New York’s best pancakes

Brunch in NYC is a favorite weekend meal for couples, families, friends and visitors. And while it’s possible to eat everything from Chinese dim sum to lobster eggs benedict or even carbonara pizza for brunch in NYC, a great plate of pancakes is one of our all time favorite brunch comfort foods. Here are our picks for some of the best pancakes in NYC right now: Maialino: Ricotta pancakes Maialino at the Gramercy Hotel may be best known for its namesake Maialino al Forno (Roast Suckling Pig), Porchetta Sandwich and Tonnarelli a Cacio e Pepe, but it also serves our favorite ricotta pancakes in the city. The fruit accompaniment changes seasonally; currently it comes with rhubarb and maple syrup. A bonus is that Maialino has great espresso and cappuccino, courtesy of Counter Culture coffee. Prune: Baked pancakes Prune Restaurant is a stone’s throw from Clinton Street Baking Company, which is supposed to have some of the city’s best pancakes, but I’ve never found that to be the case. Prune can also have a long wait, so get there early on weekends to enjoy the Dutch Style Pancake, which is huge and cake-like, served with blueberries sour cream and powdered sugar as well as Candian bacon. Yum! Fishtag: Ricotta pancakes New York’s Upper West Side is surprisingly lacking when it comes to good, reasonably priced restaurants, but Fishtag is a hidden gem and convenient for a pre or post visit to the Museum of Natural History. This upscale wine bar restaurant from Chef Michael Psilakis offers some nice Greek inflected twists on traditional brunch fare, such as Eggs a la Kosta with poached eggs, brioche, wilted spinach and lobster avgolemono; a tasty Lamb Burger with whipped feta cheese; and one of the best pancake deals in town, Ricotta Pancakes with honey butter, fruit compote and maple syrup. Cafe Katja: Cheese blintzes Cafe Katja is best known for its hearty Austrian fare, such as Wiener Schnitzel, Beef Goulash with Spaetzle, and and Emmenthaler Sausage with Quark Dumplings. But brunch is fantastic as well, especially ever since the cafe expanded and offers more space with plenty of natural light. Cheese blintzes are the best we’ve sampled in the city, and served with a generous dollop of sour cream as well as homemade jam. The Spotted Pig: Dutch Baby with bacon and maple syrup The Spotted Pig, NYC’s take on a gastropub, is notoriously popular and doesn’t take reservations, so if you don’t like crowds and can’t stand to wait in line this isn’t your place–you have been warned. If you go, try to get there early, before it opens at 11am on weekends, to minimize the wait. The Spotted Pig is, however, one of the few places in the city to get a true “Dutch Baby” puffed oven baked pancake–something like a cross between a Yorkshire Pudding and a crepe. It’s the perfect brunch choice when you want something sweet but with a savory touch, since it comes with bacon and maple syrup. What are your favorite places for pancakes in NYC? Hilary Stockton is the CEO at TravelSort. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.