Flippin’ Delicious! We Found The Best Pancakes in NYC

For a Malted Twist in Hipster Central: Sunday in Brooklyn

Don’t even think about trying to head here without a reservation. (We stopped by one weekend afternoon and the wait was about two hours.) But clearly, Sunday in Brooklyn—not too far from the brand new Domino Park—is doing something right. In addition to elevated breakfast and lunch foods, the restaurant serves its famous malted pancakes with hazelnut maple praline, and brown butter. They’re rich, an unexpected but delicious taste sensation, and super fluffy. 

Sunday in Brooklyn
348 Wythe Ave. 
347-222-6722
Williamsburg
Online: sundayinbrooklyn.com

For a Gluten-Free Pancake in Times Square: Friedman’s at The Edison

You heard us right. Friedman’s at The Edison Hotel will prepare its celebrated pancakes gluten-free. (In fact, they can do the same for 99 percent of their menu, and they even mark them with a little sign saying so!) Choose from blueberry, lemon ricotta, or buckwheat banana walnut. Good to know: Friedman’s serves breakfast all day, and has also mastered kid faves like mac and cheese. 

Friedman’s at The Edison Hotel
228 West 47th St.
646-876-1232
Online: friedmansrestaurant.com

For Over-the-Top Pancakes in Midtown or Astoria

If you like your pancakes a little extra with a side of kitsch, head to Mom’s Kitchen and Bar. You can get brunch all day here, including the Bedrock Pancakes (with Fruity Pebbles, mixed berries, berry syrup and whipped cream, shown here), mac and cheese pancakes or apple cobbler pancakes. Come for the comfort food, stay for the impressive collection of vintage lunchboxes! 

Mom’s Kitchen & Bar Midtown
701 Ninth Ave. 
Midtown
646-657-00809
Online: momsmidtown.com

Mom’s Kitchen & Bar Astoria
33-01 31st Ave. at 33rd St.
Astoria
718-267-0142
Online: momsastoria.com

For the Fluffiest Pancake: Bubby’s

If you like your pancakes light and fluffy, you will love Bubby’s. Adapted from a James Beard recipe, Bubby’s uses sour cream instead of milk to get the perfect amount of fluffiness. They also serve sourdough and buckwheat versions and sometimes offer Johnny cakes, pancakes made from cornmeal. Little ones have the option of ordering silver dollar pancakes off the kid’s menu, but most eat right off the regular menu, usually opting for blueberry.

120 Hudson St. Tribeca
212-219-0666
Online: bubbys.com

For The Organic Pancake Served at Chelsea Market: Creamline

At this fast casual eatery tucked into the hustle and bustle of Chelsea Market, you can indulge in any menu item guilt-free thanks to the commitment to using sustainable, locally-sourced ingredients in every dish. Take the Buttermilk pancakes: They’re made with fresh Farmer Ground Flour and griddled to crispy and fluffy fabulousness. They’re served with Catskills Provisions maple syrup and a choice of organic banana, blueberries or chocolate chips. Farm to Tray? Count us in.

Two Manhattan locations:

Creamline
Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Ave.
Chelsea
646-410-2040
Online: creamlinenyc.com

180 7th Avenue
Chelsea
212-727-2315

For the Almond Milk Pancake served in a grown-up setting: Dante

Since 1915, Dante has delighted guests with its sophisticated European ambience and feeling that you could linger all day over a delicious latte. The food at this Italian-Australian café that’s a quintessential part of the West Village is equally appealing and the almond milk pancake with seasonal berries and cinnamon maple syrup—served in its own cast-iron skillet—is sure to please any discerning kiddie taster. Best of all weekend brunch starts here at 10 AM when most locals are still sleeping so grab an outdoor table!

