Brunch Worth Waiting in Line For (and the Secret to Get in Faster)

HolyBelly 5

HolyBelly has had lines out the door for years, and it’s really a testament to the fact that they make some unbelievably satisfying brunch food.

On top of this worth-crossing-town-for brunch fare, they have friendly and efficient service, mighty fine coffee (not always a given), and it’s all done in a pretty space. 

It’s all the brunch basics we crave. The thing is that they go the extra mile – it’s not just an egg or a pancake. They’ve made their dishes standout with creative twists and quality ingredients.

Exhibit A, my favorite breakfast dish of all time:

The Savory Stack

Oh, lordy. (Fans self). Let’s break this down.

First of all, they make a good pancake. I have gone to places in Paris that have “pancake” in the name, for crying out loud, and they make a crappy pancake. These are light and fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. 

But in this dish, oh in this dish. It’s two pancakes, two fried eggs, bacon, a touch of maple syrup, and a big ‘ol slab of BOURBON BUTTER. And that’s what really makes it. That lava river of Bourbon butter flowing down the steaming hot pancakes.

Also, I suspect they may pour a little spoonful of bacon fat on top of the fried eggs and/or pancakes, and I would imagine this is also what makes it so phenomenal. Just a guess. 

If you are a person who likes the savory/sweet combo, but more on the savory side, do not miss this dish. I dream of it. Otherwise, they have a sweet stack, normal stack, and a bunch of other combinations of eggs and sides to meet all your brunching whims. 

HolyBelly’s Coffee Game

The espresso-based drinks are perfectly made (hey-o, flat white), and they have a great drip coffee as well. 

I went for previously mentioned flat white followed by the drip (black), and it was the perfect combo. Sometimes I feel like a velvety milky drink, but most of the time, I just want straight black coffee, and today, I needed both. All your dreams can come true here.  

Here’s the drip, hiding behind a weird artsy looking foreground of blurred bacon, but really, I was just trying to get a shot of the mug while holding my camera down in front of my stomach, so as to avoid doing a full-on photo shoot at brunch. They have cute mugs.

There are two caveats that come with Holy Belly 5, and one secret mega tip. 

HolyBelly Caveat 1:

There is always a line.

Granted, even for a super-long line, it goes pretty quickly.

On Saturday at prime time, you’ll wait 35-45 minutes most likely. On Sunday 45 minutes to over an hour if you don’t get there early when they first open. Other days of the week, less than 30 minutes.

If you get there when they first open, you can probably walk right in. It’s just that most of us lazy brunchers want to have a nice sleep-in, and then slowly stumble over to HolyBelly 5 at 11am or 2pm, as we wish. If you’re an early bird, you’ll probably be fine. (I wouldn’t know, being the non-earliest bird that ever was).

HolyBelly Caveat 2:

If you are the brunching type who wants to stay at the table for 3-4 hours (understandably), then HolyBelly 5 may not be your place.

They’ve got a million people waiting outside, so while you won’t feel rushed to wolf down your food, they do have hungry people anxiously waiting to be seated, so you can’t just hang out all the day long.

For most visitors at least, it will be efficient and wonderful and plenty of time. And you’ve got things to do, anyway, and can’t spend your whole glorious day in Paris eating brunch. 

HB5 Secret Mega Tip:

If you are a solo diner, you can rock up to that line, wait until someone comes around writing down the party sizes and letting you know approximate wait time.

Then, when you say “party of one”, you might be transported instantly to a counter in the back overlooking the kitchen which has a couple individual seats for solo diners.

I went on my own, and I was magically whisked past a 45-minute wait to instant brunching gratification, like some kind of VIP guest.

Benefits await the brave solo pancake eaters.

HolyBelly 5

Address: 5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France

Open: Daily 9am-5pm

No Reservations

HB Website

Note: HB19 is their freshly opened spot located in the original HolyBelly space at 19 Lucien Sampaix. There are no pancakes here, and it’s more lunch-focused. And delightful.