15 Best Brunch Spots in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Brunch in Williamsburg isn’t just a meal. It’s a full-blown weekend ritual requiring a calculus of multiple variables before arriving at the all-important decision of where to go: Any menu preferences? Are kids coming? Are there budget constraints? And, of course, how long is the wait? (Like blowing a small fortune at Disney, lines outside popular Williamsburg brunch spots are part of the experience.) The array of options are as diverse as the people who live here. So we’ve rounded up the 15 best restaurants in the neighborhood, sure to satisfy every palate and requirement, from your boyfriend’s super-picky mom to your hungover bestie. All you have to do is show up hungry.

THE SEE-AND-BE-SEEN BRUNCH

K’far

97 Wythe Avenue

The brunch spot of the moment is just off the entrance of the Hoxton Hotel. How outstanding is it? “The Hotel Lobby Restaurant is Back,” The New York Times raved when it opened back in 2022. This is celebrity chef Michael Solomonov’s second foray in New York: Laser Wolf, one of the most coveted reservations in town, is on the Hoxton roof. Like its upstairs sister, K’far (Hebrew for village) explodes with Middle Eastern influences: there’s eggs & merguez, kubaneh (Yemeni breads) stuffed with your choice of apricot amba-infused burrata, smoked trout, or avocado and schug labneh; a Tunisian omelette. Solomonov always draws a well-heeled crowd, for the sublime food, of course, but also the people-watching. There’s plenty of both here. Walk-ins welcome.

BEST FOR FAMILIES

Sunday in Brooklyn

348 Wythe Avenue

You gotta order the pancakes. That’s the hot ticket brunch item at this cozy local fave renown for its plussed-up American staples. The Insta-famous short stack features pillowy flapjacks smothered in brown butter and a thick hazelnut praline syrup. Though typically packed for brunch, the bright, woody dining room is spacious enough to handle a stroller and loud enough to avoid bothering anyone with a whimpering kid. Walk-ins only on weekends.

FOR AN OLD SCHOOL DINER BREAKFAST

Baby Blues Luncheonette

97 Montrose Avenue

This tidy classic Greek diner with modern flourishes specializes in brunch. That’s it. And boy does it deliver. The headliners include “Like a Greek Bagel,” a luscious mound of lox nestled next to a thick slice of sourdough daubed with whipped feta. You might skip dinner after the hearty “Zorba plate”—two eggs, grilled haloumi cheese, fresh tzatziki, Greek potatoes and heirloom tomatoes. Opa! Walk-ins only.

FOR LATIN FARE

Beco

45 Richardson Street

This hole-in-the-wall Brazilian joint serves up an authentic, mouth-watering menu of São Paulo specialties like pão de queijo (cheese bread) with guava jam, feijoada, a black bean stew and smoked pork stew, and bife a cavalo (filet mignon, eggs, rice and beans and chimichurri). Order a pitcher of caiperinhas, then head back home for a well-earned siesta. No reservations necessary.

FOR A RAUCOUS VIBE

Cafe Mogador

133 Wythe Avenue

The Williamsburg outpost of this East Village institution hums with the same ‘Rock the Casbah’ energy. The Moroccan menu is a hangover cure par excellence: eggs served with warm za’atar pitas, creamy labne, green salads and tahini. Mogador’s trademark tagines are must on cold days, stewed with apricots, prunes, chickpeas and preserved lemons. Sure, there’s more traditional fare on the menu but who goes to Casablanca and orders French toast? Reservations online, though walk-ins welcome.

FOR THE HARD TO PLEASE

Mekelburg’s

319 Kent Avenue

Entertaining fussy out-of-towners with risk-averse palettes? Head over to Mekelburg’s, located in Domino Park, for an all-star menu of hearty, familiar comfort foods like bruleed banana french toast, breakfast chilaquiles, or the hangover-helper “Mek Muffin” (egg, bacon, cheddar and arugula, slathered with sriracha, on a poppy seed brioche bun). The views of the East River are spectacular, and the hours run late on the weekends. No reservation required.

A ROMANTIC OUTING FOR TWO

Juliette

35C N. Fifth Street

Though brunch can get hectic, this charming French bistro is ideal for dates thanks to its garden and rooftop seating, both picturesque and designed for close conversation. (Good luck snagging a table for more than two anyway.) The menu leans traditional: order a mimosa with your eggs benedict and smoked salmon, or nurse a spicy Bloody Mary over hangar steak and eggs. Located just around the corner from the heart of bustling Bedford, Juliette is well situated to either beat a hasty retreat or spend the rest of the afternoon window shopping with your companion. Reservations accepted.

