La Bonbonniere

Popped in randomly and were pleasantly surprised!
I just got chili and tea and boy was the chili intense! The service was very attentive and really took us out of the city temporarily with its great atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back and check out the other food!

Very cute and quaint café-​a little old timey and unpretentious. The place has a really friendly vibe, people were openly speaking to one another (rare in NYC lol) and wishing each other happy holidays and whatnot. It’s like I was transported to the suburbs for half an hour.
Breakfast here was really good! I had a cheddar omelette and my friend ordered pancakes with bacon. Only real turn off was the fact that there were a couple of flies here and there.

I came in a little bit before two other customers who were together, and we all ordered the same thing, cheesebuger combo. They got their’s in 5 minutes, mine took over 15 minutes, wtf?
I was about to leave but right when i was getting up, it came. Not only did the burger taste like dry shit and was small, but it broke in half before I even took a bite. Nothing was good, but it doesnt deserve 1 star.
Might be a nice place to have a coffee at on a cool day.

If you’re looking for a quiet place with delicious food you’ve found it. The American style dishes are always on point. The French toast is to die for and the wait staff are super friendly.

Very friendly neighborhood restaurant, but we won’t be back soon because of the HUGE cockroach under our table!

My favorite breakfast spot in the west village – everything tastes homemade and the service is impeccable. I always order an egg white scramble with spinach and feta on an English muffin alongside a good cup of mud. It’s perfect, light, and tasty. I especially love its simplicity. Eat at the bar if you can for a real New York feel. PS: This spot fills up fast on the weekends.

I have been coming here for nearly 20 years, when we would plop down at a table with a paper and a pack of smokes and kitty by our feet. These days, no more smoking, kitty has passed on, and I no longer live in the neighborhood, but everything else here has remained the same: friendly wait staff, relaxed, non-​pretentious atmosphere with shabby décor, and simple diner menu items.
I’ve only had 3 menu items: banana pancakes with 2 eggs scrambled, BLT with fries, or a burger with fries. All dishes are exactly what you’d expect — perfectly satisfying fare — but the great staff and comfortable surroundings keeps us coming back.
Added bonus: throughout the years, we have seen quite a number of celebrities, just coming to their neighborhood joint for a decent meal, like regular people like us!

Best diner food ever according to my diner food connoisseur husband who has studied diners from coast to coast.
Classics corned beef hash, blueberry pancakes, variety of omelets. Brioche French toast.
Neighborhood gem been here forever. Locals love it.

F yes. This teeny tiny hole in the wall serves the best French toast I’ve ever eaten.
The wait can be long and uncomfortable at times, considering you’re pretty much squished in there like sardines, but trust me, it is absolutely worth the wait.
I got a side of bacon and home fries with my French toast, both very good, but expect to have to douse your home fries in salt because I’m not sure they season them at all. The French toast is absolutely the star here.
My husband had the burger, which he said was «nothing incredible, but it was definitely a damn good diner cheeseburger»
Service is super quick & efficient. 6 stars for the French toast, 4 for everything else, ergo, 5 stars! This is a must stop for me every time I come to New York. Do it for the French toast, people.

Had a great corned beef and eggs dish to-​go this morning. Healthy serving of food, and the side of avocado was nice… a whole avocado!
Cute spot. Nice staff. They know what they’re doing for typical, fast, and easy breakfast food.

After reading a great Unilocal review, I went for blueberry pancakes with bacon, and a fresh lemonade: the food was great, and plentiful, but the lemonade was AWESOME: the perfect mix of tangy and slightly sweet so that it’s completely refreshing on a hot day. My partner had corned beef hash and eggs, which was also tasty, and the prices were very reasonable. My only tiny criticism is that the guy serving us didn’t smile once, but he was attentive and polite, so maybe he was just having a crummy day. Either way, good breakfast, and reasonable prices.

When you hear the name «La Bonbonniere,» you might think of a fancy French candy shop or bistro. This place is NOT that. It’s a very no-​frills diner with the smell of bacon grease infused into the walls and furniture. Not that that’s a terrible thing, but it can get a little overwhelming after say, an hour in the establishment. It never seems terribly crowded here, which is especially good when you want a greasy weekend brunch without having to deal with, you know, other people.
They have your standard diner brunch dishes (pancakes, french toast, omelettes, bacon, etc.) in rather heart-​stopping portions. They kinda just pile the food onto plates and don’t pay attention to presentation at all, so don’t expect food-​porn worthy pictures that will wow your friends on Instagram. What are you doing taking pictures of eggs on Instagram anyway? They’re EGGS. I’m a fan of the french toast with bacon, or the ever popular corned beef hash. The bacon is somewhat of a wonder, because it’s not particularly thick-​cut, or even super flavorful, but you just want to eat piles and piles of it. Yes, all the dishes here all rather greasy, but really hit the spot when recovering after a night out.
Service is pretty quick and friendly, Note that it’s cash only, which is slightly annoying when you’re splitting checks but the prices are better than most brunch places in the West Village, so it really won’t be too much of a burden on your wallet if you have to spot someone. Come for a relatively inexpensive morning meal, and the prospect of smelling like bacon for the rest of the day.

