Russ & Daughters Cafe
American restaurant · Lower East Side ·
Jewish comfort food, smoked fish, matzoh ball soup, babka
Jewish comfort food, smoked fish, matzoh ball soup, babka
"A full-service outpost of a century-old appetizing shop offering Jewish breakfast staples in a cozy booth setting: crispy potato latkes, matzo ball soup, and bagel boards with lox or smoked fish and all the fixings, plus sweet options like babka French toast and blintzes with blueberry compote; note that this location is dine-in only and does not take reservations." - Joy Cho
"Nothing says Lower East Side breakfast like a plate full of crunchy latkes, served with créme fraîche and briny salmon roe. It’s our favorite way to wake up in the neighborhood, and it’s just one of the reasons why we love Russ & Daughters Cafe. The Jewish diner opened in 2014—100 years after their original appetizing store opened around the corner on Houston. It gets busy on the weekends, so walk in early for babka french toast, lox benny, and other excellent breakfast items made with various forms of smoked fish." - bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick
"Russ & Daughters Cafe is one of those spots that we love to recommend for breakfast because it hits every morning meal scenario. We enjoy sitting alone here at the counter and eating some latkes or an eggs benny before calling it a day. But this offshoot of the classic Lower East Side appetizing store is also great for a breakfast date, where you can share caraway-infused bloody marys and babka french toast with someone who makes you feel the way that Russ & Daughters’ smoked salmon makes us feel. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute The platters of various cured fish are great for larger groups too, though it is admittedly harder to make that happen because the cafe is walk-in only. At peak brunch time, you can expect to wait around 45 minutes at the front windows, along with freshly minted couples and parents who are about to introduce their kids to the wonders of lox. But once you do get a seat, eating here is a slow, calm experience. Your seltzer glass—poured from a tap—will never be empty, as your inner arts-and-crafter spreads crème fraîche and dollops trout roe on latkes. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute You can pick up great fish at any of Russ & Daughters' locations, but we like to get into the fancier offerings when we come to the cafe. Here, Russ & Daughters’ whitefish salad is zhuzhed up as croquettes, and their lox is served with eggs Norwegian style. Still, as many mimosas as you drink, this place is still a comforting Jewish American diner at its core—right down to the babkas and rugelach packed and ready for you to take home. Food Rundown Latkes You can get these latkes with the traditional sour cream and apple sauce on the side. But that would be a grave mistake, because they also offer salmon roe and crème fraîche, which makes for a perfect appetizer. The latkes are fluffy and crunchy, there’s a generous portion of briny roe, and the sweet crème fraîche brings it all together. photo credit: Kate Previte Whitefish Croquettes Our preferred way to eat Russ & Daughters' smoky whitefish salad. The salad is served with tartar sauce—and it’s good, but if you’re also getting latkes, both of these together are a bit heavy. photo credit: Kate Previte Super Heebster They sell this same bagel sandwich at the shop, except this version is open faced. We like the wasabi-infused salmon roe—but you don’t have to go through the hassle of getting a primetime Saturday table here to get it if you just go to the shop. photo credit: Kate Previte Eggs Benny Served on soft challah instead of a more traditional English muffin, this is a fun twist on a benedict—the hollandaise is nice and silky, and that lox makes all other lox bend the knee. The benny is worth an order just for that gorgeous, shiny cured salmon alone. photo credit: Kate Previte Lox, Egg, & Onion Scramble This is very similar to our favorite menu item at Barney Greengrass (though we prefer it with sturgeon). The eggs here are scrambled soft and gooey, but for a mix of lox and eggs, we prefer the eggs benny. photo credit: Kate Previte Babka French Toast A trip to the diner is incomplete without something sweet for the table. Get a babka french toast. It’s sweet and eggy, the strawberries are fresh and juicy, and the dish itself is a really nice sweet contrast from the rest of the cured fish on your table. photo credit: Kate Previte" - Will Hartman
"This spinoff from Russ & Daughters offers deli classics like chopped liver, matzo ball soup, and potato knishes. The emphasis is on preserved fish, but the pastrami smoked salmon on a pretzel roll more than makes up for the the lack of actual pastrami. The serpentine space, cheerily decorated in white and powder blue, extends from Orchard to Allen streets, and seems as old as its original location." - Melissa McCart
"From white-jacketed servers to that pristine counter, this updated yet model LES café channels the very spirit and charm of its mothership, set only blocks away. The adept kitchen follows suit, taking the original, appetizing classics and turning them on their heads to form an array of proper and profoundly flavorful dishes.Regulars perch at the bar to watch the ‘tender whip up a cocktail or classic egg cream, while serious diners find a seat and get noshing on hot- and cold-smoked Scottish salmon teamed with everything-bagel chips. The result? A thrilling contrast in flavor and texture. Caramelized chocolate babka French toast is crowned with strawberries for a sweet-savory treat; and “eggs Benny” with salmon, spinach and challah never fails to peg a bruncher." - Michelin Inspector