10+ Best Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants in NYC

New York City has it all, especially when it comes to food. And that includes breakfast. These are the best restaurants for breakfast in NYC — there’s something for everyone.

The right way to start the day is waiting for you in any of these spots. Have you tried them all? There’s lots to see and do in New York City, but the city’s food is reason enough to visit.

What Are The Best Breakfast Restaurants in NYC?

New York City is a bustling metropolis where everyone must get somewhere fast, leaving little time for a wholesome breakfast, especially during the week. However, some restaurants specialize in breakfast and offer extraordinary morning meals that will make you want to stop what you’re doing and enjoy.

New York is the world’s food capital for its diversity, and you can feel it on the breakfast table. No two breakfasts are alike in NYC.

10+ Breakfast Restaurants in NYC

1. Sarabeth’s

Sarabeth’s is a remarkable NYC restaurant founded in 1981 by Sarabeth Levine. Now with five locations across the city, Sarabeth’s has become a New York staple, especially for its breakfast and lunch.

The cold-pressed orange and grapefruit juice are a great start but try the overnight oats or the avocado toast. For something heartier, Sarabeth’s quiche is fantastic, and so is the farmer’s omelet with leeks, ham, potato and gruyere. Also the lobster roll is great for lunch.

2. Clinton Street Baking Company

Photo By Clinton St. Baking Co.

This restaurant and bakery on the lower East Side has become a neighborhood darling since 2001. What you get here is popular food made with high-quality ingredients in a concept they call Brunch All Day.

Try the brioche French toast or the fluffy pancakes with maple butter or treat yourself with classic eggs Benedict or fried chicken and waffles. The sandwiches at Clinton Street are awesome, too, and they’re made with their own daily-baked bread.

3. B&H Dairy

B&H is a kosher restaurant in New York, and it’s inspired by the good-old delis of the past. Here, everything is made in-house the old-fashioned way, resulting in a comfortingly familiar breakfast or quick lunch.

Order a couple of eggs in any style and enjoy them with freshly squeezed orange juice and challah bread. You can also order an omelet and add all kinds of ingredients, from lox to green peppers. B&H is distinguished for its pancakes too.

4. Liberty Bagels

Liberty Bagels, with three locations in New York, has become one of the most popular breakfast restaurants in New York by reinventing one of the city’s staples — the bagel.

The bagels here are colorful, literally, with the bakery’s rainbow bagel as one of its best-selling items. The stores also offer sandwiches, fruit and snacks, with plenty of healthy options for the contemporary new yorker and the many visitors in the city. From blueberry to jalapeño bagels, these are delicious everyday baking treats!

5. Atla

Photo By Atla NYC

Atla is the fanciest yet most authentic Mexican restaurant in New York, and everyone knows some of the heartiest breakfast items come from Mexico. Atla offers reinvented Mexican food, presented beautifully and following the most current dietary trends.

Try a cheese quesadilla with aguachile or a shrimp and chorizo burrito. Yes, Atla’s menu is the same all day. Mexico’s most illustrious breakfast, the chilaquiles, are also well represented, and you can order them with spicy red or green sauce.

6. Okonomi

Okonomi is not a Japanese restaurant but two restaurants at once. This is a ramen shop at night, but during the day, it is a family-friendly restaurant with typical Japanese food — including many exotic breakfast items.

If roasted fish and miso soup sound like breakfast, Okonomi is a must when visiting NYC. Every meal comes with tamagoyaki and seven-grain rice, and there are several add-ons to give color to your plate.

7. George’s New York

George’s, in Greenwich, is the rebirth of the original George’s Restaurant, important in the 1950s. Here, New Yorkers can enjoy a traditional breakfast, lunch or dinner with old-time classics and a few surprises.

The breakfast menu at George’s features varied eggs and omelets and the most glorious egg dishes, including eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine. Eggs play a critical role in the menu, but bread, muffins, bagels, waffles, pancakes and French toast are equally crowd-pleasing.

8. The Smith

Photo By The Smith

The Smith is an American brasserie with six locations around New York and one in Chicago. This is a place to grab a burger and a drink for dinner, but the restaurant’s weekday breakfast menu is not to be overlooked.

Try something light, like whole wheat avocado toast or go all in with a classic steak and eggs. The ranchero scramble is a Mexican-inspired dish with many fans, especially with a side of apple-smoked bacon.

9. Bagel Pub

Bagel Pub opened in 2012 and has been doing everything right since then. The bagels are hand-rolled, kettle-boiled and baked daily. With six locations, two in Manhattan, this is an obligated stop for everyone touring NYC.

Try the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or one of the many fresh lox specialties. There are over twelve bagels to choose from, including sesame and gluten-free — they’re all incredibly fresh.

10. Old John’s Diner

With a unique location on West 67th Street, Old John’s is the very definition of an American diner. This restaurant goes back to 1951 and recently reopened in 2021. The art déco feel and the old-school furniture makes this inviting little spot one of everyone’s favorites.

Breakfast sandwiches, waffles or pancakes, you name it. Everything is good here and very well priced. Try the chocolate chip waffle or a tall pile of buttermilk pancakes with a cup of fresh brew on the side.

11. Barney Greengrass

Barney Greengrass is one of the oldest breakfast restaurants in NYC, founded in 1908. A lot has changed since then, but the food quality has stayed the same. The specialty here is fish, best enjoyed early in the morning in a bagel.

If you want to taste the best sturgeon in town, try the eggs with a side of sturgeon, or choose salmon or lox if that sounds more like you. The salami omelet is unlike any other.

Check out our other posts:

• Types of Breakfast
• Best Brunch Restaurants in the World
• Best French Bakeries in NYC