There are plenty of Easter traditions worth adhering to: biting the heads off of chocolate bunnies; microwaving Peeps; hunting for dip-dyed eggs and forgetting one until the fumes become toxic months later. Among them, Easter brunch reigns supreme.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to feed (or fit) a flock of Easter guests in your closet-sized walk-up -- but fortunately for you, there are plenty of NYC venues happy to do the dirty work for you. These restaurants are all open on Easter and poised to present the Easter brunch of your dreams.
Irvington
Union Square
Start your Easter meal off right with a cold brew martini at this upscale eatery homed in the W hotel. Chase it with more martinis from a specialty cocktail list and a complimentary order of pink pickled eggs with harissa aioli. Standard brunch items are available, but break your Lent fast with a rotisserie leg of lamb with roasted asparagus and potatoes.
Jams
Midtown
Jonathan Waxman’s buffet is an Easter brunch survival pack. Guests can feast on yogurt parfaits, house-made pastries, French toast skewers, and bespoke omelets, all for $45. Unlimited mimosas or Bellinis are $15 more.
Kingsley
East Village
One of Zagat’s best new restaurants of 2017, this French-American spot is the first solo venture by Roxanne Spruance (of wd~50, Blue Hill, and Cafe Tallulah fame.) The restaurant serves a four-course Easter prix fixe for $75. A roster of clever, tasty treats like rhubarb muffins with fresh thyme and Meyer lemon frosting are followed by heartier dishes like house-cured gravlax on rye with egg and creme fraiche. Chase your first two plates with a hefty order of honey-glazed pork loin over creamy grits, or eggs Benedict with Maine lobster and brioche. And yes, there will be dessert.
The Palm Court
Upper East Side
If you’d like to feast like a king this Sunday, the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel is your best bet. For $165 per person, watch a chef slice apricot-glazed ham at a carving station, or opt for another entree from the Easter grand buffet like brioche French toast with whipped maple butter or seared Skuna Bay salmon with wild arugula pesto. Swap your usual holiday sweets for chocolate “eggs” with hazelnut sable and a banana cream center.
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Benoit
Midtown West
If you have kids, or friends with kids, or pesky kid-cousins visiting from downstate Illinois, Benoit is your Easter salvation. The classic French bistro will offer a madeleine workshop for kids with the resident Benoit pastry chef to keep little hands occupied while you enjoy your meal. The $55 prix fixe includes slow-cooked lamb shoulder, Château-Chalon braised asparagus, and house-made almond milk ice cream topped with strawberry-rhubarb compote.
The Roxy Hotel
Tribeca
What better way to celebrate Easter than by noshing on Belgian waffles and Easter cookies with a live jazz band? The Roxy’s $55 (kids $25) endless buffet will be stocked with French ham and Gruyere bread pudding, rosemary-roasted prime rib, and a raw bar with oysters and shrimp cocktail. Add bottomless Bloody Marys or mimosas to your packed plate for an extra $20.
Gotham Bar and Grill
Greenwich Village
Every Easter the kitchen at NYC’s iconic Gotham Bar and Grill whips up a $75 three-course, prix fixe meal. Choose a first (think smoked Norwegian salmon or frisée aux lardons), a second (like Maine lobster tagliatelle and a 28-day-aged New York steak flush with crispy potatoes), and dessert (the warm Gotham chocolate cake is never a bad idea). Then ask the maitre d’ to kindly roll you out of the restaurant.
Beaubourg at Le District
Battery Park City
Welcome April (and warmer weather) with brunch outside at the French-leaning Beaubourg. Grab a table on the terrace overlooking the Hudson River and enjoy Franco-favorites like escargots, eggs Benedict, French toast, and all manner of croque. Treat yourself to a $15 brunch cocktail, because you only live once. Or sometimes twice, if you give it three days.
Tavern on the Green
Upper West Side
Ring in picnic season by dining in Central Park -- without the bees and grass stains. Tavern on the Green will commemorate Easter with a $125 three-course, prix fixe brunch. Start with a balsamic roasted fig flatbread brimming with goat cheese, then move on to the Tavern French toast, overflowing with macerated strawberries, Chantilly whipped cream, and candied almonds. If you’re feeling something savory, opt for the braised spring lamb paired with roasted vegetables and whipped potatoes. Polish it all off with either a strawberry-rhubarb tart, bittersweet chocolate mousse, or cherry-vanilla creme brulee, then prepare yourself for a much-needed nap in Sheep Meadow.
DB Bistro Moderne
Midtown
It can be hard to justify a trip to Midtown, especially on a Sunday, but a French feast -- one flush with flaky Viennoiseries and foie gras terrine -- is a pretty good excuse. Choose from a $50 prix fixe menu (Easter ham! Spice-rubbed lamb shoulder! Easter egg profiteroles!), or just order a la carte from the Easter brunch menu: pink beets swimming in raclette cheese, and eggs any style piled with herb-roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes.
Claudette
Greenwich Village
Hobnob with Village locals over a $40 three-course, prix fixe brunch at this cute Mediterranean-French neighborhood spot. Options abound on the savory side -- a Corsican mint salad tossed with arugula, plums, onions, quinoa, and green beans, along with roasted garlic gnocchi swirled with spiced lamb ragu, mint, and ricotta. But there are plenty of sweet things, too: French toast covered in fruit and cinnamon yogurt, and warm brown butter madeleines drenched in salted caramel sauce, baked to order.
Coco & Cru
SoHo
This Aussie eatery will ply guests with complimentary prosecco plus a gargantuan house-made chocolate fudge brownie topped with whipped cream and fresh berries for every table. Between the bubbly and the brownies, munch on colorful brunch plates like baked eggs with pulled pork and tomatillo salsa, or avocado toast with smoked mozzarella and pumpkin seeds.
Harvey
Williamsburg
Harvey, the Williamsburg Hotel’s plant-and-grain-forward restaurant, has an Easter brunch menu that showcases the humble secular symbol of the day. The $55 four-course, prix fixe menu begins with a decadent stack of deviled eggs, caviar, fried green tomatoes, avocado, and smoked salmon. Next, try the eggs poached in tomato sauce and a crispy applewood-smoked bacon slab, with accoutrements like a Cheddar & jalapeño biscuit, bread-and-butter pickles, and country gravy. Finish with dessert: a spread of palmiers, madeleines, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon twists, and Linzer cookies arrive fresh from the Bushwick-based Brooklyn Bread Lab each morning.
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