Credit: @cuckooalbany on Instagram

Belgian waffles, boundless Benedicts, and bottomless mimosas are all best enjoyed under the canopy of the Adirondack Mountains, riverside in the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, in the downtown of a charming Hudson Valley town, or smack dab in the heart of New York City. When it comes to brunch in New York, the atmosphere is as jaw-dropping as the food, and all of these spots offer convenient opportunities to continue the food-fueled fun. Whether you brunch solo, with a plus-one, the whole family, or your curated brunch crew, toast to your new favorite spot in New York State.

Jump to: Adirondacks | Capital-Saratoga | Catskills | Central New York | Chautauqua-Allegheny | Finger Lakes | Greater Niagara | Hudson Valley | Long Island | NYC | Thousand Islands-Seaway

Adirondacks

The Breakfast Club, etc (Lake Placid) 

Breakfast Club
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The Breakfast Club is not only the title of a beloved 1980s film, but also a go-to spot for brunch. This Lake Placid staple is perfectly situated on Main Street and offers stunning views of Mirror Lake and surrounding Adirondack mountains. Soak it all in as you sip on specialty spiked lattes from the in-house coffee bar and chow down on homemade sausage Benedict, French toast fondue, or any of the mouth-watering daily specials. After brunch, you’ll be fueled up to paddle across Mirror Lake or conquer a high peak.

Farmacy (Glens Falls)

Farmacy
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No Sunday scaries when the day includes unlimited mimosas, Bloody Marys, and brunch at Farmacy. Located in a 1900s family feedstore, the venue’s charm is felt from the experimental cuisine, to the in-house sommelier’s hand-selected wine list, to the stylish and cozy atmosphere. The menu changes weekly to offer the freshest and most seasonal locally-sourced fare. A chopped cheese breakfast sandwich, ghost pepper Benedict, and tofu scramble are just a few dishes that have decorated the menu. Sit at the bar and enjoy a carefully crafted cocktail from one of their expert bartenders, or dine outside. The downtown Glens Falls location means you’re perfectly placed to treat yourself to post-brunch retail therapy. (Reservations strongly suggested)

Capital-Saratoga

The Merc (Saratoga Springs)

The Merc
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Boozy brunch on Broadway in the heart of historic Saratoga Springs, what could be better? The Merc provides a casual, trendy setting with top-notch American fare and beverages. Pair a peach Bellini with your carnitas benny, or enjoy bottomless mimosas with the no huevos rancheros (vegan) or custard-soaked brioche French toast. With brunch served daily, frequent specials, and summertime people-watching from the outdoor patio, you’ll be inspired by the fashion and city-wide fiberglass horse sculptures to gallop on over to Saratoga Race Course, showcasing thoroughbred horse racing since 1863.

Iron Gate Cafe (Albany)

Iron Gate Cafe
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Aptly named, iron gates greet you into serene, hidden garden seating in front of a sandstone mansion. Inside, the vibrant and retro atmosphere (heavily influenced by the music of Elvis Presley) complements a menu which serves up Elvis’ Memphis Scramble, breakfast BLT, raspberry brie French toast, and a dedicated and extensive vegan menu. Another garden patio in the back sets the scene with a bird bath fountain and vine-covered brick as you sip the day away with a local kombucha, Bellini, or specialty latte. Afterwards, stroll on over to Empire State Plaza and immerse yourself in the history, culture, and architecture of New York’s Capital.

Catskills

Phoenicia Diner (Phoenicia)

Phonecia Diner
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Residents, weekenders, and visitors alike relish in the good eats offered by Phoenicia Diner, a Catskill staple that has been serving guests for over 30 years. Fresh, seasonal ingredients from Catskill and Hudson Valley farms fill the menu that serves up traditional diner favorites, with a modern twist. Whether you try the locally smoked trout or lox on a Brooklyn bagel, opt for buttermilk, vegan, or buckwheat pancakes, or dive fork-first into a corned beef skillet, any choice is the right one. You’re also in prime proximity to a uniquely scenic summer and fall Catskill experience; hop aboard a pedal-powered railbike with Rail Explorers and enjoy a leisurely cycle through extraordinary views.

