NYC Best Breakfasts
They say that New York City never sleeps. Pfft. As a Sydney girl used to getting up with the sun and calling 'that's so late' on an 8pm dinner, I was surprised how quiet it was in the morning. You get the whole place to yourself!
When the locals do finally surface, it's often for brunch (at 2pm!!!), which may involve heels, statement wrist embellishments and multiple mimosas. Here are a few wholesome faves that open normal-person early and don't require stilettos.
Bluestone Lane Collective Café
Call me parochial but Aussie guys make the best coffee and breakfast. Maybe we just love what we know but these guys were doing Avocado Smash way before the big apple caught the buzz. Their version involves Balthazar Bakery toast, made down the street in the bustling, romantic brasserie in Soho. Topped with tahini, heirloom cherry tomatoes, fetta, sunflower sprouts and EVO, you can add a poached egg and pretend you’re watching the waves in Tamarama. Or go full crunchy and choose the Morning Salad with quinoa, baby kale, broccoli, smoked salmon, beets, amaranth sprouts and, again, a poached egg. Not a massive brekkie fan? Green smoothie. You’re welcome.
Where: 55 Greenwich Avenue, West Village NYC
The Egg Shop
Sarah Schneider, a Southern California transplant, and Demetri Makoulis, a native New Yorker, met and fell in love on the Lower East Side. They disagreed on many things – classic rock or hip hp, which coast was really the best – but both agreed on the magic of an egg sandwich. Whether you like yours scrambled, over easy, or completely off the roll you’ll love it here. My fave was the Spandex, a poached egg, miso quinoa, farm green, pickled carrot combo that had we scribbling down references for future brekkie. Coffee is pretty good but Bluestone is better. Walk a minute down the street to the Butcher’s Daughter for a ginger shot after.
Where: 151 Elizabeth Street, Lower East Side NYC
Buvette
If I was a dining establishment I’d probably be Buvette (well it would have been Pastis, but sadly that's no longer...sigh). I don’t really want to share it for fear that you’ll take my favourite little perch at the counter by the paper-wrapped boiled eggs. Or near the sunny window. Or… Anyway, it feels like you’re in Paris except your French is PERFECT and they can understand you when you order the pain au chocolate with a side of ‘steamed’ (pfft, read scrambled) eggs. Add jamon. Prance through the village. Merci!
Where: 32 Grove Street, West Village NYC