The Best Pancakes in NYC

As an avid fan of pancakes, I’ve spent my first two years living in New York City tracking down all the best pancakes around the city. I’ve tried more than 40 different spots and am consolidating my favorite pancake recommendations for you!

I once saw a comment on a video that said something along the lines of “New York City is not known for its pancakes.” Honestly, I think this is changing–tons of brunch places have great pancake offerings.

While a lot of the offerings are your more typical buttermilk pancakes, there’s also a ton of variety. I’ve tried variations of ricotta pancakes, baked pancakes, oat griddle cakes, sourdough pancakes, fried pancakes, Japanese souffle pancakes and more.

Here’s my list of notable pancakes so far (and I will keep updating this list as I continue to try more). A full spreadsheet tracking all the pancakes I’ve tried so far is at the bottom of the post!

Honorable mentions

Golden Diner (Two Bridges)

A lot of people claim the Golden Diner pancakes as their BEST pancakes in NYC. While I do think the thick and fluffy pancakes and honey maple butter are special, these weren’t my personal favorite. The texture is slightly thicker and spongier than I prefer and the syrup got a little cloying for me after a few bites. They are still delicious and absolutely worth a try, just not in my personal top 10. [Editing to say I’ve eaten them twice recently and I’m increasing my personal score–they’re now my 12th favorite pancake in NYC. The texture hot off the griddle is INCREDIBLE.]

The rest of their menu is also great to explore (the breakfast burrito is enormous and stuffed with hash browns). Also love that they serve brunch all day every day until 5pm!

Flippers (Soho)

Japanese souffle pancakes almost belong in a category of their own with their uniquely fluffy, airy texture. I really liked the light-as-air renditions at Flippers with all kinds of creative toppings. We enjoyed the delicate flavors of matcha pancake and the creamy fluffiness of the plain Flipper’s souffle pancake (I didn’t try the regular “J.S. Pancakes”).

Lots of other savory brunch options here as well! They can get busy on weekends, so I’d recommend going on a weekday if possible.

The Dutch (Soho)

While I generally think the brunch here is overpriced, I did really enjoy their thick, airy, slightly gritty cornmeal flapjacks. I don’t think these would be everyone’s cup of tea (and they tasted a smidge too heavy on the baking soda), but I’m a sucker for a cornmeal pancake that’s giving cornbread vibes.

NoMo Kitchen (Soho)

These fluffy, picturesque little lemon ricotta pancakes served in the NoMo Hotel restaurant are unlike any ricotta pancake I’ve had before. Cooked in neat rings, these are nicely crisp on the edges with a moist, honeycomb-like airy structure inside. These come with a ricotta sauce smeared underneath the pancakes along with berries, candied pistachios and syrup for a true symphony of textures.

My Top 10 Favorite Pancakes in NYC

To preface my top 10 picks: I tried to curate a top 10 that have a mix of more traditional pancakes along with some unique picks. You’ll see I have a definite preference for thicker pancakes with crisp edges and a cakey middle.

While I’ve enjoyed a majority of the pancakes I’ve tried, these are the ones that stick out as particularly unique and crave-able to me.

10. Fossetta (Lower East Side)

This all-day brunch cafe is something I’d love to see more of in NYC. We tried their mushroom polenta, ricotta and hot honey focaccia (delicious!) and the Fossetta pancake with apple butter and maple syrup. The crust developed from what I can only assume is an oven-baked pancake stands in perfect contrast to the steamy, fluffy middle.

I loved the accompaniments of butter, syrup, powdered sugar plus the slightly acidic apple butter to cut the richness of the pancake. If you love a thick pancake that’s nearly verging on cake, this is the one to try! 9/10

9. Clinton Street Baking Company (Lower East Side)

Clinton Street’s reputation for pancakes precedes itself for a reason. Their pancakes are consistent and delicious! They’re perfectly fluffy with distinct, crisp edges and a good buttermilk flavor. This is the spot to go if you’re looking for creative pancake toppings on very solid pancakes.

I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve tried from their wide and varied menu. They can get quite busy for weekend brunch, so I recommend making a reservation or going at an off hour. 9/10

8. S&P Lunch (Flatiron)

I had low expectations for these pancakes when they arrived to the table (no sign of crispy edges and thinner than I prefer). However, they were piping hot and full of flavor! They were so tangy that I inquired if there’s sourdough in the batter–the answer was no.

