Best Breakfast in Every New England State
We picked our favorite breakfast spot in every New England state (plus Boston) to help you start your day off right.
The ultra-fluffy pancakes at Bella’s Cafe in New Haven
Photo Credit : Courtesy of Bella's CafeIn choosing our picks for the best breakfast in New England, we focused on places that serve breakfast every day, not just on weekends. We wanted a mix of new spots and old-timers, classic fare and modern. We also looked for varied menus with lots of sweets and savories…and, of course, consistently delicious food.
Best Breakfast in Connecticut
Owner Rose Foote is a third-generation restaurateur and her particular talent is putting a fresh spin on classic breakfast fare, all in a cozy space in the city’s Westville neighborhood. We love the shrimp and grits served with a homemade buttermilk biscuit, the gussied-up pancakes (carrot cake! Oreo!), the stuffed French toast, and the wild mushroom omelet, all washed down with a cappuccino or a tall glass of fresh-squeezed OJ. And here, breakfast is served all day, so sleep in if you’d like.
Best Breakfast in Maine
Photo Credit : Greta Rybus
The Palace’s concept is to take diner classics and rework them until they achieve the Platonic ideal of, say, the buttermilk pancake or egg sandwich. Because the kitchen is tiny (just a few feet across), there’s no room for anything extraneous. Every dish has been brought to its essential and perfect form. Do try the corned beef hash, if only on the side. And be sure to arrive early or off-season: The summer weekend wait can be intense.
Best Breakfast in the Boston Area
Photo Credit : Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant via Facebook
Whether you crave something sweet, savory, or both, Lincoln Tavern has you covered. Among the signature bites: Fruity Pebbles-studded pancakes topped with cereal milk crème anglaise, breakfast pizza with eggs, bacon, roasted tomatoes, and caramelized onions, and steak and egg chilaquiles in a tangy ranchero sauce. The bar serves up cocktails that are just as decadent as the food—try the iced coffee with Absolut vanilla and Irish cream liqueur. Just know that weekend crowds can be serious, so arrive early or try a weekday instead.
Best Breakfast in Massachusetts
As anyone in Lenox where to eat breakfast and they’ll send you here. This beloved spot earns its kudos with carefully sourced ingredients (locally sourced eggs, organic grain, real maple syrup), an imaginative menu, and a deft hand in the kitchen. A scramble of eggs and smoked salmon is topped with onion confit and served over spinach, avocado toast comes on terrific toasted sourdough, and the pastry counter is loaded with homemade muffins, sticky buns, coffee cakes, and other delights. If you’ve never had breakfast polenta, sliced, griddled, and topped with maple syrup, you’re in for a treat.
Best Breakfast in New Hampshire
Photo Credit : Courtesy of Lou's Restaurant and Bakery
Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery, Hanover
Come from the fresh, still-warm donuts, the house-made corned beef hash, and the Cruller French Toast (day-old donuts dipped in egg and griddled to give them an airy interior and a crisp exterior. And if you can, save room for a slice of homemade pie (we love the apple and coconut cream) to finish it off. Lou’s has been serving its singular breakfasts for nearly 80 years and no trip to the Upper Valley would be complete without a stop here. College towns tend to support great breakfast joints, but Lou’s is in a class of its own.
Best Breakfast in Rhode Island
This cute cottage-style spot with a view of the Pawcatuck River is the perfect coastal breakfast spot. We’re crazy about the cinnamon roll pancakes and the Spicy Breakfast Tartine (avocado toast topped with 2 eggs, micro greens, and house-made chili crisp). You can order skillet home fries topped with cheddar, bacon, and sour cream or sausage gravy or nacho-style. And not only is the orange juice freshly squeezed, but the granola, coffee cake, and corned beef has are made in-house.
Best Breakfast in Vermont
Homemade sausage and eggs, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and omelets, thick French toast with real maple syrup, or a smoked salmon scramble with a bagel and cream cheese on the side…have your pick. This Vermont stalwart was locavore before locavore was cool. Owner Boris Pilsmaker has a farm just up the road that supplies the diner with beef, pork, turkey, eggs, and vegetables in season. This is a familiar, comfortable place serving familiar, comfortable food, with a commitment to quality and making almost everything in house.
Do you have a favorite New England breakfast spot? Let us know in the comments below!
Amy Traverso
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
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