Cafe Amelie, New Orleans

There are a countless number of brunch places in New Orleans, but when there's someone special visiting you in town, I recommend bringing them to Cafe Amelie. Nestled on the upper reaches of Royal Street, this intimate cafe offers NOLA essentials using local ingredients with a modern Southern touch. In addition to the tasty meal I had here, the most drawing feature of Cafe Amelie is easily the enchanting courtyard that more than doubles the seating. Given that I went with my grandma in December, it was still very green, lush, and filled with happy patrons.

I ordered a few plates for us to share so that she could get a taste of the local flavor. We started with a chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, which though we had more than four times during the course of her visit, the one at Cafe Amelie remains her favorite. We also had a deliciously creamy shrimp and grits made with sweet corn and andouille maque choux (AKA smothered corn / Cajun succotash). The weakest link also happened to be a non-NOLA essential, which was a figs and goat cheese on bread. The goat cheese was a bit bland and the bread was the same as the bread basket offered to the table. I wish I ordered the oysters, mozzarella fireballs, or one their sizely sandwiches instead! Even so, we thoroughly enjoyed our meals, especially since we had it with hot Earl Grey and chocolate mint teas.

TL;DR: Wonderful brunch place with a delightful courtyard. Definitely make a reservation and request for courtyard seating.

Cafe Amelie

912 Royal Street

New Orleans, LA