Best Restaurants in New York : There is nothing better than starting the day with a good breakfast. And if it’s also in New York, even better. Croissants, donuts, cheesecakes, muffins or bagels are just some of the options that exist in a city that, as we told you, has thousands of places to have breakfast.
But don’t think that they are normal breakfasts, although there are those too. In New York cafes you can find some of the most viral sweets of the moment. One of those that does not leave any traveler indifferent, especially the sweetest ones.
And this is where we and the experience of the several times we have visited the city come in. We know how difficult it is to find a place to have breakfast in New York since, although there are many places, this does not always mean that it is easy to choose or locate the one that best fits the route you have planned. Therefore, one of our recommendations is that you try to adapt the best cafes in New York to your itinerary around the city and not the other way around. Depending on the specialty, you can even eat it as a dessert, snack or dinner. And yes, we confirm that when you are traveling, the ideal is to give it your all. Especially when it comes to gastronomy.
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On our last visit to the city we had a list of cafes where we could have breakfast in New York that we definitely wanted to try. Once we had the daily route, we wrote down the ones that were located in the areas we were going to visit and, every morning, we went to one. This way we were able to complete the list we had and even repeat some that we especially liked.
Based on the several times we have visited this city, the last time to update this post about places to see in New York, we share with you a selection of the best cafes to have breakfast in New York. Let’s start!
Here are the Best Restaurants in New York in 2024 :
1. Zeppola Bakery
In the heart of Manhattan, very close to Times Square, we find Zeppola Bakery, an Italian pastry shop where you can find delicious sweet and savory croissants, fruit tarts, chocolate cakes and cookies as well as Italian sandwiches and focaccias, made with the ingredients more fresh.
Although as you have seen you have options for all tastes, we especially like the stuffed croissants for $6.95, the focaccias for +-$17 and the cannoli for $6.95.
In addition to being a cafeteria option to have breakfast in New York, it is a perfect alternative for dinner if you prefer savory options. The focaccias are delicious and feel great after a day exploring the city.
Address: 499 7th Ave
Hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. – Saturday and Sunday open until midnight
2. Magnolia Bakery, one of the best cafes in New York
Who doesn’t know Magnolia Bakery? Probably all travelers have heard this name at some point or know (or sense) that it is one of the most iconic and well-known cafes in New York. With its flagship opened in 1996 in the West Village, this New York bakery became known among travelers and locals thanks to its cupcakes, especially the red velvet one that has always been one of the favorite sweets of New Yorkers and tourists. You do not believe it? A few years ago, we stood in line for an hour to get a box of these cupcakes. That’s nothing!
Today that has changed and it is no longer necessary to queue so much, or at least not for more than an hour, although the reason is very different: their banana pudding, one of the most exquisite sweets we have ever tasted. If you read us, do yourself a favor: don’t leave New York without trying it. In a delight for the senses.
Prices are $4.95 for small, $6.95 for medium and $9.95 for large. Keep in mind that this is a sweet that you can eat for breakfast, dessert or dinner, so any time is good to enjoy it.
There are also 9 branches spread throughout the city so you will surely end up passing by one of them at some point or another.
Address: 401 Bleecker St (check more locations on map)
Hours: every day from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
3. Levain Bakery
We continue with another of the most iconic New York cafes and this is none other than Levain Bakery, the place where some of the most delicious cookies in the world are baked.
With a history that dates back to 1995, when Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald opened their first location on 74th St. This is where they created their first chocolate chip cookie in search of something to give them energy while training for a triathlon, a of his hobbies.
They decided to put it up for sale and the rest is history. History for food lovers, since this is one of the most recommended places to have breakfast in New York. Well, have breakfast, lunch or even dinner. When we were in the city for 2 months, we took boxes and ate them in the apartment after heating them in the microwave.
The price of the cookies is $5 and our favorites are the coconut ones, the macadamia nut ones and the chocolate ones. Although they are usually served hot, if not, order it as it is the best way to enjoy them.
It is worth noting that all cookies are baked daily and any leftovers are donated to charity.
Address: Original Location: 74th St (check more locations on the map)
Hours: every day from 8am to 11pm – Saturday open 24 hours
4. Angelina Bakery, another of the best cafes to have breakfast in New York
Angelina Bakery was one of the discoveries of our last trip to the city. With 4 locations in the city, one of them in Times Square, where we used to go, this cafe has its origins with Tony Park, a Korean of Italian descent who studied pastry making in Italy and decided to open a cafe in New York.
Although at Angelina Bakery you have dozens of options, all of them delicious, their most iconic sweet is the bombolone, which they say is Italy’s answer to the donut.
In addition to these, which are impressive ($5), we recommend trying the focaccia ($2.95) and the square croissants ($5.95).
Address: 1675 Broadway (check more locations on the map)
Hours: every day from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
5. Lafayette Grand Café, one of the most viral sweets in New York
Located in NoHo, this is another of the best-known New York cafes, especially in recent times, since one of its sweets went viral on social networks: the Suprême, as a type of round croissant is known, very similar to cronut, filled with pastry cream of different flavors which, as we told you, is delicious.
Although the place is also a bistro, where you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner, sitting at a table with a tablecloth, our recommendation is that you stay in the bakery area, which is also a cafeteria, to try their best-known sweet. .
The price of the filled croissants is $9.5 and, in addition to the original flavors (especially chocolate and pistachio), they release a special flavor every month.
Keep in mind that if you don’t go when they open, there are usually not many people, mid-morning and the rest of the day there are usually queues of more than an hour. Is it worth doing it? We believe so, but we await your opinion!
Address: 380 Lafayette St
Hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
6. Dominique Angel Bakery
In the heart of SoHo we find Dominique Angel Bakery, another of the most recommended places to have breakfast in New York.
