 1998, which offers the most enormous breakfast menu, with pancakes, waffles, omelets, burgers, salads, and more. You’re gonna love every single one of them!
This place has a lot of varieties when it comes to omelets, but our favorite must be the signature Morning Star Omelets. Fresh spinach, feta cheese, and tomato taste so right together!
Choose the Avocado and Cheese Omelets to experience a simple yet delicious taste from savory eggs, sharp cheese, tangy red onion, and creamy fresh avocado! For days that we want to start big, we usually go for the Lox Benedict.
The dish is a delightful combination, in which you’ll get the flavor of smoked salmon, and the lox folded on a grilled English muffin with eggs. And the hollandaise sauce topping, in the end, makes it extra tasty!
To get you ready for a new day, order the Soy Mochaccino! Every sip is creamy with hints of chocolate and a dash of cinnamon. Once you try this, you’ll never go back.
What to order: Morning Star Omelets, Avocado and Cheese Omelets, Turkey Triple Decker Sandwich, Bacon Cheeseburger, Soy Mochaccino
Address: 949 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
If you’re contemplating skipping breakfast next time, think of all the yummy meals you’ll miss out on. Surely, you’ve found one that gets you up in the morning in this list.
Woke up later than usual? Head on over to our list of the best brunch spots in NYC.