Best Brunch in New Haven, CT [Updated 2024]
Everyone loves breakfast food, which is why brunch has become so popular in recent years. But are there any good brunch restaurants in New Haven? I decided to try some of the most popular brunch spots in the area to find out.
While putting together this list, I quickly realized that most of the information available online was either outdated or unreliable. That’s why I made sure all the restaurants mentioned in this article actually serve brunch. So with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best places to eat brunch in New Haven, CT.
Best New Haven Brunch Spots
1. Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar
The Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar is one of the best brunch spots in New Haven. This classic New York steakhouse is the only restaurant in southern Connecticut to utilize skillet cooking, which adds some serious flavor to all their dishes.
The family-style brunch here costs $60 a person, but it’s all-you-can-eat for 2 hours. The menu features dishes like cinnamon rolls, homemade sausage, buttermilk biscuits, pancakes, salad, and steak & eggs. They have bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas as well. Just know that the Cast Iron Chef only serves brunch on Sundays from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.
- Location: 660 State St, New Haven, CT
2. Heirloom
Heirloom is another popular place to get brunch in New Haven. You can find this modern American restaurant inside the Study at Yale, which is a boutique hotel on Chapel Street. The food here is excellent and reasonably priced for its quality.
The brunch options at Heirloom include eggs benedict, avocado toast, smoked salmon, buttermilk pancakes, and bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches. Heirloom only serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm, however, you can eat breakfast here every day of the week from 7 am to 11 am.
- Location: 1157 Chapel St, New Haven, CT
3. Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill
Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill is a highly-acclaimed New Haven restaurant that serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday (from 11 am to 3 pm). They offer both indoor and outdoor dining, so you’re able to enjoy your brunch in a relaxed atmosphere.
The brunch menu at Geronimo features southwestern favorites, like huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, steak & eggs, and house-mead chorizo (pork sausage). They have a couple of brunch cocktails as well. If you decide to eat here, I highly recommend you try the huevos rancheros.
- Location: 271 Crown St, New Haven, CT
4. South Bay Mediterranean Kitchen
South Bay Mediterranean Kitchen offers one of the more affordable New Haven brunches. They focus on seafood dishes and offer a two-course prix fixe brunch menu for $24 a person, which is a great deal. But you can also order breakfast items a la carte if you prefer.
Some of the more notable brunch options include Sicilian calamari, lobster eggs benedict, crab cakes, sausage cavatelli, and seafood risotto. You can find this fine dining restaurant directly across the street from the Crown Street Garage.
- Location: 228 College St, New Haven, CT
5. Pacifico
Located right next door to the South Bay Mediterranean Kitchen is another one of the top brunches in New Haven. Pacifico is a Latin-themed seafood restaurant that also offers an affordable Sunday brunch.
The two-course brunch menu at Pacifico is only $19.95 per person and includes brunch dishes like poached eggs benedict, sausage & eggs, smoked salmon, and veggie quesadillas.
- Location: 220 College St, New Haven, CT
6. Pistachio Cafe
The Pistachio Cafe is another top brunch restaurant in New Haven. This modern cafe’s specialty is exotic coffees, but it also has a solid brunch menu. Their menu offers a variety of breakfast items, like omelets, paninis, croissants, waffles, and wraps. I always order the double chocolate Belgian waffles.
They have a really good smoked salmon tartine too. Brunch is served at the Pistachio cafe from 8:30 am to 3 pm during the week, but they extend their hours to 5 pm on the weekend. You can them in Westville near the edge of New Haven.
- Location: 911 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT
7. Oak Haven Table & Bar
Oak Haven Table & Bar is one more New Haven brunch spot. This classy gastropub serves fresh and seasonal dishes in the heart of New Haven. It’s also one of the restaurants that host brunch on Sundays (from 10 am to 3 pm).
The brunch spot has a solid menu of breakfast classics. Some of the best dishes include bourbon French toast, Cinnabon, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, breakfast risotto, and shrimp & grits.
- Location: 932 State St, New Haven, CT
8. Bella’s Cafe
Bella’s Cafe is located right next to the Pistacio Cafe. You can order all-day breakfast at Bella’s any day of the week, but they have a separate brunch menu on the weekend.
