The 10 Best Boozy Brunches in NYC

Where the champagne matters more than the Croque Madame.

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Diva

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10. Diva

Neighborhood: Soho
Address:
 341 West Broadway
Website
divasoho.com

We can forgive Diva its pretentious name, only because the self-assessment is eerily accurate. Diva is a raucous mid-day party where, you guessed it, the revelers wind-down wind-up on a Sunday afternoon. And by revelers, we mean ridiculously attractive people who are aware of their aesthetic appeal.

Hair flipping and nose-elevating aside, Diva's reputation has withstood the test of time as one of the citiy's longest-running brunch parties (fifteen years!), and with good reason. The Italian-Mediterranean eats are palpable, yes, and the decor is subdued, but the Bloody Marys are aggressively potent. The DJ is equally sharp, livening things up with international beats that serve to invigorate the formerly-sleepy crowd. 

The Sunburnt Cow

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The Sunburnt Cow

Neighborhood: East Village/Alphabet City
Address:
 137 Ave. C
Website
thesunburntcow.com

Allow us to be frank right quick. The Sunburnt Cow, an Aussie bar, is not the prettiest place. But the focus here is booze, not beauty. Farm-inspired surroundings aside (as in farm animals, not farmhouse chic), the reverse-sticker shock here is worth paying a visit for: We're talking $18 for two hours of non-stop-sipping (or chugging, if you want to be cost-effective). And oh yeah, brunch too—all Aussie-inspired takes on classic breakfast items, with ill-advised names like Bush-benedict (Like, seriously? Way to make us lose our eggs!).

The cocktails have equally bad names, but they're speedily refreshed by the Australian waitstaff who are as serious about your alcohol consumption as you are. Our advice? Skip the Fosters and the moo-mosas, and go for a simple staple, the screwdriver, which is the strongest of the bunch (and the least embarassing to order).

Brasserie Beaumarchais

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8. Brasserie Beaumarchais

Neighborhood: West Village
Address:
 409 West 13th St.
Website: 
brasseriebeaumarchais.com

The former home of Bistro Bagatelle, Beaumarchais has kept the all-white-everything, French-inspired motif and the tradition of unhindered afternoon antics alive.

Things start subtly enough, with classic French brunch items with a luxe, overindulgent twist— foie gras, truffle, and caviar—even the humble pancake is elevated by smothering a generous layer of Nutella and peanut butter across the top. But around 3:00 p.m. the lights dim, the curtains close, and the DJ drops a beat. Suddenly forks are down and glasses are up, the wobbly tables suddenly become impromptu dance floors. Champagne begins flying through the air, literally, courtesy of a Superman-attired waiter who is lifted through the crowd with a magnum of Dom Pérignon away from his body, arms outstretched, as if it's kryptonite. And it is. Only it isn't for you. You came with a hangover, and will undoubtedly acquire a new one well before 6 p.m. 

Felix

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7. Felix

Neighborhood: Soho
Address:
 340 West Broadway
Website: 
felixnyc.com/soho

There are those of us who can afford to jetset to the French Rivera anytime we have a craving for a Croque Madame—the rest of us go to Felix, where your typical French bistro becomes boisterous thanks to a killer DJ, and the pitchers of mojitos and sangria don't hurt either.

As expected, Felix has a mainly European clientele, which means any given Sunday the soccer fanatics take over the place, bringing a different sort of brunch energy. Think less rowdy chair-dancing, more rambunctious cheering. Also important to know, Felix only accepts AmEx or cash, because Europeans are like that.

Hop Devil Grill

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6. Hop Devil Grill

Neighborhood: East Village
Address:
 129 St. Marks Pl.
Website: 
hopdevil.com

For Sunday afternoon lushes who prefer beer over bubbly, Hop Devil Grill is the place to be. Unlike some of the other spots on this list, this East Village hop-haven doesn't have a DJ (or women in 5-inch heels), but it does have a fully stocked jukebox. Do it up!

