NEW YORK CITY GUIDE: BEST BRUNCH SPOTS

The best brunch spots in New York City

New York is one of my favourite cities in the world, if not my absolute favourite. It’s somewhere I long to live one day and a country and state I immediately feel at home and at peace in. In particular Greenwich Village and the West village are the parts of town I adore the most and often feel like returning home when I visit. Despite never living in New York (one day I hope), I have visited 5 times in recent years and have most definitely formed a firm list of my favourite places to visit, stay, eat and shop. I frequently share my travel tips and most recommended places with friends and family, and in fact friends and New York are always sharing new places to visit for my trips too … so I thought it was about time I finally shared my ultimate New York guide with you too (I’ve been promising it for a while so I hope it’s worth the wait).

I’m going to create an NYC series for you here on mediamarmalade, with my best recommendations and top tips for any trip to NYC (i’m also working on a printable map for you to take with you on your own trip to New York). The series is kicking off today with my favourite brunch spots, and will be followed up with my ultimate restaurant guide, the best drinking spots in the city, my most loved stores and shopping destinations and of course the top things to do and see. I’ll finish things off with a 72 hours in New York itinerary guide too if you guys are keen …

But without further a do, my favourite brunch spots in NYC.

BEST FOODIE BRUNCH SPOTS IN NYC

The Grey dog

Grey Dog is one of my favourite Brunch spots in New York, not just because it’s in Greenwich which is of course one of my favourite parts of town, but mostly because the vibe is the perfect chilled out, west village, university cool kinda atmosphere, and the brunch menu itself is seriously on point. I’ve been to Grey Dog on nearly every trip to NYC and it’s one of my most recommended spots for a chilled out Brunch. You should be prepared to queue, because with the university round the corner, its a seriously popular joint,

Where:  90 University Pl, New York, NY 10003, United States | Website: The Grey Dog

Allswell

If you’re looking for the perfect avo toast and a serious bloody mary then Allswell in Williamsburg is the locals brunch spot that you really should pay a visit. It’s the perfect start to a Saturday spent strolling around Williamsburg and the selection of Bloody Mary’s on offer means you can easily spend an afternoon making your way through the list.

Where: 124 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States | Website: Allswell

Soho House New York

As a member of Soho house it’s always one of my favourite destinations in any new City I visit, and on my last trip to NYC I even stayed in the Soho House in the meatpacking district. Making it a regular brunch spot. If you’ve been to any of the other houses, you’ll know their brunch specialities well: eggs & avo are a given, but this New York House also serves up almond butter toast, roasted grapefruit & superfood bowls to ensure you kick start your day in the right way.

Where: 29-35 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014  | Website: Soho House

BEST BOOZIE BRUNCH SPOTS IN NYC

Revel

Revel makes a good spot for brunch or dinner, and I’ve personally enjoyed both, but it’s brunch that really makes this Meat Packing spot worth a visit. If you’re heard about Dubai’s Friday Brunch, Revel offers New Yorks own Saturday take on the boozie brunching culture. My friend Zoe and I lost a whole day to brunching and drinking as a result of a midday brunch session at Revel … with 4 hours of unlimited fizz and a hearty egg brunch you’re guaranteed to have a fab day. But it’s not just the unlimited brunch offer that makes Revel so brilliant, the restaurant itself is stunning and pretty magical inside.

Where: 10 Little W 12th St, New York, NY 10014 | Website: Revel

Baker & co

Baker and Co is a fab little brunch or lunch spot towards the East end of Bleecker Street, making it the perfect stop after a morning spent strolling one of my favourite most beautiful shopping streets in Manhattan. Great food, beer based Bloody Marys & a buzzing West side atmosphere. You could easily lose the whole afternoon here drinking, eating and catching up with friends.

Where:  259 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014, United States | Website: Baker & Co

The Diner

If you want a little pop culture then try our the Meat Packing Districts ‘The Diner’ … the diner in which Kelis rocked out to ‘Milkshake’ in her infamous music video. The food is classic NYC diner food, so don’t expect all too much more than that, but the experience makes it worth a little visit.

Where: 44 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011, United States | Website: The Diner

BEST CASUAL BRUNCH / COFFEE SPOTS IN NYC

Toby’s coffee estate (coffee)

If you’re spending your day in Williamsburg, then you should also make sure you pop in to Toby’s Coffee Estate for a quality brew and some home made cake. Toby’s is pretty infamous in Brooklyn, and for good reason, the home roasted coffee beans means this cafe is a destination for all coffee lovers. The good news is they’re now all over town and not just in Williamsburg, but for me the Williamsburg cafe will always be my favourite.

Where: 125 North 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11249 | Website: Toby’s Coffee Estate

Plaza food hall

The Plaza food hall isn’t NYCs typical lunch spot, but that doesn’t make it any less of a destination … if you’re British then the Plaza food hall is Manhattans own Harrods food hall, filled with cafes, restaurants, and premium foods, if you can’t splurge on the full thing upstairs (or if you can’t get a table more likely), then the basement food hall is a fab place to grab a bite to eat … and if you really want to do it properly, get takeaway and make for Central Park for a little picnic.

Where: 1 W 59th St, New York, NY 10019 | Website: Plaza Food Hall

Chelsea Market

Chelsea market is always on my itenery when I visit New York, but on my most recent trip it became a morning brunch spot too. The market is full of little food shops, from the fresh seafood market to local patisseries and bakeries. If you fancy a casual breakfast then pop into Chelsea market, grab a coffee & fill up on fresh pastries.

Where: 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011 | Website: Chelsea Market

Magnolia bakery

If you’ve watched Sex and The City then you’ll already know everything you need to know about The Magnolia Bakery. Another stop off on Bleecker Street, and one that won’t be missed due to the crowds of people queuing outside. It’s not a brunch destination per se, but definitely worth a mid morning cup cake snack, if not just to experience the SATC life.

Where: 401 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014 | Website: Magnolia Bakery

I really hope you enjoyed todays NYC brunch guide, brunching is always top of my agenda on any city trip so I thought It only fair I share some of my absolute NYC favourites. If you’re heading to NYC any time soon then stay tuned as I’m already working on sharing my top restaurant & bar recommendations, my favourite shopping destinations, as well as generally the best things to see and do on any trip to NYC.