Having been a dedicated weekend bruncher for the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to experience various tiers of NYC brunch. There’s the all-you-can-drink brunch at questionable venues - geared toward eager NYU students - where the menu is most certainly an afterthought. There’s the mid-level brunch, where the food is thoughtfully prepared but nothing to write home about. There’s the cult brunch, like at Buvette and Joseph Leonard, where the food is fantastic, but it’s so painfully crowded that they hand you the check as soon as the drop of coffee hits your throat. But then, as I learned last weekend, there are places like Lafayette.
Lafayette belongs to the restaurant empire of Andrew Carmellini, which includes The Dutch, Bar Primi and Locanda Verde. Located on the chic corner of Lafayette and Great Jones Streets in NoHo, the expansive restaurant is modeled in the classic French bistro style that I love so, so much. As you walk in and pull back the heavy blue velvet curtain, you are greeted by the bakery section with proudly displayed croissants, danishes, baguettes, country breads, and macarons. Beyond, there is a large dining room separated into different sections. The high, industrial-style ceilings coupled with brown leather seating and soft yellow light give Lafayette a warm and sophisticated atmosphere. It’s clear how much thought went into every detail of the restaurant, which makes spending time there feel special.
One major detail to note about Lafayette is that they accept reservations for brunch. This is practically unheard of in New York. Most of the swanky places only accept reservations for parties of six or more, otherwise the wait is often up to one hour, which borders on inhumane. I love that Lafayette gives customers the courtesy of planning ahead and being seated upon arrival.
The brunch menu consists of lunch classics à la française, including domestic and imported French cheeses, elegantly prepared seasonal vegetables, and egg dishes. (FYI, their viennoseries basket has become infamous since the restaurant’s opening a few years ago.) I ordered the frisée salad, which was enveloped in a mustardy dressing and housed chunks of crackling hot, house-cured bacon and the softest poached egg I’ve ever had, which melted right into the lettuce upon breaking. As far as salads go, this one was a game-changer - I am so remaking it at home.
I knew I couldn’t leave without trying something from the bakery so I went with the almond croissant. It had a crunchy crust dusted with granulated sugar and slivered almonds, and a heavenly, sweet almond paste inside - worth all four of the dollars I spent on it.
A perfect stack of lemon pancakes with a fresh berry compote for Rene
Aside from great food, it felt really nice to be at this place and we did not want to leave. The price point at Lafayette is definitely higher than some of the other brunches we’re used to, but the attention to detail, thoughtful service and overall great execution are totally worth it.
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