Once you get your jam of choice rolling, dig into the $20 all-you-can-drink "beer-unch," where you can choose from any of the 24 draught beers and get down on some Tex-Mex fare, including the ever-appropriate "Hangover Destroyer," which pairs crispy pork with rice and refried beans. Wash away the heartburn with a half-dozen extra foamy pints of Dogfish Head. This is the life.

DUO Restaurant and Lounge

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5. Duo Restaurant & Lounge

Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address:
 72 Madison Ave.
Website: 
duonewyork.com

Duo is the new brunch on the block, the breakfast-brainchild of sisters Sabrina and Lorraine Belkin, who allegedly traveled the world trying to figure out the formula for the perfect brunch. The variables they discovered are glowing menus, cookies and cream-stuffed French toast, and a Sunday brunch party that arrives with the sunset at 7 p.m.

Duo's aesthetic—opulent chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling artwork—is reminiscent of Vegas, but the party is all New York. Two DJs turn an otherwise classy affair into rosé-fueled revelry with women in stiletto and red lipstick. Not our usual brunch garb, but we ain't mad at it.

Pranna

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4. Pranna

Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address:
 79 Madison Ave. # 2
Website: 
prannarestaurant.com

Pranna has dubbed their a.m. to p.m. party "Mad Ave Brunch" with just cause. For $28, the sprawling Southeast Asian restaurant offers guests three cocktails (either bellinis, screwdivers, mimosas, or Bloody Mary's) and a no-holds-barred dance party from 12-6 p.m.

And the best part? Pranna's brunch menu is actually awesome, with inspired reinventions of classic items like egg benedict that upgrade things with lobster and shrimp. You'll actually properly prepare your oft-ignored stomach for burning the midday-oil.

Ajna

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3. Ajna 

Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 25 Little West 12th St.
Website:
ajnabarnyc.com

This day and night brunch party (run by the famed Koch brothers) was once held in the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel. That is, until they were kicked out for soiling the hotel's classy reputation (with champagne spray and bodily fluids, most likely).

Now the brunch extravaganva has found a home in Ajna (the former Buddha bar), where the DJ pumps deep house and dubstep for trust fund babies and socialities who barely manage an eye twitch at the $200 fee for the fiesta. But it's a small price to pay for the perfect atmosphere for mistake-making and booty-shaking during normally tranquil afternoon hours.

PHD @Dream Hotel

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2. PH-D Rooftop Lounge at the Dream Hotel

Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address:
 355 West 16th St.
Website: 
dreamdowntown.com

Technically an after-brunch party, The Dream Hotel's Sunset Saturday starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. But you can expect to sleep heavily after—no on to the next one here.

PH-D's brunch, like several others on this list, is marked by an air of careless extravagance and Chanel No. 5. Then the beat drops and the sax player blares away and the champagne baths begin. The chairs and tables vanish; fists ascend. Unfortunately, a few of those fists may pump, but don't let that ruin your buzz.

PH-D's off-hour party attracts a star-studded clientele, and subsequently, sprawling lines, so the door can tough. Our advice? Plenty of red lipstick on your honey and a convincing "money to blow" attitude.

Lavo

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1. Lavo 

Neighborhood: Midtown East
Address:
 39 East 58th St.
Website: 
lavony.com

Subtlety may not be Lavo's forte; that's exactly the point. Lavo delivers the decadence you look for on a special night out during daytime hours with their ecstatic Champagne Brunch.

Inhibitions here are lost and never found again. They court the shitshow by having the waitstaff dress in everything from bikinis to stilts, putting on a show with smoke and sparklers anytime someone drops over a grand on a bottle of bubbly. Of course, it is ridiculous and pretentious, but it's an experience, and it's better than sitting in bed watching Saturday morning cartoons all day. Just an FYI, impromptu stroll-ins are not a good idea here: Reservations are clutch.

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