This is an adorable bistro in Greenpoint that usually has a very long wait on the weekends. The seats outside are ideal, but the wait for them was much longer when me and my friend went on Friday, so we asked to be seated inside, which turned out perfectly well. Everything on the menu sounds deliciously fresh (the house-made ricotta was my personal favorite), service is great, music is great, and there's an overall neighborhoody feeling that's very welcome. I definitely want to return to try their dinner menu.

Some dishes to try from their lunch/brunch menus are the house made ricotta, steel-cut oats, truffle fries, ricotta pancakes, and the Five Leaves burger.

Dimes is the perfect spot for a breakfast, lunch or afternoon bite alone, or with one or two other friends. Located in the Chinatown/LES border, its menu boasts many healthy items (think acai bowls, salads, and green juices). They also have a smaller, on-the-go spot attached to their own grocery a few blocks away, called Dimes Deli, which I love.

This is a farm-to-table restaurant and you can actually taste the freshness in everything you eat. Service is very fast, and they bring a complimentary apple-cinnamon bread mid-brunch, which is a nice surprise. Their orange juice is super pulpy, sweet, and fresh, so definitely worth the try. If going in for brunch, try to get there before 11 AM because the line can get out of control after that. 

Some items to try off their breakfast menu are the assortment of breads (lemon, zucchini, chocolate chip), the healthy omelet, pumpkin pancake, and their orange juice. 

Banter is a cute little Aussie cafe in SoHo. The menu is nothing crazy, but it’s a nice place for a quick breakfast or coffee meeting.

This is a true Italian restaurant. It's dimly lit with almost no natural lighting. The staff are one of the most friendly I've ever seen in New York, and the food is so good that it almost made me cry. 

If you go for breakfast/brunch, make sure to try their bruschetta (one of the best things I've eaten in New York) and the poached eggs on butternut squash. 

This is your typical American brunch venue. The space is pretty big, but gets very crowded on the weekends so it makes sense to make reservations or be prepared to wait at the bar for 15-20 minutes while you drink an orange juice on weekends. 

he strawberry and banana oats, as well as the buttermilk pancakes are delicious. 

This is another traditional American brunch venue. Again, reservations are definitely necessary if you're trying to come here on a weekend. They have 2 other locations in upper Manhattan.  

Their Sicilian baked eggs & egg white omelette are some good breakfast items off their menu.

This is sort of like the Starbucks for bagels. It's constantly busy, but is managed so efficiently that you don't have to wait in line for more than 10 minutes (in & out). As someone who loves bread and cheese, but is intolerant to both gluten and lactose, I always walk past one of the best bagel shops in the city, which tends to be a block away from my apartment. So when I finally found Bagel Pub, a bagel shop that has gluten-free and vegan cheese options, I think I became their most devoted customers. The vegan cream cheese, lox & avocado bagel I had was simply amazing. Plus, the staff here is incredibly sweet and helpful. 

Bluestone has a few locations in the city, but this review is specifically for the Greenwich Village one. I've been here multiple times and have loved each experience and every single dish I've tried. It can be a bit of a scene on the weekends, but it's still less crowded than the West Village one. I'd recommend the avo smash (I had mine with gluten-free bread), granola, and the Aussie iced chocolate. 

I visited SISTERS Bklyn for my friend's birthday brunch and I can say with confidence that it's one of the most beautifully designed restaurants I've visited in the city. There's a lot of natural light thanks to the large skylight and all in all, it's a very spacious spot. The menu is quite standard for brunch, and even though I didn't try the Bloody Mary, my friend did and it looked absolutely delicious. 

Jeffrey's is an American restaurant with a special focus on oysters & raw bar. Even though they serve brunch and dinner, I've heard from several different sources that brunch is the more delicious option. I had the crab & avocado toast, and they were able to substitute the bread with Papas Rellenas instead. The ambiance is very authentic and has a truly local and "New York" feel to it.