Every weekend, brunch aficionados flock to the East Village to indulge in an enticing array of breakfast fare that spans the gamut. From lesser-known neighborhood haunts to some of the city’s most popular restaurants, here’s a roundup of the best brunch in the East Village.
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Best Brunch in the East Village
Table of Contents: East Village Brunch Spots
David’s Cafe
Website: David’s Cafe
Address: 110 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Brunch hours: Wednesday – Friday 12 to 3:45pm | Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm
David’s Cafe is a cozy French-American diner with large windows overlooking St. Mark’s Place, making it a prime spot for people-watching while enjoying brunch in the East Village. To the untrained eye, the relaxed vibes and well-executed meals feel like a stark juxtaposition, but there’s a reason for the madness.
A passion project of two famed NYC chefs, David’s Cafe is helmed by David Malbequi (an alum of Daniel Boulud) and Daniel Rivera (Les Enfants de Bohème). Chef Malbequi is responsible for the perfectly-executed French fare churning out of the kitchen, Rivera gets credit for the cozy vibes in the dinning room.
Churning out time-tested classics like french toast and pancakes alongside hangover poutine and burgers, David’s Cafe is a go-to East Village brunch spot for locals in the know.
Yellow Rose
Website: Yellow Rose
Address: 102 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003
If you’re in the market for great restaurants rumored to cure hangovers, consider swinging by Yellow Rose. This busy Tex Mex restaurant is known for toothsome breakfast tacos and mean margaritas (hair of the dog, anyone?).
The homemade flour tortillas churn out of the kitchen daily, perfect canvases for everything on the menu from the crowd-favorite tacos to migas.
The succinct brunch menu spotlights breakfast tacos, which come in eight variations (don’t sleep on the chorizo and egg). End your meal with homemade donuts to see why this is one of the most popular brunch restaurants in the East Village.
Smør
I’m quite reluctant about hyped up places because they seldom live up to expectations. However, one of my out-of-town guests suggested we visit Smør while she was in town. I’ve been working on going with the flow a bit more (blame the pregnancy), which is how we ended up at this cozy Scandinavian East Village brunch restaurant on a random Saturday morning.
First, I was really impressed by the kindness and attentiveness of the staff, automatic star in that department. Secondly, the restaurant had a bit of a wait, so we popped into the sister bakery next door to split a doughy cardamon bun while we waited, another perk.
So impressed by the cardamon bun, we were eager to peruse to restaurant’s menu by the time our names were called. I opted for the crepe-style danish pancakes (whipped cream, seasonal house jam, lemon zest) while my friend ordered the smoked salmon smørrebrød.
Everything was top-notch! I enjoyed the meal so much, I returned a week later with my husband for the Danish hot dogs (my sister raves about them after her trip to Iceland). I’m excited to try more on the menu, it seems like everything churning out of the kitchen is bound to impress.
B&H Dairy
Dating back to 1938, B&H Dairy has been serving the neighborhood for more than eight decades. Known for legendary matzoh ball soup, this shoebox of a diner serves some of the best brunch in the East Village.
A safe haven for Yidish comfort food, you’ll find all the usual suspects: crispy latkes, oversized knishes, and soft pierogis. If you’re visiting for breakfast or brunch, the challah French toast is a non-negotiable order. A favorite with families and post-bar revelers in search of a hangover cure, it’s hard to imagine a better way to kick off the weekend.
Cafe Mogador
Website: Cafe Mogador
Location: 101 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Celebrating more than 40 years in the neighborhood, at Cafe Mogador you’ll find an exciting lineup of breakfast classics with a Mediterranean twist. If you’re playing it safe, stick with the eggs Benedict or buttermilk pancakes (both delicious).
Otherwise, go with the Middle Eastern Breakfast (eggs any style, hummus, tabouli and Arabic salad) or Moroccan Eggs (Poached eggs, spicy tomato, pepper sauce, house-made merguez sausage) for a punchy brunch meal.
Ferns
Website: Ferns
Address: 166 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Brunch hours: Saturday and Sunday 11am to 3pm
Part-bar, part-restaurant, Ferns is one of the most popular neighborhood haunts for cocktails and delicious food. The well-curated menu offers elevated brunch fare like stuffed french toast (banana nut & oat streusel, dulce de leche, chocolate ganache, whipped marscapone) and fried chicken biscuit (the hot honey and ranch combo is heavenly).
This is one of those great East Village brunch spots where you should go with a large group of friends to order most things on the menu. Just make sure you open with the mezze platter (Charred Eggplant, Muhammara, Hummus, Sunflower Seed Za’atar, Pickled Turnips, Pita).
