New Year's Day Brunch: Coffee, Mimosas & Egg Cups

After the late night of New Year's Eve, the first of January calls for something slow: a pot of coffee, a pitcher of orange juice, eggs cooked to order and, for those who are up for it, a mimosa. A New Year's Day brunch is one of the easiest gatherings of the year to host – everyone is happy to sit, talk about resolutions and make a fresh start together.

Here is how to set a brunch table that feels like a new beginning: good coffee and tea service, egg cups for soft-boiled eggs, a carafe for juice and glasses for mimosas. (Planning the party the night before? See our New Year's Eve entertaining guide for champagne flutes and ice buckets.)

Coffee and Tea Service

The coffee comes first. A proper service – a pot, a creamer and a sugar bowl on a tray – makes even a casual brunch feel like an occasion.

Michael Aram Palace Tea Set

Handcrafted in the Michael Aram workshops and available piece by piece: the teapot, the pot and creamer, the caddy and the tray. It also comes in gold.

Christofle Albi Silver-Plated Cream Pitcher, Large

Christofle says it adds refinement and elegance to any beverage service, and it pairs with the Albi sugar bowl, coffeepot and teapot.

Bernardaud Origine Espresso Cup and Saucer, Set of 4

White Limoges porcelain for everyday use. Each 2.7 oz cup has thin edges that bring out the aroma of the espresso; Origine is dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

Gien Teapot – Filet Cobalt

A 36⅔ oz faience teapot on Gien's scalloped Filet shape, with a hand-painted cobalt band at the rim.

Egg Cups for Soft-Boiled Eggs

Nothing says a leisurely breakfast like a soft-boiled egg in its own cup. Gien's egg cups come in pairs, each 2¾ in tall. See all egg cups.

Gien Set of 2 Egg Cups – Filet Midnight

Filet is Gien's plain scalloped shape with a single hand-painted band of color along the rim – here a deep midnight blue. Also in cobalt and lemon.

Herend Rothschild Bird Double Egg Cup

A 4 in hand-painted porcelain double egg cup in Rothschild Bird, one of Herend's best-loved patterns, with 24k gold accents.

Juice and Mimosas

Set out a carafe of fresh orange juice and a bottle of sparkling wine, and let guests mix their own mimosas.

William Yeoward Jasmine Juice Carafe

"What better way to start your day with a glass of juice poured from this beautiful juice carafe," says William Yeoward. Handmade crystal glass with delicate engraving in the Jasmine pattern; 8½ in tall, holding 20 oz.

William Yeoward Lillian Juice / Bellini

A thin handmade tumbler for a classic bellini or a glass of juice – "a very fine piece of glass." It holds 9 oz, just right for a mimosa.

The Butter Dish

Christofle Malmaison Silver-Plated Lidded Butter Dish

A lidded rectangular butter dish in Malmaison, one of Christofle's most historic patterns, with its Empire-style frieze of palm and lotus leaves. The glass section that holds the butter lifts out for cleaning.

New Year's Day Brunch Ideas

Start late. Invite guests for eleven or noon – nobody wants an early alarm on the first of January.
Build an egg bar. Soft-boiled eggs in cups, a frittata, or eggs to order keep everyone happy.
Make the mimosas self-serve. A juice carafe, an ice bucket and a tray of glasses let guests pour their own, with or without bubbles.
Share resolutions. Put a card at each place and ask everyone to write one hope for the year ahead – it's a lovely conversation starter.
Start fresh. The first brunch of the year is the perfect day to use the good china you've been saving.

Bringing something to a New Year's brunch? See our luxury hostess gifts. For a Christmas morning version of this table, see our Christmas morning brunch.