BRING YOUR DOG

Lighthouse

145 Borinquen Place

Don’t let the name fool you: Lighthouse is less ‘Sunday morning in New England’ and more ‘coffee overlooking the Aegean’. The brunch menu is unusually robust, with daring offerings like the pickled herring plate served with capers, a soft egg and grilled bread, and a harissa-infused “shakshuka assassina”. Even staples like a modest egg sandwich get a Mediterranean glow-up, served with stracciatella cheese and truffle salt. Seven outdoor picnic tables are designated as pet-friendly, which means your good boy can get in on the action in warmer months. Reservations strongly recommended.

UNPRETENTIOUS AND AFFORDABLE

Gertie

357 Grand Street

Everything about this kooky, “Jew-ish” diner defies Williamsburg’s too-cool-for-school reputation: the decor is Seventies-era Sausalito, there’s no table service (you’ll order and pickup at the counter), and the menu is straight outta Great Neck: chocolate marzipan babka, challah french toast, smoked fish on a bagel with pickled onions and cream cheese schmear. (Imagine a post High Holiday ‘break the fast’ but with a full bar.) Go ahead and wear your pajamas like you do at home. Reservations recommended.

FOR A SOUTHERN FRIED BRUNCH

Pies n’ Thighs

166 S. 4th Street

Williamsburg’s about as far away from Hattiesburg as the moon, but at this cozy outpost, it’s just around the corner. Comfort food rules here: chicken and waffles, buttermilk biscuits, mac & cheese, and an irresistible array of freshly-baked desserts. (Say yes to the butter pecan donut.) The price is right, the portions large, and the fried chicken finger licking good. Reservations accepted.

WORTH THE LONG LINES

Five Leaves

18 Bedford Avenue

Reliably outstanding and always a mob scene for brunch, thanks to menu all-stars like the fluffy ricotta pancakes. (It’s so legendary that there are TikToks and Tumblrs devoted to replicating the recipe.) The equally popular “big breakky”—two-eggs, hash browns, toast and a side of bacon—is a nod to the owners’ Aussie roots. (Heath Ledger was an early partner.) Walk-ins only on weekends.

FOR A ‘BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH’

De Mole

2 Hope Street

Vegas gave the all-you-can-eat brunch a bad name. De Mole restores it with this $65, two-hour Mexican feast. Each dish is brought out in small servings, tapas-style. Nibble, enjoy, ask for more. That’s not to say you won’t go to town on chicken taquitos, huevos rancheros, and the fries with mole sauce. But you’ll pat yourself on the back for your restraint. Did we mention the price includes unlimited cocktails and beer? Reservations are a must.

THE LUNCH BRUNCH

Misi

329 Kent Avenue

Sometimes the weekend vibe calls for a serious, sophisticated meal that will carry you through to a spare dinner. From celebrity chef Missy Robinson, Misi is the foodie’s brunch, a sleek Italian temple for exquisite handmade pasta dishes, each composed of a handful of ingredients but executed with papal excellence: buttery corzetti (disc-shaped pasta) prepared with sumptuous chanterelle mushrooms, hazelnuts and sage; gnocchi in a rich, glossy pork sausage sugo, with saffron. Don’t sleep on the veggie-centric antipasti, which The New York Times described as “highly impressive”. Reservations are a must for this Domino Park —and excruciatingly hard to score.

BUT MAKE IT FRENCH

Le Crocodile

80 Wythe Avenue

The acclaimed brasserie inside the sleek Wythe Hotel is perhaps better known for dinner, but its upscale brunch service swings for the fences, too. The sophisticated menu includes jumbo shrimp cocktail, a decadent Croque Madame with gruyere and smoked ham, and steak frites. It’s always noon somewhere—and the inviting cocktail list doesn’t work hard to convince you: start with the Spritz au Crocodile (an aperol spritz with orange and Italian bitters), then tap out with a martini. Too much? Mais non! Reservations recommended.

VEGETARIANS WELCOME

Two Hands

262 Kent Avenue

The vibe at this airy, low-key Domino Park cafe is unpretentious and friendly, with an earthy menu that invites guilt-free gluttony: the lemon poppyseed waffle is topped with vanilla mascarpone, strawberries and bergamot maple syrup; “Zoe’s Market Plate” includes eggs your way, nestled beside confit tomatoes, sweet potato, beet relish and quinoa. For carnivores, there’s the inventive “b.e.k. roll,” a soft potato bun topped with a fried egg, smoky tomato relish, marinated kale, grilled bacon and Kewpie mayo. Opt for a smoothie from an extensive menu—or skip right over to the traffic-stopping cocktail menu. No judgments here. Reservations recommended.

THE MICHELIN BRUNCH

Casa Ora

148 Meserole Street

This elegant and intimate spot is the first Venezuelan restaurant to earn a review in the Michelin guide. The inventive brunch menu makes the case with elevated street food starters like mandocas (corn donuts with queso blanco and nata), superlative empanadas, and hallacas, a Christmas staple made of cornflour dough stuffed with a meaty stew and wrapped like a package in banana leaves before boiling. The mains are equally impressive: order the Rancheros just to see how exquisite the brunch mainstay can be. Reservations encouraged.