Oriole9 (Woodstock)

Oriole 9
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Bold, bright colors welcome you into this eclectic cafe serving breakfast items and produce from the owners' organic farm in the heart of colorful, musical Woodstock. Sip on a fresh strawberry mint lemonade while you savor the flavor of shrimp and grits or lobster Benedict. While you’re here, explore the shops on Tinker Street, or check out nearby Opus 40, a six-acre environmental bluestone sculpture built from an abandoned quarry, offering stunning views of the Catskill Mountains.

Central New York

Craft (Binghamton)

Craft
Credit: @craft_binghamton on Instagram

Curated cocktails, bottomless mimosas, elaborate milkshakes. And that’s just the drink menu at Craft! This bubbly, bold brewpub is a fun brunch spot any day of the week. Treat yourself to a specialty shake like the “hot honey” (vanilla shake with spicy honey, topped with a Belgian waffle and chicken tender). The eggs benny slider and brunch tots are sure to please most palates, and vegetarians will love the tofu scramble and smoothie bowls. Seasonal outdoor dining is available. Just a few minutes down the road is Ross Park Zoo, the fifth oldest zoo in the country.

Origins Cafe (Cooperstown)

Origins Cafe
Credit: @originscafe on Instagram

The origin of Origins Cafe is rooted in creating direct connections with growers of responsibly harvested products around the world, including coffee, tea, cacao, spices, and olive oil. The menu is curated from organic foods from local farms and their own gardens on-site. With these core values in mind, you won’t be surprised when you find yourself dining in their greenhouse surrounded by plants (available for purchase.) Open seasonally beginning late April through mid October, the menu at Origins Cafe changes daily to ensure only the freshest ingredients are used. Nestled in Cooperstown, you’re surrounded by natural beauty and just a short drive from historic landmarks, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chautauqua-Allegheny

Labyrinth Press Company (Jamestown)

Labyrinth Press Co.
Credit: @travelinglogan on Instagram

What started as a coffee shop and espresso bar, later turned into a venue for indie music performers from all over the world, and has since evolved into an art-filled vegetarian dining venue. In keeping with its roots, fair-trade coffee and live music can always be found here. Open as early as 8am daily, enjoy a cup of coffee on the outdoor patio and taste your way around the diverse menu, from the Peruvian Tofu Sandwich, to the African Peanut Burger, to Everybody Loves Ramen, to Kimchi Pancakes. While you’re in town, laugh the rest of the day away at the National Comedy Center, the first national-scale visitor experience and non-profit cultural institution dedicated to comedy.

West Rose (Ellicottville)

West Rose
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West Rose blends together all of the elements their kitchen team believes in: responsible farming, ingredient-driven cooking, and flavorful food. This atmospheric spot features an open kitchen design that highlights their Mario Acunto wood-burning oven and an outdoor dining patio. Start with a mimosa or Bloody Mary and choose from popular dishes like the breakfast pizza, local pork sausage breakfast sandwich, or pancakes with sea salt butter and local maple syrup. Just around the corner is Ellicottville Brewing Company, ranked one of the best brewpubs in New York State, famous for its blueberry wheat ale.

Finger Lakes

Funk 'n Waffles (Syracuse)

Funk 'n Waffles
Credit: @spatchcockfunk on Instagram

Part waffle house, part bar, part music venue — it’s the perfect combination for a funky experience at Funk ‘n Waffles. Dozens of sweet and savory waffle varieties grace the menu which also boasts juicy fried chicken, grilled sandwiches, vegan options, and an espresso bar to wash it all down. Oh, and the funk comes from the live music that happens here nearly every day. If you’re sticking around, shop til you drop at DestinyUSA, a 2.4 million square foot tourist destination in Syracuse that includes luxury outlet, restaurants, and entertainment. Or take a jaunt around Armory Square, the city’s cultural hub, with shops and restaurants making use of historic buildings from the 1800s.

The Krebs (Skaneateles)

The Krebs
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Founded in 1899, this upscale restaurant offers luxurious farm-to-fork cuisine and a full bar. With an atmosphere as stunning as the food, all nestled in a charming lakeside village, The Krebs is a true crowd-pleaser. Try the Chef’s crepe of the day, langoustine and grits, the brunch burger, or croque madame. Keep the lavish vibes alive with a post-brunch spa treatment at the majestic Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Skaneateles. 

