The Best Breakfast Restaurants in Boston

Nubar, inside the upscale Sheraton Commander Hotel in the heart of Harvard Square, presents breakfast seven days a week. On Sundays it hosts a popular brunch as well. Under the same family ownership for three generations, the property is a venerable landmark of Cambridge. Fitting with this status, the restaurant works with local purveyors to source its ingredients. Breakfast service features a lavish buffet, complete with fresh fruit, an omelet station, freshly baked pastries and more. An a la carte breakfast menu is also available. Sunday brunch is all-you-can-eat.

The charming café inside Trident Booksellers is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight. These hours encourage book-lovers to stick around to browse and enjoy a snack with coffee or a leisurely meal at any time of the day or night. Signature fresh juices such as the angry green apple lemonade and Gail’s kale offer a nutrient-packed boost. So do meal-in-a-glass smoothies blending sweet fruits with, for example, greens, chia seeds and wheat germ. It’s not all health food for breakfast. The comprehensive menu also offers dozens of hearty egg dishes, pancakes, waffles and a decadent lemon-ricotta-stuffed French toast. Breakfast bowls are popular as well. Vegan and gluten-free items feature throughout the menu.

Colette, inside the Porter Square Hotel, is a chic bistro open all day, seven days a week. Taking inspiration from the classic bistros of Paris, the breakfast menu features freshly baked pastries, brioche and baguettes. It also offers cheese and charcuterie plates, fresh fruit bowls and Greek yogurt. A handful of more substantial plates might include an omelette du jour and a mushroom and onion tartine with poached egg. A weekend brunch service is considerably more lavish. It presents a range of egg preparations, seafood items including oysters on the half shell, and sandwiches such as the croque monsieur baguette. There are also four versions of eggs Benedict and a savory waffle stuffed with duck confit.

With its stylish modern décor and innovative takes on classic American cuisine, Artisan Bistro is just as appealing to locals as it is hotel guests. The bistro inside the Theater District’s Ritz-Carlton hotel is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with an a la carte brunch on weekends. Three distinct sections comprise the breakfast menu: “fresh beginnings,” including seasonal fruits, steel-cut oatmeal and a green smoothie; “signatures” such as eggs Benedict, a three-egg omelet and truffle duck eggs with wild mushroom; and hearty pancakes, waffles and more “from the griddle.” Local and visiting foodies agree – it’s one of the best breakfasts in Boston.

Outlook Kitchen’s striking nautical-chic décor complements its waterfront setting inside the Envoy Hotel. Note the wall of rope, teak wood reclaimed from shipping vessels and abstract light fixtures resembling a constellation map. Breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays, with brunch offered just as early on weekends. Chef Tatiana Rosana’s breakfast menu presents a nice balance between straightforward classics and unexpected combinations, some reflecting her own Cuban heritage. The loaded sweet potato hash is a highlight. Cotija cheese and cilantro-lime sour cream enliven its base of chorizo and sunny egg. Another is the bourbon baked French toast with cinnamon honey ricotta and a dark berry compote. A parfait and a seasonal fruit plate are among the lighter options.

“Honest to goodness New England cooking” is the promise of Henrietta’s Table inside Harvard Square’s Charles Hotel. It’s a succinct way to describe the traditional farm-to-table cuisine of award-winning chef Peter Davis. The chef draws upon the culinary heritage of New England and uses locally, sustainably sourced organic ingredients to create his remarkable breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Henrietta’s Table also presents a super-popular brunch on weekends. Breakfast, available from 6:30 a.m., includes New England favorites like red flannel hash, baked Harrington ham with eggs, and cream chipped beef on buttermilk biscuits. Other intriguing options include whole wheat hotcakes, custom three-egg omelets and Danish pumpkin bread.

A modern steakhouse attached to the upscale XV Beacon Hotel might not be an obvious contender for one of the best breakfasts in Boston. However, the stylish restaurant offers top-notch cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, plus brunch on Sundays. On the breakfast menu, a corned beef hash and a 10-ounce prime New York sirloin steak with eggs and potatoes offer a morning version of the steakhouse experience. Healthy bowls, including a kale, spinach and quinoa bowl with egg whites, and entrees like avocado toast and Irish oatmeal are also featured. So are Belgian waffles, pancakes, eggs Benedict and omelets.

Since 1984, Joe’s American Bar and Grill has perfected its from-scratch all-American comfort food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays. Expect hearty fare like biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash and waffles or pancakes with whipped butter and maple syrup. The farmer’s omelet with a side of herbed potatoes and the breakfast flat bread topped with chorizo, cheddar-jack and scrambled eggs also suit big appetites. Testament to its popularity, Joe’s now has five locations around Boston and one in Connecticut. The Boston Newbury location is the only one offering breakfast, and it's one of the best breakfasts in Boston.

Inside the stately, century-old Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel is Oak Long Bar + Kitchen. The elegant American brasserie specializes in farm-to-table fare, which it offers from morning until late at night. Daily breakfast offerings include sweet items like brioche French toast with cinnamon butter, blueberry honey pancakes and waffles with slow-roasted strawberries. Highlights among preparations of organic local eggs include a vegetable omelette with Boursin cheese, and a breakfast sandwich with country smoked ham and Vermont cheddar. Consider the bakery basket for the table.

Inside the Back Bay’s historic Lenox Hotel is City Table, a casual eatery that appeals just as much to hungry passers-by as hotel guests. Locals have long loved its frequently changing menus from breakfast to late-night bites. Breakfast, available on weekdays from 6:30 a.m., sticks with classics like custom omelets, buttermilk pancakes and a crab cake Benedict with asparagus. Lighter choices include a broiled, honey-drizzled grapefruit and toasted granola. Diners might also put together a meal from the lengthy selection of sides.

Rowes Wharf Sea Grill boasts a fantastic location at the Boston Harbor Hotel, right next to the HarborWalk. The outdoor terrace is a seasonal delight in this bustling, breezy, waterfront setting. At any time of year, the restaurant’s daily breakfast is a treat with options to fit every appetite. Smoothie and power bowls are both healthy and tempting. Hungrier diners might prefer the full American breakfast or New England-style corned beef and eggs with tomato Hollandaise. Consider indulging in seafood (Rowes Wharf Sea Grill’s specialty) by ordering a custom omelet with crab, lobster or smoked salmon. Satisfy a sweet tooth with the ricotta and lemon pancakes or challah and golden raisin French toast.

For its lunch and dinner service, Fin Point inside the Downtown Boston Hilton hotel keeps the focus on seafood-centric creations befitting its oyster bar identity. At breakfast, served Mondays through Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. (Sundays are for brunch), it naturally veers more toward eggs, pork products and seasonal vegetables. A handful of seafood dishes do make the morning cut, such as the lobster Benedict and smoked salmon and bagel plate. Some of the most intriguing items are produce-showcasing sides for the table. Seasonal options might include a local bean salad, honey-roasted carrots, or sautéed snap peas and fiddleheads. On the sweet side are a blueberry-topped Belgian waffle and French toast with caramelized bananas.

With its revolutionary war era-inspired décor, complete with minuteman murals and centerpiece canon, Rebel’s Guild invites diners to ponder Paul Revere’s midnight ride over breakfast (or lunch or dinner). The tavern-like restaurant attached to the Revere Hotel Boston Common begins breakfast service at 6:30 a.m. seven days a week. Dishes are patriotically all-American and prepared with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. A few stand-out items include Boston waffles with cranberry, crushed walnuts and maple cream, and an eggs Benedict with country ham and Buffalo Hollandaise. A buffet breakfast option is available as well.