In New Orleans, we indulge in two ways: drinking and eating heaps of comfort food. So what better way to start your Sunday morning than by following suit, NOLA style? Some bread pudding, eggs benedict, and mimosas never fail to boost your mood to ensure that you end your weekend on a high note, so let these 12 brunch spots help get you there.
1) Compère Lapin
Take a seat at the bar at Compère Lapin to enjoy their famous bottomless Brunch Punch of the day and an array of your favorite brunch items with a twist. The Jewish staple of smoked salmon on top of a bagel was too mainstream for Compére Lapin, so they substituted the lox for tuna tartar. Also, the homemade Nutella and banana pop-tart is so sensational that you’ll regret ever laying eyes on the store-bought Kellogg variety.
2) Apolline
“I was a vegetarian for 8 years before I tried our cinnamon bacon.” These are the words my waiter told me before I indulged in their caramelized, crispy bacon during my visit to Apolline. Every bite of food at this quaint house (that had a line outside the door) did not disappoint. The move is to get the Eggs Apolline– a twist on eggs benedict with crawfish and biscuits, which obviously gives it the nod of approval by any true NOLA foodie.
3) Sylvain
Soak up the sun in Sylvain’s lush courtyard, which dates all the way back to 1776. Sylvain specializes in a hearty breakfast, so you better come ready to eat. Louisiana cuisine reigns supreme here with their crispy pork shoulder and Coosa Valley grits. But if you’re a sweets girl like me, the brioche french toast will definitely live up to expectations.
4) Boucherie
You may have thought the debate over who makes the best bread pudding in NOLA would never end, but here I am to tell you that I’ve found the best. Boucherie’s Krispy Kreme bread pudding à la mode will change your taste buds forever. There is no shame eating bread pudding for breakfast. Another favorite of mine is the BLT with a fried green tomato, which adds that little New Orleans flare we all love so much.
5) Paladar 511
Though I love New Orleans, I’m a California girl at heart. Paladar 511 is the closest thing to home that I’ve found so far. The rustic, California vibe creates the perfect backdrop for basic girls who are seeking to enhance their Instagram flow. The lemon ricotta pancakes with homemade ricotta and the breakfast sandwich with a homemade English muffin are too good to pass up. The fact that everything is picture perfect is just an added bonus.
6) Dante’s Kitchen
Dante’s Kitchen does New Orleans-style cooking right with their house-made alligator sausage white gravy and the crab & brie omelette. Now that the humidity is down, sit on the patio and feel blessed to be eating their bacon cinnamon sticky buns on this quaint Uptown road.
7) Surrey’s Cafe
Surrey’s Cafe is a local favorite on Magazine Street famous for their brunch and wide selection of homemade juices. The highlight of the menu is the Bananas Foster french toast that gives Brennan’s Restaurant, the founder of Bananas Foster, a run for their money. The sauce contains my three favorite ingredients: butter, sugar, and rum. Every girl’s guilty pleasure.
8) Atchafalaya
Atchafalaya restaurant is the perfect choice for tourists and locals alike who are looking for a special meal in a beautiful and historic setting. For a more filling dish, try their staple of Eggs Atchafalaya with poached eggs, fried green tomatoes, jumbo lump crab, and hollandaise sauce. If you’re not feeling a heavy meal, don’t fret– the smoked salmon BLT is an excellent choice as well.
9) New Orleans Cake Café & Bakery
New Orleans Cake Café & Bakery is a hidden gem that lies in-between 19th century cottages and refurbished shotgun houses. Being that it’s a family-run business, you’re sure to feel right at home. From their Creole comfort ambiance to their hearty meals to the bakery where you can pick up award-winning pastries, this eatery hits every mark on what a NOLA brunch should contain.
#SpoonTip: You can add a cupcake to your meal for only $1, even during breakfast.
10) Willa Jean
Everything about Willa Jean screams contemporary Southern comfort, from the warm loaf of cornbread they compliment with Poirier’s cane syrup down to the fact that they have an entire portion of the breakfast menu devoted to their biscuits. These buttery biscuits are made from a recipe crafted by the executive Pastry Chef Kelly Field’s Grandmother Willa Jean, for whom the restaurant is named. So you know they must be good.
11) Toast
Cara Benson met her husband at the French Culinary Institute, and together they bonded over their love of food. In 2014 the duo opened Toast. Just as this casual breakfast eatery started out with a love story, your experience eating at Toast will end in a love story of your own. You must try the Aebleskivers– fluffy, spherical pancakes served with sides like Nutella and caramel. This could put any foodie into a food coma.
12) Satsuma
Though it sounds like a trendy Japanese restaurant, Satsuma is in fact a hipster café offering a variety of brunch options that never get old. The bagel plate with herbed cream cheese has even won the approval of my New York friends. Their fresh squeezed OJ tastes like it’s straight out of the orchard. Not that I’m biased or anything, but this little place takes the cake as the best brunch spot in NOLA (in my opinion).
No matter any damage done from Saturday night, these 12 brunch places are sure to start your Sunday morning off on the right foot. I think it’s safe to say that the hard part will no longer be getting out of bed but trying to choose which one of these restaurants to go to and get your brunch on.