New York’s Best New All-Day Cafes
Acclaimed chefs have traditionally trafficked in dinner-only restaurants, but that’s certainly not the case nowadays. In order to appeal to a larger swath of eaters, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Enrique Olvera and Gabe Stulman have all embraced the all-day cafe; offering affordable, accessible fare from morning till night. So here’s where to bring your lap top and settle in for the afternoon at spots, like Claus Meyer’s Norman in Greenpoint, and Eli Kulp’s High Street on Hudson.
abcV
We may have had to wait a few years for the debut of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s exclusively veggie restaurant, abcV. But now that it’s open, we can enjoy it all the time; namely at breakfast (Wild Blueberry Bowls with jungle peanut butter), lunch (Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with smoky pine nut mustard), dinner (Wok-Fried Ramen with corn and romano beans) and brunch; for Vegan Einkorn Pancakes with coconut cream and compote.
Read MoreAtla
Considerably more approachable than the costly, ultra-chic scene at Cosme, Enrique Olvera’s Atla is legitimately designed as a neighborhood place, with breakfast until 4pm (look for Flax Seed Chilaquiles, Split Pea Tlacoyos and sugary Concha pastries), as well as a stable of similarly low-key items offered from the afternoon on; think Fish Milanese cooled with cucumber, Arctic Char-stuffed Avocados, and good old Chicken Enchiladas, smothered in green or red sauce.
Read MoreNorman
This unprecedented collaboration between Claus Meyer and Fredrik Berselius combines the former’s for-the-people accessibility with the latter’s contemplative artistry. Chef Andrew Whitcomb’s sustainable, farm fresh-focus is also added to the pot, for a 9am-11pm lineup, that meanders from Goat Milk Yogurt with preserved blueberries and fermented flaxseed granola, to Crab Toast with dill pollen, winter radish and sour cream, and Pork Collar over red banana fingerlings, spicy greens and strawberries.
Read MoreFairfax
Realizing he simply couldn’t sustain rent on a coveted West Village corner space, at his recently relocated Perla, Gabe Stulman transformed the elegant Italian eatery into a haven for laptop-tappers in the morning, and a convivial wine bar at night — with a menu that also seamlessly evolves from Soft Boiled Eggs and Soldiers and Grilled Pluots placed on sourdough toast, to Burrata with tomato salsa, zucchini and epazote and Diver Scallops with watermelon, chile and Thai basil.
Read MoreHigh Street on Hudson
Being that bread has a place at breakfast, lunch and dinner, it provides a compelling through-line at Eli Kulp’s outpost of his beloved Philly gem. House-baked loaves appear as Tartines with egg, kale and avocado in the morning (they also make their bagels, cradling celery cream cheese and beet-cured lox), and mid-day sandwiches benefit from warm kaiser rolls (Roast Turkey with green goddess), pliant potato bread (The Best Grilled Cheese Ever), and even pizza dough, supporting Asparagus and Lemon Ricotta with pecorino and garlic scares. But it doesn’t disappear during dinner; in addition to the marvelous mixed basket with butter, bread plays a supporting (but still vital role) in plated dishes like Roasted Beet Hummus (with toasted volkornbrot), Maplebrook Burrata (paired with country olive toast) and Grilled Lamb “Halal Cart-Style,” teamed with Hight Street‘s own pita.
Read MoreVHH Foods
While their flagship is Brooklyn’s ultimate destination restaurant (requiring a purposeful trek to the far-flung Vinegar Hill district), the VHH team elected to bring their food to the masses this summer, by opening a café in the Brooklyn Bridge-abutting Empire Stores. And while you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to lounge for hours with a sandwich and cup of coffee, the 7am-10pm menu is designed to grab-and-go; from Pistachio Date Goat Cheese Brioches in the morning, to Vietnamese Cabbage Salad in the afternoon, to Family Meals (deposited in recyclable packaging) of Smoked Chicken, veggies, dessert and pull-apart rolls at night.
Read MoreEl Rey
Though it only has a miniscule kitchen at its disposal, this LES congregation for pretty people was amongst the very first to usher in the concept of a wholesome, all-day café. Elevating the idea of a greasy luncheonette, the bulk of the menu is available from 9am-7pm. Instead of boxed cereal and English muffins, you’ll find Chia Pudding with coconut ash and Japanese-style Honey Toast; and in lieu of chicken salad and frozen gyros, options run to Farro with mint, sheep’s cheese and hazelnuts, and Diablo Chicken Bowls coated with yogurt and sesame.
Read MoreHudson Jane
While Hudson Jane traffics in all day eggs, it’s not the over easy with Wonder Bread toast and a side of Jimmy Dean type. Buoyed by the motto “Life’s Too Short to Eat Shitty Food,” the cafe compels its patrons to start their mornings (or middle of the afternoons) with made-to-order egg sandwiches coated with two-year raw cows milk cheddar, on Bien Cuit chive pain au lait, or “Double Browns” layered with Berkshire bacon, in between a pair of potato patties.
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