An Opulent Buffet Brunch Done Right at Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria New York

Brunch is an institution in New York City and finding the best brunch spots is a quest that every New Yorker takes very seriously. When it comes to the crème de la crème of brunch, we’re talking the best brunches in the world, the Waldorf Astoria’s Peacock Alley ranks pretty high (but don’t take my word for it, Fox News, Open Table and the Wall Street Journal agree!) I know people wonder what brunch at the Waldorf Astoria is all about so I thought I’d give a review so you can see for yourself! And thanks to the Waldorf for hosting me for purposes of this review for my readers. #BloggingPerks y’all!

The first thing to know is that brunch at the Waldorf Astoria in New York is iconic and absolutely enormous. You need to come hungry! It’s served every Sunday from 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM in the hotel’s lobby. Guests are seated in Peacock Alley but the spread is right in the lobby so hotel guests can witness the vast spread–and trust me it’s a sight to be seen!

The Waldorf Astoria brunch is legendary–and not just for the massive amount of delicious food it puts out (we’ll get to that). The Waldorf Astoria is responsible for the creation of so many of your favorite brunch dishes–from Eggs Benedict to the Waldorf Salad (duh) to even Red Velvet Cake (okay that one’s not brunch per se haha). And the Waldorf Brunch uses seasonal and local ingredients–they even use honey and vegetables grown from the hotel’s 20th floor rooftop garden!

So let’s take a look at the amazing spread so you can see just why it’s considered the best brunch in New York.

So for starters the raw bar with caviar, clams, oysters, lobster, king crab and shrimp is out of control! And it’s a buffet so if you want you can take it and put it all on your plate. Yep, unlimited caviar and lobster. This is not a drill. And it’s extremely high quality. I am quite particular when it comes to raw seafood (shouldn’t we all be?). There was a chef overseeing the area and shucking oysters on demand.

Just a couple more shots because, well, it’s gorgeous!

The salad looked pretty delicious but who can pay it much attention when there is a caviar bar… It was hard to capture it on my camera but I assure you it was insanely amazing! Four different kinds of caviar and all the accoutrements like shallots, chives, crème fraîche, and blinis (the tiny pancakes).

I got a better picture of my plate though!

Carb Heaven much? The pastries were delicious. Especially the croissants. They got full approval from my husband who is a croissant connoisseur.

And then the meats and the cheeses, can you even get over this? So beautiful.

And check out the Charcuterie. Such a gorgeous display.

There is an egg station making omelettes or Eggs Benedict on demand! Eggs poached to perfection right before your very eyes. Now that’s unusual! On the right is the carving station where there was leg of lamb and prime rib.

And how adorable are these individual servings of Waldorf salad? Just as yummy as they look!

 

And then there was the dessert! Can you even?? Everything from cakes to cookies to bread pudding to red velvet cake!

This guy is really diving in…

But the grand finale is a tie between on demand Baked Alaskas and the chocolate fountain! Yeah–a chocolate fountain! Here the chef is firing up the Baked Alaskas below. They were amazing!

And then la pièce de résistance! The chocolate fountain!

There is live piano music throughout the event, which is a lovely touch. And the hotel’s famous clock can be heard chiming in the restaurant. Few experiences are more New York than brunch at the Waldorf. If you’re a local or a visitor, it deserves at least one visit.

Brunch at the Waldorf though doesn’t come cheap–pricing starts at $125 per adult, $75 per child (5-12) and that doesn’t include gratuity and tip. I think it’s definitely worth it!