Despite the fact that the French take a simple, less-is-more approach to their morning meal, there are no shortage of French brunch spots in the Big Apple. All you have to do is Google “French brunch nyc,” and you’ll be met with a looooooong list of bistros, brasseries, and small boulangeries stretching from Harlem down to Brooklyn. Some lean into classic French dishes, while others take a looser interpretation on la cuisine française — more French-inspired than anything else.
We rounded up 15 of our go-to spots that are perfect for brunching with a friend, a big group, or the whole fam.
1. La Grande Boucherie
Talk about grande… the Midtown outpost of this French brasserie stretches the entire block of 6 ½ Avenue of the Americas, and is built to accommodate a whopping 400 diners inside its sweeping, high-ceilinged dining room, bar, and mezzanine area. The design — complete with an arched skylight and dark wood paneling — evokes an ornamental, Art Nouveau style. With heated floors in the plaza, diners can enjoy year-round outdoor seating.
Don’t miss the omelette au choix (jambon or champignon with gruyère), oeufs meurette (red wine poached eggs with pearl onions, lardons, and a red wine sauce), and the requisite viennoiseries for the table (we’re partial to the croissant aux amandes). We’d be remiss not to also mention the charcuterie bar with everything from jambon de Bayonne, to pâté, to prosciutto.
Average cost for 2: $75 – $150+
Dietary options: Vegetarian (gazpacho, yogurt with granola, grilled vegetable sandwich)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 8AM – midnight; Saturday – Sunday, 9AM – midnight
Reservations: OpenTable
Address: 145 W 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
2. Amélie
This cozy restaurant and wine bar first opened its doors on Polk Street in San Francisco in 2006. Since then, it’s expanded to the West Village and Upper West Side neighborhoods of Manhattan — although the West Village location is only open for dinner, not brunch.
You can’t go wrong with any of the weekend brunch menu items, but standouts include French onion soup, moules frites, and the signature Amélie burger with Emmental cheese and grilled onions.
Average cost for 2: $45 – $75
Dietary options: Vegetarian (local burrata, crispy artichoke, chèvre chaud salad), gluten-free (moules frites, seared branzino)
Business hours: Monday – Wednesday, 4PM – 11PM; Thursday & Sunday, 12PM – 11PM; Friday – Saturday, 12PM – 12AM
Reservations: Resy
Address: 566 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
3. La Parisienne
This cozy, hole-in-the-wall spot in the Financial District was opened by Julie and Adrian Bruyère, a couple from France who both spent years working at top French restaurants in the city before opening La Parisienne. Breakfast and brunch feature a mix of sweet and savory, health-conscious, and indulgent menu items like crab salad brioche, warm goat cheese salad, coconut chia pudding, French toast, and a Mediterranean quinoa bowl. No reservations… this spot is small, so it accepts walk-ins only.
Average cost for 2: $35 – $45
Dietary options: Vegetarian (Croque forestier, French toast, Mediterranean quinoa bowl), gluten-free (coconut chia pudding, kale caesar, seared green bowl, avocado toast served on roasted sweet potatoes)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30AM – 7:30PM; Saturday – Sunday 8AM – 5PM
Reservations: N/A
Address: 9 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
4. Buvette
Since 2011, Buvette — with Chef Jody Williams at the helm — has been a West Village mainstay. Don’t sleep on the fresh-baked croissants, oeufs vapeurs, and, for something sweet, waffles (or gaufres). Come early to snag a table in the tucked-away leafy garden or tree-lined Grove Street. It’s open daily for walk-ins, with limited reservations available 14 days in advance.