And where does fame come from? Well, we think it is enough to tell you that Dominique Angel has been the creator of some of the most famous cakes in the world, such as the cronut, considered one of the 25 best inventions of 2013 by TIME magazine.
And taking this into account, as it cannot be otherwise, our recommendation is that you at least try their famous cronut for $7.5 as well as some other sweet like the shot for $5.5, which is a cookie shaped like a small glass. They serve you full of milk, or the Marshmallows for $7.5.
Also, whenever you can, don’t order it to go since inside the bakery they have a charming terrace perfect to enjoy and disconnect for a while from the chaos of the city.
Address: 189 Spring St
Hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
7. Breads Bakery, one of the best-known New York bakeries
Known in the city for its artisan breads and pastries, made by hand and baked in small batches to ensure quality, this is another of the best places to have breakfast in New York.
But not only that, since this bakery has received several awards, including the best chocolate babka in New York, by New York Magazine, something for which it is especially known among travelers and locals.
Although it has several locations in Manhattan, including Union Square, Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Rockefeller Center; Our favorite is the one in Bryant Park, where we advise you to go early to enjoy a piece of bavka for $5.5 with a coffee, sitting at one of the tables in the park. An unforgettable experience even on the coldest days.
Address: 1080 – 1090 6th Ave (check more locations on the map)
Hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
8. In Common NYC Cafe
Are you looking for a typical New York place to have breakfast? Then you can’t miss In Common NYC Cafe, a cafe that serves some of the best breakfasts we’ve had in the city.
With extensive experience in hospitality, something that can be seen in every corner of the establishment and customer service, the two owners want the time you spend at In Common NYC Cafe to be a gastronomic experience as well as a sensory experience if you try their coffee. , which we already told you, is excellent.
Although they have a dozen options, our recommendation is that you try the brekkie bagel for $12, which we found excellent in every way. Details taken care of to the millimeter. We still remember the perfect toast of the bagel and the touch of the fried egg.
Address: 441 9th Ave Suite 101
Hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
9. Angelina Paris, one of the most special cafes in New York
With two locations in the city, Angelina Paris is another of the New York cafes that you cannot miss. With a history dating back to 1903, when pastry chef Antoine Rumpelmayer founded Angelina, which he named after his beloved daughter-in-law, this tea room is synonymous with entering the Paris of yesteryear and being lucky enough to taste the Mont- Blanc ($12), their best-known sweet which is a unique blend of light meringue with cream noodles and chestnut paste.
But not only that, Angelina Paris is also famous for serving what they say is one of the best chocolates in the city ($12). In Paris they queue in winter to drink it!
Keep in mind that it is one of the most expensive places to have breakfast in New York, so if you want to enjoy the experience, we recommend that you have time to sit down and enjoy it. If you are on the route, you can order the chocolate and sweets to take away.
Address: 1050 6th Ave
Hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. – Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
10. Molly’s Cupcakes
You may think that cupcakes have gone down in history. We will not be the ones to say that, indeed, it is no longer as viral or famous a candy as it was a few years ago, but we assure you that if there is someone who can keep them in the collective memory, it is Molly’s Cupcakes.
Located between SoHo and the West Village, this small cafe is a unique place where you can try some of the best cupcakes you could ever imagine. Special mention of the crème brûlée cupcake for $3.95. Without a doubt, the best we have ever tried.
Have we not convinced you? Well, we’ll just add that Molly was the owner’s third grade teacher and, whenever it was a student’s birthday, she would make her own special chocolate and vanilla cupcake recipe. In honor of Molly, a portion of profits are donated directly to schools in the community. As they say, every time you eat a muffin or sip a latte, you help the children of the community.
Address: 228 Bleecker St
Hours: every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
11. Eileen’s Special Cheesecake
In the heart of SoHo, you will find the best cheesecake in New York and you can find it at Eileen’s Special Cheesecake.
As it could not be otherwise, this place also has a fascinating history that dates back to 1975 when Eileen set up a bakery in the center of Manhattan, very close to Little Italy, where she began her great success selling cheesecakes. .
In 2000, Eileen’s decided to open a new business: a kiosk between the two towers of the World Trade Center where she could sell her cheesecakes to tourists and office workers every afternoon. Sadly, on September 11, the kiosk was destroyed, but Eileen continued baking cakes in the original bakery to offer to people who participated in the rescues.
Today, her two daughters run the business, bringing Eileen’s delicious cheesecake to all travelers who want to try it. We are not going to lie to you, you will probably find an endless queue when you arrive. Do not go. Stay as we assure you, here you can enjoy the best cheesecake you have ever tasted. The price is $6 per serving.
Address: 17 Cleveland Pl
Hours: every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Saturday and Friday until 8 p.m.
12. The Donut Project, another place to have breakfast in New York
We cannot finish this selection of the best places to have breakfast in New York without talking about a place where you can try donuts. And in New York there are many options to enjoy this delicacy although there are not many who can boast of having some of the best donuts in New York in their display cases.
One of them is The Donut Project, in Greenwich Village, which serves some of the best in the city, especially the specials, which they release weekly and are spectacular. In addition to these, our favorites are the Maple French Cruller, the New Old Fashioned, the Lemon Love Letter and the Peanut Butter & Jelly. Delicious!
The price depends on the variety although it is around $5-$6.
Address: 10 Morton St
Hours: every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – closed Monday and Tuesday
In addition to this selection of New York cafes, other places that we believe may be perfect for breakfast in New York are Katz’s Delicatessen, which serves delicious pastrami sandwiches; Amy Ruth’s, which serves fried chicken and waffles in Harlem and is one of the most famous brunches in New York or Best Bagel and Coffee, which has one of the best bagels in the city.
You can find more information about the latter and many more restaurants in this post with recommendations of the best restaurants to eat in New York.