Russ & Daughters Cafe

One hour and a half wait for a table seems excessive until you get in and the delightful fishy aroma hits you. Russ & Daughters is a true smorgasbord of New York Jewish thoroughfare and offers everything from lox to borscht to chocolate babka.

We came for a double date and ordered the Ida platter (4 kinds of lox, assortment of bagels and bialys, pickled veggies, tomato, onion, and capers) and the pickled herring with vodka. The buzz from the vodka shot set the mood for the rest of the meal and we finished everything. Food's a little pricy so Will be coming back for special occasions.

This is an excellent spot for amazing and flavorful food!

I'd been here before and it was nice to return and enjoy the great offerings. I went for the Classic Board and it did not disappoint - it included a fresh bagel and wonderful smoked salmon with all the accompaniments. Everything tasted great and one can tell that the quality is top-notch.

The setting is like a chic diner - it's a wonderful space to be in.

We experienced warm and friendly service...the host and server treated us very well and it helped to ensure a memorable experience.

This place is very popular, so make sure to plan accordingly; if you arrive at typical brunch times, expect a long wait.

Worth traveling across town for ! I actually found their other location first, which seemed more like a grab-and-go kind of place - it had a line out the door so I decided to pass. Then I found this location and I'm so glad I did ! (They're actually relatively close to each other which is awesome)

Seating & wait time
I was alone and the wait was about 30ish minutes. However, I got a text from them maybe 10 minutes later that my seat was ready. Luckily I hadn't wandered too far ! They don't have much of a waiting area at the restaurant so I recommend walking around a bit
They have stool seating at the bar which is where I sat. Each spot does have hooks under the bar to hang your belongings.
They also have table and booth seating further into the restaurant.

Staff:
They have the most friendly and up beat staff I've ever seen! Everyone was very sweet and welcoming. They also joked around with each other and generally seemed to have a good time working there.

Food:
I opted for the basic board with salmon. There were so many delicious looking options, but I felt (being alone) that a lot of the options would have been too much for me and better shared. That being said I definitely need to come back with a friend or two to experience more of the menu!
Everything on my board was so fresh and flavorful! From the everything bagel to the onions to the salmon. Honestly it blew my mind how such a simple order could be so delicious
I also ordered a tea and was given my own small pot. That was great with it being a cold & rainy day.
When you sit down you're immediately given a whole bottle of still water which is nice too.

Overall this place was amazing and I highly recommend it ! I can't wait to come back!

Came by for breakfast the other day and it was a decent experience. Russ & Daughters is in the Lower East side and is featured in the Michelin guide as a Bib Gourmand.

The cafe was super clean and modern with elevated pricing. Staff wore a white Russ & Daughters lab coat as their front of the house uniform.

Ordered the smoked salmon eggs Benedict and it was decent. The bread was freshly cut and the smoked salmon was fragrant with the taste of preservatives. The actual poached egg was decent although I've had better. Their hollandaise sauce was good and not too heavy.

Service by the staff was quick and efficient.

$31/head for breakfast after tax and gratuity

Before trekking on down here, you should know that about 80% of the menu items contain some kind of fish on them. Great for me, but my partner didn't feel great about his options. Luckily we found things to order we'd both enjoy... I had the eggs benny, which came with smoked salmon, poached egg and dreamy hollandaise on the perfect piece of challah bread. I thoroughly enjoyed each bite. My partner ordered the Latkes with apple sauce and it was the the light breakfast he was looking for. Somethings to know about the space, its bright and cute, but small... don't come here with a big party unless you're willing to wait 45-60 minutes. Can't wait to come back and try a few more things.

No better time than the weekday to walk in and dine at russ and daughters than a weekday at 12pm

we started with the potato ladkes - they were juicy, crunchy, and full of flavor. reminded me of an indian pakora. we topped it with creme fraiche and salmon roe which IMO is the way to go.

second was the salmon with an every bagel - super delicious and the salmon was insanely juicy and fresh. the everything bagel was a good call because it was doughy but also crunchy since we got it toasted!

last and my fav was the challah bread pudding which was more on the pudding / squishy in texture side - super good and sweet if you like pudding. one of my favs from the meal.

overall good experience and service was quick. would def recommend and return!

