Open all night

Linda Perney

July 19, 2006

Where do you go when the clock says it's time to go home, but nobody feels like it? Here are eight places where you can hang all night long.

Veselka. It's getting on to 4:30 in the morning, you've been out all night prowling the bars, and you're hungry -- really hungry. A plate of potato pancakes with sour cream would go well just about now, or a big plate of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. You might, on the other hand, want to give that arugula-and-goat-cheese pierogi a miss. (144 Second Avenue; 212-228-9682)

Bereket. The accepted wisdom used to be: Eat where the cab drivers do because they know where the bargains are. That may or may not be true, but plenty of cabdrivers do eat at Bereket (so do late-night club kids). The food -- baba ganoush, lamb and chicken kebabs as well as vegetarian fare -- is tasty, and it's also very cheap. One more thing: If you get hungry at 3 in the morning and you live in the nabe, they'll deliver (Kebab sandwiches, $6; kebab plates with rice and salad, $12; 187 East Houston Street; 212-475-7700)

L'Express. This isn't haute cuisine - but it's one of the better bets in the small hours of the morning. The ambience is a little precious - with its theme-park French decor. Service can be a little harried, and at its peak hours it's so jammed you can't move. Expect bistro standbys - even a few surprises. After all, it's good to know that if you really want tripe at 4 in the morning you can get it somewhere.. (Burgers, $10.95; quiche Lorraine, $8.50; roast chicken, $14.50; 249 Park Ave. South; 212-254-5858)

Cafeteria. With its white walls and black and white photographs, this is the coolest-looking cafeteria you've ever seen. Patrons are spiffy downtowners and late-night club kids eating or drinking in the small downstairs bar. The menu is fine as long as you're happy with all-American specialties: fluffy omelettes, pancakes (served all day long), meat loaf, country-fried steak, mac-and-cheese, and the like. (Crabcakes with coleslaw, $16.95; mac and cheese, $7; country-fried steak, $16; 119 Seventh Avenue; 212-414-1717)

Empire Diner. For all the hype, the Empire Diner is actually just a diner -- albeit one that's been staying up late for the better part of two generations. The lox omelet is a fine way to head off hunger pangs after a night on the town; pigs in blankets are a beloved appetizer; and the cold sesame noodles -- though not as spicy as we'd like -- can do wonders for a hangover. Take a table outdoors for some good neighborhood-watching. (Pigs in blankets, $5.50; lox omelet, $11; 210 10th Avenue; 212-243-2736)

Big Nick's. All you need do is look at the menu (which seems to go on forever) to figure out what the house specialties are. There are 36 kinds of pizza, and 45 kinds of burgers, including the Sumo, an arteries-busting full pound of beef that you can dress up to your heart's content. Stay away from anything fancy, and don't expect fine dining. (Bacon cheeseburger with fries, $10.25; individual pizza with pepperoni, $10; 2175 Broadway; 212-724-2010)

Florent Even before there was a meatpacking district, there was Florent, everybody's favorite Frenchified 24-hour joint. The menu encorages fantasizing about being in Paris: there's onion soup and duck rillettes, as well as boudin noir and steak frites. But we like that stack of pancakes and fruit they serve up after 2:30 AM, along with a side of sausage. Yum. And very economical. ($10 for a big breakfast; 69 Gansevoort Street; 212-989-5779)

French Roast. It's New York, so 24-hour restaurants aren't totally unheard of. But while most will cheerfully grill you a burger or fry an egg in the small hours, at French Roast you can get escargots, duck mousse, and mussels provencale -- even if you did forget to eat until after midnight. Two branches of these appealing little French coffee bars have you covered: One on the Upper West Side, one in the Village. (Escargots, $7.50; roast chicken, $14; Croque Monsieur, $8.95; 458 Sixth Avenue; 212-533-2233 or 2340 Broadway; 212-799-1533)