Average cost for 2: $40 – 50
Dietary options: Vegetarian (croque forestier, Belgian waffles, toasts), gluten-free (salade de poulet)
Business hours: Every day,8AM – midnight
Reservations: Resy
Address: 42 Grove Street, New York, NY 10014
5. Balthazar
Balthazar is a traditional French brasserie in Soho that specializes in seafood (they don’t mess around with the raw bar). But if you ask any of the regulars, they’ll tell you that the real draw is the classic steak frites with either maître d’ butter or Béarnaise sauce. If you secure a brunch reservation, we recommend eggs in purgatory, with baked eggs in a tomato ragoût, chorizo, and spicy polenta. If a sweet start to the day is more your thing, get the apple cinnamon pancakes. And if you’re craving something more lunch-esque, try the grilled chicken paillard.
Average cost for 2: $100 – $150
Dietary options: Vegetarian (beet salad with feta cheese, walnuts, and Parmesan crisps), gluten-free (omelette with fines herbes and gruyère or cheddar)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 8AM – midnight; Saturday – Sunday, 9AM – midnight
Reservations: Resy
Address: 80 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
6. Boucherie West Village
Boucherie’s West Village location may be smaller than its Midtown counterpart, but its atmosphere and menu are no less impressive. Located in a historic building that formerly housed the Circle Repertory Theater, this 320-seat space evokes white tablecloth elegance sans the stuffiness.
Their open-faced sandwiches, known as tartines, are a must-try — saumon fumé (smoked salmon) is our go-to, but there’s also goat cheese with pesto, niçoise (think olives, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, and tuna confit), parisienne (ham, cornichons, toasted butter), and avocado.
Average cost for 2: $75 – $150+
Dietary options: Vegetarian (gazpacho, yogurt with granola, grilled vegetable sandwich), gluten-free (chia seed pudding)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 11AM – 12AM; Saturday – Sunday, 10AM – 12AM (brunch from 10AM – 5PM on weekends)
Reservations: OpenTable
Address: 99 7th Avenue South, New York, NY 10014
7. Tartine
To indulge in hearty French and Francophone-inspired classics, look no further than Tartine, a neighborhood bistro opened by Brittany-born chef Thierry Rochard over 30 years ago. We dream about the French toast made with home-baked brioche and smoked bacon, and the Tunisian breakfast with poached eggs, Semolina bread, chickpeas, spinach, roasted red peppers, and Sriracha. They don’t accept reservations, so be prepared to wait if you show up at peak brunch time… but the food is worth it.
Average cost for 2: $50 – $75
Dietary options: Vegetarian (Tunisian breakfast, apple pancakes), gluten-free (baked eggs)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 11AM – 4PM, 5:30PM – 10:30PM; Saturday – Sunday, 10AM – 4PM, 5PM – 10:30PM
Reservations: N/A
Address: 253 W 11th Street, New York, NY 10014
8. French Louie
French Louie dishes out French-Canadian brunch dishes in its cozy, bistro-esque location on Atlantic Avenue between Smith and Hoyt in Brooklyn. In addition to the tried-and-trues — think steak tartare, egg scrambles, and croque-madames — expect creative twists like crème brûlée french toast and trout po’ boys.
Average cost for 2: $70 – $115
Dietary options: Vegetarian (socca & eggs), gluten-free (niçoise socca)
Business hours: Monday, 5 – 9PM; Tuesday – Friday, 11:30AM – 9:30PM; Saturday – Sunday, 11AM – 3PM, 5 – 10PM
Reservations: Resy
Address: 320 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11201
9. La Sirène
Whether you’re brunching with friends, a significant other, or the whole gang (kids included), consider La Sirène. Their new Upper West Side location specializes in what’s called “semi gastronomy” — aka casual fine dining.
With a variety of sweet and savory crepes to choose from, everyone is bound to find something to love. And if none of the crepes catch your fancy, the pain perdu (French toast) definitely will.
Reservations are available, although walk-ins are also welcome.
