Twelve Choice Spots to Take Mom for Brunch This Sunday

We’d venture to guess your mom’s done a lot for you in this life.

Birthed you, at the very least.

And it’s for that reason why you should make this Sunday much more enjoyable than her average Sunday. 

A few ideas: take her to a French brunch on the waterfront where she’ll leave with a bottle of Hermès perfume, or on an unlimited mimosa-fueled brunch cruise, or for Prosecco and French toast with some live jazz. (Yeah, we’ve given it some thought, and brunch is the move.) 

You’ll find more on all those options, and hell, a few more options, below.

She Requires: Something on or near the water that involves a fully stocked, really rather extensive buffet.
She’ll Receive: This afternoon cruise around the Hudson, with Prosecco and flowers on the table, a farm-to-table style buffet and unlimited mimosas.

12pm, $82, Hudson’s at Pier 81, 12th Ave & W 41st St, 212-630-8840

She Requires: An elegant option on the UES with a French vibe, good food and ample pastries.
She’ll Receive: A prix-fixe brunch at Vaucluse: lobster benedict on house-made brioche, vanilla bean danishes and all. 

$75, Vaucluse, 100 E 63rd St (at Park Ave), 646-869-2300 

She Requires: Izakaya-style eats under a ceiling covered in thousands of cherry blossoms. 
She’ll Receive: Pink bellinis made with pear, Sakura syrup and prosecco at Midtown’s Zuma, which currently looks like a bonafide indoor garden. 

Zuma, 261 Madison Ave (between E 38th and E 39th), 212-544-9862

She Requires: A trip to Fort Greene for prosciutto-burrata-truffle benedicts from by a Daniel alum and Shakespearian brunch cocktails.
She’ll Receive: Brunch at the Brooklyn charmer Evelina, where brioche French toast comes topped with charred peach and paired with Three Witches (gin, campari, Prosecco, pressed lemon). Afterwards, a walk in Fort Greene Park right across the street seems very much in order.

Evelina, 211 Dekalb Ave (at Adelphi St), 929-298-0209

She Requires: Two words: Pacman dumplings. 
She’ll Receive: Brunch at this modern Chinese spot in the West Village. And yeah, the place has a sense of creativity/humor—with things like Katz’s pastrami egg rolls and Pac Man shrimp dumplings on the menu. 

RedFarm, 529 Hudson St (at Charles), 212-792-9700

She Requires: Flowers. Flowers. Southern-style banana pudding. More flowers. 
She’ll Receive: An unlimited buffet sort of deal at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Palm House, where you can share fried chicken and banana pudding before taking a walk in the gardens. Which sounds entirely pleasant and appropriate.

$69, Palm House at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave, 718-307-7132

She Requires: A table full of Mediterranean mezze. (…followed by some shopping in Soho.)
She’ll Receive: A trip to Shuka: the Eastern Mediterranean-inspired spot in Soho that’s got a special brunch on offer this Sunday involving turkish-style scrambled eggs, shakshuka and poppyseed coffee cake with cardamon-lemon glaze. We will leave part 2 of her request up to you.

Shuka, 38 MacDougal St (between Houston and Prince), 212-475-7500

She Requires: Bubbly. Lots and lots of bubbly.
She’ll Receive: A chill East Village sidewalk brunch fueled $25 bottles of Prosecco to pair with fresh raspberry-topped oatmeal-buttermilk pancakes.

Boulton & Watt, 5 Avenue A (at E Houston), 646-490-6004

She Requires: Live jazz, good views and sangria.
She’ll Receive: Brunch up on the scenic rooftop at Sanctuary Hotel, where they’re doing a three-course prix-fixe with Prosecco, salmon Benedicts and chocolate mousse, and the background music to go with it.

11am—3pm, $39, Haven Rooftop at Sanctuary Hotel, 132 W 47th St (between 6th and 7th), 212-466-9000

She Requires: A full-on trip to the Hamptons.
She’ll Receive: Should you go this route, best secure your spots for brunch at the gorgeous Calissa—it’s their first weekend open for the season, and they’ll have a DIY “Mom-osa” Bar (ha) with fresh fruit and juices, in addition to lobster buccatini and lamb BLTs on rosemary foccacia.

Calissa, 1020 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, 631-500-9292

She Requires: A pseudo trip to St. Tropez.
She’ll Receive: A special Mother’s Day brunch at the Francophile-approved St. Tropez, with rosé from the South of France, mushroom flatbreads with truffle oil and ratatouille benedicts.

St. Tropez Wine Bar, 304 W 4th St (at Bank St), 917-388-3893

She Requires: Bloody Marys with killer views of the water in Battery Park.
She’ll Receive: Pastries, steak benedicts and nutella-strawberry crepes at Le District. Oh, and Beaubourg has partnered with Hermès, so she’ll be leaving with a bottle of complimentary perfume, too.

$42, Beaubourg at Le District, 225 Liberty St (at South End Ave), 212-981-8589