We were in town for Easter weekend. I got lazy so had it delivered to the hotel, I was worried about losing some of the quality but laziness won (it usually does ). We ordered a few Dr.Browns sodas and I got the classic which is an everything bagel/lox/capers/red onion/plain cream cheese .
To say it was the best bagel I've ever had would be an understatement . It was also the best lox I've ever had. That bagel and that fish are perfect. There's nothing to change. Just enjoy !!

This was my first time at the cafe, which opened up in 2014. The original store has been on Houston St. for over a century.

The cafe's breakfast menu has many standouts. The entrees are original. You can't find most selections in any restaurant anywhere in the U.S. Check out the menu, which is also available online.

Today I had some Gaspe Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on a Pumpernickel bagel. TIP: mix some fresh dill into the cream cheese for a foodgasmic experience.

The rugelach is good, but I have had better elsewhere, like at Armin and Judy's in The Hamptons. The raspberry at Russ and Daughter's is good, but the cinnamon raisin leaves a lot to be desired. I wish they had apricot, which is my favorite rugelach flavor, but Russ and Daughters does not make it. Armin and Judy's does.

The service in the cafe was terrific. I sat at the bar.

The decor was sleek and modern.

I definitely will be back.

Finally get the hype

RATING: 9.7/10 (for the lox sandwich)

PRO TIP: yes the sandwich is pricey. Yes it is delicious.

LOX BAGEL SANDWICH
This place has so much hype around it and yes this sandwich is amazing. The high quality ingredients and their thoughtful proportions make for a DELICIOUS breakfast experience, beautifully, richly salty smoked salmon cuts through creamy, delectable cream cheese and capers/red onions add additional tartness and texture. My one area of improvement is that the bagel itself is easily not New York's best bagel, as it is soft but does fight you when you try to take bites off the bagel. However, that almost doesn't matter with how great the interior of the sandwich is.

FINAL RANKING: EXCELLENT
(terrible / bad / ok / good / great / EXCELLENT)

An iconic name and well-known spot that lived up to its reputation!

I've known about Russ & Daughters for YEARS thanks to both Instagram and friends of mine talking about their delicious bagels, fish, and babka. The cafe is separate from the Russ & Daughters Appetizers counter shop which is about two blocks north of the cafe location. We arrived at about 8:15 to meet a friend, the cafe opens at 8:30 but we wanted to make sure we could get a seat; we were not formally "in-line" but happened to be the first to enter when the doors opened and the curtains rose. We were seated in a comfortable booth, though there is counter seating in lieu of a booth if you're ever dining solo. By the time we placed coffee orders the cafe was bustling, and it didn't take long for all booths to fill, so come early if you want a seat!

I had iced coffee with oat milk and it was fresh and delicious and very strong. We decided to order a lot and share, which is definitely my recommendation at R&DC. In no particular order, we tried the pastrami Russ, the potato latkes with applesauce, sour cream, roe, and creme fresh, the classic board with a bagel, the plate of sours (pickles and pickled tomatoes), and the chocolate babka french toast. Everything was SO, SO DELICIOUS, and it was great to try bites of everything. That babka... it's out of this world. All the flavors were sharp and fresh and complementary in all dishes.

Our server was SO attentive and kind, and there were so many little details that he maintained, including fresh silverware, whisking empty plates away, and checking on us in a warm and non-rushed way throughout the meal. Though the space was packed, it felt cozy and comfortable rather than claustrophobic. This place is so special and feels like an institution - which, with its namesake, it is. I recommend highly! I can't wait to come back and try all sorts of other goodies. PS: if you have time, walk the few blocks to check out the storefront, which is an entirely different (and very unique) experience.

Superb service. Adorable space (I am reviewing the restaurant on Orchard). I ordered the shmaltz (chicken fat) cured herring and the chopped chicken liver. I have no doubt the shmaltz herring was a perfectly fine version of that dish. So, I should say it was good. The ice cold vodka shot was a perfectly cleansing accompaniment. I personally found the herring to be inedibly salty and I've not always experienced herring to be inedible. But again, I suspect people who love shmaltz herring will enjoy it. I liked that the chopped chicken liver had tiny bits instead of having been puréed. I will say, though, that it seemed to lack shmaltz. I thought the flavor lacked depth. The malt-flavored egg cream was delicious. I gave three stars because the menu is fairly limited and also bec of the tumult and the wait for a table--those inconveniences were not, to my mind, worth suffering through.