Good Brunch in NYC with not too long of a wait!
Meeting up with my sister and some old friends. Want to take them to have a wonderful brunch experience. I know of Prune, but here there is always a wait. Any ideas?
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26 Comments:
I must say I really like Essex in LES for a nicer but not still a good deal brunch. They take reservations so you don't have to wait!
Laurel E at 5:29PM on 09/17/08
Bluegrass Brunch at Nolita House - takes reservations.
burgerluver at 6:28PM on 09/17/08
Freeman's isn't too far from Prune and I've got lucky a few times there and had no wait, Balthazar isn't always bad, Schiller's Liquor Bar usually doesn't have a wait, Shorty's 32 is really good, The Smith and not Smith's is excellent and has fair prices and I've never waited there but my absolute favorite is Freeman's if you go there make sure to get hot artichoke dip and prarie oyster shooters if you need a good hangover cure!
Mheusler at 7:37PM on 09/17/08
Isabella's .... so yummy! Bathazar's wait was SO long if you're going to wait that long try Norma's or Sarabeths.
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/isabellas/index.php
emlod10 at 12:22AM on 09/18/08
Veselka, dude.
JudgeFudge at 9:19AM on 09/18/08
I went to Telepan recently on the strength of Ed Levine's review here, and it was wonderful. When my companion and I got there at 12 noon, the place was nearly deserted. By the time we left at around 1:30, it was packed. Good luck!
LadyMarmalade at 9:34AM on 09/18/08
Alias has a really nice, straightforward brunch, and I've been there a few times and not waited.
CookiePie at 10:10AM on 09/18/08
Norma's: Pricey but they take reservations..or just figure the wait into your day (time to chat and hang in the sun) and go to Clinton Street Baking..the wait isn't bad if you get there early.
izzy's mama at 10:53AM on 09/18/08
Be careful with Norma's...I made reservations there and waited at least 45 minutes. Also, the no-windows thing and minimalism is kind of a drag.
I'm not sure how upscale you're looking to go, but I took visiting family to East of Eighth in Chelsea for brunch a few weeks ago, and it was a great experience. I made reservations, but it wasn't necessary. There's a la carte options or a prix fixe menu for $13 that includes muffins, bread, and an alcoholic drink. The portions are huge and we were all satified and stuffed - my food specifically was delicious. The service was really attentive and friendly, too.
savecara at 11:36AM on 09/18/08
Second Alias. It's so nice not to have to wait.
Five Points is fabulous—make a reservation. Order the lemon-ricotta pancakes. Their mimosas are pricey but soo good.
If you try Clinton St, make sure your entire party is there at least 30 min before the open (I think they open at 10.) Otherwise, it will be at least an hour. In that case, give up. Go to Alias. But Clinton St. is better.
maggiejane at 12:23PM on 09/18/08
The Stanton Social has a great brunch. It's tapas style so you don't have to make that tough choice between salty and sweet -you can have it all. They have it on Saturday and Sunday, I've never had a wait but I've always arrived not long after they open which is at 11:30. You can also make a reservation on Open Table, something you can't do for brunch at many other spots around town . Dressler's also has a great brunch it's delicious, reasonably priced and I've never had to wait for a table.
justhungry at 3:04PM on 09/18/08
Easy: Make reservations!
Five Points, Cookshop, Hundred Acres, Balthazar (wait can be terrible without reservations and I've watched them close the list at 2pm), Pastis, Morandi, Stanton Social (if you arrive after noon there will definitely be a wait), Jane, Neptune Room, The Smith, Perilla, Blue Ribbon Bakery (takes reservations for groups of 5+), Devin Tavern. Nearly all the places I listed are on OpenTable save for Blue Ribbon Bakery and the Keith McNally restaurants (Balthazar, Pastis, Morandi). NB: I was not impressed by Schiller's, unfortunately.
If upscale is a requirement, I would make a reservation at Telepan, Compass, David Burke & Donatella, Ouest, Perry St., Cafe Bouloud, or BLT Market. All these are on OpenTable. (RIP Eleven Madison Park brunch.)
I've had to wait for a table at Alias sometimes -- 20-30 minutes. Not as bad as Clinton St. but it is fairly popular overall.
I would NOT recommend Freemans to someone who doesn't want to wait (although I think they take them for large groups). I've waited between 1-2 hours to sit down for brunch there. And the last time I tried Veselka, the line didn't move for 30 minutes, so we left.
