The 15 Best Breakfast Spots in New York

February 21, 2021

Searching for the best breakfast in New York City? We've got you covered. One of the most amazing things about New York City is that you can experience just about any culture's cuisine at any time of day.

Craving a hearty American breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, and stacks of fluffy pancakes? Or maybe you want to hit up a French bakery for a croissant or go more adventurous with a Cuban breakfast? It's all at your fingertips in the Big Apple.

Let's dive into the 15 places to get the best breakfast in New York so you can make your most important meal of the day a memorable one.

Balthazar

Balthazar

Address: 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012, USA

Transport yourself to Paris at Balthazar, a lovely French brasserie in SoHo. Go decadent with their homemade donuts, or keep it traditional with the Eggs Florentine. Don't forget to look at the bakery menu and take home some fresh loaves of bread and a cappuccino.

Balthazar does an amazing weekend brunch complete with a pomegranate and blueberry spritz and warm goat cheese and caramelized onion tart. However, if you want a smaller crowd, you should pop in for the weekday breakfast from 7:30-11:30 a.m. instead.

Shopsins

Shopsins

Address: 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002, USA

Located inside the Essex Market in the Lower East Side, Shopsins is full of New York City character and charm. Look no further than their foul-mouthed and creative menu, where you'll find anything from an egg and pastrami sandwich to egg nachos.

Shopsins has a few rules to make your experience even more unique. First, there are no reservations. You also can't come with a party larger than four people, and no one is allowed to order the same thing. Come hungry and lean into Shopsin's quirkiness because the food and the experience are both bound to be memorable.

George's New York

George's New York

Address: 89 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006-2205, USA

If you're craving traditional American fare at a classic 1950s diner, you have to go to George's, a legendary New York establishment in the financial district. Choose from their impressive omelet and waffle options to keep it classic, or go for the Bagel All The Way, complete with lox, veggies, capers, and cream cheese to feel like a real New Yorker.

Finish off your meal with the traditional diner banana split. Who says you can't have dessert after breakfast?

West~Bourne

West~Bourne

Address: 137 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012, USA

If you want a light and healthy breakfast, head to West~Bourne in SoHo. You may be in Manhattan, but this spot gives off more of a Los Angelos vibe. They are all about mindfulness and community, and they have great programs that give back to local causes.

You'll find classic healthy menu options, like granola, yogurt, and porridge, and other staples like waffles and breakfast tacos. West~Bourne is perfect for anyone looking for vegetarian options.

You can also shop at their general store, where they sell homemade snacks like Moon-Pop, their healthy twist on kettle corn, or kimchi cracker peanuts. They also have mindfulness box sets complete with candles, tea blends, tinctures, and bath salts.

Absolute Bagels

Absolute Bagels

Address: 2788 Broadway, New York, NY 10025

You can't leave New York City without trying a classic New York bagel, so head to the Upper West Side to Absolute Bagels for all of the bagel options you could ever want.

The Upper West Side is a picture-perfect New York neighborhood that looks like it came straight out of the movies because it did. So if you've always dreamed about being in a Nora Ephron movie, stroll the streets of the UWS with a crunchy and soft Absolute Bagel in hand to fit the part.

E.A.T.

E.A.T. New York

Address: 1064 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028

American cafe meets Jewish cuisine at E.A.T., part of a concept by Eli Zabar that's taking the city by storm. He started on Eli's Market on 1411 Third Street, which includes a grocery store, kosher bakery, and flower shop.

Now, he has grab-and-go locations all over the city, and you can sit and down at the Madison Avenue restaurant. E.A.T. serves dishes like the ratatouille omelet and whitefish salad, and you can always grab a fresh pastry from the bakery.

Sullivan Street Bakery

Sullivan Street Bakery

Addresses: 533 W 47th Street (Hell's Kitchen)

236 9th Ave (Chelsea)

Sullivan Street Bakery may be expanding all over the country, but they got their start in New York City in 1994. There are several locations around town, but the Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea spots are where you can get their world-class breakfast.

Sullivan's bread is sold to restaurants all around town, so you can't skip their amazing egg sandwiches on their brioche buns. Add prosciutto or pancetta and it is a breakfast to die for.

Margon

Margon

Address: 136 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036, USA

Spice up with breakfast with authentic Cuban fare from Margon in Times Square. They serve great omelets, Latin style oatmeal, and Cuban coffee.

If you're there for a late lunch after 10:30 a.m., you can also order from the lunch menu, and the Cuban sandwiches are not to be missed.

Cookshop

Cookshop

Address: 156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

If you want some New Orleans flavor in New York City, stop by Cookshop near the Highline for a beignet. Their brunch menu also features new twists on breakfast classics like the Cookshop egg sandwich with souffled eggs and chili-onion marmalade.

The menu changes seasonally, so you'll always find something new to try. You should also indulge in their creative weekend cocktails, like the Rye-rish coffee, a blend of Brooklyn roasted coffee, rye, cold brew liqueur, and amaretto cream.

Pastis

Pastis

Address: 52 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014

Pastis is a beloved New York City staple that reopened a new location in the meatpacking district, and local New Yorkers couldn't be happier to have it back. Serving up traditional French breakfasts like the gruyere omelet and eggs benedict with Parisian ham, Pastis is a must-try.

Fabrique Bakery

Fabrique Bakery

Address: 348 W 14th St, 10014 New York

Fabrique offers classic breakfast items with a Swedish flair. Try their famous cinnamon rolls and cardamom buns, or keep it light with chia pudding. They also make amazing bread in-house, and you can take a loaf home with you on your way out.

Caffe Marchio

Caffe Marchio

For a quick breakfast, head to Caffee Marchio, a casual stand-up cafe that comes to New York straight from Rome. They have an amazing selection of Italian pastries, like the cherry pistachio biscotti and the cornetto di cioccolato.

You can also grab an egg sandwich on a fluffy buttermilk biscuit and a coffee from Joe's Coffee.

abcV

abcV

Address: 38 E.19th St, New York, NY 10003

This vegan spot in SoHo, an offspring of the original restaurant ABC, is the perfect place to be inspired by creative and delicious cuisine. Restauranteurs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Paulette Cole’s prioritize serving plant-based, non-GMO, sustainable, artisanal, and organic food.

Everything comes from local family-run farms, and the menu changes seasonally. For breakfast, grab a nutritious smoothie, gluten-free pancakes, or a breakfast dosas.

Davelle

Davelle

Address: 102 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002

Grab a Japanese breakfast at Davelle in Lower Manhattan. Their menu features creative and delicious toasts, like black sesame and cream cheese toast, honey lemon, and Ogura, a.k.a. red beans.

You can also grab a fancy Japanese latte, like white chocolate matcha or black sesame kinako. Davelle is a great place to come with your laptop and hang out for a while while you try their unique offerings.

Kopitiam

Kopitiam

Address: 151 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

This bright and airy Malaysian food spot is perfect for a one of a kind breakfast. Try their popular fish ball soup and add a side of the kaya butter toast, or go for the Malaysian Style Milo French Toast for something sweet.

They also offer Malaysian coffee options, like Kopi-C Kosong, which is Penang black coffee with unsweetened evaporated milk.

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