Greater Niagara

Betty’s (Buffalo)

Betty's
Credit: @bettysbflo on Instagram

Globally inspired comfort food housed in quirky digs decorated with local art has easily won the hearts of Buffalonians (and visitors from all over). Betty's food is simple, fresh, and creative, drawing on American and international influences. Menu highlights include: chilaquiles casserole, shrimp and grits, vegan spanakopita, and portobello Benedict. Make your brunch boozy with a variety of Bloody Marys, mimosas, and specialty spiked coffees. Sit outside in the warmer months and fill your belly while also filling your itinerary with things like the Buffalo Botanical Gardens, a national historic site, education center, and tourist destination full of exotic horticulture treasures from around the world.

Swan Street Diner (Buffalo)

Swan Street Diner
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Dine in a historic example of one of the early Sterling Company diner cars made by automobile manufacturer, J.B. Judkins Company. The Swan Street Diner is a fully restored diner car, originally manufactured in 1937. Fuel up with flavorful dishes like breakfast tacos, veggie Benedict, pesto omelet, or banana pancakes in this unique setting. For more bites and sights, take a jaunt around bustling Canalside, just a mile down the road.

Hudson Valley

Main Street Bistro (New Paltz)

Main Street Bistro
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New Paltz’s beloved Main Street Bistro is the go-to spot for brunch. Sit at the bar and chat with the locals as you dine on popular menu items including cranberry pancakes, salmon hash, biscuits and gravy, and for a vegetarian option, Kiki’s breakfast stir fry. You’ll likely overhear people talking about their plans in the area, given how expansive the outdoor opportunities are, but if you need some ideas to get you started, take a hike on the grounds of the Mohonk Mountain House, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, or bike along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

Le Perche (Hudson)

Le Perche
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A former bank houses this French bakery and bistro on renowned Warren Street. Dine in the cozy, bright dining room or bask in the morning sun on the outdoor terrace. Indulge in a tantalizing menu of egg dishes, French toast, and freshly baked breads and pastries (made from scratch in a wood fired brick oven brought over from France), plus craft cocktails, mocktails, and coffee. Stay a while and tour Olana State Historic Site, a 250-acre artist-designed landscape with miles of carriage roads and a Persian-inspired house at its summit, accompanied by unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains.

Long Island

Toast Coffeehouse (Port Jefferson Station, Patchogue, Bay Shore, Long Beach)

Toast Coffeehouse
Credit: @pisanosplates on Instagram

This foodie paradise serves up creative concoctions like cookie dough pancakes, burrata caprese avocado toast, and cheesecake stuffed French toast. Wash it all down with a sriracha shrimp and bacon Bloody Mary or a caramel apple chai. The Bay Shore and Patchogue locations offer outdoor dining, and if you’re dining at Bay Shore you should definitely take a scenic drive (20 minutes by car) to Fire Island Lighthouse.

Prime (Huntington)

Prime Huntington
Credit: @primehuntington on Instagram

For a luxurious waterside brunch experience overlooking Huntington Harbor, make Sunday reservations at Prime. This polished venue specializes in steak, seafood, and jaw-dropping dining views. Treat yourself to a lobster omelet, steak and eggs skillet, or huevos rancheros. Stroll along the shore for a scenic two-mile walk until you reach views of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse.

NYC

Tavern On The Green (Manhattan)

Tavern on the Green
Credit: @brunchwithleon on Instagram

A modern tavern nestled in the iconic Central Park setting, this restaurant is famous not only for its renowned fare, but for film, too (the dining room starred in Ghostbusters!) The elegant setting with courtyard and garden seating complete with regular live music makes for a model brunch. Be sure to make reservations and delight in a homemade pastry basket, smoked bacon and scrambled egg pizza, baked vegetable frittata, or sirloin steak and eggs.

Sunday in Brooklyn (Brooklyn)

Sunday in Brooklyn
Credit: @lickyplate on Instagram

Sunday in Brooklyn is a great place to spend a Sunday in Brooklyn. Famed chef Jaime Young brings brunch to life in this three-story operation, which includes an espresso bar, marketplace for homemade sauces and cured fish, outdoor patio, bar, and upstairs dining room and garden. There are plenty of savory offerings on the menu, but sweets are where Sunday in Brooklyn comes alive. The absolute must-try of the menu is the hazelnut maple praline pancakes. After your bites, see the sights at nearby Domino Park, a waterfront recreational area with an elevated walkway offering views across the river to Manhattan, sand volleyball courts, a factory-inspired playground, and more.

