After an early 7 AM arrival from Vancouver, our first stop in the Big Apple for breakfast was the legendary La Bonbonniere located in the West Village. This spot had been on my list ever since I recognized it as "The City Spoon" from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (seasons 1 & 2 for fellow fans!). We arrived around 8:45 AM on a Friday morning, and as expected for a classic New York diner, all the tables were full. We snagged seats at the bar, which gave us a front-row view of the incredibly busy staff - taking orders, cooking, and preparing everything with lightning speed. It was exactly the bustling, authentic diner experience I'd hoped for. We fueled up with a hearty vegetarian omelette (packed with veggies, a big win!), along with tea and coffee, and a classic NYC bagel with cream cheese. It was the perfect, satisfying meal to kick off our New York adventure.

Quintessential New York diner experience. I got there early at 7 a.m. and there was ample seating available. The restaurant has nice window scenery of Chelsea and there’s outdoor seating too. Friendly (but not overly-intrusive) servers give you exactly what you want and leave you in peace the rest of the time. Super generous menu that provides lots of options and all the diner classics. Delicious coffee. Had an excellent lox bagel. Nothing negative to say, I imagine it’s looked exactly this way for 20 years and the price probably hasn’t changed all that much since.

The French toast is amazing. Love the atmosphere. Service was excellent. This place is a part of what makes NYC the most amazing city on the planet. Hate to leave in the morning. See you in October.

This is a true local favourite kinda place. I wouldn’t say their French toast is the best in NYC but it is pretty good for the price. For the real experience it would be fun to sit at the bar counter.

Beautiful cash only diner. Owner made sure I felt welcome/home. Pancakes were perfection and and cheddar omelette was solid