Where to eat 5 unexpected and delicious brunches in Astoria, Forest Hills, and Flushing

We are a city that loves to brunch, and brunch is alive and well in Queens…with a few twists. Here are some standout places to brunch it up in 3 neighborhoods. Don’t be surprised to see a burger with an egg on top, jumbo mimosas, or dim sum — these are some of the best places for weekend grub.

Vesta – Astoria – This popular Italian inspired locavore restaurant, serves one of the best brunches in Astoria, hands down. You can choose from both sides of the menu – breakfast from buttermilk pancakes to omelets, or lunch classics like burgers and pizza. The burger comes with an egg on top, as does the pizza – Vesta is famous for its cracker thin crust Hangover Pizza, which is topped with potato, pancetta, sausage, fried eggs, and spicy tomato sauce.

A Warm Bankie is made with creamy polenta, fried eggs, asparagus, and mushrooms, and a perfect addition of truffle oil. Their greens and vegetables are all grown at local rooftop farm Brooklyn Grange.

Vesta, 21-02 30th Ave., Astoria, NY 11102; (718) 545-5550  (GMAP)

Bear – Astoria – This lovely restaurant just west of 21^st Street, is Astoria’s own progressive European restaurant, and they offer brunch only on Sundays from 12-3pm. Bear is famous for their jumbo brunch cocktails. They offer both a large mimosa and a 32oz bloody mary made with their organic vegetable and tomato mix, and it comes with a skewer of marinated vegetables, a hard boiled egg, and candied bacon. This is a meal in itself, almost. The mimosa is made with organic orange juice, French champagne, and comes with a fruit skewer.

Their brunch dishes are varied, from steak and eggs to scallops and eggs, a grilled cheese sandwich to a burger, a tomato ricotta omelet to a big salad. The space is lovely and full of light, and it’s just a really nice place to be. The staff is also happy you’re there and has figured out that excellent balance of attentiveness and letting you simply enjoy your meal. And, be sure to check out their new Chef-Driven daily dinner menu, too.

Bear, 12-14 31st Ave., Long Island City, NY 11106; (917) 396-4939 (GMAP)

Sparrow Tavern – Astoria – Known primarily as a gastropub, dive (check out Food Network’s Guy Fieri’s visit here), and a great burger and grilled cheese place, Sparrow also serves an excellent brunch and all their eggs are organic. Particularly tasty is the brilliantly simple Leeks and Eggs, which consists of two eggs sunnyside-up over fontina and leeks.  The Cilantro and Egg Sandwich is also fantastic, served on brioche bread and accompanied by a salad (you can get bacon or goat cheese with that – the goat cheese is an especially nice touch).

Their infamous burger and grilled cheese are also on the brunch menu; for a splurge get some tater tots (or their well-regarded herb fries). Sparrow makes wonderful coffee, and their full bar and talented bartenders allow them to make the brunch cocktail of your dreams. They do have some outdoor seating in the warmer months, so feel free to enjoy your lazy weekend eating al fresco, or bask in the shabby chic interior.

Sparrow Tavern, 24-01 29th St., Astoria, NY 11102; (718) 606-2260 (GMAP)

 Image Source: Judith Klein Rich/Fooditka

East Ocean Palace – Forest Hills – Yes, there is great dim sum in Flushing, but East Ocean Palace is a real dim sum option for those in Forest Hills (and those on the E, F, and R subway lines). It’s only served on the weekends, and it’s very popular. Even getting there by 10:30am there may be a little bit of wait; get there later in the morning and it’s an even longer wait. They may also ask your party – if you are a smaller group – if you want to share a table with another smaller group. Pro tip: do it! You’ll be eating faster this way.

Eating dim sum here is a lot of fun. It’s a big dining room filled with families and groups of friends, enjoying dim sum as it’s wheeled around on carts by Chinese ladies, who will ask you (in both English and Chinese) if you want a particular dish on their cart. There is a wide variety of delicious options – taro cakes, shrimp wrapped in bacon, siu mai and dumplings, clams in soy-sesame sauce, shrimp rice rolls, fish balls, pork buns, egg tarts – the list goes on and on. Tea is at your table, too, which makes the meal just perfect. East Ocean Palace, 113-09 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375; (718) 268-1668 (GMAP)

Nan Xiang Dumpling House – Flushing – Xiao long bao, also known as soup dumplings (dumpling skin filled with broth and meat), are the name of the game here, and they are phenomenal at Nan Xiang. There are great dumplings in Flushing (see our post on the top 7 dumplings in Queens) but it’s challenging to find soup dumplings done well. The ones at Nan Xiang come six to an order and arrive in a steam basket – be sure you handle them so that they don’t scald the inside of your mouth. Here’s how we suggest eating: lift the dumpling from its tip and put it in the spoon; pinch the tip with your chopsticks and bite off the tip of the dumpling (steam will then escape and cool things down a bit); slurp out the broth; then eat the remains with some of the ginger and black vinegar sauce on your table (there’s chili sauce if you want it spicy, too). Of course, if you have a high tolerance for pain, just bite right into that dumping!

Note that on the menu they are called “steamed pork buns” and not “soup dumplings.” These are wonderful for brunch on the weekends, and be aware that many people think so, as lines outside to get in are very common, even as early as 11am. Along with the soup dumplings, there are a number of cold items available – a nice spicy beef and tripe dish, yummy scallion puff with a flaky pastry, and a terrific non-greasy scallion pancake (it’s very easy for this to be oily). The classic combination of cruller (youtiao) and fresh soymilk is also available. Here’s a great video of the place, too, from Queens Council on the Arts. Nan Xiang Dumpling House, 38-12 Prince St., Flushing, NY 11354; (718) 321-3838 (GMAP)

Meg Cotner is a food writer in Astoria, Queens. She is an expert on the borough’s best bites, and the author of the upcoming book Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens. Meg also writes for the neighborhood blog We Heart Astoria and her own food blog, Harmonious Belly.