Pardon My French
Website: Pardon My French
Address: 103 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
Brunch hours: Saturday 11am to 4pm
Pardon My French is a quaint French bistro offering one of the best deals on bottomless brunch in the East Village. For $41 you’ll get one entree and bottomless horseradish vodka infusion bloody marys & mimosas for two hours.
For entrees, there’s more than ten options on offer. I’m partial to the Eggs Scandinavian (poached eggs with smoked salmon) but my husband swears by the Croque Monsieur. Hell, skip the bottomless brunch altogether and order from the a la carte menu instead. The PMF Burger and Moules Marinières are divine!
San Marzano
Website: San Marzano
Address: 117 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Brunch hours: Friday – Sunday 11am to 4pm
San Marzano is a lauded Italian restaurant most famous for fresh pasta dishes. Shaking things up a bit, they decided to offer traditional American brunch during the weekends, and the neighborhood is better for it.
I’m guessing the lump crab Benedict (poached eggs, avocado, hollandaise) and Salmon Eggs (cheddar scrambled eggs, smoked salmon) might be enough to entice you, but if not, let’s talk about the bottomless mimosas on offer.
For a mere $14, you can add bottomless mimosas to your meal, which makes San Marzano one of the best bottomless brunch deals in the East Village.
Lil’ Frankie’s
Website: Lil’ Frankies
Address: 19 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Ever wished for a leisurely boozy brunch without the pressure of downing endless mimosas? You’re not alone, and that’s precisely why Lil Frankie’s makes my list of great East Village brunch restaurants.
This cash-only establishment runs a generous “3-4-1 special” during brunch, giving you the option to enjoy three cocktails (mimosa, bloody mark, screwdriver, bellini or prosecco) for the price of one for $19. Drinks aside, the well-curated food menu is nothing to scoff at!
I’m partial to the applewood smoked BLT breakfast sandwich, but the spinach and goat cheese omelette has been known to make an appearance on my plate from time to time.
If you enjoy eggs but want to shake things up a bit, go for the baked eggs alla parmigiana (tomatoes and Parmesan cheese with eggs based in a 900 degree wood burning stove) or polpettine and eggs (baby meatball ragu with baked eggs).
Ladybird
Website: Ladybird
Address: 111 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Perfectly posh, Ladybird is a popular vegan restaurant perfect for a girls brunch in the East Village, regardless of dietary restrictions. Food options rotate constantly because the cuisine relies heavily on in-season produce.
The BEC Buns (steamed bao bun, scrambled just egg, parmesan, mushroom bacon, chipotle aioli, cilantro crema) are a must-try, as are the chikin n’ waffles (oyster mushroom, chives, maple syrup, whipped cream).
Little Ruby’s Cafe
Website: Ruby’s East Village
Address: 198 E 11th St, New York, NY
If I had to name a quintessential East Village brunch spot, it’d be Little Ruby’s Cafe. Established in 2002, the charming restaurant blends traditional breakfast dishes with an Australian flare. Standout items include the popular avocado toast and spicy sausage breakfast sandwich. You can’t go wrong with either.
Ruby’s doesn’t accept reservations, it runs on a first come, first served basis only. Try to plan your East Village brunch date early to avoid long wait times!
Best Brunch Spots in the East Village (Post Summary)
In sum, here are the best East Village brunch spots:
- Yellow Rose
- Smør
- B&H Dairy
- Cafe Mogador
- San Marzano
- Pardon My French
- David’s Cafe
- Lil’ Frankie’s
- Ladybird
- Ruby’s
- Ferns
Further Reading for the East Village
Where to Eat in the East Village: 20 Memorable East Village Restaurants (Foodie’s Guide)
Happy Hours in the East Village: 12 Epic Happy Hours in the East Village (You Can’t Help But Love)
East Village Bakeries: 10 Top-Notch Bakeries in the East Village
Best Bars in the East Village: 15 Exciting Bars in the East Village (You Won’t Soon Forget)
Iconic Spots in NYC Everyone Needs to Try
Best Pizza in NYC: 15 Best Pizza Joints in New York City
Iconic Restaurants in NYC: 10 Iconic New York City Restaurants Every Local Needs to Try
Mouthwatering Bagels in NYC: 15 BEST Bagels in New York City
Unbelievable Brunch Spots in NYC: 18 Prime Brunch Spots in New York City Worth the (Inevitable) Wait
Map of the Best Brunch in the East Village
And there it is, the best brunch spots in the East Village according to yours truly! Let me know if there’s any you recommend I try.
Cheers!
This was very very useful, thank you! I have been to a few places on this list and couldn’t agree more. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Mac!