Average cost for 2: $30 – $80
Dietary options: Vegetarian (pain perdu), gluten-free (salade de foie de volaille)
Business hours: Monday – Thursday, 11:30AM – 10PM; Friday, 11:30AM – 11:15PM; Saturday, 11AM – 11:15PM; Sunday, 11AM – 10PM (brunch from 11AM – 3:30PM on weekends)
Reservations: Resy
Address: 416 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
10. Le Parisien Bistrot
There are plenty of good but not great restaurants in Murray Hill. But Le Parisien Bistrot (not to be confused with La Parisienne listed above) is a standout. It’s conveniently located near Grand Central and offers a stacked menu of timeless classics dreamt up by Chef Johnathan Masse from Waverly Inn and Chef Jonathan Waxman of Barbuta — think, egg white omelettes with salmon gravlax and fresh herbs, steak frites, and fluffy French toast topped with vanilla maple syrup and apple compote. With their prix fixe brunch menu at $21.95 (a steal for New York City), reservations fill up fast.
Average cost for 2: $45 – $85
Dietary options: Gluten-free (mussels marinières), vegetarian (spinach omelette, pappardelle pasta)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 5PM onwards; Saturday – Sunday, 12PM onwards for brunch
Reservations: OpenTable
Address: 163 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016
11. Le Rock
True to its name, Le Rock is located in the heart of Rockefeller Center. There are some big culinary names behind this bistro-brasserie concept, including the James Beard award-winning chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of local bakery fave Frenchette.
While you’re there, don’t miss the pastry basket — the assortment of viennoiseries is, unsurprisingly, sourced directly from Frenchette. We also recommend the quiche au Comté, brioche French toast with orange crème anglaise, steak tartare, and fluke meunière with brown butter, spinach, and potatoes.
Average cost for 2: $85 – $125
Dietary options: Vegetarian (yogurt and granola, quiche au Comté), gluten-free (chicories, heritage chicken)
Business hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11:30AM – 3PM for brunch
Reservations: Resy
Address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111
12. Juliette
This quaint Williamsburg restaurant from the same family as Tartine is a go-to spot for weekend brunch. If it’s nice out, be sure to book a table on the rooftop terrace. And in the winter, don’t miss the plant-filled indoor garden. You’ll brush shoulders with locals as you enjoy classics like croque monsieur, eggs benedict, shakshuka, and an elevated take on your everyday roast chicken, chicken cordon bleu. Come hungry… and thirsty, because Juliette also has a great list of brunch cocktails.
They accept reservations for groups of any size up to 16.
Average cost for 2: $40 – $80
Dietary options: Gluten-free (grilled hangar steak and eggs), vegetarian (mixed forest mushrooms on rosemary ciabatta)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 11AM – 10PM; Saturday – Sunday, 10AM – 10PM
Reservations: OpenTable
Address: 135 N 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249
13. Raoul’s
The Raoul brothers — Serge and Guy — arrived in New York City from Alsace in the 70s, and together opened Raoul’s, a restaurant that’s widely credited for helping transform Soho into the dining destination that it is today. For brunch, which is served on weekends from 11AM – 2:30PM, expect classics like frisée with lardons, omelette with ham and truffles, steak au poivre, and moules frites. Note that you won’t find bigger tables here; the largest is for a party of five — but then again, that’s part of Raoul’s charm.
Average cost for 2: $80 – $125
Dietary options: Vegetarian (farm greens, watercress salad, classic onion tart, soufflé pancake), gluten-free (moules frites, farm egg omelette)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 5:15PM onwards (although the bar opens at 5); Saturday – Sunday, 11AM onwards
Reservations: Resy
Address: 180 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012
14. Café Boulud
Café Boulud, which is part of the Daniel Boulud family of restaurants, is a great spot for a more elevated, très chic brunch or lunch. In addition to splurge-worthy items like caviar and hanger steak and eggs, there are French-American classics like blueberry ricotta pancakes, bloody mary shrimp ceviche, and a vegetable quiche.
