The Long, Lazy, Boozy Lunch Renaissance

New Yorkers have rediscovered the pleasure of an indolent and louche midday meal, and we are here for it 💅

Photo by Matthew Weinberger

It’s hardly news-worthy to address the fact that August is the month for long, lazy lunches on far-flung Mediterranean coasts, safe from the plague of WiFi or an overflowing email inbox. For photographic evidence, just flick through Instagram. There, you’ll find even the most nihilistic of friends curating the perfect grid, collectively morphing your feed into an endless Slim Aarons-esque scroll of spritzes, prosciutto, and affogatos (oh my).

Still…slightly more alluring is the fact that one needn’t board a plane for access to the very same phenomenon. Right here in New York, within city limits, the three-hour lunch is alive and well, and it’s becoming increasingly boozy.

“There’s something wonderfully indulgent about pausing your day for a glass of wine, a spritz, or a light cocktail,” says Tantai “Tan” Khantachavana, head bartender at BKK New York. “It feels like a small rebellion against the daily rush — a way to bring a sense of occasion to an otherwise ordinary afternoon. For many guests, it’s a mood-lifter and a chance to reclaim a moment of joy for themselves, even in the middle of a busy workweek.”

The same is true for Sarah Morissey, who helms the bar at beloved uptown French revival spot, Le Veau d’Or — where lunch service began mere months after the venue’s initial opening, the likes of which is still going strong.

“There is absolutely nothing that I love more than drinking during lunch! F*ck the club, you go and have a fabulous 3 p.m. lunch on a day off, go home buzzed, get a good night’s sleep, and wake up feeling refreshed,” she says. “I think you can enjoy your time more during lunch because you’re rarely in a hurry—you have all day!—and the stress of a big and expensive dinner isn’t lingering over you. A ‘drunk lunch’ sneaks up on you in the best way…as long as it doesn’t turn into a sloppy black out dinner.”

A return to the glamorization of lunch feels like a shift celebrated amongst more than just the fortunate few or those enjoying a day off. Yes, even office workers are partaking. According to The Post, last year finally saw a major post-pandemic re-emergence of venues opening not just for occasional lunches, but throughout the entire work week. There’s business to do and steam to blow off. And per Robb Report that’s precisely what’s happening: At Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin, ~30 percent of the clientele is lunching, with a number of patrons visiting several days a week. At The Grill, lunches are up 26 percent, and lunchtime checks are up 18 percent.

It’s a welcome antidote to the high-octane work hard, play hard culture that has long plagued Americans. Even in Brooklyn, venues like Strange Delight, Peter Luger, and the Four Horsemen are enthusiastically offering lunchtime meals. Downtown, places like Torrisi and Raf’s are allegedly fully booked at lunchtime daily.

The press is starting to pay attention. Earlier this year, the popular Substack “Why Is This Interesting” ran a rallying cry on reclaiming the dignity of a sit-down lunch. More recently, Resy outlined a list of the platform’s absolute favorite “power lunch destinations” (a well-trod and nostalgic trend that resurfaces every few years). Esquire published an essay rife with poetics regarding the euphoria of a long, boozy lunch. The point being, history is repeating itself…and with good reason.

At bottom, there’s a distinct sense of ceremony to daylight consumption. To slowing down and taking delight in good food, drink, and company before the day has had its way with you. When the sun is at its zenith, your energy is reserved; there’s a certain buoyancy to life. And as more and more venues continue to open their doors for lunch (not brunch, to be clear), the trend seems to grow increasingly more widespread.

“Lunch time service at LVD feels very different from dinner. Yes, they both come with a sense of occasion, but lunch is breezier and more light-hearted. We get the folks who are all business: a lot of Diet Cokes and steak tartare,” says Morissey. “But then we get the ladies who lunch, the downtown-ers coming up to have a martini and a bottle of wine. They’re eating liver and splurging on chocolate mousse and amaro.”

At The Russian Tea Room, too, Isabella Biberaj, Director of Operations, notes that a three-hour lunch is not an uncommon phenomenon — often-times punctuated by a few glasses of sparkling wine, or the venue’s signature tea service. “Midday, we’ll see our guests cozied up in a booth, caught up in conversation, enjoying that second or third glass, or a post-meal coffee. And that type of relaxed dining is nearly impossible during dinner service,” she says. “Every moment here is a reason to celebrate, whether you're here for a Wednesday lunch or a special occasion.”

Flexible remote workers are embracing the trend, too. “Flexible work schedules have changed the rhythm of dining. With fewer people tied to a strict 9-to-5 office routine, there’s more opportunity to enjoy a slower, more social lunch without constantly checking the clock,” says Khantachavana. “With that, there comes an appreciation for the European approach to dining — where meals are meant to be savored, not rushed, and where a glass of wine or a cocktail at lunch is part of the experience, not the exception.”

“What’s sexier than a fancy lunch?” adds Erin Meskers, a Brooklynite who recently lunched at Eleven Madison Park for her 30th birthday (dinner be damned). Mind you, she works in marketing remotely for dried pasta brand, Brami. She is not bribing clients or sourcing investors over midday Sancerre. Instead, she’s dining.

All of which is to say: It’s clear that indulgent socializing is no longer taking place exclusively in some pre-ordained, narrow window of after-dark time. Sure, Le Bernadin is back for the businessmen…but so is, say, a long decadent lunch with your mom at Le Veau d’Or. So is a salad and a cold glass of wine with a friend, or a book at 1 p.m. in Fort Greene’s Saraghina — maybe a 3 p.m. Bloody Mary with a burger at The Odeon.

Naturally, dejeuner in the South of France shall maintain its allure — but daytime indulgence is for New Yorkers, too.