Some of the top dishes on the brunch menu include omelets, poached eggs benedict, red velvet pancakes, apple fritters, and tres leches French toast. Bella’s Cafe is open for business from 8 am to 2 pm, but is closed on Mondays.
- Location: 896 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT
9. John Davenport’s Restaurant
John Davenport’s Restaurant can be found on the 19th floor of the Omni Hotel. This brunch spot has an amazing view, which overlooks Yale and the Green. They serve breakfast and brunch daily from 6 am to 12 pm.
A few notable items on the brunch menu include smoked salmon, omelets, yogurt parfaits, corned beef hash, housemade granola, English muffins, and buttermilk pancakes. The country-style sausage links are tasty as well.
- Location: 155 Temple St, New Haven, CT
10. Cedarhurst Cafe
Cedarhurst Cafe is another brunch place in New Haven that offers all-day breakfast. This American-style restaurant sources all of its ingredients locally, in order to ensure freshness. They also have a good amount of vegetarian and gluten-free options.
This is more of a casual restaurant than a fine dining establishment, but they have a solid selection of cuisines. You can order avocado toast, fruit bowls, oatmeal, Belgian waffles, egg sandwiches, vegan muffins, chicken wraps, and croissants to name a few dishes.
- Location: 44 Crown St, New Haven, CT
11. Atticus Bookstore Cafe
Atticus Bookstore Cafe is another one of New Haven’s top brunch spots. This long-standing cafe has two locations in New Haven, one at the Yale British Art Museum and one the in the East Rock neighborhood. It’s not your typical sit-down restaurant, but the service is fast and the food is pretty good.
Breakfast and brunch items are served all day at the Atticus Bookstore Cafe. The menu features dishes like egg sandwiches, chocolate croissants, fruit cups, grain bowls, breakfast BLTs, cheese danishes, cinnamon buns, and coffee. The cafe is open from 8 am to 7 pm daily.
- Location: 1082 Chapel St, New Haven, CT
12. Villa Lulu
Villa Lulu is a New Haven brunch restaurant found on restaurant row in downtown New Haven. This place has delicious food and a very friendly staff.
The brunch menu here features Italian cuisines like Polpette al Sugo (sausage meatballs, marinara, parmesan), calamari, steak & eggs, eggs benedict, and roasted potatoes. Villa Lulu only serves brunch on the weekend from 11:30 am to 3 pm (Saturday and Sunday).
- Location: 230 College St, New Haven, CT
13. Atelier Florian
Atelier Florian is a high-end seafood restaurant in New Haven, that also happens to have a top-tier brunch. You can find this eatery near the Yale University Art Gallery.
A few of the standout dishes featured on the brunch menu include the turkey BLT wrap, open-face steak sandwich, chef’s omelet, and chicken & waffles. There are so many good dishes on the menu, that you’re guaranteed to come back for more next weekend. Brunch is served at Atelier Florian on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm.
- Location: 1166 Chapel St, New Haven, CT
14. The Breakfast Nook
This final brunch spot is actually located in North Haven, but it’s only 15-minutes from the city so I included it anyways. The Breakfast Nook is a classic American diner that serves all of your brunch favorites.
You can order eggs your way, omelets, jumbo muffins, home-style pancakes, waffles, French toast, and hash browns. Plus, they have an extensive selection of breakfast burritos made to order. I recommend the meat lovers burrito made with sausage, bacon, kielbasa, and cheddar cheese.
- Location: 565 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT
Map of Brunch New Haven, CT
If you’re looking for brunch New Haven, check out the map below. All of the top restaurants in New Haven that serve brunch can be found on the map, plus a few additional brunch restaurants near New Haven.
Brunch Restaurants in New Haven, Connecticut – Final Thoughts
Some of CT’s best brunch spots are found in New Haven and the nearby cities. Just know that most of these brunch restaurants only serve brunch on the weekend, although, there are some places that still offer it during the week.
If looking for a new spot to eat breakfast during the week, I recommend that you check out the article I wrote about the best places to eat breakfast in New Haven, CT.
