Where to get Easter brunch in NYC this year

Menu: For its first-ever Easter celebration, Maison Passerelle is serving up a seasonal selection for lunch. Starting at 11am, the three-course prix fixe starts with cream of leek soup or an asparagus salad, followed by slow-cooked salmon or roasted lamb saddle. For a sweet finish, look no further than the coconut passion fruit pavlova. A curated Champagne and wine selection will also be available. 

Why you should book: New York got that much more glamorous with the arrival of the Parisian department store, Printemps. The collection of restaurants, bars, and a cafe inside, overseen by "Top Chef" Gregory Gourdet, only added to the glitter of it all. Maison Passerelle, his fine-dining concept, reflects France's far-reaching colonial influence, resulting in a menu ranging from salt cod fish fritters from the Caribbean to coffee-rubbed steak frites that carry a Creole connotation. Oh, and it all goes down in a stunningly gorgeous dining room that needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. 

Price: $75 per person

Menu: Nubeluz will be offering its signature High Tea experience all Easter weekend, from April 4 to April 5, from 11am to 3pm. Silver tiered trays will carry a selection of sweet and savory somethings, including sour cherry scones, raspberry rose madeleines and spring pea quiches. Naturally, it all comes with a spot of traditional tea service. Of course, it is always possible to up the elegance the Andrés way, with bumps of caviar and Champagne bottle service.

Why should you book? Nubeluz serves as José Andrés' jewel box in the sky. Living high on the 50th floor of the Nomad's Ritz-Carlton, the bar glitters all on its own with emerald walls and rose colored couches. And the view? It truly is out of this world. 

Price: $160 per adult and $100 per child

Menu: More of a dinner destination, Cecchi’s will open its doors for lunch in celebration of Easter, with an à la carte menu highlighting signature dishes alongside seasonal midday favorites: brioche French toast with mixed-berry compote, jumbo shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon toast and a roast pork sandwich with broccolini and Welsh cheddar. Plus, there's an all-day grilled lamb chop special with a parsnip purée. 

Why you should book: It takes a lot of work to make things easy. A good maître d' will do it, and Michael Cecchi-Azzolina of Cecchi's—who manned Minetta Tavern, Raoul’s and Le Coucou before opening this modern take on a New York bar and grill—is definitely one.

Price: À la carte prices range from $19 to $45

Menu: Daniel Boulud's Le Pavillon will be open for lunch and dinner on Easter. The lunchtime three-course prix-fixe follows with red snapper bouillabaisse with seared bay scallop and saffron potato and grilled Wagyu flatiron steak with thumbelina carrot, king trumpet mushroom and sauce rôtissoire. But if you can't swing a visit to this enchanted forest until the evening, you'll still be rewarded all the same with Maine lobster raviolo and New England scallops with artichoke barigoule and seared little gem.

Why you should book: Daniel Boulud's Le Pavillon is a French oasis in the sky. We mean that, quite literally, the inside is home to 10,000 pounds of lush black olive trees. At his stunning, Michelin-starred revue in midtown, you can expect seafood-heavy dishes and everything seasonal, attuned to the ways of French cuisine.

Price: Brunch $95; Dinner $145

Menu: Both locations of Estiatorio Milos are hosting a full-on feast for Easter. Starting with red-dyed eggs and magiritsa, a classic Greek Easter soup, starters continue on with mezzes of tzatziki, cheeses and olives for the nibbling. But the pièce de résistance has to go to the roasted spring lamb. The midtown location is going all in on the experience, prepping the beast on a rotating spit right outside. Sweets are also a part of the feast, including koulourakia (Easter cookies) and tsoureki (Greek Easter bread). Even better? It all comes with a complimentary flight of Greek wines. 

Why should you book? Estiatorio Milos is a world-renowned Greek restaurant with 12 different locations across the globe. Both locations feel like an Aegean dream, and each comes with the signature sight: fresh selections of the sea sitting on a bed of ice.  

Price: $175 per person

Menu: Leonetta doesn't have an outdoor space. But that isn't stopping them from hosting a “Brunch on the Lawn” experience. On Sunday, April 5, from 11am to 4pm, the restaurant will do all the Easter-y things, outdoors be damned. For brunch, chef Ed Cotton will hand-carve roasted lamb legs, served with sunny eggs and pickled jalapeño chimichurri, alongside lavender-spiced donuts and spanakopita pies. Plus, the spritz bar will be in full swing. And all are welcome to the table as Leonetta is hosting face painting, Easter egg hunts and gift baskets for little ones in your party. 

Why should you book? Leonetta's Mediterranean leanings are immediately felt as soon as you venture inside the dining room‚ think light fixtures that shake with yellow fringe, sunshine-colored booths and sprouts of greenery throughout. "Top Chef" alum Ed Cotton drives the feeling home with a spread of mezzes, pitas and pizzas. 