Average cost for 2: $85 – $150
Dietary options: Vegetarian (fusilli carbonara), gluten-free (omelette mimolette, velouté de petit pois)
Business hours: Monday – Friday, 12 – 2PM, 5-10PM; Saturday – Sunday, 11AM – 2:30PM, 5 – 9PM
Reservations: Resy
Address: 100 E 63rd Street, New York, NY 10065
15. Café Paulette
From their red leather booths, to the marble bar, to the large outdoor patio (that’s heated in the winter), “cozy” is Café Paulette’s MO. It’s conveniently located across from Fort Greene park, and is the perfect spot to rest your feet and fill up on shakshuka, a croque-monsieur (or madame), belgian waffles, or the cult-favorite Burger Paulette. Wash your meal down with a fresh-squeezed orange juice made to order or, if you’re feeling up to it, a peach or raspberry bellini.
Average cost for 2: $50 – $80
Dietary options: Vegetarian (shakshuka, oeufs florentine), gluten-free (salade niçoise)
Business hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10AM – 10PM
Reservations: Resy
Address: 1 S Elliott Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217
FAQs
Which is the cheapest French brunch place in NYC?
At $12 – $15 each, the crepes at La Sirène make for a very affordable brunch. Le Parisien also gets a shout-out for its $21.95 prixe fixe menu, coffee included.
Which is the best romantic French brunch place in NYC?
Buvette, Balthazar, and Juliette are great romantic French brunch spots in New York City.
Which is the best French brunch place for drinks in NYC?
We love the brunch cocktails at Juliette (mimosa, bellini, bloody mary, pepino), but you’ll also find a great drink list at Raoul’s.
What are the typical dishes served at a French brunch in NYC?
As is the case in any brunch, you’ll find a mix of breakfast and lunch foods. For the former, expect timeless classics like crepes, omelettes/poached eggs, tartines, yogurt parfaits, French toast, and pastries. For the latter, it’s typical to have more savory bistro dishes like burgers or steak frites, seafood (especially mussels), and salads (endive and watercress are popular).
How do I find authentic French brunch restaurants in NYC?
Brunch isn’t really a French concept, so there isn’t exactly such a thing as an “authentic” French brunch. But restaurants with a chef or owner who hails from France (or a French staff) is a good indicator that the food will probably lean into more French influences and staples. With this in mind, we recommend La Parisienne, Tartine, Amélie, Raoul’s, La Parisienne, and Juliette.
What are the average prices for a French brunch in NYC?
It varies depending on your taste (getting steak frites will cost you more than pancakes, bien sûr), and also whether you’re team-boozy brunch or not. But generally speaking, you can expect to spend anywhere between $55 – $90 on brunch food for two at a New York City bistro.
Are there any French brunch spots suitable for vegetarians?
La Parisenne, Buvette, and Café Paulette offer a good spread of vegetarian options, though you’ll be able to find vegetarian dishes at most French brunch spots in New York.
Can I make reservations for brunch in French restaurants in NYC?
Most French brunch spots in NYC accept reservations either through OpenTable or Resy, with the exception of La Parisienne and Tartine.
What are the peak hours for brunch in NYC’s French restaurants?
11:30AM – 2:30PM is peak brunch time in New York City.
How do French brunch menus in NYC differ from those in France?
You’re far more likely to see people queuing up for “le brunch” in Paris today than you were five years back. And while some of the menu items will be similar to those you can find in New York City, brunch menus in France aren’t necessarily “French.” Instead, you’ll find more international flair, from the cult-favorite Australian avocado toast, quintessentially American bagel and scrambled eggs, and Israeli shakshuka.
Jacqueline Parisi is a Brooklyn-based content strategist, writer, and copywriter with an appetite for all things French. She holds a BA in English & French from Boston College and an MA in French Studies from NYU. Her graduate research focused on refugees in Paris via the intersection of food, identity, and memory. When not working, she can usually be found on the yoga mat, watching French Netflix, or reading for the one-too-many book clubs she’s a part of. Find her previously published work here.