Lips Drag Brunch (Manhattan)

Known as the original and #1 drag brunch in New York for 26 years, Lips is a must-do on the NYC bucket list. Every Sunday at this iconic location you can purchase an all-you-can-drink Broadway brunch and show package for just $45 (includes choice of brunch entree, drag show, and 90 minutes of unlimited mimosas, bloody marys, champagne, soda and juice.) A visit to Midtown Manhattan is not complete without stopping by Rockefeller Center. No matter the season, come for the shops, stargazing in NBC Studios' backyard, and three observation decks at Top of the Rock, which showcase the city's spectacular skyline.

Casa Enrique (Queens)

Casa Enrique
Credit: @extra_eats on Instagram

Awarded a Michelin star every year from 2015-2021, Casa Enrique serves up refined Mexican cuisine by Chef Cosme Aguilar, whose passion for food began in his hometown of Chiapas, Mexico. Treat your palate to market fresh ceviche, enchiladas de pollo en salsa verde, menudo, or huevos con chorizo. Save room for sweets, because the dessert menu will be hard to pass up with items like flan and pastel tres leches. Get some steps in and take a five-minute walk toward sweeping views of the midtown Manhattan skyline at Gantry Plaza State Park.

Jing Fong (Manhattan)

Jin Fong
Credit: @jingfongny on Instagram

Dim sum is a pillar of NYC brunch culture. Jing Fong draws crowds daily for its famous dim sum offerings, rolled out on carts. Taste a little bit of everything from BBQ roast pork buns, to shrimp and chive dumplings, to cilantro rice noodle rolls, to siu mai (steamed pork and shrimp dumplings). Enjoy patio dining at the Upper West Side location, which will put you in the prime spot to also explore the American Museum of Natural History, packed with exhibitions representing people and animals throughout the ages, featuring a planetarium and IMAX theater. Jing Fong also has a location in bustling Chinatown, next door to the Museum of Chinese in America, and a few blocks away from the Museum of Ice Cream.

Beatstro (Bronx)

Beatstro
Credit: @beatstronyc on Instagram

It’s all in the name at Beatstro, a trendy restaurant dishing up southern and Puerto Rican comfort foods, all while paying homage to the birthplace of hip-hop, the Bronx. Live music and unlimited mimosas and sangria set the scene for a spirited time. Satisfy your appetite with rum cake French toast, low country shrimp and grits, or “Locrio” (shrimp fried rice and beans, eggs, kimchi slaw, Beatstro sauce). Keep the beat alive and drop into the Universal Hip Hop Museum at the nearby Bronx Terminal Market.

Beso (Staten Island)

Brunch at Beso is marked by tantalizing tapas, bottomless sangrias, and gourmet Pan Latin cuisine in a relaxed brick-walled venue. Satisfy your appetite with ceviche, empanadas, and maduros (plantain baked with tropical flavored shredded chicken), then move onto entrees like chorizo shakshuka, tres leches pancakes, or a Cubano omelet. This Staten Island staple is as rich in flavor as it is in decor, and it’s conveniently situated right by the Staten Island Ferry, making it the perfect place to dine and easily find the next landmark on your itinerary.

Thousand Islands-Seaway

Koffee Kove (Clayton)

Koffee Kove
Credit: @lauriepickerd on Instagram

 

Cozy up at Koffee Kove, serving comfort classics as early as 7am daily. This cherished neighborhood diner serves homestyle American grub, and has designated vegan and gluten-free menus. There’s something for everyone here, from stuffed french toast, to many  Benedict varieties, to avocado toast, and daily specials. Nosh outside while you waft in the smell of fresh coffee and take in views of the St. Lawrence River. Take a short walk to the Antique Boat Museum, home to the largest collection of antique and classic boats on display in North America.

Bella’s (Clayton)

Bella's
Credit: @livslounge_ on Instagram

From April-October you can indulge daily in delicious dishes, the aroma of freshly baked bread, and warm coffee in hand as you soak in waterfront views of the St. Lawrence River. Bella’s presents daily specials, amongst menu classics including lobster Benedict, wild Maine blueberry pancakes, quiche, and additional vegetarian and gluten-free options. Be inspired by your lush riverview brunch to take a nearby castle cruise.