Overall, the thin, squishy, moist texture makes for a really satisfying forkful. I couldn’t stop eating these–a sleeper hit for me! 9/10

7. Leo (Williamsburg)

This pancake looks unassuming, but has the same kind of fluffy cakiness that I love about the Cafe Luluc pancakes (though they are denser/closer-crumbed than Cafe Luluc). Served with a pat of salted butter and Runamok maple syrup, these are classic, delicious, and I couldn’t stop eating them (we cleared the plate!).

6. Vinegar Hill House (Dumbo)

This cast-iron baked sourdough pancake is one of the most unique pancakes I’ve found in New York City. The center is absolutely custardy with a doughy consistency that reminds me of a clafoutis or a thick Dutch baby. It comes with a pat of butter that melts into the steaming hot pancake and in a pool of syrup with flaky salt.

It’s an explosion of flavors (rich syrup, tangy pancake, salt and butter) and textures (crisp edges! Doughy middle!). I also love that they switch out seasonal fruit in the pancake (I’ve tried apple and blueberry). I’ve found the NYT recipe hard to nail consistently but when done right, it’s a triumphant, nearly identical dupe to the restaurant. 9.5/10

5. La Bergamote (Chelsea)

This delicate, unassuming stack is one of Chelsea’s hidden gems. Although I love a thick pancake, these relatively thin ricotta pancakes have the perfect level of fluff and lightness that almost melt in your mouth. With delicate crisp edges, these hit all the notes of my ideal pancake.

Unlike Nomo Kitchen, the ricotta in these is undetectable–they feel like a typical buttermilk pancake, but perhaps lighter. Berries and syrup are the perfect touch, and you won’t leave feeling over-stuffed from these.

This French cafe/bakery also has a wide array of fun pastries and a trim breakfast menu (including the pancakes) available on weekdays! 9.6/10

4. Breakfast by Salt’s Cure (West Village/Carroll Gardens)

These oatmeal flapjacks aren’t considered true pancakes by some, but I think they’re too good to omit. The texture is almost as if cooked oatmeal was thrown on a griddle and cooked until just set on the outside, leaving a custardy interior. The pancake itself is so sweet that it doesn’t need syrup and accordingly is served with just cinnamon molasses butter.

While not classic pancakes by any means, these made it to #3 on my list because I crave them frequently. They offer 5 flavors: plain, apple, chocolate, banana nut and blueberry. The line (at least at the West Village location) can be dreadfully long on weekends. Highly recommend going on a weekday if you can! 9.6/10

3. Frenchette (Tribeca)

This thick, well-salted, well-done pancake is the picture of decadence. You’ll wonder if they meant to take the nearly-burnt bottom of the pancake that far–and yes, they did. The aggressive level of salt may be excessive to some, but I loved it. Texturally, the crisp exterior is a lovely contrast against the dense, moist, almost mochi-like texture of the interior.

The pancake does come already soaked in syrup which may turn some off–I think it’s perfect. It’s on the pricier side and set in a slightly more formal atmosphere, but I think it’s worth a visit! 9.7/10

2. Cafe Luluc (Cobble Hill)

This is my platonic ideal of a pancake stack. They’re medium-thick with an airy, spongy yet cakey crumb and a slight crisp around the rims of the pancakes. The lightly sweet buttermilk flavor is the perfect base for the assortment of berries and bananas on top. They absorb syrup well and to me, these strike the perfect balance of flavorful, classic and fluffy. I also love the wide array of other options on their menu. Note that they are cash only!

I’m giving these my #1 spot because when I want a classic pancake stack, this is exactly what I picture. It’s not overly decadent–this is a stack I could eat often, and one that I often crave. 9.8/10

1. Chez Ma Tante (Greenpoint)

These are my dream pancakes–fried in ghee until shatteringly crisp on the edges with cakey centers, drenched in syrup and topped with generous rounds of butter. I do find the pancakes to be a bit inconsistent (I’ve been at least 6 times)–sometimes they can get a little too crispy and become airy in the center rather than cakey.

If you can’t make it to NYC to try these, I find their pancake recipe to be very good replicas (I add another ~1/4 cup of flour to get the right consistency and don’t skip on the ghee!)

Full Pancake Rankings

This spreadsheet tracks every single pancake I’ve tried in NYC. Here is a rough idea of how I score each pancakes:

• 9.5+: Quite unique or special; I routinely crave these
• 8.5+: Very high quality; would recommend these to anyone and I crave them occasionally
• 7.0+: Objectively good, but I don’t crave them often
• 6.0+: Would eat again, might take someone here
• 5.0+: Would eat again, but wouldn’t go out of my way
• 4.9 or below: Would not recommend