BROOKLYN — How do you make a bike ride better? Finish it with a mimosa and a Spanish omelette.
Brooklyn bikers are taking to the streets on weekends and combining their rides with New York City’s favorite pastime — brunch.
With new bike lanes and parking structures popping up across the borough, biking is the most convenient way to get around Brooklyn, said Felipe Lavalle, 28, founder of Get Up and Ride, a bike tour company.
And along with bagels, pizza and the Empire State Building, brunch is “synonymous with New York,” said Lavalle, who recently launched a brunch-and-ride bike tour of North Brooklyn.
“These neighborhoods are very bike-friendly,” said Apostolos, manager of Bar Tabac, a popular brunch spot on Smith Street. “It translates into businesses being bike-friendly, too.”
The Park Slope local, who often bikes for brunch himself, said riders welcome a drink or an aperitif after a long ride.
"You can make some room for that hollandaise," added Apostolos, who goes by one name.
DNAinfo New York has compiled a list of bike-friendly brunch spots in Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Park Slope. These eateries are located within a few blocks of the nearest bike corral, a city parking structure that can usually hold about eight bikes.
Although Red Hook does not have its own corral, the often-tardy bus service makes biking the fastest way to reach the neighborhood, said Brandy Metaxas, manager of Hope & Anchor, a neighborhood eatery.
There are also a number of bike racks that can be found along Van Brunt Street, and other main commercial streets in Brooklyn.
Where to Bike and Brunch in Cobble Hill
Nearest bike corral: Pacific and Court streets
Nearest Bike repair shop: Bike Smith (149 Smith St.)
Coco Roco (139 Smith St.)
The Smith Street Peruvian restaurant serves popular brunch favorites Huevos Rancheros and Jamón y Queso, as well as signature dishes including grilled Argentine-style sausage and a roasted pork with sweet potato sandwich.
Weekend Brunch Hours: Noon to 3 p.m.
Brunch deal: $13.50 includes bottomless coffee and a cocktail of your choice.
Bar Tabac (128 Smith St.)
One of the neighborhood’s most popular brunch spots, the French bar and restaurant serves a classic brunch menu with burgers, steaks and a number of egg dishes, including their famous “Eggs ‘Bar Tabac,’” which is baked with ratatouille and merguez sausage.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sottocasa Pizzeria (298 Atlantic Ave.)
This quaint Italian eatery, tucked into Atlantic Avenue, serves authentic Neapolitan-style pizza and appetizers, said owner and chef Luca Arrigoni. They may not have a traditional brunch menu, but the restaurant’s canopied garden and cozy atmosphere makes for a perfect afternoon, he said. If you get there early, you might even find a spot to park your bike right in front of the restaurant, Arrigoni added.
Weekend Brunch Hours: Noon to 3:30 p.m.
Where to Bike and Brunch in Carroll Gardens
Nearest Bike Corral: Smith and Sackett streets
Nearest Bike Repair Shop: Rolling Orange (269 Baltic St.)
The Kittery (305 Smith St.)
Lobster chowder, smoked salmon with eggs Benedict and crab cakes are worth the bike ride to this Smith Street joint. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and serves a variety of classic brunch options with a seafood twist.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Arthur on Smith (276 Smith St.)
This farm-to-table Italian restaurant by Chef Joe Isidori is another neighborhood favorite, serving Italian beef sausage hash, slow-cooked pork ragout, organic black kale salad.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Provence en Boite (263 Smith St.)
Bringing a piece of France to Carroll Gardens, Provence en Boite has an array of savory and sweet dishes that will leave you feeling trés magnifique. The eatery serves cheese platters, sandwiches on baguettes, crepes and tartines along with a selection of French wines and cocktails.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Brunch Deal: Unlimited mimosas and coffee for $13.95
Where to Bike and Brunch in Red Hook
Nearest Bike Repair Shop: The Red Hook Bike Shop or Dog Day Cyclery (115 Van Brunt St.)
Hope & Anchor (347 Van Brunt St.)
For Red Hook locals, the Van Brunt Street bar and restaurant is a neighborhood favorite. Along with their brunch menu of beef and non-beef burgers, eggs and salads, among others, Hope & Anchor also serves brunch specials like bagels with smoked salmon, said Brandy Metaxas, manager of the bar.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Saturday) and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sunday)
Brunch Deal: $5 mimosas and bloody mary.
home made bklyn (293 Van Brunt St.)
If a weekday brunch is what you crave, ride over to home/made, where brunch is served Wednesday to Sunday with dishes like warm potato salad, scrambled eggs with salmon, dill and goat cheese, chicken and apple sausage and sticky pecan buns.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Wednesday to Sunday)
The Good Fork (391 Van Brunt St.)
If your biking group can’t decide on a cuisine, the Good Fork has a dish for everyone, including classic Korean fair (bibimbop), South American staples (puebla-style huevos rancheros with chilaquiles) and traditional brunch options (burgers and waffles). And after a long ride, be sure to quench your thirst with the restaurant’s “Clam Digger,” a mix of vodka, gin or tequila with salty clam juice.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where to Bike and Brunch in Park Slope
Nearest Bike Corral: Park Place and Fifth Avenue
Nearest Bike Repair Shop: R&A Cycles (105 Fifth Ave.)
El Pollito Mexican (119 Fifth Ave.)
If it’s shrimp tacos and grilled huaraches you crave, ride over to El Pollito Mexican, just a couple of blocks from the bike corral at Fifth Avenue and Park Place. And of course, what better way to end a long ride than with an “all you can drink” deal.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Brunch Deal: $13.50 for an all-you-can-drink hour of mimosas, bloody mary and a special brunch menu.
Nana (155 Fifth Ave.)
The Pan Asian restaurant has a eclectic brunch feast. Breakfast wraps filled with wasabi mayonnaise, shrimp and shitake frittata and a “Nana Omelette” with baby bok choi are just a few of their brunch options.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nearest Bike Corral: Union Street and Sixth Avenue
Rose Water (787 Union St.)
Located in front of one Park Slope’s newest bike corrals, Rose Water has a $15 brunch menu that will make up for any long, strenuous bike ride. Weekend specials like mushroom bread pudding, barbecue ribs and prosciutto sandwiches have often made an appearance on their menu, said Becky Brooks Macris, manager of the restaurant.
Weekend Brunch Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