Surprisingly, I have walked into Little Owl with very few problems all! No wait. I guess it is much more popular for dinner than brunch.
BTW, Norma's is a) way too sweet b) over -priced c) has terrible coffee and d) sometimes makes you wait even if you reserve.
kathryn at 4:06PM on 09/18/08
Agreed- reservations are a must for a good brunch. Definitely try Stantion Social, Sarabeth's, Blue Water Grill, Five Points. I recently went to brunch at Primehouse NY, yes it is a steakhouse, but they had a great brunch. The food was delicious. There was very little wait and the staff was good to us. It something different to try out. Stay away from Norma's. It is a great brunch, but it is so stressful with waiting and I feel like they rush you out in order to keep the tables turning.
thefoodie377 at 8:50PM on 09/18/08
Only the Central Park South location of Sarabeth's takes reservations for brunch, IIRC.
kathryn at 12:20AM on 09/19/08
Belcourt. No wait, Great food and Great prices.........the service can be slow sometimes.
JohnnyMac at 10:20AM on 09/19/08
i don't recommend any mcnally's spots for anything. too touristy and the food is subpar. get to prune or freemans before 11:30 for no wait. sunday brunch at jane is excellent so get there before noon. if that's too early, novecento serves arguably the best french toast for brunch.
gastrodamus at 10:49AM on 09/19/08
i used to live in the LES and always had this problem, but sometimes would put up with a small wait at freeman's or schillers. i lived across the street from prune, but never had the patience, so didn't even go there. whenever i wanted quiet, low-key, great coffee, decent food - it's pink pony. it's such a great, relaxed atmosphere and never a wait.
emoelely at 11:25AM on 09/19/08
Outside Manhattan: Tournesol in LIC or Bistro 33, Fatty's Cafe or Brick Cafe in Astoria.
mepm231 at 4:25PM on 09/19/08
reservations at jane or bryant park grill - food is pretty good. never had to wait too long at 7A in the east village either
Meewlee at 8:09PM on 09/19/08
Telepan and Ouest, both on the upper west side, have terrific brunches and take reservations. They are both on the expensive side, $25 or so prix fixe, but you get a lot of food and a seriously good bread basket.
Ed Levine at 3:18PM on 09/20/08
I really can't stand Sarabeth's, to be honest. I make much better eggs at home, and don't have to pay $25 for them. I do love Clinton Street Baking, but the wait is really long. Balthazar is the luck of the draw -- sometimes it's long, sometimes not.
But the best-kept brunch secret in NYC is -- c'mon uptown! I had a great brunch the other day at Kitchenette, on Amsterdam between 122nd and 123rd. Homemade biscuits, cheese grits, delicious eggs, yummy blintzes, and everything else looked great too. In addition, there were about three other attractive places open for brunch within a two-block radius, so even if they'd been crowded, we would have found something.
Julie at 4:20PM on 09/20/08
Jane is good brunch but not greatm and it annoys me that their brunch menu is tiny on Saturdays (only four add-ons to the regular lunch menu).
As for Sunday at Jane before noon, it's annoying if you want an alcoholic drink, due to the blue laws. They're so packed, they take all the drink orders, and then put them in at 12:01pm, and then the bartender gets backed up with the influx of orders.
The reason to go to Sarabeth's is not to eat the eggs, but rather the lemon ricotta pancakes or the scones with their house preserves. The scones are wonderful and more "biscuit"-y than the hard triangles you get at other spots.
I went to Kitchenette once, and it was nice, and a great price, but wasn't impressed enough to return and brave the stroller-ridden crowds. It is a bit out of way for most folks unless you live in the neighborhood.
kathryn at 1:06AM on 09/21/08
@kathryn -- isn't almost anything "out of the way" unless you live in the neighborhood?
Julie at 10:54AM on 09/21/08
True but I think a fair number of people meet up somewhere for brunch somewhere centrally located, or pair brunch with some other activity.
kathryn at 11:57AM on 09/21/08
Kingswood--it was wide open, and fantastic.
Kerry Saretsky at 1:34PM on 09/22/08
Don't go to kingswood....worst service ever and average food....had crab eggs benedict and the crab was straight out of can. There is a reason why the place is wide open....I am sure you newyorkers can figure out why
foodloverac at 7:28AM on 02/25/09