Killer Brunch

[tracyinfrance]

Any suggestions for a great Brunch that ticks the following boxes, great food (naturally), fairly fast service (we do have to do other things in NYC except eat ) and central location!! We are eating at EMP, Union Square Cafe & River Cafe for dinners, just to guide you!! Thanks

[DutchMuse]

Spotted Pig.

[plattetude]

I've got a soft spot for Prune. Caveat that you'll need to get there at or near opening time of 10am to avoid a wait. I know for some, that makes it "not brunch", but I make no assumptions (particularly if you've already indicated you've got things to do!)

Christopher

[Mayur]

Spotted Pig.

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Two hours of wait plus 40 minutes of brunch isn't really a fast meal in the sense they want it, methinks.

Prune is nice, although you face the same problem unless you go for breakfast instead of brunch.

My reigning favorite is Five Points, since a) the food's great; b) you can reserve; and c) service at brunch has been, IME, snappy, efficient, and polite (which is VASTLY different from brunch practically anywhere else in NY; thank late shifts and hangovers!). Food comes reasonably fast *if* you mention you're in a bit of a hurry.

[EDIT:

-Spotted Pig is corner of Greenwich Street and 11th Street, Tel 212 620 0393, but they won't pick up on a busy shift, which is always, and don't take reservs anyway.

-Prune is 1st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues, Tel 212 677 6221.

-Five Points is Great Jones Street (effectively 3rd Street) between Bowery and Lafayette St., Tel. 212 253 5700.]

Edited October 8, 2007 by Mayur (log)

[kathryn]

Are you looking for brunch for both Saturday and Sunday, or just Sunday? Or...*gasp* a weekday?

It's not the slow service that'll kill you in NYC, it's waiting around for a table. Doing brunch in Manhattan is often a blood sport.

If you're not willing to wait for a table, the choices narrow a bit. I rarely find that my brunches take longer than an hour, but I'm not usually in a hurry.

Places that have good brunch and you can reserve:

Cookshop

Five Points (as mentioned earlier)

The Neptune Room

Devin Tavern

Balthazar

Ouest

The Tasting Room

You can use opentable.com to reserve most of these.

The intersection between place that have great brunch in Manhattan and aren't obscenely crowded/have a mile long line is very small.

[BryanZ]

While not centrally located, Perry St. for its $24 3-course menu most certainly comes to mind.

[Pan]

Any suggestions for a great Brunch that ticks the following boxes,  great food (naturally), fairly fast service (we do have to do other things in NYC except eat ) and central location!!  We are eating at EMP, Union Square Cafe & River Cafe for dinners, just to guide you!!  Thanks

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Would you consider dim sum at Dim Sum Go Go? Show up before noon, and you shouldn't have to wait (before 11:30 is an even better bet).

[Luckylies]

I second Five Points

[tracyinfrance]

Five Points is obviously a popular place - no brunch reservations to be had! Fully booked already! I am used to the South of France where people book the day before, not the week before, shucks!

[Nathan]

Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street.

[kathryn]

Five Points is obviously a popular place - no brunch reservations to be had!  Fully booked already!  I am used to the South of France where people book the day before, not the week before, shucks!

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They do save some tables for walk-ins; if your heart is set on Five Points, show up the second they open.

[Mayur]

Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street, Perry Street.

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Seconded... er, "octonded," I guess. You might try reservations here, and the food is great; however, based on my experience, it is NOT going to be quick, and Perry Street is slightly non-central for most weekend-afternoon-type events in NY (though not significantly less central than the Spotted Pig, being just one block south and 1 1/2 west).

[nixienox]

Clearly it's a minority opinion, but I don't care for Five Points. Though I do like Bread Tribeca for brunch. http://www.breadtribeca.com/

[daisy17]

Never loved Five Points either, but Cookshop brunch was fantastic a few weekends ago (same owners). Not centrally located.

The Pig remains a Sunday favorite for me. It can be done if you don't have a large group and go early or late.