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.
On our last visit to the city, we had a list of cafes where we could have breakfast in New York that we 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 that we have visited this city, the last time to updated this post about the 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!
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 ingredients fresher.
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 the 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, one 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 them 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 8 am to 11 pm – 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 07:30 a.m. to 11:00 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, we recommend 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’s 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.
Taking this into account, as it cannot be otherwise, we recommend that you at least try their famous cronut for $7.5 as well as some other sweets 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.
Not only that, 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, we recommend that you try the brekkie bagel for $12, which we found excellent in every way. Details are 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.
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