Visiting in August, looking for best breakfast and best burger in Manhattan

What do you consider "best"? What are your paramaters? There are great $50 breakfasts and great $4 breakfasts, or there are the breakfasts most NYers eat: a coffee and a bagel.

There is no one BEST in a city of thousands of places. For breakfast, some folks like a great NY bagel (Ess-A Bagel), some like waffles, pancakes etc. (Sarabeth's, Norma's), others like the city vibe (Balthazar), others want a homestyle breakfast (Kitchenette, Bubby's), for smoked fish (ie lox, nova etc and bagels Barney's Greengrass.....

Top burgers include Shake Shack, the Burger Joint, JG Melon's, Corner Bistro, Spotted Pig... here's a list from NY Magazine
http://nymag.com/bestofny/food/2007/28755/

Thanks for your response, MikeT; we'll be visiting from the UK and we love your American 'specialities', ie eggs benedict, corned beef hash, breakfast pancakes. We're looking for a place with atmosphere, or maybe a little bit quirky, with food to give us the stamina for a hard day's sightseeing. (The burger would be for later in the day). Price isn't important, but flavour is.

I'd add the White Horse Tavern as a great place for burgers, in the Village, outdoor seating to watch the city go by.

Have a great time.

one of my favorite breakfast spots is "penelopes" on lex. and 31st. might have a small wait to get it on a saturday or sunday. for burgers, corner bistro (west village), the burger joint (inside the parker meridian hotel on 56th between 6th and 7th.) and island burger and shakes (85h and 51st).

Smith and Wollensky on the east side makes a fabulous burger.

For brakfast
Clinton Street Bakery
City Hall (It is the name of a restaurant)

For weekend brunches
Zoe's
Five Points
9th Street Market
Rue B-Lower East side crowd
Mercadito-LES crowd


For burgers Mclaurie mentioned most of the usual suspects and I would add
Les Halles

adamanddi,

I'm not qualified to say which is the best breakfast in Manhattan, but I am happy to recommend Bloom's at the corner of E40th & Lexington.

We're from the UK too & found it to be a very "New York style" experience (if that makes any sense). Here's a link to their website;

http://www.bloomsnewyorkdeli.com/

Jim

Personal fave - http://www.sargesdeli.com/

Sorry - New York style breakfast is coffee and a bagel - usually while on the move. I read data somewhere a couple of years ago that said less than 20% of New Yorkers eat anything cooked for breakfast during the week. Even those that eat at home generally do coffee and toast or cereal.

What you're describing is more like a brunch- that many New Yorkers have instead of breakfast AND lunch - usually on Sundays - from noon to 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

So - enjoy them by all means - but realize that it's not a real New York breakfast.

I'd go to Odessa (Ave A in the East Village) -- well if you are downtown that is. Great hearty East European food -- I grew up in the city and have moved away a few years ago -- that's what I miss. And that will keep you going to way past 3pm!

Hello UK from Detroit!

Though I'm no pro on Manhattan or New York for that matter, I would recommend reading NeoPatrick's posts. Recently He and His lovely Partner were hanging out all over NY before they hopped the pond to visit Your Country and some others while over there.

They way he describes Their experience's and the food they ate, it made me want to hop a flight right over to NY to eat.

Enjoy the US and NYer's are wonderful people.

Please make sure Odessa is still there is you think of going.

A place I like for a nice hearty breakfast, at any hour of the day, too, is Veselka in the East Village at 9th Street and Second Avenue. It's Ukrainian-run and a neighborhood institution. A favorite is challah french toast. Kielbasa is offered as an alternative to bacon.

Also a place called I think Little Poland on 2nd Avenue around 11th Street is excellent in general.

To go off the track a bit - at Little Poland the specialty called Hungarian Pancake is wonderful: it is a giant potato pancake with goulash (heavy cream, beef, mushrooms) on top. Not summer fare maybe. Also not breakfast.

Why thanks, mamaw.

I think for price it's hard to top the burgers at Island Burgers and Shakes. We go to the one on 9th at 51st. Some might be put off by the fact that they don't do french fries -- period. But I find that a plus, as I can concentrate on the burger, and I don't need the fries.

But then there's the burger at DB Bistro Moderne (did I get that name right?). It's well over $20 these days, but it has a filling of foie gras and shredded short ribs meat. And it comes with the most amazing frites in New York. It really is fantastic, but just calling it a hamburger seems soooo wrong.

We didn't do much breakfast eating this last time -- doing my own thing at the apartment -- but I still love the major delis for breakfast. You can't get corned beef hash like that anywhere else.

mmm...not sure if island burger is on 8th or 9th ave, neopatrick might be right. always wanted to check out little poland, but never did.

What do you mean make sure Odessa is still there -- my friend lives across the street and eats there like 3 times a week. It's Kiev that closed down a few years ago.

Bookmarking...

Odessa is still there but Veselka has raised its prices considerably and now offers sandwiches on baguette.

Teresa's has also gone out of business

Hi! Our group really liked the Galaxy Diner on 46th and 9th Ave--omelets (huge), egg sandwiches, all the trimmings for $6.95 or less and $1 coffee.