Dante
79-81 Macdougal St.
West Village
212-982-5275
Online: dante-nyc.com

For the Pancake Like Grandma Makes: Good Enough To Eat

A popular spot on the Upper West Side, Good Enough to Eat serves pancakes just like Grandma makes, and they’re so pretty, they are good enough to eat. Made from their four grain oatmeal pancake mixture, flavors include: apple, banana walnut, Belgium chocolate and coconut, fruit, and traditional. Oh, they also serve an amazing strawberry butter on the side to add a little more yumminess to the mix.

Good Enough to Eat
520 Columbus Ave. & 85^th St. Upper West Side
212-496-0163
Online: goodenoughtoeat.com

For the Mac & Cheese Pancake: Shopsin’s

Pancakes get all kinds of crazy at this Essex Market outpost of the legendary Greenwich Village diner, now no longer. The variations run from enticing (peach melba, and lemon ricotta blueberry) to pushing the envelope, such as the iconic “slutty cakes”, which come stuffed with peanut butter. And yes, another fan favorite is the Mac & Cheese pancake, which you can get solo or mashed up with some other brunchy item. (Be forewarned, the restaurant’s menu is famously very, very extensive and they’re closed Monday and Tuesday.) 

Shopsin’s 
Essex Market stall #8
Lower East Side 
Online: shopsins.com

For the Award-Winning Blueberry Pancake: Clinton Street Baking Company

Famous for blueberry pancakes and long lines, Clinton St. Baking Company is definitely worth the wait. Still, pancakes are served in the evening as well, so consider stopping in right at 5 p.m. when they open for dinner. Made with a whole lot of love and even more butter, these pancakes are more than a meal – they’re a work of art. Topped with their addictive signature maple butter, besides blueberry, they offer banana-walnut and chocolate chunk, and during pancake month in February, they offer a different flavor every day. And if your little ones can’t get enough at the restaurant, you can make them at home as the recipe is featured in the Clinton St. Baking Company’s award-winning cookbook.

Clinton St. Baking Company
4 Clinton St.
Lower East Side
646-602-6263
Online: clintonstreetbaking.com

For the Italian Pancake Served Among Flowers and Trees: Olio e Piu

At this West Village trattoria, your mood will lift as soon as you see the space, filled as it is with flowers and plants bedecking both the interior and exterior patio. Your kids will thrill at the sight of the café’s variety of Frittella Di Olio, an Italian staple of olive oil pancakes, that are rich but not too sweet. Our fave: the Fritella Botanica served with blueberry compote, lemon ricotta, maple syrup and lemon olive oil, though the Fritella Banana, with candied walnuts and bananas, doesn’t disappoint either. PS: Pancakes are available daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so you don’t even have to wait ‘til the weekend to indulge!

Olio E Piu
3 Greenwich Ave.
Greenwich Village
212.243.6546
Online: olioepiu.nyc

For a Local Favorite and Tons of Charm: Tom’s

Helping give Brooklyn the title of best pancakes in New York City, Tom’s is a popular joint with many locals claiming the pancakes are not only the best in the city, but also the best on the planet. Offerings include: lemon ricotta, silver dollar and chocolate chip. Like any Saturday or Sunday, the lines are long, but you won’t go hungry as they keep you fed while waiting. Don’t eat too much as you need to save room for the pancakes. This is another cash only spot, so don’t forget to hit the ATM. Can’t deal with long lines? Make a special mid-week pancake date with your kids.

Tom’s
782 Washington Ave.
Crown Heights
718-636-9738

For The Donut Pancake: Cafe Luluc

In a little French bistro on a crowded street in Cobble Hill you will find some of the best pancakes in Brooklyn. More like a donut than a pancake, these round, floppy circles of perfection sprinkled with powdered sugar are only served with real maple syrup. During the weekend brunch hours there’s obviously a reason you’ll see a plate of pancakes on every table – they’re that good. This cash-only spot can get packed, so go pre-10 a.m. before the traditional brunch crowd gets there. You’re up early anyway, right? If your kids are on the louder side, never fear, they have outdoor seating in a lovely back garden as well.

Café Luluc
214 Smith St. (between Butler and Baltic St.)
Cobble Hill
718-625-3815
Online: cafeluluc.com