For those Sunday mornings when the only cure for your hangover is cheesy eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and a bit of hair of the dog, the last thing you want to do is shell out the big bucks. The bars may close at 4 a.m., but the alcohol starts flowing again at noon on Sundays, so keep your buzz alive on the cheap with endless mimosas and Bloody Marys at these all-you-can-drink brunch spots.
Essex
120 Essex St. (@ Rivington St.)
Lower East Side 212.533.9616
The hippest drunk brunch in Manhattan, it’s as if the party never stopped at this Lower East Side restaurant and bar. A cool $15 will score you one of the delicious and unusual items off their eclectic Latin American/Jewish menu (try the Mexican Matzo Brei) and three breakfast drinks. (Yes, only three, but believe us, no one’s counting.)
Tre
173 Ludlow St. (Houston & Stanton Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.353.3353
This sexy little Italian restaurant has romantic date night written all over it, but like a good lover, the suave vibes are just as inviting here the morning after. For $17, your Italian brunch dish comes with unlimited champagne drinks, and servers are quick to refill your flute—although you get cut off an hour and a half after you’re seated, so come thirsty.
Calle Ocho
446 Columbus Ave. (81st & 82nd Sts.)
Upper West Side 212.873.5025
The rarity of a $19, three-course Sunday jazz brunch with all-you-can-drink pitchers of sangria lures the post-fiesta crowds to this upscale Upper West Side restaurant. Traditional brunch staples like granola and pancakes are given an innovative Latin American twist with unexpected ingredients from fruits to spices that’ll keep you from passing out in your bread basket.
Intermezzo Chelsea
202 8th Ave. (20th & 21st Sts.)
Chelsea 212.929.3433
If you’re looking to get loaded, from noon to 4 p.m. on weekends the policy at this Chelsea restaurant is to never let your drink fall below half full. While the food is a la carte, a $12 flat fee will get you unlimited refills on any breakfast cocktail—try the peach-raspberry bellini to get your morning dose of Vitamin C.
Nero
46 Gansevoort St. (@ Greenwich St.)
West Village 212.675.5224
This is not your average brunch spot. The eggs Benedict are truffled, the ham imported, the pasta sauce homemade, and the mimosas, bellinis, Bloody Marys, and screwdrivers limitless—for only $19.95. Unlike the usual frantic yet slow-moving wait staff normally killing your buzz at overcrowded brunch spots, once you’re seated (and yes, it will take a while), expect impeccable service and quick refills to maximize your alcohol consumption during your two-hour slot.
The Sunburnt Cow
137 Ave. C (8th & 9th Sts.)
East Village 212.529.0005
Surfer dudes and investment bankers alike flock to this Aussie bistro for the $15 all-you-can-drink weekend brunch. Toss back some moo-mosas and chow down on beef and Vegemite in one of the East Village’s most unique backyards. But most unique of all—when you finish your food, the manager will bring you a shot with your check and guide you over to the bar where you can continue to drink the afternoon away—for free. Linger too long and you might be calling in “sick” on Monday.
