New York: Breakfast in Soho
 

Can anyone recommend a good place for breakfast on a Sunday in Soho?

I don't want anything fancy or trendy, just somewhere clean that does good bacon and eggs and has a NY atmosphere.

Balthazar


Thin

More low key than Balthazar (which is terrific, but quite the scene and usually very crowded) you might like Zoe; Noho Star (not in Soho, but only a block north) , Eight Mile Creek, Cupping Room Cafe, Country Cafe, La Esquina . .

www.menupages.com for addresses and menus

Zoe's
Five Points

If you just want bacon and eggs, a diner will do. Sunday Brunch in Manhattan has become a ritual and simple bacon and eggs are usually not on the menu at anything that is one step up from a dinner. A lot of eggs benedict, omelets, challah french toast, and burgers complete with a mimosa or a bloody mary.

If you want something different in the East Village try Prune, very hard to get into, Cafecito, Esperanto, Casimir, or Flea Market,

On the Lower East Side try Falai. Many like Schiller's although I am not one of them.

I think we have no idea what you mean by NY atmosphere. Balthazar would be considered quintessential NY by many but it's trendy. If by breakfast you mean eating early (8-11 am) many of the places listed above won't work. They're more "brunch" places and don't start serving on a Sunday until 11 or 12. Balthazar, which does early breakfast during the week, only serves coffee and pastry early and full menu starts at 10.
http://www.balthazarny.com/hours.php

It sounds like you may want a basic coffee shop or diner and there aren't any/many in Soho. Sullivan Diner just north of Houston st. might be what you want. http://www.sullivandiner.com/

I'm a Londoner so I guess I'm looking for somewhere that typifies NY and has a local atmosphere. I'll be up early due to jet lag so brunch will be too late, that's why I said breakfast.
It sounds like if I want something typically NY then I'm going to have to wait for brunch!

If you want something - typically New York - then you want a diner for breakfast. The waitress calls you "hon", she keeps refilling your coffee, a lot of the other customers are "regulars" who don't even have to give an order because the waitress knows. Places like Balthazar or Zoe cater to the more "hip" crowd with prices to go with that.

Personally, when I travel and I see a place that claims it is typical, I run in the other direction. I always think I want better than typical.

I also say try to eat at Balthazar. We still think of it as one of the most fun breakfast (brunch) experiences we have had.

Count me in on the Balthazar recommendation as well; it attracts a mix of locals and tourists of all ages and is my fave in Soho.

Minority rport

The bread and the bakery at Balthazar are spectacular even if the bakery is oddly designed to fit very few customers while there are yards of unused space behind the counter.

The food is fine but not exceptional and overpriced for a French bistro. It gathered momentum of its own as a celebrity hangout years ago with cries "There's Bobby" (De Niro.)

There are a number of French bistros downtown that are equally good, less costly, and without the the great anticiaption that a celebrity may pass by. These include Casimir, Flea Market, Cafe Deville, and Lucien.

It is a known factor that trades on its name.

If you want to head to Tribeca try Bubby's.

If you need a brunch in Tribeca on a Saturday try City Hall restaurant (closed Sundays) and on Sunday try Capsouto Freres, they make superior s0uffles.

Bubby's is a more family oriented establishment often completed by misbeheaving children (and long waits).