The East Village serves brunch with as much character as the neighborhood itself. From Veselka's 24/7 pierogies to Cafe Mogador's Moroccan-spiced eggs on St. Marks, these spots earned their regulars the old-fashioned way: with food worth leaving the apartment for.
East Village · 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
A ten-person crew hand-crimps up to 5,000 pierogies a day here — get the potato-cheese with sour cream, then follow it with borscht that is deeply red and genuinely savory. A New York landmark you'll return to again and…
East Village · 101 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009, USA
A narrow Moroccan kitchen on St. Marks that has earned the neighborhood loyalty through falafel sandwiches, tagines, and egg dishes that have barely changed. The room is small and always full — weekend waits run half an…
East Village · 437 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009, USA
Scandinavian baking with a strong cardamom addiction, Smør turns out flaky cinnamon buns, open-faced sandwiches, and pastries baked in house. The cardamom latte is the kind of thing you add to a routine and then can’t r…
East Village · 119 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009, USA
The quinoa-chickpea veggie burger sounds suspiciously virtuous until it shows up stacked with Muenster, iceberg, and dill pickle and quietly outperforms half the burgers in the East Village. The $7 Grab Bag pulls straig…
Lower East Side · 2 Freeman Alley, New York, NY 10002, USA
A colonial American tavern hidden at the end of Freeman Alley — dark wood paneling, mounted antlers, taxidermied animals lining the walls, and a general atmosphere suggesting the Bowery circa 1890. The menu runs rustic …
Noho · 90 E 10th St 1st Floor, New York, NY 10003
Up a quiet stairwell above Claud, Penny is the East Village raw bar that feels like a secret—until you’re inside, watching chefs shuck oysters and spoon roe with the precision of jewelers. The marble bar glows, the seaf…