Hi! 4 of us will be arriving in NYC very early on a Saturday morning. Planning to store the luggage at our hotel (Grand Hyatt) until we can check in. After getting rid of our bags we will be making our way further up the east side; can anyone recommend a place for breakfast? I checked out "citysearch.com" but the suggestions there were really "over the top" - more of a dining "event"! I'm looking for a little atmosphere (of course), good coffee, and a bagel, etc. Open for anything from 42nd St. to 75th. Please no McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks! Thanks!

Try EJ's (3rd Ave/73rd St).

I hope these places are still around, but maybe other posters will be able to help me with that...Sarabeth's Kitchen at 1295 Madison Avenue, E.A.T. at 1064 Madison Avenue (expensive), 57 East 57 at East 57th and Tramway Coffee Shop at 1143 2nd Avenue...there used to be a place called Royal Canadian on 2nd Avenue that had lots of varieties of pancakes, but Im not sure if its still in business.

Royal Canadian, sadly, has been gone for a few years.

There are a bunch of good places along 2nd Ave. (50s to 70s) including a few decent diners. If you head up this way you'll have plenty to choose from.

Broadway Diner is fine, at Lexington Avenue in the lower 50s somewhere.

Places called Viand are good old-fashioned Greek-owned New York coffee shops (2 addresses).

People love E.A.T. for breakfast, I have a friend who chooses her hotel in NY to be near it in the morning, htough it is unquestionably ridiculously overpriced--but I think when you're a visitor you are allowed to go to such places (travel is so streeful, must take special care of self, etc.)

And--a tip to all posters--when mentioning your hotel in NY, please give the cross-streets (Lexington and 56th or whatever)-- many of us don't know where a hotel is from its name--we don't stay in them, there are too many, and they change their names all the time anyhow as they buy & sell each other.

If you give x-streets, you can get more help about what's nearby.

Elizabeth ([email protected]) The Grand Hyatt is at Grand Central Station. Cross Street is Park Avenue. . . . I think Beth's post was fairly clear on area, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind straying a block or two if a good restaurant was near by. . .

Beth - How early is early? I'm not sure if it is up & running on saturday mornings early, but one thing you might try is right in GrandCentral - a long aborning and rightfully much-ballyhooed project was the beautiful, extravagent food hall on the main floor and the food court on the lower level - You can walk thru the food hall upstairs, purchase breakfast pastries & such to go and proceed downstairs to tables and lounges, or you can eat at the pretty nice restaurants gathered around the seating area. It is quite the scene at lunchtime on weekdays, less frantic on weekends and it is the nicest food court you'll ever see - no "chains, just branches of well respected local restaurants. And you can check out the beautiful Grand Central Ceiling, too. But as I said, breakfast is a question.

Another possibility is Le Pain Quotidien, there are several scattered on the Upper East side and a couple of downtown - one is on Lex and 60th (approximately) another on madison & 78th st. They have delicious bread, terrific bowls of cappucino and cafe au lait, pastries and the like - there isalways a huge communal table in the center of the space. Very european to sit with a bowl of cafe au lait and a tartine (bread and jam).
If you're craving eggs, I second the broadway diner, which has a branch at lexington and 54th (?) St. - perfectly acceptable omlettes. Have fun!

I have the same question. All I want is a simple breakfast to get me going in the morning. Eggs, coffee, toast. Not where I want to spend my food dollars. Staying at Excelsior, upper west side at 81st, a block off the park.

ttt

If you're in Manhattan, you can pretty much walk in any direction and within a few minutes encounter a diner that serves a delicious traditional breakfast. The exception is the center of midtown, where the walk east or west may be more than a few minutes.

Having worked in Grand Central Terminal for the past 6 years (in one of the attached office buildings from which you enter thru the terminal).. I can agree with poster above- go eat INSIDE the terminal.. it's almost amazing at how beautiful it has become. Since it sounds like you said "A bagel and coffee" casual kind of thing, this would be the place to go. You'd be eating in an open area where you can watch commuters running up and down, left and right, but it's quite the experience. NYC is NYC. Also, the prices are pretty reasonable, the entire place is brand spanking new, and the stuff to look at is plentiful. (Try to ask a Metro-North Railroad Employee how many levels there are in GranD Central Terminal and you'll be amazed to find out that it actually goes about 4-6 stories DOWN!!!)

Stay right where you are for that coffee and bagel. GCT> Then after breakfast, maybe you can head up to Rockefeller Center where they're having a motorcycle show (walk up 5th avenue until about 48th street and you can't miss it)..

Then plan the rest of your day around your checkin.

ENJOY!!
Lucy

Lucy--is that food court open on Saturday am?

Chicago, re west side locations: There is a Starbuck's on Columbus avenue, maybe a block or two from your hotel, and a great place called Columbus Bakery on 84th street that is a a bakery cafe that actually is owned by and supplies some of NY's best restaurants. Columbus is a very busy avenue and you could also stop on virtually any corner and find a deli/coffee shop or small diner

Elizabeth - check out grandcentralterminal.com - it posts the hours for the dining concourse and the food hall - it's open on Saturdays @10am. I can personally recommend the fine coffee at Oren's Daily roast and the pastries for Corrado Bakery. have fun!

This is no lie - there are at least 5 Starbucks within 2 blocks of Grand Central. Might even be more.

Also a good greasy spoon type place on 44th and 2nd.

Thanks to everyone who made a suggestion, I appreciate it! Le Pain Quotidien sounds interesting and I think just what we are looking for, I will also check into EJs and I love Grand Central and will ceratinly go there during our stay! This has been very helpful - nice to know of some place "kind of cool" to eat instead of ending up at "ho-hum". Thanks!