New York City has so many great breakfast restaurants, and I often allow myself the little luxury of having the first meal of the day somewhere nice. If I’m with friends, I usually pick an egg dish (Eggs Benedict, you’re calling my name), but if I am on my own, I’ll be browsing the menu for a Bircher muesli or a granola bowl.
Here are some of my favorite places for breakfast, and if you, like me, have a thing for organic, locally produced with extra avocado and hollandaise, I think there’s a good chance, you would like them too:
The Butcher’s Daughter
You can’t tell by the name, but this is a 100% vegetarian restaurant. Their delicious juices and smoothies always make me feel super healthy, and the egg dishes are nice and filling. For the vegans, there are different dairy-free breakfast bowls.
The Butcher’s Daughter, 19 Kenmare Street, Nolita, New York
Jack’s Wife Freda
Cozy cafe/bistro with really delicious Mediterranean food of the healthy, Insta-worthy, kind. There are several branches of Jack’s Wife Freda throughout the city, but the one on Lafayette St. is probably the most well-known, closely followed by the one on Carmine St. On weekends, both places are popular for breakfast and brunch (remember to try the Cantaloupe Mimosas), so make sure you book in advance or be prepared to line up for a table. I have never ordered anything I didn’t like, but if I were to highlight one breakfast dish, it would be the Grapefruit Granola, but it is a small portion, so if you are just as hungry as I am in the morning, make sure you order one more dish.
Read my blog post about Jack’s Wife Freda >>
Jack’s Wife Freda, 226 Lafayette St, New York
Clinton Street Baking Co.
It wasn’t love at first sight, but they eventually won me over, and today I’m a devoted fan of the restaurant’s hearty American classics. The blueberry pancakes with maple butter are world famous, but the Eggs Benedict are also very good, especially if you add $2 and have it with salmon instead of ham. Portions are big, and I’ve never been able to finish more than one dish. Clinton Street Baking Co. only accepts cash payment during daytime.
Read my blog post about Clinton Street Baking Co. >>
Clinton Street Baking Co., 4 Clinton Street (between Avenue B & Houston St), Lower East Side, New York
Dudleys
Popular Australian restaurant/bar/cafe on the bustling corner of Orchard Street and Broome Street. The avocado sandwich with a fried egg is a safe bet, and the pancakes with hazelnuts and banana gives the ones from Clinton Street Baking Co. a run for their money. If the weather is nice, the best tables are the ones on the street outside, but you’ll need to get up early to score one of those.
Read my blog post about Dudley’s >>
Dudley’s, 85 Orchard Street, Lower East Side, New York
Cafe Select
I stumbled upon on my way to the gym, and I immediately liked this this cozy Swiss cafe with the inexpensive coffee. The thought of their Bircher muesli gets me through morning yoga, but the smoked salmon rösti is also very nice.
Read my blog post about Cafe Select >>
Cafe Select, 212 Lafayette Street, Soho, New York.