The bamboo walls at this uber-popular spot sparkle like a disco ball when it’s sunny out, so it’s a great place for brunch on a nice weekend day. Thai Diner’s must-order item is the buttery egg-and-cheese roti, which keeps all of its components compact, so that every bite includes the same layers and flavors. From top to bottom, you’ll taste herby sai oua sausage, a mash of mayo and scallions, a soft egg crepe covered in oozing american cheese, and a few slivers of fresh Thai basil.

Unlike the food at whatever place comes up when you search “diner near me,” the classics at Golden Diner in Chinatown are updated and slightly unexpected. In most cases, they make the original versions seem inadequate. We recommend the honey butter pancakes, breakfast burrito, or breakfast sandwich on a soft milk bun with american cheese, eggs, and a big crunchy hash brown.

This East Village Texan spot is great at any hour, but we especially like coming for brunch, which feels like a collab between IHOP and Dolly Parton with floral wallpaper and mismatched ‘70s-looking lamps. Get a brunch cocktail and a few kolaches to start, then stock up on tacos. We especially like the smoked bacon and egg, bean and cheese, and carne guisada varieties, all of which come on fresh flour tortillas.

Located in the Ace Hotel in Nomad, Koloman takes the kind of food you’d expect to find at a fancy hotel in Europe, gives it a 21st-century makeover, then serves it all up in a surprisingly casual setting. Their brunch includes some of the greatest hits from their dinner menu, including duck liver parfait with Texas toast-style brioche, a thin and very crispy pork schnitzel, and what might be the best apple strudel outside of Austria.

Brunch at Win Son Bakery in East Williamsburg involves food that's more exciting than your usual Saturday morning short stack. This counter-service Taiwanese cafe from the people behind Win Son has fan tuan, mochi doughnuts, and one of the city's best BECs on the menu. For an extra $6, you can and absolutely should get your BEC on a warm, chewy scallion pancake. Think of this place as a neighborhood coffee shop that happens to serve food so good it’ll make you angry and confused.

We should warn you that—even more than all the other greasy deliciousness on this list—brunch at Agi’s might put you to sleep. This Crown Heights restaurant serves Hungarian and Austrian-inspired takes on Jewish-American classics: think tuna melts and brisket, served with thick, buttery pieces of toast, and aged cheeses. Newbies should start with the Alpine cheddar egg sandwich, which comes on a buttery Hungarian cheese biscuit. Ask about their special Hungarian donuts.

You’re reading this guide, so we assume you embrace the concept of brunch, and you might be someone who gets moderately excited about pancakes. If so, head to Chez Ma Tante in Greenpoint and try theirs. The pancakes are fried until the edges are crispy and charred, and they’re topped with a bunch of butter that slides down the cakes like it’s trying to run away. Make sure to get some for the table, but keep in mind that pig’s head terrine and thick, crunchy fries are always great too.

This restaurant on the Chinatown/LES border does fun, modern takes on Cantonese-American cuisine in a space with faux movie theater displays and a bar with a sign that says “Here for a good time, not a long time.” Do not skip the salt and pepper fried chicken sandwich, even if you’ve spent the last two days polishing off a family meal from KFC. They also serve a Hong Kong-style french toast with salted egg yolk lava and radish cake hash with sunny-side-up eggs.

There are few things more exhilarating than trying to get a table at Buvette on a weekend afternoon. As you peek through the windows on Grove Street, you’ll see people enjoying brioche french toast and the fluffiest eggs in all of New York City, and you’ll think to yourself, “That could be me.” Yes, it could be you—if you put your name in with the host and wait a few hours. Think about waiting for a table at this cramped, yet charming French spot as a West Village rite of passage.

BGG is brunch royalty. That’s why we can use that abbreviation and just assume you know what we’re referring to. This 1908-established Jewish deli has plenty of room for you to sit and eat a real brunch, which sets it apart from a lot of the city’s classic smoked fish spots. The no-frills diner-esque space opens at 8:30am, and you probably want to get here by 10am if you don’t want to have to wait for a table. This place doesn’t accept credit cards, so bring cash.