Apparently La Bonbonniere is a West Village mainstay, even frequented by some of the local celebrities in the West Village area when they want to eat low key on the down low. With such a name you may expect something a bit fancy, but this place is quintessential greasy spoon diner type eatery.
In fact, greasy spoon about says it all… in appearance, attitude, menu, and cuisine. And sometimes, you just NEED that. La Bonbonniere is solid in representing here as a bit dingy but comfortable feeling in a small dining space inside. I visited for breakfast on a recent NYC visit, and found a good breakfast selection. I ended up with a turkey and Swiss omelet, pancakes, breakfast potatoes, and toast with OJ. The omelet was ok, the turkey meat was a bit dry from the process and there was an overabundance of Swiss cheese. Pancakes were good but a bit too mealy for me, more of a meal type flour maybe. Potatoes were a bit grease saturated and mushy so they were not really my style. The toast, OJ, and coffee rounded out the meal pretty well. Staff are hurried and minimal interaction but get the job done. Do note that these guys are cash only so put away the plastic.
Bottom line: La Bonbonniere is a solid authentic A-​OK 3 star diner experience. Definite old school diner atmosphere, greasy spoon in both appearance and menu offerings. Cash only however. Don’t write them off for a good diner meal in the West Village.

La Bonbonniere is a pretty solid brunch spot, but as a diner it’s not as impressive. If you’re craving some greasy breakfast food in an awesome neighborhood, definitely check out La Bonbonniere. During my visit we were somewhat ignored by the staff which meant we didn’t get any coffee or water refills, and the food wasn’t good enough to make up for it. Still, it’s a fairly pleasant and casual place to sit down and have brunch.
Full review at

If you’re looking for some classic diner food to hit the spot when junk food cravings kick in, this is it.
The lemonade is divine-​a must try!
Note: cash only

This is a must go when visiting New York. Or when living in New York, shame on you. You’re missing something out.
Don’t let the window scare you off. This place looks a little messy from the outside. Well, maybe from the inside too. That’s okay, because this joint is very authentic. And very proud and I like that very much. Everywhere you look there are pictures or articles about this place. Even if they are already very popular they still show it off. And that’s not because they are a show off, but they work really hard and believe in what they do.
The food is all about egg, bacon and sausages. My omelette with cream cheese and bacon was heavenly.
Girls, one tip: knit your hair and hang your coat inside out. Beceause the smell is very. present.

La Bonbonniere is an old-​school luncheonette with the sort of charming anti-​ambiance places can achieve if they’re left unchanged for decades. I was there early (10am-​ish) on a Saturday, and it was about three-​fourths full. It’s not a very large place but we weren’t rushed, though as it got to noon and newcomers were waiting for seats, it started feeling rude to linger.
My turkey club was excellent, with perfect fries and a solid, crispy pickle. The coffee was a-​okay diner coffee. The service was jokey and friendly.
But the rice n’ beans were an oddity. Usually you’d expect rice n’ beans to be black beans, or in any case beans in some kind of sauce, and not-​just-​white rice, but here, they were plain kidney beans, and plain white rice. This was delicious, of course, because beans and rice are a heavenly combo in almost any style, but they weren’t what I think of when I think «rice n beans».
If you like diners, you’ll be happy here.

I was very disappointed not to see any West Village-​residing celebrities upon entrance, but at least my pancakes were good. Ha!
I was just running some errands in the neighborhood with the beau and his younger brother, and our tummies were a’rumblin’. La Bonbonniere was rather unassuming from the outside and the epitome of a «greasy spoon». Damn you if you don’t feel instantly comforted upon walking in here! I felt instantly «at home» once I got in, surrounded by striking photos of Molly Shannon, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Juilanne Moore. You’ll get serviced quickly and get your food at lightening speed! The banana pancakes are steaming hot, but the homefries… I was not a fan! I am pretty picky about my homefries. For these, the taste was off, almost a little bitter, and they were pretty mushy, lacking that crispness I enjoy.
Also, in typical NYC diner fashion, a glass of Tropicana orange juice showed up as $ 5.25 on our bill. I saw them pour it next to the counter, straight out of the container. I can get a 64 oz. container at my local Fine Fare for $ 3.99. Up-​pricing, the the win!
This is absolutely an excellent spot for a quick and filling breakfast on the run, and the people-​watching and opportunities to listen to fellow diners’ interesting conversations are abound!