Price: $55 per person

Menu: If anyone was going to bring a little soul to the holiday, you know it is going to be Melba's. All Easter weekend long, Melba's is cooking up a ton of must-have specials, from a maple-glaze ham served with sides to slices of her seasonal lemon cake. Drinks follow in celebration with hibiscus mimosas for the occasion. And her selection of home-cooked favorites, including those chicken and waffles that beat Bobby Flay all those years ago? Yup, those will be around for the ordering too. 

Why you should book: Nothing says family gathering quite like Melba's. Melba Wilson's eponymously named restaurant has served as a solid landing for her neighbors in Harlem and beyond, welcoming all over soul-stirring classics of mac and cheese, catfish, and the like. 

Price: À la carte pricing, ranging from $10 to $28

Menu: If lounging over caviar and crème fraîche is more your pace, then Temple Court is here to let you live it up. Tom Colicchio's lavish restaurant inside the equally lavish The Beekman hotel is going all out for Easter: we are talking lobster salad, braised lamb shoulder and peekytoe crab omelette. The Temple Court Quartet will also make an appearance for the day, adding a jazzy soundtrack to your luxe morning out.  

Why you should book: Temple Court, Tom Colicchio's long-standing restaurant, sure has a brush of greatness to it. Its location certainly contributes as the restaurant resides inside the architectural wonder that is The Beekman. The restaurant bar, the Bar Room? It is parked squarely in the middle of the hotel's iconic nine-story atrium. For pleasurable eats, look down at plates of Spanish octopus and swordfish. And for the sights? All you have to do is look up. 

Price: $85 per person; $55 for kids 12 and under

Menu: Easter brunch at the Rockaway Hotel is a family affair. Among the day’s offerings are a visit from the Easter bunny, face painting and a full spread buffet including pastry, salad and carving stations, gluten-free options and a sweets table. It all goes down in the Harbor Room, which can easily host parties of six to twelve people. 

Why you should book: Easter might be a quintessential springtime holiday, but we love the summery vibes that a trip to Rockaway instantly brings to the festivities. Plus, a needed escape from the concrete jungle to our sandy beachside may be just the thing to connect with family this holiday. 

Price: $75 for adults, $35 for children, free for kids aged 3 and under. 

Menu: Want a little exclusivity for Easter? Usually closed on Sundays, the newest ilili location is opening its doors for the day, giving us (and you) reason to celebrate. Their Easter brunch brings family-style mezze (think hummus and fattoush) next to shakshuka and lamb shank. But if you'd rather come for dinner, mains extend to lamb shoulder and branzino.

Why you should book: Lebanese cuisine meets a little glitz at ilili. Since 2007, the Middle Eastern restaurant has charmed us with its food and good looks, with each outpost outdoing the others in terms of glamour. The newest midtown location sits as the current prized peacock with mirrored walls and bejeweled chandeliers that overlook a sultry blue dining room. 

Price: Brunch $85 for adults, $40 for children under 12; Dinner $125 per person

Menu: The Langham hotel’s Ai Fiori is serving a three-course prix fixe with plenty of Italian-accented options in each category: vichyssois, a chilled potato and leek soup with crème fraîche and chives, and a squid ink pasta with Ligurian crustacean ragu known as Trofie Nero. The finale goes to the carrot cake torta with candied walnuts, carrot chips and salted caramel. But lest you fear it is all fine and fancy over family, the restaurant welcomes all to the floral-dotted dining room as Easter brings a special kids' menu and even appearances from a particular bunny. 

Why you should book: Elegance? You'll find it Ai Fiori. Translating to "among the flowers," the dining room feels ripe for spring, blossoming with flowery murals and plumes of the bouquets. Functioning under the Altamarea umbrella, the restaurant channels the essence of the French Riviera, almost making us forget we are in midtown. 

Price: $95 per person

Menu? Hop on board a Classic Harbor Line custom-crafted, 1920s-style motor yacht for a special three-course Easter brunch cruise featuring a spring menu (mini carrot cakes, festive frittata and French toast with apple glaze) and pretty pastel decor accents. Plus, each cruiser of age will receive one complimentary drink, be it a bloody Mary, mimosa, beer, wine or a glass of Champagne. 

Why you should book: During the nearly three-hour-long journey, you’ll fully circumnavigate the island of Manhattan, passing under 20 bridges! And, now that the weather is getting even more agreeable, you can finally tour the city in style. 

What you might expect to pay: $102 adults; $68 per child aged 3 to 14 years old; $18 for infants two years and under. The cruise also offers a brunch beverage package for an extra fee.

Menu: This Easter, The Golden Swan is serving up a refined dining experience from chef-partner Doug Brixton, featuring seasonal menus for both brunch and dinner. On the daytime menu, you’ll find housemade tagliatelle with a nine-herb purée and the Brixton burger served with an order of duck fat fries. But to really put on the ritz, you can order the add-on Tableside Omelet Experience for a show of eggs with your choice of butter-poached Lobster, Périgord black truffle or a dash of Osetra caviar. 

Why you should book it: This is a restaurant for grown-ups: the first-floor space is awash in shades of gleaming emerald and chartreuse, while the second-story dining room is mid-century pretty with comfortable seats to boot. 

Price: Brunch $89 per person; Dinner $145