The Lower East Side’s brunch mecca, serving up delectable pancakes and perfect biscuits. The wait to get in on weekends (and many weekdays) is ridiculously long. Your best best: going for dinner. Don’t miss the fried chicken!
4 Clinton Street, near Houston
646-602-6264
Open 8am-11pm Monday-Friday, Saturday 9am-11pm, Sunday 9-6pm
Web site
Delivery
A favorite of late night bar crowds, this “hole in the wall” spot serves sweet and savory crepes until the wee hours.
135 Ludlow, near Rivington
212-979-5521 or 212-253-6705
Hours Sunday-Thursday 11am-3am; Friday-Saturday 11am-4am
Web site
Cash only, late night
The Clinton Street cafe features good coffee, sandwiches, a full bar and (of course) exemplary chocolate and chocolate desserts. Cocoa Bar has wi-fi and is almost never crowded.
21 Clinton Street, near Stanton
212-677-7417
Hours: Mon-Thu: 7am-12am; Fri: 7am-1am; Sat: 8am-1am; Sun: 8am-12am
Web site
It may look like an ultra-modern museum but Bisous Ciao is really a bakery selling macarons and nothing but macarons.
101 Stanton, near Ludlow
(212) 260-3463
- Hours: Tues – Thurs: 12:00 pm – 8:30 pm; Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm – 9:30 pm; Sun: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Web site
The organic cafe in the New Museum run by Maury Rubin of the City Bakery. There’s a nice selection of pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads.
235 Bowery, at Prince
212-219-1222
Hours Wed: 11am-6pm Thu: 11am-9pm Fri-Sun: 11am-6pm
Menu
John Snyder has been the reigning king of ice cream on the Lower East Side since he opened a tiny storefront on Orchard Street in 2002. Now he’s moved the main operation to a big new space across from Katz’s Deli, where he’s now offering 48 delicious flavors, hand-packed pints for takeout and delivery, and coffee from Cafe Grumpy. The original storefront offers 20 rotating flavors at a time.
188 Ludlow St., at Houston
95 Orchard St., at Broome
212-343-9922
Hours: Ludlow St.: Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 7:30 a.m.-midnight; Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Orchard St.: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Website
Recent coverage on The Lo-Down
This bakery, juice bar and fish market in the Essex Street Market offers some of everything. The $4 fish sandwiches are tasty and a great deal. There are a few tables right across from the bakery, if you wish to consume your purchases on the spot.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-982-8585
Hours: 8am-6pm, closed Mondays
Web site
Established in 1982, this small Hester Street candy shop feels like the old Lower East Side. Their motto: “anything can be dipped in chocolate.”
63 Hester, at Ludlow
212-598-0092
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-6:30pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-6pm
Web site
Chocolate covered bacon! Need we say more? Roni Sue Kave creates a wide range of interesting chocolate-based morsels in her shop at the Essex Street Market.
120 Essex Street, near Delancey
212-260-0421
Hours 11am-7pm
Web site
This vegan bakery is famous worldwide for its moist cupcakes and other baked goods.
248 Broome, near Ludlow
212-677-5047
Hours Sun-Mon, 10am-8pm; Tue-Thu, 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 10am-11pm
Web site
Magnolia Bakery alums Debbie Weiner and Peggy Williams run this laid back cupcake cafe on Rivington Street. The pistachio and red velvet varieties are our personal favorites. Cupcakes cost $1.50 each.
126 Rivington, near Essex
212-995-1960
Web site
A network of clear tubes instantaneously transplants raw beans to a roaster, resulting in a supremely fresh cup of java. A former Starbucks exec dreamed up the idea in his basement. The original store is on Orchard Street.
81 Orchard, near Broome
212-775-7755
Open Mon-Fri, 7am-6:30pm; Sat-Sun, 8am-6:30pm
Web site
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