10 Top Breakfast Spots In New Orleans To Kickstart Your Morning With Flavor
New Orleans knows how to start the day right. From fluffy beignets dusted with powdered sugar to Southern comfort plates piled high with flavor, the Big Easy serves up breakfast like nowhere else.
Whether you’re craving something sweet, savory, or straight-up indulgent, these iconic spots will fuel your morning adventures with serious Louisiana charm.
1. Cafe Du Monde
Since 1862, this open-air landmark has been slinging powdered sugar clouds and chicory coffee like nobody’s business. You haven’t truly done New Orleans until you’ve sat under the green-and-white awning, biting into a hot beignet while sugar coats everything you own.
Located right in the heart of the French Quarter on Decatur Street, this spot is always buzzing with tourists and locals alike. The menu is simple: beignets, coffee, and that unbeatable view of Jackson Square.
2. Willa Jean
Chef Kelly Fields turned this Central Business District bakery into a breakfast destination that makes carbs feel like art. Expect Southern hospitality meets pastry wizardry, with everything baked fresh daily and plated like edible masterpieces.
The Eggs Cochon—a riff on eggs Benedict with slow-roasted pork—will ruin you for all other brunch dishes. And don’t even think about skipping the Bananas Foster Pain Perdu, which takes French toast to a whole new level of decadence and caramelized bliss.
3. Surrey’s Café & Juice Bar
Magazine Street’s beloved breakfast haven has been feeding the Garden District crowd with fresh, locally sourced goodness since day one. The vibe?
Casual, colorful, and unapologetically delicious.
Their Costa Rican breakfast plate brings a Latin twist to your morning with gallo pinto, fried plantains, and scrambled eggs. But the real showstopper is the Bananas Foster French toast—crispy, caramelized, and ridiculously indulgent.
Pro tip: arrive early or prepare to wait, because everyone knows about this place.
4. The Camellia Grill
Step back in time at this retro Uptown diner that’s been flipping eggs and charming locals since 1946. The counter seating, white-jacketed servers, and old-school charm make you feel like you’re in a movie about simpler times.
Order the pecan waffles or a perfectly cooked omelet while watching the cooks work their magic on the griddle. Everything here is classic American breakfast done the Southern way—no frills, just honest-to-goodness flavor.
It’s the kind of place grandparents rave about, and for good reason.
5. Ruby Slipper Cafe
Brunch with a side of sass? That’s Ruby Slipper’s specialty.
This local mini-chain started right here in New Orleans and quickly became a breakfast obsession for anyone craving bold flavors and creative twists on Southern staples.
Try the Eggs Cochon or the Bananas Foster Pain Perdu if you want something sweet and sinful. Their Bloody Marys are legendary, too, if you’re in the mood to add a little hair of the dog to your morning routine.
Expect a wait on weekends, but it moves fast.
6. Brennan’s
If breakfast can be fancy, Brennan’s wrote the playbook. This Royal Street icon practically invented the idea of luxurious morning dining, complete with chandeliers, tablecloths, and dishes that belong on a food magazine cover.
Their signature Bananas Foster was actually created here in the 1950s, and watching it flambéed tableside is pure theater. Pair it with Turtle Soup or Eggs Hussarde for a meal that feels more like an event than just breakfast.
Dress code: classy, not casual.
7. Elizabeth’s
Bywater’s funkiest breakfast spot serves up soul food with serious attitude and zero pretension. The walls are covered in quirky art, the portions are massive, and the regulars treat it like their second home.
Get the Praline Bacon—yes, candied bacon coated in praline goodness—and prepare to question every breakfast decision you’ve ever made. The biscuits are fluffy, the grits are creamy, and the vibe is pure New Orleans neighborhood charm.
Cash only, so hit the ATM first.
8. Atchafalaya
Tucked into the Irish Channel, this cozy spot brings Louisiana comfort food to breakfast with a refined touch. The atmosphere is laid-back but polished, and the menu reads like a love letter to Creole cooking.
Their crawfish and grits will make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about breakfast seafood. The biscuits are buttery perfection, and the shrimp and grits hit that sweet spot between rustic and restaurant-quality.
Brunch here feels like a warm hug from Louisiana itself.
9. The Court of Two Sisters
Want breakfast in a courtyard straight out of a fairy tale? This French Quarter gem offers daily jazz brunch in a lush, fountain-filled garden that feels worlds away from the bustling streets outside.
The buffet is legendary, loaded with Creole classics like jambalaya, gumbo, bread pudding, and made-to-order omelets. Live jazz serenades you while you pile your plate high with Southern delights.
It’s touristy, sure, but sometimes touristy things are popular for a reason—this place delivers magic.
10. Slim Goodies Diner
Uptown’s no-nonsense breakfast joint serves oversized portions, funky vibes, and a menu that reads like a greatest hits of diner classics with a New Orleans twist. The walls are plastered with local art, and the staff keeps things real.
Try the Slinger—a gut-busting combo of hash browns, eggs, cheese, and gravy that’ll fuel you through Mardi Gras and back. Vegetarians and meat-lovers alike find something to love here.
Expect a line on weekends, but the wait is worth every calorie.