Don’t let the fancy name fool you, this place is anything but… and that’s just fine.
The manfriend wanted to hit a diner while we were in NYC and La Bonbonniere was highly recommended on the Unilocal.It’s an old school place, it kind of feels like a place that helped coin the term greasy spoon. It looks a little dingy on the inside with random yellowing photos and articles peppering the walls.
I forget what the manfriend ordered, but he didn’t complain about his meal (didn’t moon over it either). I went with the lox plate; it’s hard to screw up with a lox plate — it wasn’t the best I’ve had, it wasn’t the worst. I also got a side of potatoes with cheese; I don’t recommend adding cheese to them, it didn’t meld well with the seasoning (paprika, I think) and it wasn’t melted, so there were chunks of cheese slices I ended up picking off of them.
Overall, it’s a decent diner; if you’re not looking to spend a pretty penny on a meal, it’s a good option. Although, with a 4 star average and nearly 200 reviews, I was expecting more.
PS — Cash Only

I love this place.
Pancakes so big, hot, and fluffy. Brought to me as soon as they came off the grill.
Bacon crispy, but not too much. Big and plentiful.
Challah French toast just so good.
Cash only.
Very affordable.
Cool atmosphere.
Great staff. Really friendly.

Me declaro fan absoluto de este pequeño antro neoyorkino donde, probablemente, he tomado algunos de los mejores desayunos de mi vida. Estaba de vacaciones en Nueva York y teníamos antojo de «bacon pancakes», tal cual, culpa de la canción que canta Jake en determinado capítulo de Hora de Aventuras… (somos así, oye). El caso es que como nuestro apartamento estaba en pleno corazón del West Village, buscamos «bacon pancakes» tal cual en Unilocal y… ¡bingo! La Bonbonniere apareció como mejor resultado por calificación, precio y cercanía, así que allí nos plantamos.
La elección no pudo ser más acertada, pues aunque cuando se entra parece una cafetería más, incluso tirando a cutre, sus bacon pancakes compensan con creces cualquier otro pensamiento que podamos tener al respecto. Claro que el tema tenía truco, y es que no lejos de conformarnos con tomar unas tortitas con panceta, las pedimos en su modalidad «banana», que lleva plátano dentro de la masa de las tortitas. Eso, unido al toque de manteca entre los diferentes pisos que formaban aquel plato celestial hizo que, de una vez por todas, probásemos uno de los mejores desayunos de Nueva York.
No contentos con eso, la atención de los camareros es correcta, educada y en español si así lo deseas, con café ilimitado, vaso de agua y unos precios que igual en Estados Unidos son normales pero que en comparación y con la conversión al euro, nos parecieron de risa para la cantidad y calidad que habíamos comido.
Además, el sitio está repleto de fotos y recuerdos colgados por las paredes, con dedicatorias de actores, músicos y políticos de mayor o menor categoría felicitando por sus pancakes…
Por algo será ;)

Estoy enamorada de este original rincón lleno de personalidad. De mis seis días en Nueva York, decidí disfrutar de dos desayunos en La Bonbonniere y todo gracias a una búsqueda en Unilocal.
¿Te atreves con las combinaciones menos habituales? ¿Preparado para un desayuno que te ayude a recargar las pilas y disfrutar? Pues tendrás que olvidarte de dietas.
En La Bonbonniere tienen los bacon pancakes (tortitas con bacon frito) más ricas que podré recordar jamás. Las tortitas son de diversas clases, hasta de chocolate, aunque yo pude probar sólo las de banana y las normales (brown). Sin duda, lo mejor de todo era acompañarlo con algo salado, en mi caso el bacon, porque si no tendría que echarle caramelo y tampoco era santo de mi devoción.
El café es infinito, como en muchos locales de la ciudad y no está nada mal de sabor, por lo que merece la pena el precio (bajo) que pagas por él.
En un día de viento frío, no hay nada como refugiarse en La Bonbonniere, en horario de poca afluencia un día entre semana, y entrar en calor con sus comidas.
También tenían almuerzos y cena, pero no pude llegar a probarlos.
El único inconveniente es que tiene la ventilación regulera y puedes salir de allí con olor a fritura.
Si viviese allí, iría una vez por semana a sentarme en el local y disfrutar de la vida neoyorkina.